To all Newbie Teams... :D

In Clarks wonderful picture notice how the guy in the orange shirt was burnt...that was me! it really hurt...clark was far enough away not to get burnt...lets say i took that one for the team..lol

[Dan 550]

My 'I have to actually try to help rookies' thing for today is a suggestion: keep it simple. If you have the time and people to make your robot look really cool, that's great, but that cool looking part probably put you to 131 lb, and you won't know it until weigh-in, and that just gets royally annoying. If you don't have something from Small Parts when you want it, buy the same thing at a regular store and swap it out later; this saves a lot of frustration. Don't know pBasic? Ask around here, chances are if you post on the Tech Help board, a really nice guy named Joe Johnson will help you out. Need an extra joystick or other part? Check out the regional team list at the FIRST site, and eMail a few of them, or even, here's a novel concept, call them up on the phone. All of the teams are filled with really nice people, and somebody will probably give you the part. Chances are that you have engineers. Tell them that they're not just there to make sure their companies' money isn't going to waste. Make them share the knowledge they have, but don't let them build the whole bot. FIRST is all about students building machines and learning from the experience. And, last but far from least, be enthusiastic. You don't want to go to a competition and look bummed out. Keep enjoying yourself, and be a team. That's about all I have to add to this topic. Have fun!

[gniticxe]

Well said Dan! I couldn't agree more, but I'd like to elaborate a little on the competition and enthusiam. The first competition I went to (Rutgers) was nothing like I expected. Some of the rookie teams may be fortunate to have seen a video of a competition or in some way heard about one, but you just can't capture the essence of whats going on there in a video. When you first get to a competition early in the morning, you're quickly woken up by pumping music that seems to be completely omnidirectional. Once you get used to that, practices start and you see for the first time what other teams came up with for the challenge. Then the first match - it was amazing to me to actually see that gracious professionalism that FIRST talks about. It just seemed a little hard to believe, but believe me, its there. After the awards ceremony on the ride home, and after retelling stories about the comp, you get to thinking, wow...what an incredible organization this is. All of the different teams there seemed united and were so supportive, its hard to put into words. So, look forward to your first competition rookie teams! I know after that, I couldn't wait for our teams next competition at Drexel. This unique experience from FIRST is not something you will ever forget.

[Kyle Gilbert]

I can remember that day as if it were yesterday. I am the one in the red shirt. Unlike what DJ said, clark was the taker of the picture...

It was a cool Feburary night and all things were going well for the TechnoKats. We were doing one of our scheduled test runs when our battery ran dead. Someone brought over a new and improved and not to mention "lighter" battery. Well i guess they didnt know what they were doing. Before we knew it flames had engulfed 1/3 of the test crew. It was terrible, there was screaming and running; flames all over. Thankfully there was a fire extinguisher near by to douse the flames and save the robot, then the crew. Luckly the test crew escaped with only 1st and 2nd degree burns; mostly due to the fact that they were wearing hand-me-down fire retardant suits. It was a terrible day in our history and a great lesson to all FIRST teams. PLEASE DO NOT DRILL HOLES IN YOUR BATTERIES!!!!!

The End


(NOTE: This story is not based on true events or facts.... its just what came out of my bored and imaginative brain.)

[Dan 550]

Speaking about drivers, always make sure that they have plenty of practice. My team was liberal about this last year, and we had nearly no driver practice. We wound up with a driver that neglected to tell us that he was blind, and a robot on fire. Those of you at Drexel might remember when the rug caught on fire on Thursday, along with that wooden bot. That was our driver's fault (not me), and I apologize for any inconvienence.

[Kyle Gilbert]

For some reason we also seem to run short on time for driving practice with the new robot, even though we do practice some with the older 'bots.

my mistake..it was kyle who didnt get burnt...The important thing was that i was burnt..lol

[Katie Reynolds]

Some of the rookie teams may be fortunate to have seen a video of a competition or in some way heard about one, but you just can't capture the essence of whats going on there in a video

Just had to say that I couldn't agree more :-)

- Katie

[TF8]

last year at nationals there was a rookie team at weigh in that was slightly over weight (the robot). one of the dumber looking members of the team said they should get an old drained battery becuase it would cut down on the weight. i then asked the kid about how much an electron weighs and he gave me a nasty look. be careful what you post some people might take it seriously.

-tyler forbes

[EddieMcD]

Of course, you can always use the ultimate form of weight loss: Hampster Power!

[gniticxe]

Heh, I just happen to be reading an "article" at the moment about not weight loss, but weight gain. Its a contest that the crazy people at www.thespark.com had. The goal was to get these two people to gain 30lbs and get $3000 to do it in 30 days. I highly reccommend it. Please note, there is some mild cursing and foul language mixed throughout. Also, the "Stinkymeat" experiments under the science section are worth a read...just not while eating.

The Fat Project
and slightly more comical, but more disgusting:
Stinky Meat
When you get some free time check them out - they are pretty long

thats sad to hear...but thats funny

[EddieMcD]

Humans... are... strange...

[OtakuRob]

Ah.. all these stories are like memories from a dream.. If only they actually meant something and had some significance other than just a laugh..

My suggestion for new teams: Ask as much as you want, but please ask around before submitting questions such as "Can we drill holes in the air tank to make it lighter".. Although we do read the updates at meetings as they come out, it really doesn't need to be there.. ::shrug:: I may have sounded crass, but oh well..

[fs_2002]

btw i take offense at this whole rookie bashing going on on this extreme lack of sleep and increased stress due to my first week of college, i'm oh-so gullible... just a suggestion- next time you care to say some things like this, make sure people know you're kidding.
~bobb
Team 804