Crate Swap - Bayou Regional

[Dan-o]

As one of the 14 rookie teams attending the Bayou Regional, the Tiger Bytes (4209) have a small chance of qualifying for the championship. Like many rookie teams, we are still trying hard to grow financially, while saving as much as possible to save as seed money for next year. We have a sponsor who will likely be able to give us a little additional money to pay for entry to championships if we end up qualifying, but the team is hesitant to spend time and resources building a crate, knowing that it will likely not be used this year.

With this, I came up with idea. Since until this year, every team had to have a crate and only a few teams will be heading on to championships (or another regional), I wondered if we could get some veteran teams to offer the use of their crates under the circumstances that they do not qualify for the championship.

How it works

• Veteran teams volunteer (via this thread) to lend their crate to a rookie team that qualifies for the championship.
• If veteran team qualifies for the championship (through winning the Chairman’s award, Engineering Inspiration, or Regional Winner), they will be removed from the “Donor List”
• If a rookie team qualifies for the championship, but does not have a crate, the rookie team would then use the veteran’s crate to ship their robot to the championship.
• Upon returning from the championship, the rookie team would then ship the empty crate back to the veteran team at the rookie’s expense.

Please reply to this thread if you have a Full sized crate that you are willing to lend based on the details above. I will update this post as teams volunteer to lend their crates. Thank you in advance to any team that is willing to support this endeavor.

Donor List

[AdamHeard]

[li]Upon returning from the championship, the rookie team would then ship the empty crate back to the veteran team at the rookie’s expense.
[/li][/LIST]

I think this expense would be far more than the cost of building a crate.

[Dan-o]

Thank you for your critique. The idea is not perfect, but I feel it still has merit.

I like to see it as some sort of insurance. At Bayou, 14 rookie teams would have to build a crate, where only a maximum of 4 (insanely unlikely, I’m not sure if 3 rookie teams have ever won a regional on an alliance together) would actually need a crate. If 2 teams were to qualify, then (assuming equal chance of qualification, it would be smart for rookie teams to participate as long as the cost of shipping the crate was less than 7 times the cost to build a crate.

Another challenge is that our team is (and will continue to be) working hard on team branding, sponsorship acquisition, and the creation of our pit. We certainly have time to build the crate, but we don’t have a good place to store it, and time spent building it will decrease our effectiveness in other areas.

Our goal is not just self-serving. If teams participate, rookies would have additional time and money to spend on more immediate needs. If this program takes off, we plan on setting up threads for other regionals.

[Alan_Anderson]

At Bayou, 14 rookie teams would have to build a crate, where only a maximum of 4 (insanely unlikely, I’m not sure if 3 rookie teams have ever won a regional on an alliance together) would actually need a crate. If 2 teams were to qualify, then (assuming equal chance of qualification, it would be smart for rookie teams to participate as long as the cost of shipping the crate was less than 7 times the cost to build a crate.

I don’t understand. Why would 14 rookie teams have to build a crate, if no more than 4 have a chance of needing one?

Are you suggesting that veteran teams bring empty crates to the regional and rookie teams make sure they have room in their transportation to bring a crate home with them? That seems a bit convoluted just to save a few hours of work, and it’ll be more expensive to ship the empty crate back to the owners than it would be to buy the material to build your own.

[Dan-o]

Perhaps I’m misunderstanding.

If a rookie team qualifies for the championship, they have to ship the machine from the regional location straight to championship. Correct?

If I’m wrong, and the team would be able to come home, build a crate, and then ship the machine at a later date, you’re right and the program wouldn’t be all that valuable.

However, based on my understanding of the rules, a rookie team that does not have crate for shipment to the championship would have to forfeit their opportunity to go to St. Louis.

My point is that rookie teams don’t know when they show up, whether or not they will qualify for the championship. If they each want to secure the opportunity in case they qualify, they would each have to build a crate.

Thanks again for the feedback, Alan. I appreciate you helping to get us on track.

[RogerR]

Perhaps I’m misunderstanding.

If a rookie team qualifies for the championship, they have to ship the machine from the regional location straight to championship. Correct?

If I’m wrong, and the team would be able to come home, build a crate, and then ship the machine at a later date, you’re right and the program wouldn’t be all that valuable.

However, based on my understanding of the rules, a rookie team that does not have crate for shipment to the championship would have to forfeit their opportunity to go to St. Louis…

It looks like you’re able to bag it, bring it home, crate it, and ship it:

5.8.2 If You Are Attending Championships http://frc-manual.usfirst.org/images/icons/arrow_up.png](http://frc-manual.usfirst.org/viewItem/7#table_of_contents)

You will have already competed at another event, so you must ensure your robot is bagged and tagged at the conclusion of that event per the instructions in section 5.6. Bring your robot back to your build site or other location away from the event venue, crate the robot and prepare for shipment.

Do not open your bag at Championship until it has been checked, approved by an inspector, AND pits have officially opened for robot work.

If you are shipping to Championship from an earlier event to which you have been given an Exemption, your robot will be sent from that earlier event to that event’s drayage location. You may be able to ship from there directly to Championship.

All teams attending the Championship will receive one (1) shipment home for their robot under the FedEx donation. The Bill of Lading for this shipment will be distributed at the Championship in the team’s registration packet.

Additional shipping details may be found in the “How to Ship Your Robot” document in the FRC Administrative Manual web page: www.usfirst.org/frc/competitionmanual. If you are shipping your robot, you must read this document to have a complete understanding of the process.

[EricH]

If a rookie team qualifies for the championship, they have to ship the machine from the regional location straight to championship. Correct?

If I’m wrong, and the team would be able to come home, build a crate, and then ship the machine at a later date, you’re right and the program wouldn’t be all that valuable.

If ANY team, at a bag-and-tag event (and they’re all B&T), has to ship from the regional location, then something is wrong.

The team will be able to go home, build a crate (or borrow one), put the bagged robot in the crate, and ship.

5.8.2 If You Are Attending Championships http://frc-manual.usfirst.org/images/icons/arrow_up.png](http://frc-manual.usfirst.org/viewItem/7#table_of_contents)

You will have already competed at another event, so you must ensure  your robot is bagged and tagged at the conclusion of that event per the  instructions in section 5.6.   Bring your robot back to your build site  or other location away from the event venue, crate the robot and prepare  for shipment.

…]

If you are shipping to Championship from an earlier event to which you have been given an Exemption, your robot will be sent from that earlier event to that event’s drayage location. You may be able to ship from there directly to Championship.

[Alan_Anderson]

If a rookie team qualifies for the championship, they have to ship the machine from the regional location straight to championship. Correct?

Not correct. See the Administrative Manual, section 5: Robot Transportation.
5.8.2 IF YOU ARE ATTENDING CHAMPIONSHIP
You will have already competed at another event, so you must ensure your robot is bagged and tagged at the conclusion of that event per the instructions in section 5.6. Bring your robot back to your build site or other location away from the event venue, crate the robot and prepare for shipment.

[JohnSchneider]

And I believe your crate has to have your team number on it.The Rookie would have to paint over the numbers on the veteran crate.