FTC Oregon - Keeping on the right track!

This is Week 10 of our Rover Ruckus Season.

Dates of Importance 

• Payment Deadline 
• Friday, November 16th is the last day to pay for League or Non-League Play.  
• If a Purchase Order, Check or Credit Card payment is not received on/by Friday, November 16th, those teams will be ineligible to take a discounted event fee.   
• Teams not paid by November 30th, and haven't communicated a reason why to ORTOP, risk losing their slot in their assigned events. 
• Was our PO or payment received? Check here 

Events for the next couple of weeks - details can be found here 

• Nov 15 - Rose City League 
• Nov 17 - SOAR, Silicon Forest, Midwestern, Cedar Mill 
• Nov 18 - Tualatin Valley  
• No events the week of Nov 19 - 25 - Happy Thanksgiving! Step away from the robot! Enjoy the family time. Put down the cell phone! 
• Nov 28 - Central Oregon at Culver
• Nov 29 - MidColumbia, Columbia Basin
• Nov. 30 - Rose City 
• Dec 1 - Silicon Forest, North Coast
  
  PLEASE THANK OUR VOLUNTEERS!!! They are awesome people to give their time to our program. 

Game Manual Highlights 
Mentors - Please take time during your practice/meeting time to go over Game Manual Rules.  As always the FTC Forum is the ultimate answer to Game Rule Questions.

• FIRST Tech Challenge Forum
• Forum Registration Instructions

I'd like to mention a few items from the game manuals that can impact the design of your robot to avoid penalties and others to keep your team on right  track.

#1 --  From Game Manual #2 - Page 22  <GS3> .  

What does this mean?  Don't design your robot is such a way that the referees can't see how many minerals are possessed by your robot. It must be transparent to them. Gone are the days of the big black box. 

#2 - From Game Manual #2 - Page 23 - <GS10> and <GS11>

#3 - And look for the rule about mineral possession. If a mineral accidentally lands in your robot and you are already in possession of the max amount, your team will be assessed penalties for over possession if you can't eject minerals out. Moral to the story: Build your robot to avoid unintended minerals getting stuck  in your bot.  

Homework! Find the rule and email the Number and Page to me!

UPDATE: Thanks Kraxberger Gearheads! You were the first team to email me the answer.
<GS3>Control/Possession Limits of Minerals – A Robot may Control or Possess a maximum of two (2) Minerals at a time. However, due to the density of Minerals within the Crater, Robots may temporarily exceed this limit while collecting Minerals that are In the Crater. Robots are required to shed excess Minerals before performing any other game play activities. Within the Crater, plowing through any quantity of Minerals is allowed but herding or directing multiple Minerals beyond the allotted maximum to gain a strategic advantage (i.e., Scoring, accessibility, defense) is not allowed. The Penalty for Controlling or Possessing more than the allotted maximum is an immediate Minor Penalty for each Mineral above the limit plus an additional Minor Penalty per Mineral for each 5-second interval that this situation continues. A Major Penalty will be assessed

#4 "There is no more important tool than these your safety glasses." - Norm Abram, This Old House
We are serious about this one. If you think this is a frivolous rule, think again. The rule is crystal clear.
Game Manual 2   <S3>  page 17 

#5 And this question came up last week at our North Coast League 
Are the craters owned by a specific alliance?  Look at Page 22 Game Manual 2 
ALSO,  Check out <G30>