Are we allowed to keep a crate in the pit area for tool storage?
No, they take the crate away. The pit area is not very big and if the crates stayed we would have no space to work.
I think it was already mentioned that you have to think of another way to secure your tools.
This question was actually answered in FIRST’s team update #3 or on the boards I forget which, saying that they will be removing the crates. But I think that was also the case last year as well and some teams actually kept theirs. I hope that they are going to be flexible on this issue as they were last year. The pits are actually big enough to allow the crates to stay depending on the venue of course.
I know there is the valid issue of the security factor and wanting to lock up your stuff in the crate during your matches so I disagree with this ruling.
Also when they “remove the crates” they basically take them outside to sit in the weather whatever that may be! Which really stinks if you did like we did and removed one of the sides of the crate and turned it into a table to put in the pits.
my team has a really nice crate that weve used the past few years that opens up into a workstation… because they changed the requirements on crate sizes we most likely wont use it to ship our robot, but we may end up bringing it anyway for convienence… i dont see why first wouldnt allow the crates to remain, as long as they fit comfortably in the pit area, and especially if they have an alternate use
Becky
Maybe it just depends on if you call it “the crate”. If you use it as a workstation and have space perhaps when you get set up in the pit you can just repurpose it as a “toolbox”. I’d say the key is having space. I know that our crate would NOT have given us any working room so it was good that they would take it away.
Our crate had a padlock on it and door hinges for one opening (hehe i made it that way). I even put windows. Anyway, at the PIT, you technically have the option of using ur crate as an extra table if it doesn’t get in the way, or is tall enough.
That worked really well for us because we had a small robot. This year might be a problem though. (uh oh, did i just reveal the robot?) heh… So yeah, if you want to design your crate to become a table when disassembled, go right ahead. Last year’s crate was used as a table as well as a cabinet to store stuff (padlocked of course).
-anton
We need to ask FIRST the pit dimensions to see if they changed. If they didnt then there is no reason why FIRST should change the rule because teams used them last year with the same pit area dimensions.
In the FIRST Yahoo group, Post 517, it says: “This [leaving the crate in the pit box] would be allowable if it will fit inside of your allowed pit
space (and the pit spaces are not very big). We also assume that you
will not be doing machining or other potentially hazardous work from
this workstation. That is why we have machine shops available to
help you.”
In the FRCtech2002 yahoo group they posted message 517 saying that if it will fit and you are not going to be doing machining on/in it then it would be OK.
message 517 was in reference to a crate that turns into a work station. message 460 stated: "All crates will be removed from the pit area as the space is very
limited. You will need to make other arrangements for tool
security.
is it just me, or is FIRST contradicting themselves? someone needs to ask if 517 refers to all crates, or just those which change into work stations.
What can be considered a workstation? I know at regionals we had a real table to work on, and the crate was left outside with every other crate. However, at nationals (2 years ago, I couldn’t go last year), our crate was in our pit already, so we just rotated it horizontally and it became a simple table for us. Is a table considered a worstation, or must it have special features (tools, etc.) which make it a “workstation?”