Jaguar repair?

[Tristan Lall]

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

Since tampering includes disassembling, any repair to a jaguar would be illegal under last year's rules.

FIRST provided a pair of Q&A responses in 2010 that pertain to <R60> and the disassembly of electrical parts for cleaning and installation of gaskets. (It would be excellent if FIRST incorporates those clarifications directly into the rules for 2011.)

Originally Posted by ErikRantapaa

My plan is to simply replace the damaged FETs and the central cap in one of the units.

You could certainly make the argument that repairing the device with a new FET (identical to the original one) satisfies the same test articulated in the Q&A response ("the device is completely restored to its original condition")...but I wouldn't recommend it for competition purposes. (I should probably have mentioned that in my original response—I expected you would be able to RMA them and get fresh ones, obviating the need for repairs.)

Firstly, it's not clear if the intent of the Q&A was to imply that anything that restores a device is acceptable, or anything that restores a device through cleaning and disassembly only is acceptable. (The narrower reading is the safer bet, but the more expansive reading wouldn't be a ridiculous interpretation either.) Also, because it says "completely" rather than "substantially" or "materially", you could legitimately question how that's meant to be interpreted—after all, taken literally, "completely" is a practical impossibility, even though you might never be able to measure the difference. What degree of leniency was intended?

If any of this is unclear, ask these questions again as soon as the 2011 Q&A opens.