Have anyone found a way to buy any relays that are FRC legal (per R36-B) of the manual?
the Spike H-Bridge Relay was discontinued by VEX
and Automation Direct does not have (to the best of my knowledge) a re-seller outside the US…
https://www.automationdirect.com/adc/international/international
Apparently Automation Direct does have a distributor in Israel. I’ve never ordered from them before though.
hmm, that’s new (i remmber being told by automation direct US ppl in the CMP that they dont have anyone here)
i have sent them an email, let’s see theire answer…
in the meantime, anyone have any other leads ? (Even on buying the old sparks)
As noted in OP, the Spikes (not sparks) have been discontinued for several years; the only way you’ll get them is second hand. Try teams which are more than a few years old or e-bay or such.
Just to clarify a point: unless you are controlling a listed motor, compressor, or solenoid, you may use any relay you like. That is, you can use any old relay module to control power to LEDs, sensors, computing devices, or anything else which falls under the definition of CUSTOM CIRCUIT.
Hi!
sorry for the typo, i was indeed reffrenig to the Spikes (and not sparks)
Getting them from older team is indeed an option (which i’m looking into), but if possible i would like to source the new ones (for when the supply of old ones completlly dry out). Being a non-US team has it’s difficulties with that…
as for your other point.
i was reffering to relays under R36 of this year (2019) manual
With the exception of servos, fans, or motors integral to sensors of COTS computing devices
permitted in R34, each actuator must be controlled by a power regulating device. The only power
regulating devices for actuators permitted on the ROBOT include:
R36 only apllays to actuators (which is what i’m trying to use with a relay… ) and not costum circuts .
more then that, using “any old relay module” with an actuator is not allowed under R63
CUSTOM CIRCUITS shall not directly alter the power pathways between the ROBOT battery, PDP,
motor controllers, relays (per R36-B), motors and actuators (per R34), pneumatic solenoid valves,
or other elements of the ROBOT control system (items explicitly mentioned in R73). Custom high
impedance voltage monitoring or low impedance current monitoring circuitry connected to the
ROBOT’S electrical system is acceptable, if the effect on the ROBOT outputs is inconsequential.
Understood. It just wasn’t clear from your original post, and I wanted to make sure you weren’t engaging in unnecessary flailing.
Just to update
i got a replay from that Israeli distribute,
they don’t have a stock in Israel at all
they can however order it and sell those relays inside the country (i have a quote from them, if anyone wants it PM me)
BUT
the relay’s are out of stock at the moment, they are only planed to get back to stock on February 19th, and even then it’s a 15 business days supply to israel (meaning they will not make it to build season 2019) 