LAST CHANCE TO WIN A 1/4 Relic Recovery Field! 

We hope our FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon Community had a
wonderful Thanksgiving.  Now that our turkey break is over, take time to read this week's FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon newsletter.

How did we do in League Meet Week ONE?

Check the Event Results - the link is on the HOT TOPICS page! 

League Meet Two Week 
Nov 27 - Dec 9  / League Meet TWO Week  - complete schedule here   
11/27 (Monday) - Columbia Basin
11/29 (Wednesday) - Central Oregon
12/1 (Friday) - Rose City
12/2  (Saturday)- Silicon Forest
12/3  (Sunday) - Tualatin Valley
12/7 (Thursday) - Mid-Columbia
NON-LEAGUE TEAMS: Your are always welcomed at League Events as spectators! 


League Meet TWO & THREE Week
These leagues will run Leagues Meet 2 in the morning and League Meet 3 in the afternoon.
12/9 - Capitol League, Mid-Western, SOAR

Requirements for League Meet TWO
Bring a printed copy of your Team Roster from your FIRST Dashboard with any additional paper copies of FIRST Consent and Release form. 

We are tightening up the Inspection Requirements.

• Teams will not be entered into the Match Sheet to play unless Field Inspection is passed. 
• League Meet #2 will require all teams to comply with all criteria points of the Field Inspection and pass Field Inspection. 
•  Robots should also pass all criteria points of Robot Inspection but it is up to discretion of the Lead Robot Inspector and FTA  to determine if a robot is safe and is very close to passing and allow the team to be entered into the Match Sheet. 
• Why? It's the rule. And to be fair,  teams must demonstrate that the robot can move on the field during matches to be a helpful member of their alliance to earn the awarded points. 

Resources to help you 

• Programming Resources 
• Robot Wiring Guide    (other resources from the same page) 
• Robot Inspection and Field Inspection Checklists & Inspector Manuals & Illegal/Legal Parts Lists 
• PLEASE NOTE:  "The Main Power Switch is installed properly, labeled, readily accessible, and visible to competition personnel. The TETRIX, REV, and MATRIX switches are the only allowed Main Power Switch. <RE01> 
•  8.3.3 Robot Electrical Parts and Materials Rules 
• There are many possible ways to build and wire a Robot. These rules provide specific requirements on what is and is not allowed. Teams must ensure that electrical and electronic devices are used consistent with manufacturer's requirements and specifications. Teams are encouraged to review the FIRST Tech Challenge Robot Wiring Guide for suggestions on how to build a Robot with safe and reliable wiring. 
•  <RE01>  Main Power Switch - The Robot Main Power Switch must control all power provided by the Robot main battery pack. FIRST requires Teams to use either the TETRIX (part # W39129), MATRIX (part # 50- 0030), or REV (REV-31-1387) power switch. This is the safest method for Teams and Field personnel to shut down a Robot.
• The Robot main power switch MUST be mounted or positioned to be readily accessible and visible to competition personnel. A Main Robot Power label must be placed near the Main Power Switch of the Robot. Attach the image (“POWER BUTTON”) to your Robot near the Main Power Switch. To be easily seen by field personnel the label should be at least 1 in x 2.63 in (2.54 cm x 6.68 cm, Avery Label # 5160) and placed on a flat surface (not wrapped around corners or cylinders).
• IMAGE FILES for POWER BUTTON sticker and Robot Moves Sticker

SPECIAL NOTE TO NON-LEAGUE TEAMS:  Non-League Teams will need to be fully prepared to pass all aspects of Robot Inspection and Field Inspection at their tournament. Teams will have approximately 2 hours upon arrival to go through inspection, fix anything that did not pass, and go through re-inspection for a final PASS/FAIL. Teams who do not pass inspection by the deadline will not be entered into the Tournament Match Sheet and will not play on the Relic Recovery field.

Engineering Notebook Resources

• Did you know that keeping an up-to-date and compliant Engineering Notebook is a path toward FIRST Tech Challenge Judged Awards which count toward advancement?  |
• Note to Rookie Teams - You are required to surrender your Engineering Notebook at Team Check-in at your League or Non-League Qualifying Tournament and every other tournament after that. 
• On my road trip to visit League Meet 1 at Central Oregon, Midwestern and SOAR, I encouraged teams to look at Engineering Notebook resources for assistance. Mark pages of the Engineering Notebook with post-a-notes that stick out like tabs.  

Let Judges know where they should look in your notebook to find out:

•  why your robot is Innovative, 
• why it is well Designed, 
• how the Control System worked (separate entry form) 
• and how your team Connected with your community. 

Look on this page for resources 


FIRST Tech Challenge Dean's List
Submissions for the FIRST Tech Challenge Dean's List is required by Friday, December 15th. Submissions are uploaded through the Coach/Mentor's FIRST Dashboard. Carefully read the submission requirements.  
Complete information on this page 

• Nominees for Dean's List Semi-Finalists must be Sophomores or Juniors.  Seniors are not eligible. 
• All candidates will be interviewed at their League Qualifying Tournament or Non-League Tournament in January. No interviews will take place at Super-QTs. 
• FTC Oregon will select 4 FTC Dean's List Finalists to represent us at the FIRST World Championship-Houston. Announcement will be made at the FIRST Tech Challenge State Championship. 

FIRST Scholarships
Mentors- please let your juniors and seniors know about the $50M in college scholarships available for FIRST students.   Click here for information 
The deadlines vary - it is not a single deadline on November 27th.

_______________________________________________________________________

HOT LINKS to make life easier!  

• We have a FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon website! 
• FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon HOT TOPICS! 
• FTC Relic Recovery Game Materials 
• FIRST Tech Challenge Game and Season Info
• FIRST Tech Challenge Game Forum 
• Know what the Referees, Inspectors, Judges and FTAs know 
• Help with getting team members signed up electronically and get parents/guardians to sign the FIRST Consent and Release form electronically 
• "LIKE" US! on FACEBOOK ! - fun stuff gets posted here and messages passed through by FIRST HQ. 

FIRST Tech Challenge Community

Q: Who is on this blog/email list?  A: Everyone - all coaches, mentors and team representatives and some volunteers 
After some thought I have decided not to break out League teams from Non-League teams when sending out the FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon Update during the League Meet season.  I feel non-league teams can benefit from reading about tournament preparations in advance of their January non-league events.

REMINDERS FOR EVERYONE!
League Payments were due on Oct 31 and Non-League are due on November 15
Are you paid - League? Are you paid - Non-League
Payment information - League  and Non-League 

REMINDERS FOR LEAGUE MEET ONE 
11/11 – Capitol League, 11/15 – Central Oregon & Columbia Basin, 11/16 – Mid-Columbia & Mid-Western, 11/17 – Rose City, 11/18 – SOAR & Silicon Forest, 11/19 – Tualatin Valley

If you are registered with a league your team should attend all three official scoring meets. At the end of December the scoring system will select the best 10 of 15 matches played to compile a ranking list for the start of the League Tournament in January.   League Teams should come to the League Meet even if their robot is not ready to play.  Help will be provided to all teams who attend.

• FIRST Consent and Release Form at Check-in 
• Every team is required to bring the official PRINTED Team Roster  from the FIRST Dashboard to every Meet.  This must be handed in at Team Check-in. Saying you did it online isn't enough. You need to print it and bring it 
• listed on the printed team roster will be every registered coach and mentor 
• listed will be every student who is signed up electronically 
• also for each person under the Consent Column will be
•  a check mark = YES, an electronically signed Consent and Release form is on file or 
• an "X" = there is No Consent or Release form on file, this means a paper FIRST Consent and Release form must be attached to the back of the roster and the names hand written onto the bottom of the form 
• What if our whole team is submitting only paper Consent forms? 
• The Printed Roster from the FIRST Dashboard listing the two registered mentors must be presented, all students and other coaches hand written on the bottom of the form and all paper copies of the signed FIRST Consent and Release forms stapled to the back of the roster. 
• LINKS FOR MORE HELP AND THE PAPER FORM 
• Bring and wear Safety Glasses over your eyes in the PIT and at the Field. It is a rule Game Manual 1 - <T15>  No backtalk to volunteers who tell team members to put on their safety glasses. Doing so could result in  Game Manual <T2> infraction. 
• Read your emails from our League Manager. They are important. 

TIPS for DOING YOUR BEST AT LEAGUE MEET ONE 

• Do a Robot inspection at your last meeting prior to the meet - using the Robot inspection sheet  - bring the sheet with you to go over it with the Inspector 
• Do a Field inspection of your robot  at your last meeting prior to the meet - using the Field Inspection sheet - bring it with you to go over it with the Field Inspector 
• Expectation for League Meet One: All robots must go through Robot and Field Inspection in the time period allotted by the League Manager in order to play. 
• Robots will play in the matches as long as the robot is safe to operate but might not have passed all aspects of Robot Inspection. (the requirement to fully comply increases with every meet) 
•  Robots must pass Field Inspection. Your robot must move to play and be a contributing member of an alliance. 
• Practice the transition from Autonomous to Teleop
• Read Game Manual 2 - The points count and so do the penalties in League Meet One. 
• Read the Game Forum and ask questions relevant to your team - print it and bring it to show a referee 
• When the League Manager is making announcements, show respect, be quiet and listen. 
• LABEL EVERYTHING with your team number so that it can be returned to your team when you forget it. Specifically batteries, phone chargers, phone charger cables, tool boxes, safety glasses. 
• Write what happens during your meetings and at the meets in your Engineering Notebook. 

Other items for League Play  

• Adult Coaches/Mentors cannot stand with their team's  Drive team in the Queuing Line, at the Queuing Table or at the Field.  Mentors and other team members must sit/stand in the audience.  Keeping the playing fields clear of extraneous people was a problem at League Meet Zero at some locations. 
• Holding phones during Autonomous is not allowed  - At some locations we did not have a stand for the phones/controllers. We are correcting that. 
• Don't take stuff that doesn't belong to you. -  Mentors at the Silicon Forest League, please look for two Rev Robotics batteries that do not belong to your team. They are not marked with a team number but were removed from a team's pit table, not the charging station.
• As far as I know we had two impressive scores at League Meet Zero - a 147 scored at the Tualatin Valley League and a 156 scored at the Mid-Columbia League.  Go Teams!
• Offer to help set-up or clean up at your league meet. It is much appreciated

SUPER-QUALIFIERS - Feb 10 & 11 
Traditionally we have advanced* 96 teams to Super-Qualifier Weekend (4 tournaments)  to determine the field of 48 teams to compete in the State Championship (Feb 24-25 Liberty HS, Hillsboro).  This season is it going work a bit differently. Instead of four 24-team tournaments, we will hold three 32-team tournaments. 
These will be:
Delta - Saturday, Feb 10 at Evergreen Middle School, Hillsboro
Theta - Sunday, Feb 11 at Evergreen Middle School, Hillsboro
Pi - Sunday, February 10 at Benson Polytechnic High School, Portland

Why the change? 
We submitted multiple building requests over the past 6 months to a variety of schools and other types of venues. Either we were turned down because venue was booked for basketball or after our permit was approved, it was rescinded so that a basketball** event could be run. So the best we could do was come up with three venues and divide the teams differently. 96 teams will still compete and 48 will advance to the State Championship.  Our thanks to Hillsboro SD and Portland Public SD for welcoming us to hold our events. 
* advancement rule - Game Manual 1 - Sec 7.4 Order of Advancement. page 24 
**In 2016  624K tech jobs went unfilled and 92 men and women were drafted to play in the NBA and WNBA

HOT LINKS to make life easier!  

• We have a FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon website! 
• FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon HOT TOPICS! 
• FTC Relic Recovery Game Materials 
• FIRST Tech Challenge Game and Season Info
• FIRST Tech Challenge Game Forum 
• Know what the Referees, Inspectors, Judges and FTAs know 
• Help with getting team members signed up electronically and get parents/guardians to sign the FIRST Consent and Release form electronically 

FIRST Tech Challenge Update for November 1, 2017

UPDATE: November 2nd 

1. Version 3.5 of the FIRST Tech Challenge Software is Now Available!

Version 3.5 of the FIRST Tech Challenge software is available.  The new software includes the following important changes:

1. Fixes were implemented to prevent random Op Mode stops.
2. The file size of the Robot Controller app has been trimmed to reduce the required install time.
3. A fix was implemented to ensure that log files get properly updated and saved.
4. Support for using the Modern Robotics Touch Sensor as an analog device was added to the FTC Blocks Programming Tool.

Instructions on how to update your FIRST Tech Challenge software can be found on the Programming Resources web page:

https://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/uploads/resource_library/ftc/updating-ftc-software-instructions.pdf

Detailed information regarding the release can be found at the following link:

  https://github.com/ftctechnh/ftc_app#release-information

NOVEMBER 1st

EVENT SIGN-UP
League and Non-League event sign-ups are officially closed for the 2017-2018 season.
There are 141 teams participating in 12 Leagues and 56 teams participating in 3 Non-League events.

Non-League Qualifying Tournament Assignments were posted this morning.
Check here to see where you'll be competing. 

FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon EVENT PAYMENT TO  ORTOP
Now the next step is to pay ORTOP for your event/program participation. 

Just a reminder, national registration payment is different from local event payment.  FIRST HQ keeps your national registration payment for themselves and ORTOP needs your event payment to run the FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon program.

Want to check if ORTOP has received your payment? 

• LEAGUE participation 
• click here to see if your LEAGUE  payment was received
• League payments were due October 31st.  
• It is obvious that this deadline has slipped for many of you due to trick or treating. Let's set a goal of November 8, 2017 for all league payments to be in. 
• Click here for all payment options; credit card, check or purchase order followed by check. 
• NON-League participation 
• click here starting 11/2/17 to see of your NON-LEAGUE  payment was received
• Non-League payments are due November 15th 
• Click here for all payment options; credit card, check or purchase order followed by check. 

 YOUTH REGISTRATION SYSTEM  (formerly known as STIMS) 

• It is required that a printed copy of the Youth Registration System Roster be brought to every league meet, league tournament, non-league tournament and every tournament after that; not just the 1st one.
• It lists all registered coaches/mentors and all team members with electronic registrations and electronically signed FIRST Consent and Release forms.  
• Stapled to the back will be paper FIRST Consent and Release forms for team members whose parents did not sign on electronically.  Either electronically or on paper, we must see that a FIRST Consent and Release form has been signed for every team member, coach, mentor; for every event.
• Students (age 13 -17) can electronically fill out the registration themselves and then invite a parent to electronically sign the FIRST Consent and Release form.
• Get started by going to your FIRST Dashboard – firstinspires.org  upper right – Log In
• Here are some HELP SCREENS to assist you.
• Youth Registration System Overview 
• Youth Registration System Guide with screen shots 
• Paper copy of the FIRST Consent and Release form for downloading and printing or it also is available (English and Spanish) on the Contact page on the Dashboard by Youth members  

 SAFETY GLASSES

"There is no more important safety rule than to wear your Safety Glasses! "  

• Must be worn in the pit by team members, mentors, volunteers and visiting guests. 
• Must be worn at the field by drive teams and volunteers. 
• Best advice: invest in reasonable quality safety glasses for visual acquity and find a storage method to keep them unscratched.   

ORTOP Website for FIRST Tech Challenge OREGON !

• We have one! It has lots of reference information on it to help you find things fast.
• Check out the Hot Topics page for key resources and links to critical information.