FTC-Iowa Team Blast - Week #20

Good morning, teams!

We are about 32 days until the FTC-Iowa Tournament.

You are receiving this e-mail because you are a coach or an assistant coach for an FTC-Iowa team.

1. January Status Report
2. Scrimmage -- attend at least one!
3. Championship Inspection times are published
4. "Get Over It" Game Manual

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1. January Status Report
We are seeking for all teams to complete a monthly status report for January. With very little time remaining until the tournament, this feedback will help us get to the teams who need help.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dDF4UHJzTUNlVjhVellzdDF3SkM1RXc6MA#gid=0

We are asking for ALL TEAMS to complete this report.
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2. Scrimmage - attend at least one!
Scrimmages are the best way to get some experience before the competition. We have a few events left and they are filling fast.
Here is the website for the dates/times/locations of our next scrimmage events: https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/Events

An example of the importance of a scrimmage: This past weekend, a team thought they were all prepared to run in the matches. However, once they started their match, the robot was not working how it was suppose to. After a complete examination, they noticed the wires were mixed up and were attached to wrong motors. They spent time fixing this problem and after a few hours, the robot was working appropriately. If this had happened during the tournament event, they would have been missing several of their qualification matches and may not have done as well as they wanted.

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3. Championship Inspection times are published
Based on the information you provided when you registered for the FTC-Iowa Championship, we scheduled inspection times according to your arrival window.
You can view your inspection time at: https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/ftc-iowa-championship/2011-championship-registrations

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4. "Get Over It" Game Manual
Please remember, it is your teams' responsibility to know the Game Manual. It is recommended teams bring a printed copy to each event.
The current version (v.4) of the Game Manual can be found at: http://usfirst.org/uploadedFiles/Robotics_Programs/FTC/Game_Info/2010/Game_Manual.pdf

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As always, if you have missed a FTC-Iowa Team Blast, an archive of these messages are located on our blog: http://ftc-iowa.blogspot.com/

Thank you,
Rebecca Whitaker & FTC-Iowa team

Need help with RobotC & Templates

If your team is using RobotC and needs help with their templates, check out the site from Team Duct Tape #2845.

Check out the RobotC resources

Click here for Team Duct Tape's Website

CAD Drawings for FTC Parts

Did you know you could download the entire FTC and FRC kit of parts and fields modeled for PTC Creo Elements/Pro (Formerly Pro/ENGINEER)? Well you can. 

Check out the link here: http://www.catalogds.com/db/service?d=first&c=browse

FTC-Iowa Team Blast - Week #17

Welcome back, Coaches!

You are receiving this e-mail because you are a coach or an assistant coach for an FTC-Iowa team.
(Have you missed a FTC-Iowa Team Blast? An archive of these messages are located on our blog: http://ftc-iowa.blogspot.com/)

We hope the winter break treated you and your team well. (Also, we secretly hope you were able to meet with your team during the break as well.)

1. December/Early January Monthly Status Report
2. Scholarship Opportunities
3. Scrimmage Information
4. FTC Forums
5. Seeking volunteers for Tournament
6. Helpful Hints to FCS Success and Samantha Mounting Guidelines

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1. December/Early January Monthly Status Report
Please take a few minutes to complete the December/Early January monthly status report. It can be found at:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dDgzcktrTjhldTROMFBjX0dRRy00bXc6MA#gid=0
This report will be open until Tuesday, Jan. 11th.

Remember, if you are a coach for multiple teams, please submit one report for each team.

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2. Scholarship Opportunities
Did you know by participating in FIRST, students qualify for scholarships that they otherwise would not get access to? This season, over 128 organizations are offering 853 scholarships worth over $14 million! That's a lot of financial aid to FIRST students! Check it out at: http://usfirst.org/aboutus/scholarships.aspx

The University of Iowa College of Engineering is also very pleased to be able to offer FIRST scholarships as well. New for this season, the UI College of Engineering will be offering multiple scholarships to students, each worth a total of $16,000! Please encourage your students to apply, as the deadline is January 31, 2011. Information about these scholarships can be found at: http://www.engineering.uiowa.edu/sdc/scholarships/ECE-first.php

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3. Scrimmage Information
On Saturday, we will be hosting our second scrimmage of the season. We are very excited to see the progression of the teams.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Scrimmages have capacities, and for some scrimmages, capacities have been met. It is important for your team to register to attend a scrimmage (https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/Events)
• During a scrimmage, we will be inspecting robots and running matches. Please be prepared for an inspection and running matches.
• Many of these sites are hosting a scrimmage as a nice gesture. Please encourage your team members to be respectful of the hosts' property and their time.

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4. FTC Forums
Does your team have a specific question about a game rule? Does your team need help with the engineering notebook, want more information about the awards or wonder what happens during inspections? Does your team have questions about Samantha? If you answered any of these, then please check out the FTC Forums (http://ftcforum.usfirst.org/)

The Forums is THE official place to go for answers to your questions. Also, did you know that you can print information from the forums? Check it out!

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5. Seeking volunteers for Tournament
As you may know, volunteers are the heart of FTC. Volunteers are critical to the success of a tournament. We are currently seeking volunteers for the FTC-Iowa Championship tournament on Feb. 25/26. If you know of any parents who are planning to attend the tournament, we'd love to have them help out! Please encourage all interested person to sign up at: https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowa/volunteers
An e-mail address has been set up for any correspondence about volunteering. ftc.iowa.volunteer@gmail.com

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6. Helpful Hints to FCS Success and Samantha Mounting Guidelines
Attached are two very important documents. Please review them as they have helpful of information in the contents.

If you are interested in purchasing a router to help with your Samantha module, we found a great deal at Tiger Direct: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6747454&Sku=L48-2771
(Please note, we are not requiring teams to purchase this particular product from this vendor, but found this deal and wanted to pass it onto the teams.

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Thank you, coaches, and please do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
Rebecca Whitaker & FTC-Iowa team

Follow us on Twitter: ftc_iowa
Friend us on Facebook: ftc.iowa

Hints For FCS Success

(Note: on a 64 bit computer, the programs may be under "C:\Program Files (x86)" instead of C:\ProgramFiles" as stated below.)

1.      Make sure you have installed Program Chooser, and run it on your NXT brick to choose your TeleOp Program.

·         Labview:

·    "c:\Program Files\National  Instruments\LabVIEW 2010\examples\FTC Toolkit\Program Chooser 2.0\Program Chooser.vi"

·   If you don't have a FTC Toolkit directory, you can get the FTC Toolkit from: http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/ftcsoftware?opendocument&lang=en&node=seminar_US

·   Program Chooser installs to the NXT under "Software Files"

·         RobotC:

·   "C:\Program Files\Robotics Academy\ROBOTC for MINDSTORMS\Sample Programs\NXT\Try Me Program Source\Program Chooser.c"

·   Program Chooser installs to the NXT under "Try Me Files"

2.      Make sure you are using this year's official FIRST Templates:

·         RobotC: "C:\Program Files\Robotics Academy\ROBOTC for Mindstorms\Sample Programs\NXT\Templates"

·         LabVIEW: "c:\Program Files\National Instruments\LabVIEW 2010\examples\FTC Toolkit\Templates"

3.     Read and follow the Samantha Mounting Best Practices:

·         In the picture below, find the little squiggly line near the top of the circuit board in the middle picture: this is the antenna.  This end needs to be pointed up and not buried in a bunch of metal.  The Mounting Best Practices explain the proper mounting position.

http://www.usfirst.org/uploadedFiles/Community/FTC/Team_Resources/Samantha_Mounting_Best_Practices.pdf

4.     Install the Wireless Diagnostic Utility: Samostat:

·         Labview: C:\Program Files\Samantha Field Control System\Labview\samostat.vi

·         RobotC: C:\Program Files\Samantha Field Control System\RobotC\samostat.c

5.    Install and practice with the Samantha Field Control System
http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/samanthadocs.aspx?id=17465 (scroll down)

·         Test under a variety of robot conditions, simulating a competition.

·         Test under heavy motor loads (changing directions, going up inclines, pushing things around, with low batteries).  You may need to have your motors coded to less than 100% power to help avoid drawing down the 12v battery voltage too much, causing Samantha to restart.

·         If you don’t have your own wireless router, (or even if you do!) get some real world experience by attending a Scrimmage.

FTC-Iowa Team Blast: Week #13

Good morning, Coaches!

You are receiving this e-mail because you are a coach or an assistant coach for an FTC-Iowa team.
(Have you missed a FTC-Iowa Team Blast? An archive of these messages are located on our blog: http://ftc-iowa.blogspot.com/)

1. November Status Reports
2. FTC-Iowa Championship
3. Getting Your Team Prepared for an Event
4. Optional Robot Survey
5. Experiences from the St. Louis Qualifier Tournament

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1. November Status Reports
Just a "friendly" reminder, the November Status Reports will be open until tomorrow (Wednesday, Dec. 8th) for teams to complete. If you haven't already done so, please take a few minutes to complete it.
The information provided really helps us determine which teams need help and how to assist them.
The form can be found at: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dEdXTXVLY19tV2ZkbzFWcGZxeUlUc1E6MA#gid=0

Thank you to those teams who have already submitted their report!

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2. FTC-Iowa Championship
The FTC-Iowa Championship is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 25/Saturday, Feb. 26 at the Iowa Memorial Union in Iowa City. Tournament planning is coming together very nicely and its going to be a great event.
A link to register and information about the event can be found at: https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/ftc-iowa-championship

A few quick notes about the event:

• If you have not already registered, please do so prior to December 15, 2010 to guarantee a spot. (See link above) After Dec. 15, we will allow teams from outside of Iowa to register for the competition, and we will not be able to guarantee your team's registration.)
• The capacity for the tournament is 48 teams.
• There is a $275 registration fee to attend this tournament, which is different than the $275 FIRST Registration fee your team paid at the beginning of the season.
• If you received Rockwell Collins funding (94% of teams), you agreed to participate in an Championship event.

Thank you to those team who have already registered!

Additionally, we are seeking volunteers! If you have a fantastic parent/teacher/student (over the age of 13) who would like to be involved, please encourage them to volunteer at the tournament. Information can be found at:
https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowa/volunteers

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3. Getting Your Team Prepared for an Event
Getting your team (mentally) prepared for an event can seem daunting, especially for the new/rookie teams. A few things to keep in mind:

• Your robot will NEVER be 100% ready.
• Attend an event (scrimmage/championship event) regardless of how ready your team feels they are.
• Robots do not work 100% of the time.
• Scrimmages do not require completed robots. Scrimmages are opportunities for teams to learn from other teams.

Also, FIRST has created a website to help teams as they prepare for events. Check it out at: http://usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/content.aspx?id=18432
Good stuff!

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4. Optional Robot SurveySeveral students from Cedar Rapids Jefferson, a FTC and a Project Lead The Way school, are asking for your help in gathering some feedback.  The feedback provided will help them as they work on a PLTW project. All responses will be anonymous.
Please help these students by completing the following form: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dHVFUFF1b2NZd3JwU2NEM0ZsSzhsWkE6MQ#gid=0
It will be open for one week, until Dec. 14, 2010.

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5. Experiences from the St. Louis Qualifier TournamentAs mentioned in last week's e-mail, a group of wonderful volunteers attended and volunteered at the St. Louis Qualifying Tournament this past weekend. Overall, it was a great event and the teams did great!

However, there were some items we'd like to pass along. As a coach, please remember:

• The referees have final calls. Do not argue with them, as your behavior could lead to your team's disqualification from the tournament.
  A team was almost disqualified for their coach's behavior. (Ironically, this particular team ended up competing in the final matches of the game.) The other coaches, parents, and volunteers were noticing this not-so-nicely behavior and expressed their concern.  In summary, he was not a positive representative of his school/organization and team.
  

• Question box
  Near each field will be a taped-off area for teams to ask a question to the referees about a particular call from the previous match. Please keep in mind, this area is for one student to ask the referees a question - coaches are not allowed in the question box area.
  
• Team judging time
  The judging time is a the best opportunity for teams to "toot-their-horn" about their robot and the overall season. If your season hasn't gone the best, but in the end you pull through, please let the judges know. Keep in mind, awards are not determined solely on the robot performance - the awards are determined based on the journey of the team during the season.
  
• Samantha Mounting GuidelinesDuring many matches, several teams were losing their connections to the Field Control System due to poor placement of the Samantha Wi-Fi module. Keep in mind, if your robot loses connection, there is no a guarantee the match will be replayed. As you prepare for an event, please review the guide FIRST distributed about proper mounting of the Samantha Wi-Fi module. It can be found at:
  http://www.usfirst.org/uploadedFiles/Community/FTC/Team_Resources/Samantha_Mounting_Best_Practices.pdf
  Please review the FTC Team Blast (from ftcteams@usfirst.org) dated Nov. 18 for more information about Best Practices with Samantha. An archive of team blasts can be found at: http://usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/content.aspx?id=18132

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Thank you, coaches, and please do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
Rebecca Whitaker & FTC-Iowa team

FTC-Iowa Team Blast: Week #12

Hello, Coaches!

You are receiving this e-mail because you are a coach or an assistant coach for an FTC-Iowa team.
(Have you missed a FTC-Iowa Team Blast? An archive of these messages are located on our blog: http://ftc-iowa.blogspot.com/)

1. November Status Reports - Now Open!
2. FTC-Iowa Championship Registration
3. Scrimmage Registration
4. Check out Ken's Blog
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1. November Status Reports - Now Open! The link to complete a November report is now open. You can find it at:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEdXTXVLY19tV2ZkbzFWcGZxeUlUc1E6MA

We would like 100% of the teams to complete this report. Remember, if you are a coach of multiple teams, please fill out one for each of your teams.

This report will close on Wednesday, Dec. 8th.

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2. FTC-Iowa Championship Registration
If you have not already done so, please register for the FTC-Iowa Championship at:
https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/ftc-iowa-championship 

The deadline for Iowa teams to register is Wednesday, December 15, 2010. At that time, we will open the remaining spots to out-of-Iowa teams.

Please remember, if you received a Rockwell Collins grant (94% of the teams), you agreed to participate in a tournament with your team. There is a $275 registration fee to compete in FTC-Iowa tournament. (This is different than the $275 FIRST registration fee at the beginning of the season.). Teams may attend up to three tournaments during the season. Please keep in mind, other tournaments may have a lower registration fee, but the travel accommodations may be more expensive. 

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3. Scrimmage Registration
Attending a scrimmage is one of the best opportunities for teams to learn. These events are free and we encourage all teams to attend at least one scrimmage.

Due to various facility capacity requirements, we must have an accurate count of the teams to attend. Please register for the scrimmages at: https://sites.google.com/site/ftciowacoaches/project-definition/Events

Our first scrimmage is on Saturday, Dec. 18 at Kirkwood Community College!

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4. Check out Ken's Blog
We encourage you to check out Ken's blog at: http://firsttechchallenge.blogspot.com/
Good stuff!

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This weekend a group of us will travel to St. Louis to check out the St. Louis Community College - Florissant Valley Qualifier. We'll be taking many, many, notes. Just as a heads up, next season, FTC-Iowa will be implementing qualifying tournaments.

Thank you teams and please do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
Rebecca Whitaker & FTC-Iowa team