Team 241 Tests Its Trebuchet for NHTechFest

[Dantvman27]

There is still plenty of times for all new england area robotics teams (or any other type of group that would like to enter, does not have to be a robotics team) to enter the NHTechFest Trebuchet Conest

heres video of one of our team's entries from today's press conference

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S8Fzj5Uwdg

(sorry for the low quality, forgot my camera and had to use my cell phone)



for more information about the contest and NHTechfest please visit

www.nhtechfest.org

[boomergeek]

The low quality video was perfect. Good enough to show that the stone powered trebuchet works. Not good enough video quality to give away any trade secrets just yet.

[BrendanB]

Funny story, some of my brother's friends came out from UNH last weekend and started building a trebuchut, but the funny part is the two side supports/trianges(the only thing they got done) are bigger that my car and each weigh anywhere from 40+lbs. So I was planning on shrinking it and entering it but not enough time to do so. This thing will look really cool when he's done though.

[boomergeek]

The trebuchet in the video took less than 20 hours of construction over about a week by mostly two people. A lot of time was spent playing with different trebuchet simulators and scanning the Internet for secrets prior to building.

The main axle is a heavy duty wooden clothes rod.
Easy constructions with 2.5" and 3" drywall screws.
Built from scraps lying around and less than $20 of new materials from the hardware store.

Tools:
Saws
Drills
wrenches
vise
saw horse
square
pencil
tape measure
1.5" hole saw (drill attachment)
Knife
Screw driver


----
True story about Just-In-Time projects:

Due to procrastination and bad weather, we only had time to test about 10 throws with the trebuchet (the first one we ever built) prior to the media showing up: 2 throws backwards, 5 stuck in the sling, 1 straight up and 2 less than 10 feet forward.

We then changed two things at once and tried one more shot- it went about 60 feet. Then the media showed up and all three shots while they were there were flights of beauty of at least 40 feet.

Murphy's law had actually taken the day off.

[Trying to Help]

So, besides being on Saturday the 14th, when will the trebuchet contest be held? And where at Pinkerton will it be held? I was just checking the website, and I didn't see any details.

Thanks!

Trying to Help

[Dantvman27]

i believe as of right now, the teams can set up as early as 8, but i don't think we are starting the actual contest til noon or one, it had to do with the lecturer scheduling, we didn't want any of the speakers to lose their audience due to everyone coming to watch the main event. As far as where, the contest will be being held on the old field hockey field which is behind the vocational building, its only a short walk from the field house, where most of the event is being held. I believe teams will want to check-in in the lobby of the field house and then we will direct them to where they can unload

[Trying to Help]

Thanks for the fast reply!

Can you let us know how many teams have signed up?

Trying to Help

[Dantvman27]

Originally Posted by Trying to Help

Thanks for the fast reply!

Can you let us know how many teams have signed up?

Trying to Help

There's about a dozen teams signed up + or - one possibly

[Dantvman27]

Here is another, newer video of the trebuchet being tested for accuracy, but don't worry, the actual target area has not been built yet, so we won't have any advantages with extra practice time


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38mKf5yaqGI

[Trying to Help]

A couple of questions as we start to test our trebuchet.

I know that the counterweight has to be detachable.

Can we detach just the weight and not it's container?
If we have to detach the container, can we give you an indentical container to weigh with the counterweight?
And does the counterweight have to have a fixed weight? For instance, if we decide that an apple of a certain size needs more or less weight, can we adjust our counterweight?

Thanks!

Trying to Help

[Dantvman27]

Originally Posted by Trying to Help

A couple of questions as we start to test our trebuchet.

I know that the counterweight has to be detachable.

Can we detach just the weight and not it's container?
If we have to detach the container, can we give you an indentical container to weigh with the counterweight?
And does the counterweight have to have a fixed weight? For instance, if we decide that an apple of a certain size needs more or less weight, can we adjust our counterweight?

Thanks!

Trying to Help

While i'm not an official on the trebuchet team, i believe the purpose is to make sure your counterweight just does not exceed the max and i believe adjusting it is fine