Go to Post changing some 0 to 1s was a lot lighter and cheaper than most of the clutches I found. - IKE [more]
Home
Go Back   Chief Delphi > Competition > Regional Competitions
CD-Media   CD-Spy  
portal register members calendar search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read FAQ rules

 
Closed Thread
Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
  #16   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 09-03-2008, 16:58
ChuckDickerson's Avatar
ChuckDickerson ChuckDickerson is offline
Mentor / Bayou & CMP Division LRI
FRC #0456 (Siege Robotics)
Team Role: Mentor
 
Join Date: May 2004
Rookie Year: 2004
Location: Vicksburg, MS
Posts: 877
ChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond repute
Re: Air Compressors

Quote:
Originally Posted by EricH View Post
If your cart tires have a slow leak, you might want to slime them.
Thanks but no issue with the cart tires this year. New solid wheels and it rolls much better!

I still would like to have a small compressor in the pits for blowing out metal shavings, etc. but didn't want to bother packing and taking it to competition if it wasn't allowed.
  #17   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 09-03-2008, 17:03
Unsung FIRST Hero
Al Skierkiewicz Al Skierkiewicz is offline
Broadcast Eng/Chief Robot Inspector
AKA: Big Al WFFA 2005
FRC #0111 (WildStang)
Team Role: Engineer
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Rookie Year: 1996
Location: Wheeling, IL
Posts: 10,798
Al Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond repute
Re: Air Compressors

Chuck,
Many of the Green Shirts are employees of Underwriter's Labs or trained by UL people at some point. If they objected it was likely the size, noise or electrical load that concerned them. They are charged with helping teams be safe, in the pits and on the field. Their concern is for the safety of all participants, guests and visitors.
__________________
Good Luck All. Learn something new, everyday!
Al
WB9UVJ
www.wildstang.org
________________________
Storming the Tower since 1996.
  #18   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 09-03-2008, 17:14
bhsrobotics1671's Avatar
bhsrobotics1671 bhsrobotics1671 is offline
Andrew Nabors
AKA: Andrew Nabors
FRC #1671 (Buchanan Bird Brains)
Team Role: Coach
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Rookie Year: 2006
Location: Clovis, CA
Posts: 284
bhsrobotics1671 is a splendid one to beholdbhsrobotics1671 is a splendid one to beholdbhsrobotics1671 is a splendid one to beholdbhsrobotics1671 is a splendid one to beholdbhsrobotics1671 is a splendid one to beholdbhsrobotics1671 is a splendid one to beholdbhsrobotics1671 is a splendid one to behold
Re: Air Compressors

I don't know what the rules are exactly but we had one in our pits at San diego and no problem with it.
__________________
Buchanan Bird Brains - FRC Team 1671
2015 FIRST World Champions
118, 1678, 1671, 5012
  #19   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 09-03-2008, 17:25
ChuckDickerson's Avatar
ChuckDickerson ChuckDickerson is offline
Mentor / Bayou & CMP Division LRI
FRC #0456 (Siege Robotics)
Team Role: Mentor
 
Join Date: May 2004
Rookie Year: 2004
Location: Vicksburg, MS
Posts: 877
ChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond repute
Re: Air Compressors

Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz View Post
Chuck,
Many of the Green Shirts are employees of Underwriter's Labs or trained by UL people at some point. If they objected it was likely the size, noise or electrical load that concerned them. They are charged with helping teams be safe, in the pits and on the field. Their concern is for the safety of all participants, guests and visitors.
I agree 100% and am grateful for their presence and participation. Odd thing was, the compressor is pretty small (about the smallest 110VAC one that Harbor Freight sells) and wasn’t plugged up or running at the time. It was stored on a shelf and he just saw it and said it wasn’t allowed as a blanket statement. That is what made me wonder if we had missed something in the rules. The last thing we want is to violate ANY rule either intentionally or inadvertently. Just wondering if we had missed something or if the rules on air compressors might vary from event to event.
  #20   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 09-03-2008, 17:47
Unsung FIRST Hero
Al Skierkiewicz Al Skierkiewicz is offline
Broadcast Eng/Chief Robot Inspector
AKA: Big Al WFFA 2005
FRC #0111 (WildStang)
Team Role: Engineer
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Rookie Year: 1996
Location: Wheeling, IL
Posts: 10,798
Al Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond repute
Re: Air Compressors

Chuck,
Without talking with the safety person, I am unsure why he/she would disapprove. The defining documents are Section 3-At The Events and the First Safety Manual. Neither specifically address compressors but both make a reference to local venue restrictions which may be enforced by the safety personnel.
On a similar note, high current battery chargers are not allowed. So whether I see one or the safety people see one, you will be asked to remove it from your pit for safety reasons.
I think it might be appropriate to tell you that I have witnessed 3/4 HP compressors with 5 and 10 gallon tanks, and 50 amp battery chargers as well as team built power distribution panels in pits over the years. I have also witnessed, open flames and steel grinding (shower of sparks) in the pits as well.
__________________
Good Luck All. Learn something new, everyday!
Al
WB9UVJ
www.wildstang.org
________________________
Storming the Tower since 1996.
  #21   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 09-03-2008, 19:36
dlavery's Avatar
dlavery dlavery is offline
Curmudgeon
FRC #0116 (Epsilon Delta)
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Rookie Year: 1996
Location: Herndon, VA
Posts: 3,176
dlavery has a reputation beyond reputedlavery has a reputation beyond reputedlavery has a reputation beyond reputedlavery has a reputation beyond reputedlavery has a reputation beyond reputedlavery has a reputation beyond reputedlavery has a reputation beyond reputedlavery has a reputation beyond reputedlavery has a reputation beyond reputedlavery has a reputation beyond reputedlavery has a reputation beyond repute
Re: Air Compressors

Chuck-

I would just offer two comments:

- the safety judges at the competitions are just that - judges. They have no enforcement authority at all. They should not be directing you to do anything, and certainly do not have the authority to tell you to remove anything from your pit area. They can - out of a legitimate safety concern - suggest that you might or might not want to use some item. But they can not direct you to do so. The majority of the safety judges are very good, well meaning volunteers. However, every now and then a small subset of them get a little bit over zealous (anyone else remember the "you have to wear gloves when lifting your robot" debacle from last year?). The only people at the event that have the responsibility to enforce the rules are the referees (on the field), the robot inspectors (for the robot), and the authorized FIRST-appointed lead positions. And even they just have the authority to enforce the existing rules as written - they are not to make up any new ones.

- that said, one of the desired uses of the small air compressor mentioned is something to avoid. Using compressed air to blow chips out of a mechanism is a very bad idea. In any reasonable-quality machine shop, you will almost always find that this is a prohibited practice. The problem is that blowing chips out causes them to fly everywhere, and you have no control over their direction or final destination. They can, and frequently do, end up embedded in electronics, thrown into gears, stuck on precision surfaces, or tossed just about anywhere else that they don't belong (I have had to completely tear down and rebuild lathe chucks that were completely jammed with swarf that had been blown into the mechanism by inexperienced "machinists" more than once). In the worst case, chips can fly back towards you where they can drift around safety glasses and into your eyes. If you need to remove chips from a machined area, a shop vac is a much better tool of choice.

-dave
__________________
"I know what you're thinking, punk," hissed Wordy Harry to his new editor, "you're thinking, 'Did he use six superfluous adjectives or only five?' - and to tell the truth, I forgot myself in all this excitement; but being as this is English, the most powerful language in the world, whose subtle nuances will blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' - well do you, punk?"
- Stuart Vasepuru, 2006 Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest



My OTHER CAR is still on Mars!!!
  #22   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 09-03-2008, 21:16
ChuckDickerson's Avatar
ChuckDickerson ChuckDickerson is offline
Mentor / Bayou & CMP Division LRI
FRC #0456 (Siege Robotics)
Team Role: Mentor
 
Join Date: May 2004
Rookie Year: 2004
Location: Vicksburg, MS
Posts: 877
ChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond reputeChuckDickerson has a reputation beyond repute
Re: Air Compressors

All, I didn’t mean at all to criticize the green shirt safety judges. I value and respect them and am truly glad they have become an integral part of the competitions. Our team strives very hard for the safety award and thus I didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize our image with any of the safety judges at competition. I was simply getting stuff out to pack for competition and got to thinking about the small air compressor and thought about the safety judge last year in Atlanta and was wondering if I had missed something somewhere in the rules or Q&A, etc. The safety judge was in no way nasty about the issue and I am certain that he truly thought that there was some rule against it. Everyone is human and there was no issues or hard feelings at all on our part. I doubt most of the team even knew of it anyway. The whole conversation took place between the safety judge and myself and there may have been a couple of students in the pit at the time. I see now that my comments about the authority of the green shirt safety judges were not exactly worded very well. Sorry, I really wasn’t thinking much about it at the time.

Dave, thank you very much for the wise advice. I humbly admit that I have always taught the team to blow out the robot after any drilling, etc. was done on it prior to powering it up. Especially those Victors so as to not let the magic smoke out! After reading your well-rationalized post I see now that I have been teaching a poor practice to our team. I see no reason for our air compressor in the pits now so no need to bring it. Thank you for taking a moment to educate me today! I appreciate very much when someone takes their time to teach me something especially if it is something I thought I was doing right but really wasn’t. I will pass the knowledge on.
  #23   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 09-03-2008, 21:26
Unsung FIRST Hero
Al Skierkiewicz Al Skierkiewicz is offline
Broadcast Eng/Chief Robot Inspector
AKA: Big Al WFFA 2005
FRC #0111 (WildStang)
Team Role: Engineer
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Rookie Year: 1996
Location: Wheeling, IL
Posts: 10,798
Al Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond reputeAl Skierkiewicz has a reputation beyond repute
Re: Air Compressors

Chuck,
I did not feel you were doing that. I thought you had a legitimate question. I would like to back up Dave's comments about blowing out the robot. The Victors are open on the top and blowing air around them just serves to push the debris further into the corners inside the case. The same goes for bearings and fans. Cover all electronics when you need to machine and/or turn the robot on it's side. I picked a chip out of the pins on an RC for a team last week at Midwest. A vacuum and a paint brush did not remove it and it was so small you could only see it with a bright light. Removal cleared the "no data radio" and "RC Hardware" lights.
__________________
Good Luck All. Learn something new, everyday!
Al
WB9UVJ
www.wildstang.org
________________________
Storming the Tower since 1996.
Closed Thread


Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Compressors vs. Accumulators Pavan Dave Pneumatics 6 31-01-2007 09:46
Are we allowed to use a Bimba air-to-air booster? Alex Minot Pneumatics 1 20-02-2005 22:32
WARNING - Keep those compressors cool or you may be slimed!!!! Elgin Clock Pneumatics 14 24-02-2004 06:44
Two Compressors Jay H 237 Pneumatics 16 16-02-2004 20:55
Air Jordan matt111 Rumor Mill 21 03-02-2004 18:59


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 22:21.

The Chief Delphi Forums are sponsored by Innovation First International, Inc.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © Chief Delphi