Brazilian team has doubt about UPS!!!!

[sloteera]

Originally Posted by Rick Wagner

Beach Cities Robotics welcomes Brazil to the LA Regional. Don't worry Rafael, if the batteries don't arrive on time you can always borrow a battery from us, team 294.

Thank you so much Rick...

Obviously that the money that was spent with 13 batteries is important, but, most important at the moment is that we can compete in the field without batteries troubles, because without doubt, 2009's robot is the best bot that we already build...

We are very excite with the possibility to play in a new regional for us, and know other teams and people...

On behalf #1860, i wish good luck to the #294

[Katy]

I know you probably already took care of this somehow but I'm going to point it out now because it would suck if nobody caught this.

Maybe you should ask the team you shipped to to unpack and charge a battery or two (or all if they are feeling so generous). You may also want to ask them to discharge the battery and charge it again so the batteries get with the program of holding a full charge. Otherwise you're going to have 13 totally uncharged batteries Thursday morning and you'll probably struggle to make your practice matches.

[sloteera]

Originally Posted by Katy

I know you probably already took care of this somehow but I'm going to point it out now because it would suck if nobody caught this.

Maybe you should ask the team you shipped to to unpack and charge a battery or two (or all if they are feeling so generous). You may also want to ask them to discharge the battery and charge it again so the batteries get with the program of holding a full charge. Otherwise you're going to have 13 totally uncharged batteries Thursday morning and you'll probably struggle to make your practice matches.

Thank you Katy, I had forget this.

We gonna carry a "super-charger" that we develop to charge 8 batteries together.

The problem is that, in the competition, the only charger that can be used is the KoP charger.

I really hadn't thought that in morning Thursday, we'll stay without batteries while waiting to charge.
I will ask for Chris if he can charges two batteries for us.

But I'm scared with the possibility of hasn't batteries to play.

When I access my order in the MK's website, is wrote that the purchase already shipped, but with the tracking number that MK provides me, I can't track the batteries in the UPS system...

=/

[Akash Rastogi]

I'm definite that a team will allow you to borrow batteries for your matches. This is, after all, FIRST.

[ChrisH]

KarenH just called me at work. The shipper called our house and is delivering the batteries tomorrow (3/6). No worries

ChrisH

[sloteera]

Originally Posted by ChrisH

KarenH just called me at work. The shipper called our house and is delivering the batteries tomorrow (3/6). No worries

ChrisH

Chris... maybe tomorrow you will receive the cables of the batteries, of the AndyMark. I'm worried with the batteries, from MK.

I think that is occuring some trouble with my credit card, because the website's MK, doesn't accept Brazilian Address, then the "Bill to Address" stayed wrong... However, I include my address and wrote a note explaining everything.

Originally Posted by Vikesrock

That is not quite right. Any automatic charger with max current less than 6 Amps may be used.

Our charger has Imax. = 60Amp. to allow that all the batteries be charged together, but I need to tell you that I had no idea that was allowed use other chargers.

Thanks by information

[Vikesrock]

Originally Posted by sloteera

Thank you Katy, I had forget this.

We gonna carry a "super-charger" that we develop to charge 8 batteries together.

The problem is that, in the competition, the only charger that can be used is the KoP charger.

That is not quite right. Any automatic charger with max current less than 6 Amps may be used.

<R39> An automatic battery charger rated for a maximum of 6 amperes must be used to charge the ES17-12 batteries. When recharging the ES17-12 batteries, either the charger provided by FIRST or an automatic charger with an equivalent charging current rating may be used.

[Katy]

Originally Posted by sloteera

We gonna carry a "super-charger" that we develop to charge 8 batteries together.

Make sure your "super-charger" will work on an American outlet. You'll probably also need to check your power tools or bring a lot of converters.

[Rick Wagner]

Originally Posted by Katy

Make sure your "super-charger" will work on an American outlet. You'll probably also need to check your power tools or bring a lot of converters.

Good point. Also, in light of the 6 amp rule, it's probably a safety issue, so you might want to consider not using your 60 amp charger in the pits. It may also present a problem with tripping circuit breakers in the pit power lines. Team 294 will bring a spare legal charger you can use.

[Katy]

The silence here in response to that is slightly unnerving...

This is what outlets and plugs look like in the United States.



Both run on 120 V at 60 Hz.

The internet informs me that power in Brazil sometimes comes through the same plug shapes (but also some others) and runs at 60Hz. However, the internet also informs me that it runs at 127 V and 220 V or sometimes at 115V. I am not entirely sure what the outcome will be if you plug your 220V saw into a 120V outlet but I'm pretty sure you won't like it.

You may want to investigate this further.

[Justin Stiltner]

Careful about your charger!!! If it outputs 60A on only one output you would need 10 batteries to be connected and all of them at the same discharge level in order to balance the charge load to the batteries. In short, I wouldn't do it that way. You could have bought 10 6A chargers and put them all in one housing, that work work fine!

[ChrisH]

Now that I think about it, a 60A charging system at full bore will blow out much of the pit. Circuits here are generally set up for 20A unless you are doing something special. 40A can be found but it is rare. The next step up, 100A is usually only used for permanant equipment or other specialized uses.

Stick with the kit chargers if you can.

BTW the phone call was to tell us when to have somebody home to recieve the batteries. Karen or I will post when they arrive.

ChrisH

[sloteera]

The "super-charger" that I'm referring is a industrial supply used specifically to re-charge batteries. Your output voltage is 14,4V and your Imax is 60A.
The batteries is connected in paralell, so I can charge one batterie or five, six batteries at the same time.

For each output of the charge, there is a internal circuit to limit the current around five point two amperes... we did tests into school to validate the charger.

We won't use the charger in the pit. Our intention is carry the batteries from competition to the hotel, and then, re-charge it.

Is secure! We (mentors) every time looking for mantain, before everyhing, the integrity of the student's health and ourselves.


About the outlets Katy, this year is the sixth time that we'll compete in the USA and along the time, we acquired some experience about your country. We are carrying many NEMA 5-15 (North American 15A/125V grounded) adapters.

However, I'd like to thanks your atention. In our first year ( 2004 with the team 1382 ) we had MANY troubles with this. This thread maybe can help too the Rookie Chilean Team that will compete in LA with us.


And Chris, I solved everything yesterday at the night. The batteries is coming by Conway freight (probably because the total weight is 227lbs). The appointment schedule that they sent me is 03/06. Could you let me know by PM if anything gonna wrong?



Please, sorry me by my language english. I never did english classes.

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by sloteera

And Chris, I solved everything yesterday at the night. The batteries is coming by Conway freight (probably because the total weight is 227lbs). The appointment schedule that they sent me is 03/06. Could you let me know by PM if anything gonna wrong?

Since there are obviously many people who are concerned about this, I'll just go ahead and post that the batteries have arrived. Karen and I were sleeping in and got a call from the truck driver "I'm here!". He wasn't supposed to come until this afternoon, but was making another delivery nearby so he figured he'd give us a try.

ChrisH

[Killraine]

My heart can stop its rapid beating.