Music / Noise "Restrictions"

[Ben Mitchell]

Personally, I see no problem with this rule - I like the idea of being about to have a conversation at a robotics competition without shouting, and having things a bit more civil and under control than unreasonable levels of sound. Teams can have spirit without making ears bleed.

[Matt_Kaplan1902]

We at team 108 has a cart with a sound system on it. Last year we used it for letting people know that our robot is coming past (so we dont have to scream). Does the rule mean this is not allowed?

[sirbleedsalot]

Team spirt does not bother me, however the making of noise just to make noise and draw attention to yourself is unnesisry. That being said the noise level comming out of the first speakers was also unnessisaraly high. Finaly the no food or drink in the arena rule is understandable, but last year our team had pop and sandwich stuff in the bus in the parking lot and they told us that we could not even eat out there. I would not mind buying lunch at the consesion stands but seven dollers for a hot dog is highway robbery.

[lilszek24]

[quote=DUCKY]"No loud music, audio systems, whistles, banging sticks, blow horns, etc. They interfere with announcements. They prevent teams from hearing important announcements, can be annoying, and can cause hearing loss."
-10-AttheEvents.pdf-

at first i thought it wus kinda weird but im completely happy about this..im totally for cheering and all but it can totally be done w/out those loud annoying noise makers and sticks sum teams hit together! ROCK ON F.I.R.S.T! now maybe ill keep my hearing untill im 25....welll thats still a maybe

[Sam J.]

The music in the pits from teams that have sound systems on their "carts" can be a little annoying, but to ban noisemakers that teams use while cheering on ther team is ridiculous. There is no way for teams to cheer for two days, without losing their voice. Even if they try to confiscate all the noisemakers, they are going to end up with a bunch of useless items (for them at least).

On the positive note, the teams with the sound systems on their carts provided entertainment during the 7-minute walk from the pits to the arena down in Houston.

[Joe Matt]

First of all, I really think the intention of this is to stop CONSTANT lound team annoyances, especially ones in the pits. Now, I really think FIRST needs to re-think their own sound levels first and also re-think speaker placement. Can't we have speakers in each of the corners of the pits and not just four in the front pointing at the pits blasting announcements?

[Jeremiah Johnson]

We here at team 648 out of Sherrard Illinois and Davenport Iowa, are outraged by this recently posted rule. One of the most widely respected awards is the team spirit award. To take away the aspect of noise making, you take away excitement, the best way to release nervousness and our spirit. For anyone who has ever tried to cheer both days of competition leaves with blistered hands and strained vocal chords. Robotics is not a Rock Concert and following the "If it's too loud, you're too old!" concept, we agreed that this rule should be overturned.

[Mike Norton]

Every year this is brought up. If people can keep it at a nice level nobody would complain.

Our first cart/truck we use to pull our robot at the national

http://www.valleytech.k12.ma.us/robo..._Red_Truck.jpg

It had a nice truck air horn on it. This was put on because nobody would move and the walking space was very small. The radio was put to a level that only the pit people could hear.

Then we move up to bigger and better truck

http://www.valleytech.k12.ma.us/robo...s/roboti88.jpg

But we made sure that the noise level would never be high. If everybody could do that I do not think FIRST would have a problem with that. But teams just like being loud.

What is going on this year at the nationals, they said something about a parade? So wouldn't that make you go out and make a nice cart this year.

[Lil' Lavery]

Keep in mind air horns havnt been alowd for a while, its just moe sticks now. And you can still cheer your heart out, and wave flags and stuff. My team was the one in annapolis with the overly large flag, and the 2 smaller ones. I think we sat just above and to the right of MOE. And MOE still have the large walking "miracle worker" puppet suit thing. And my team can still have "richie bot". hehehe

[richardp]

Yeah go Richiebot!!! (AKA ME!!!) I think that the MOE stick should be banned i hated them because they would clap so loud whenever their team did good (which was often) and sometimes just out of randomness. I mean it sucked having them sit behing you.

[Swan217]

Ah, yes. It was actually we - Team 217, back when we were the Macomb Knights - that got Air Horns banned back in 1999. That was because in Ypsilanti we brought about a dozen and laid them on every time we won a match ^_^. Good times. Very annoying when other teams caught on though ;-)

On the subject of whether the rule will stick, I predict that many teams will get away with noisemakers (shakers, MOEsticks, etc.) anyways, just because it's such a big part of the competitions. I do agree that the drum corps, the boombox-carts, and the like have to go, though.

[Lil' Lavery]

We dont realize it, but it is actually REALLY lound at the competitions. I know people who attended the competetions and need MOEs earplugs just for the music. And if the noisemakers have to go over that sound, it must be painful to them.

[Koko Ed]

Looking over the rules, I don't think FIRST banned clappers like the X-Cats have or Moe Sticks. Just bang sticks which damage the floor. FIRST had banned those before and I have seen teams still bring them to competitions.

[KenWittlief]

Looking over the rules, I don't think FIRST banned clappers like the X-Cats have

I dont know Ed, I think the 2X4 clappers are being dragging to FIRST history this year. They are clearly talking about the noise level and possible hearing damage in seciton 10.

The clappers are cool. Bluelightning cloned them and brought them to Toronto last year. But I think FIRST is silencing the clappers :c(

[Tom Bottiglieri]

we have a cool idea to still atract ppls attention without making noise... a stick with an array of 100+ leds that come on in different patterns and such.. that should be pretty cool i just gotta go down to radio shack and get some binary counter chips. (Note: These are also very useful if u have a member of the team who is always there for the fun stuff, but miraculously "dissapears" when u want him to do work... just get about 40 feet of duck tape and wrap it adound him.. ull have a 10 foot blinking weasel)