Re: UCF Regional Competition

[MRL180YTL2002]

Originally posted by katie86
but the second case had all of our extra speed controllers, drill motors and transmissions, and a few spikes.

i really enjoyed using a hair dryer to dry out the drill motor transmissions and opening all our spikes to pour out the water.

Well congrats on making it too the finals, as the head of our pit I made sure that our stuff was cover, especially the robot because I noticed the holes in the ceiling. Water and electronics definately don't mix.

[Madison]

Originally posted by George1083
i wish this were always so at ucf, maddie...

some of the auto modes were going even when the HP's didn't get back in time. i know this cause it happened to 108 when we played a match with them. they wanted to disable their auto mode so it didn't conflict with ours, so they had their HP stay off 'til 12 sec. well, he stayed off, but their auto mode went anyway and we collided at the center and stuck together for the first 20 sec of human control.

i've heard similar stories from ucf as well.

to the HP's: stay safe, but please try to get off the field quickly.

If that's the case, it sounds like the pressure mats weren't working properly. :-/

If the mats are working properly, the arena controllers always wait until all four are pressed before they begin the countdown to autonomous mode.

I'd be really surprised if the FIRST staff on site didn't make sure that those mats were working properly, as overriding them is a very large safety hazard.

[Jason Rudolph]

All of the mats were checked every morning, and no robots would move until all four mats had been stepped on. There were a few matches where the human player's would get confused about not stepping on the mats in 10 seconds so that their robot's auton would not happen, but then forgot to step on within 15 seconds. There were at least 2 matches where no robots moved for about 25 seconds because of this. As far as safety glasses go, I can tell you for sure that it was enforced on the field, in the pits, well I can't speak for that. Food might have been expensive, but that is out of FIRST's hands. And as far as the pits, well, hopefully next year the new arena at UCF will be ready for us, and all the pits will be inside, or all the pits will end up in a much larger, and more leak-proof tent.

[sanddrag]

Originally posted by Jason Rudolph
Food might have been expensive, but that is out of FIRST's hands

Well, then FIRST needs to get some bigger hands.

[Jrmc]

I am the pit crew chief for team 233, and i made sure that every night before i left everything was nicely ziptied into bins to both protect from weather and theft, not that i think anyone in FIRST would steal, but we were outside in a leaky tent. AS for food, we brought our own, put it in the bus and in our sponsor's truck we just went outside to eat.

I was really impressed with the competition this year, so many veteran teams made UCF the record setting regional, which is cool. As for our coming in second, it was more than i could ask for...i'd like to thank team 79 and 86 our allies in the finals for putting up an incredible show....i'd love to be partners with you in future. Krunch, your robot still scares me when i see it move with that four wheel steering. I think you guys were the king of destroyed boxes.

Here's to the greatest alliance!!

You get much Resistance (86) to Krunching(79) Pink(233)

[Sophey Chan]

We got some angsty people here, awe, poor you all. I know, UCF did provide atleast space to do the working in, and I mean, you have to understand, it was their spring break, and they opened up the Union to us, brought in people to work the fast foods and such, so you have to give them that, though the outside PITS weren't the best. But it was their first year, so many next year will be better if they hold it there again. But yea, hit of advice next year, Buttons bag are good hidey holes, tool boxes and the back gate are the best ^___^ And shirts hiding stuff in a backpack, I had to have my Code Red daily, it worked pretty well.

[sanddrag]

Originally posted by MRL180YTL2002
Water and electronics definately don't mix.

Actually they do and that's what causes problems.

[MRL180YTL2002]

Originally posted by sanddrag
Actually they do and that's what causes problems.

don't mix as in don't go together but anyway, not that we aren't grateful to UCF. The main reason of starting this was to point out several problems with the competition arena. The only rule they seemed to be enforcing was their food and drink rule, none of the game rules (as in like grounds for disqualifications such as ramming and destroying parts of the playing field, namely the bins). There was a match that I saw where one team should have been disqualified for repeatedly ramming a dead bot. C'mon. Its already not functioning, not like you're trying to push it on top of the ramp for 25 points for them. This team obiviously had control and they certainly were not acting like gracious professionals either. In other matches, one team took sheer joy, pride, and delight in running the bins under the bar and cheered when they broke one, two, or three...!

[AJ Quick]

Originally posted by MRL180YTL2002
Not that I didn't mind the change of venue but NASA didn't try to sucker away our money.

We went to KSC after the UCF regional... $15 dollars for a small simple lunch! $3 dollar pops (soda) with $2 dollar refills.

That place was a monopoly.

[tonyargote]

we can't really complain though, at the UCF regional they gave us some monopoly-like money that worked on campus as regular money, se we used that to eat. The food selection was also good.

...YUMMM... Sbarros.....

[MRL180YTL2002]

Not like it was bad, they just needed to fix a few things. Oh, NASA KSC technically is a tourist trap so I'd expect to shell out some $$$ if you go isnide. Out by the field, at the trailer like they had a UCF the prices were cheaper (well its $1.50 for Soda, $1.00 water, something like that). Hey, at least they know some of this stuff ahead of time.

But really, my point is mainly the rules that were NOT enforced and the overall condition of the outside pit area was pathetic.