Posted by Anton Abaya.
Engineer on team #419, Rambots, from BC High / UMass Boston and NASA, Mathsoft, Solidworks.
Posted on 3/1/2000 3:34 PM MST
I know we’re not allowed to play music in the pit area, but are we allowed to have a background music playing as we approach the arena for a match?
I mean teams last year did it a lot and the new rule sort of bans that.
We had some nice theme songs going and I’m sure many other teams have their own as well. I wish FIRST would just find another way to announce or CALL teams for the upcoming matches rather than banning the creativity and originality (and for that matter the feeling) that a team expresses when they add music to their team spirit.
‘Just my two cents’…and a few more dimes.
A.A.
Posted by Thomas A. Frank.
Engineer on team #121, The Islanders/Rhode Warrior, from Middletown (RI) High School and Naval Undersea Warfare Center.
Posted on 3/1/2000 4:35 PM MST
In Reply to: question…to you all. posted by Anton Abaya on 3/1/2000 3:34 PM MST:
: I wish FIRST would just find another way to announce or CALL teams for the upcoming matches
Hello All;
I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. I’ve long advocated that FIRST get a low power FM band transmitter (about $125 for a nice one, $250 for a super one) and broadcast their annoucements on a blank spot on the FM dial…
That way team members could stay in touch with who’s up even when out in the arena scouting (what teen doesn’t have access to a Walkman?), and each team could have a radio at their pit station, so we could all here things without the need for an extremely loud PA system.
Yes, it’s legal.
Heck, even real estate agents sometimes use this ‘trick’ by putting such radios in houses that are for sale.
We’re supposed to be technological leaders - let’s lead!
Tom Frank
Posted by Joe Johnson. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.
Posted on 3/1/2000 5:27 PM MST
In Reply to: Re: question…to you all. posted by Thomas A. Frank on 3/1/2000 4:35 PM MST:
The FM transmitter sounds okay, but I am still holding out for a Cell Phone/Alpha Pager/Voice Mailbox handed out to each team at kickoff (did I say Kickoff, YES I SAID KICKOFF!) Team messages could be given out via this system. Not only at the competitions, but throughout the season.
I have heard that DaimlerChrysler has a system where employees can get e-mail messages via their alpha pager – just put a .pager at the end of their e-mail address – way cool.
Every team with an e-mail box (or at least an alias) such as [email protected] Every team with an alpha pager [email protected] Every team with a VME box with FIRST (perhaps even with group distributions for the Rookies, Regionals, Mentors, etc.) AND every team with a cell phone (perhaps even with those walkie talkie features for talking to eachother so that the minutes would not get too costly). One possibility we could explore is the idea of ‘town meetings’ where everyone calls a ‘meet me line’ once a week during the build in order to discuss the issues of the day.
There are a LOT of possibilities here. There is a potential for a quantum leap in communication, both at the competitions and during the build cycle.
Motorola? Nortel? Nynex? Others? Can you make this happen in 2001?
Please.
Joe J.
Posted by Anton Abaya.
Engineer on team #419, Rambots, from BC High / UMass Boston and NASA, Mathsoft, Solidworks.
Posted on 3/1/2000 6:02 PM MST
In Reply to: 1 team 1 cell phone… posted by Joe Johnson on 3/1/2000 5:27 PM MST:
actually, there’s a simple idea that doesn’t even need AUDIO (that way we can be really noisy)…
what if every PIT had a strobe light or something similar. everytime a team is called, FIRST officials just need to enter the numbers and the lights will LIGHT up… it’s an easy visual guide right? not to much wiring (just lengthy wires) but then again you can also make it cordless too…
What do you think?
AA
Posted by Jason Rudolph.
Student on team #168, The Flashbacks, from North Miami Beach Senior High and Velda Farms/FedEx/ETC/HPE Automation.
Posted on 3/1/2000 7:04 PM MST
In Reply to: PIT LIGHTS. HERE’S A SOLUTION! posted by Anton Abaya on 3/1/2000 6:02 PM MST:
Actually, this is VERY easy.
I work in the stage lighting industry, with the lighting rig that FIRST has in the pits, there has to be a controller somewhere that is set to ‘all on’ if instead they would use the controller to flash the lights on that teams booth, then we would have our visual signal. But this isn’t enough for the other announcements that are made in the pit. Unfortunately, unless everyone in the competition knows morse code, I don’t think there is anyway to visually siganl those messages.
Jason
Posted by Anton Abaya.
Engineer on team #419, Rambots, from BC High / UMass Boston and NASA, Mathsoft, Solidworks.
Posted on 3/1/2000 8:28 PM MST
In Reply to: Re: PIT LIGHTS. HERE’S A SOLUTION! posted by Jason Rudolph on 3/1/2000 7:04 PM MST:
well, it will work for calling teams…
any announcements could be coded. like if all the lights blink rapidly then everybody should shut off their audio immediately…etc.etc.
that’s it.
ANTON
Posted by Lloyd Burns.
Other on team #188, Woburn Robotics, from Woburn Collegiate and Canada 3000, ScotiaBank, Royal Bank Financial.
Posted on 3/2/2000 3:21 AM MST
In Reply to: coded flashes? posted by Anton Abaya on 3/1/2000 8:28 PM MST:
: well, it will work for calling teams…
: any announcements could be coded. like if all the lights blink rapidly then everybody should shut off their audio immediately…etc.etc.
: that’s it.
: ANTON
Oh, great - not only noise levels above 100 dB, with conflicting styles of ‘entertainment’, but now the lights flash too ! Sheesh !!! 
Lloyd B
Posted by Lloyd Burns.
Other on team #188, Woburn Robotics, from Woburn Collegiate and Canada 3000, ScotiaBank, Royal Bank Financial.
Posted on 3/2/2000 3:27 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: coded flashes? posted by Lloyd Burns on 3/2/2000 3:21 AM MST:
: : well, it will work for calling teams…
: : any announcements could be coded. like if all the lights blink rapidly then everybody should shut off their audio immediately…etc.etc.
: : that’s it.
: : ANTON
: Oh, great - not only noise levels above 100 dB, with conflicting styles of ‘entertainment’, but now the lights flash too ! Sheesh !!!
: Lloyd B
._ . … … .. . . … .. _ _ _ … . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ..._
._… 
Posted by Anton Abaya.
Engineer on team #419, Rambots, from BC High / UMass Boston and NASA, Mathsoft, Solidworks.
Posted on 3/2/2000 4:28 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: coded flashes? posted by Lloyd Burns on 3/2/2000 3:27 AM MST:
hey, it’s better than having a quiet and overly moderated competition eh?
-aa
Posted by Justin Stiltner.
Student on team #388, Epsilon, from Grundy High School and NASA, American Electric Power, Town of Grundy.
Posted on 3/2/2000 2:25 PM MST
In Reply to: wear ear plugs and sunglasses. posted by Anton Abaya on 3/2/2000 4:28 AM MST:
why dont you just have a big LED panel and run the teams across it to call them like in the stock market
Justin Stiltner
Team 388
Posted by Jason Rudolph.
Student on team #168, The Flashbacks, from North Miami Beach Senior High and Velda Farms/FedEx/ETC/HPE Automation.
Posted on 3/2/2000 2:55 PM MST
In Reply to: Re: wear ear plugs and sunglasses. posted by Justin Stiltner on 3/2/2000 2:25 PM MST:
I've got an idea. ASK FIRST TO ALLOW US TO PLAY MUSIC. If enough of us badger them about it, they should cave in. If they flash the lights to tell us to turn the music off, then with the amount of announcements that they have at the nationals, they might as well light the entire pit area with strobelights (wouldn't it be interesting to have to repair your bot under a strobelight :} ) And as for the moving LED sign, well that just takes too long, maybe they should add a few of those projectors, and instead of projecting that list of 'teams on deck' that seems to go until the last match of the competition, they should only project the teams that they are calling. Just some ideas.
Jason
Posted by Thomas A. Frank.
Engineer on team #121, The Islanders/Rhode Warrior, from Middletown (RI) High School and Naval Undersea Warfare Center.
Posted on 3/2/2000 9:21 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: coded flashes? posted by Lloyd Burns on 3/2/2000 3:27 AM MST:
: ._ . … … .. . . … .. _ _ _ … . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ..._
:
: ._…
-.-.-
… … — …- .-… -…
- … .
.-…-. .-… .-…-.
-… .
.- .-… .-… — .-- . -…
…-. — .-… .-… — .–
-.- .- …— -.-. -… -.-
Posted by Joe Johnson. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.
Posted on 3/2/2000 9:29 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: coded flashes? posted by Thomas A. Frank on 3/2/2000 9:21 AM MST:
S.O.S.
I give up.
Anybody have a magic decoder ring that has Morse Code on it?
Joe J.
Posted by Raul. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Engineer on team #111, Wildstang, from Rolling Meadows & Wheeling HS and Motorola.
Posted on 3/2/2000 2:40 PM MST
In Reply to: Re: coded flashes? posted by Thomas A. Frank on 3/2/2000 9:21 AM MST:
You Western Union guys are always showing off.
But do you understand what all the different smiley faces are?
Raul
Posted by Brandon Martus. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Other on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.
Posted on 3/2/2000 8:54 PM MST
In Reply to: :] 
:o) : posted by Raul on 3/2/2000 2:40 PM MST:
my personal favorite ==> :\
not really a ‘smiley’ face… but same idea
: You Western Union guys are always showing off.
: But do you understand what all the different smiley faces are?
: Raul
Posted by Branden Gunn.
Other on team #246, formerly of team #23, and another FIRST-aholic, from John D. O’Byrant High School/Boston Latin Academy/Madison High School/Boston University Academy and Boston Edison/Boston University/Wentworth Institute of Technology/MassPEP.
Posted on 3/6/2000 4:03 PM MST
In Reply to: Re: coded flashes? posted by Thomas A. Frank on 3/2/2000 9:21 AM MST:
:
: : ._ . … … .. . . … .. _ _ _ … . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ..._
: :
: : ._…
: -.-.-
: … … — …- .-… -…
: - … .
: .-…-. .-… .-…-.
: -… .
: .- .-… .-… — .-- . -…
: - —
: …-. — .-… .-… — .–
: - … .
: .-…-. .-.-.- .-…-.
: – .- .-. -.- . .-.
: …–…
:
: - — – …-. .-. .- -. -.-
: -.- .- …— -.-. -… -.-
As far as i can translate it
And I read code…
L
Should
the
‘L’
be
allowed
to
follow
the
‘.’
marker
?
Tom Frank
KA2CDK
Posted by Michael Martus. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Coach on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central H.S. and Delphi Automotives Systems.
Posted on 3/2/2000 7:02 PM MST
In Reply to: PIT LIGHTS. HERE’S A SOLUTION! posted by Anton Abaya on 3/1/2000 6:02 PM MST:
I have a better idea.
When you go to popular restaurants they give you a pager (vibrator) that tells you your table is ready.
Each team is given one and a desiginated person on each team is in charge. When you are called your pager (vibrator) goes off.
What do you think?
Posted by Nate Smith.
Other on team #66, GM Powertrain/Willow Run HS, from Eastern Michigan University and GM Powertrain.
Posted on 3/2/2000 7:53 PM MST
In Reply to: Better Idea posted by Michael Martus on 3/2/2000 7:02 PM MST:
Last year, we tried using a paging system similar to those that they have at some restaurants…when we tested it in the pit with our machine powered up and running on tether, the radio signal from the transmitter actually caused the drive wheels to start spinning…so you’d have to be careful to get a system that wouldn’t interfere…
Nate
Posted by Joe Johnson. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.
Posted on 3/2/2000 8:12 PM MST
In Reply to: Warning Re. Local Area Pagers posted by Nate Smith on 3/2/2000 7:53 PM MST:
Has anyone had ANY problems with their radio connection this year?
We have no zero problems.
I am really glad to say goodbye to those RNets.
While they were probably good for what some applications, they were not particularly suited to controlling lots of robots in one location.
We are much happier with the Innovation First system.
Anyway, to address your point, I would be surprised to find that a local page network had any effect on the radios we are using unless they pager’s sender unit was using the exact same frequency band AND the sender unit was nearer to the field than the sender units for the game field. Even then, I would not expect anything other than a loss of signal to occur, certainly not an insane robot.
Joe J.
Posted by Nate Smith.
Other on team #66, GM Powertrain/Willow Run HS, from Eastern Michigan University and GM Powertrain.
Posted on 3/3/2000 8:40 AM MST
In Reply to: RNets were less robust than this year’s system (imho) posted by Joe Johnson on 3/2/2000 8:12 PM MST:
: Has anyone had ANY problems with their radio connection this year?
: We have no zero problems.
: I am really glad to say goodbye to those RNets.
: While they were probably good for what some applications, they were not particularly suited to controlling lots of robots in one location.
: We are much happier with the Innovation First system.
: Anyway, to address your point, I would be surprised to find that a local page network had any effect on the radios we are using unless they pager’s sender unit was using the exact same frequency band AND the sender unit was nearer to the field than the sender units for the game field. Even then, I would not expect anything other than a loss of signal to occur, certainly not an insane robot.
: Joe J.
This occured in the pits at nationals, without the RNets being used…it seemed to effect the robot’s electrical system directly(we were running on tether). As soon as we hit the ‘Send’ button, the drive wheels on our machine started spinning for a couple seconds…
Nate