FIRST please reconsider!

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Posted by Eric Reed at 2/16/2001 10:50 PM EST


Coach on team #481, NASA Ames / De Anza High School, from De Anza High School and It could be you!.



The update we got today has a rule clarification I have been requesting:

If you are going to two regionals, one week apart, you do not get to take your robot home.

It seems to me that this gives a tremendous advantage to teams that are lucky enough to have two weeks between regionals. They have the opportunity to work up to 72 hours AFTER seeing all the REAL dimensions of the goals, the abilities of other robots, the shortcoming of their own. Not to mention repairing any damage that may result from the first event.

I hope FIRST reconsiders this rule. It just seems too uneven.

Eric - 481

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Posted by Matt Leese at 2/16/2001 11:34 PM EST


Other on team #73, Tigerbolt, from Edison Technical HS and Alstom & Fiber Technologies & RIT.


In Reply to: FIRST please reconsider!
Posted by Eric Reed on 2/16/2001 10:50 PM EST:



There's a reason for this rule and it's quite simple really: they won't be able to guarantee your robot is actually at the competition if they give you until Tuesday to ship. Think of it this way, the shipper has to take it to the drayage yard, that will take at least a day if not longer. Then they have to move the robot from the drayage yard to the actual competition which will take even longer. It's physically not possible to allow teams to have their robot those three extra-days.

Matt

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Posted by Nate Smith at 2/17/2001 1:13 PM EST


Other on team #66, Frostbite, from Willow Run High School and GM Powertrain.


In Reply to: Re: FIRST please reconsider!
Posted by Matt Leese on 2/16/2001 11:34 PM EST:



: There's a reason for this rule and it's quite simple really: they won't be able to guarantee your robot is actually at the competition if they give you until Tuesday to ship. Think of it this way, the shipper has to take it to the drayage yard, that will take at least a day if not longer. Then they have to move the robot from the drayage yard to the actual competition which will take even longer. It's physically not possible to allow teams to have their robot those three extra-days.

: Matt

Not to mention that the robots show up as early as Tuesday at the event sites...

Nate

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Posted by Jason Morrella at 2/17/2001 4:36 AM EST


Coach on team #254, Cheesy Poofs, from Bellarmine College Prep & others and NASA Ames/Cypress Semiconductor/Unity Care.


In Reply to: FIRST please reconsider!
Posted by Eric Reed on 2/16/2001 10:50 PM EST:



The origional rule is unfair - NO TEAMS should get to keep their robot after an event like last year - it is the ONLY fair way to do it.

This year, it is changed to teams in more than one event can keep the robot 3-4 days to work on it, then ship it by Tuesday. What about the teams in other states who CAN NOT even get their robot home by Tuesday after an event?

NOW, 3 days before shipping, tell a select few teams going to two events that they will not get the EXACT SAME time with their robots as other teams - just because the only regionals close to them HAVE TO BE SCHEDULED in consecutive weeks is ridiculous.
It is simple - either ALL teams get the extra couple days, or NO teams. One of the foundations FIRST is built on is that all teams have the same amount of time to build their robots.
The answer is simple - all robots should be shipped directly from event to event like last year. Many didn't think it would work last year, and it did.
Eric - you are COMPLETELY right.

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Posted by Michael Bloomfield at 2/17/2001 9:17 AM EST


Student on team #375, Robotic Plague, from Staten Island Tech and Verizon.


In Reply to: FIRST please reconsider!
Posted by Eric Reed on 2/16/2001 10:50 PM EST:



Totally disagree with this rule. Where is this rule posted...what update? Thanks wanna take a look at it.

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Posted by Pat Bogard at 2/17/2001 12:57 PM EST


Student on team #103, Cybersonics, from Palisades High School and Lutron, Amplifier Research, Lucent Technologies.


In Reply to: FIRST please reconsider!
Posted by Eric Reed on 2/16/2001 10:50 PM EST:



what update number?

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Posted by Eric Reed at 2/17/2001 1:05 PM EST


Coach on team #481, NASA Ames / De Anza High School, from De Anza High School and It could be you!.


In Reply to: What update # (EOM)
Posted by Pat Bogard on 2/17/2001 12:57 PM EST:



Sorry, not actually an update, but an email from Lori on Friday.

Eric.

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Posted by Shawn McMahon at 2/18/2001 1:20 PM EST


Student on team #263, Aftershock, from Sachem H.S. and Symbol, Citycorp., Apoge, CA ....


In Reply to: FIRST please reconsider!
Posted by Eric Reed on 2/16/2001 10:50 PM EST:



I don't think any team should be able to take their robot after the regionals. Last year we shipped our robot to Florida right from the LI regionals. The robots are supossed to be done by this Tuesday. Mods can be done at the cometition if you have time but that should be it. Its already unfair to those teams who are unable to go to multiple regionals. They have even more time to fix their robot during the competition. Either way you look at it someone is going to think its unfair.

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Posted by Eric Reed at 2/18/2001 10:10 PM EST


Coach on team #481, NASA Ames / De Anza High School, from De Anza High School and It could be you!.


In Reply to: Re: FIRST please reconsider!
Posted by Shawn McMahon on 2/18/2001 1:20 PM EST:



: I don't think any team should be able to take their robot after the regionals. Last year we shipped our robot to Florida right from the LI regionals. The robots are supossed to be done by this Tuesday. Mods can be done at the cometition if you have time but that should be it. Its already unfair to those teams who are unable to go to multiple regionals. They have even more time to fix their robot during the competition. Either way you look at it someone is going to think its unfair.

That would be fine with me (although I must admit I was looking forward to having those days). I think a rule change to out of hands 2/20 PERIOD would be appropriate.

Eric
481

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Posted by Raul at 2/21/2001 9:29 AM EST


Engineer on team #111, Wildstang, from Rolling Meadows & Wheeling HS and Motorola.


In Reply to: FIRST please reconsider!
Posted by Eric Reed on 2/16/2001 10:50 PM EST:



Team 47 has another team lock their robot up in the crate and take the keys (if it is a combo lock, I imagine they can also email the combo to FIRST). Then they drive it to the competition themselves. Then the other team (or a FIRST official) has to unlock it for them at the competition.

Joe or Mike,
Can you clarify how you do this? We want to save the cost of shipping to the MW regional down the road from us.

Raul

PS. IF you are also going to the Nationals then at least you get it until Tuesday before that.


: If you are going to two regionals, one week apart, you do not get to take your robot home.