Building events next year

[sean9keenan]

Is there anyone that's starting yet, even though there are no new rules?

[sachleen]

I haven't started building as I have no materials.. but I do have loads of summer work ... but I have started thinking about how I am going to do some of these things. It's based on the trial rules which will probably change but I just use them to get a general idea of what the event will be like.

[gh]

I wouldn't actually build for the events now. I think that this time would be better spent learning some new stuff. There's time now to be crazy and to learn stuff. You won't have this much freedom once the season starts. It's also nice to set some goals when you're learning something.

For example, when I was first learning C, my goal was to complete an IRC client by the end of the summer. I sort of did, but it sucked. The point, however, was to use the goal as a way to learn. By trying to do a big project like that, I threw away all my bad C habits and really got to know how to do a lot of the things that you need to do in C.

Anyways, I went into PICs last summer, after growing out of BASIC Stamps. I went for AVR at first, but then PICs became more appealing once I realized that they're free, and a lot more people used it. Anyways, my project then was a quadrotor helicopter. In addition to the PIC experience I gained, I learned from that summer how to wind motors , how to control brushless DC motors, and how to work with carbon fiber.

This year, I'm just going to try to finish that helicopter. Actually tying together all the electronics and hardware is probably going to give me some cuts, bruises, and burns. I'm hoping to gain lots of experience with control systems, maths, and batteries.

I might just finish that IRC client next year.

[sachleen]

I'm just searching through sites that may have information/pictures about some of these events. I'm looking for information about all of the events, but mainly the new ones this year.

[Pleiades]

I'm almost done with the scrambler for next year.
Does anyone know if they give out the rules book at that summer thing in Arizona?

[sachleen]

How are you done? How do you know what the specification are?

[NamG]

I definitely agree with what GH said. Since you don't have access to the rules (draft rules don't count), there is no point to trying to build something that is competition ready. However, there is nothing wrong with building according to old rules and improving your construction skills, or simply trying out new ideas. Doing this will put you ahead in the fall.

[starpug]

I'm just going to brainstorm general design ideas.

[marylandscioly550]

well i'm not a builder person but i don't really find any point of builidng something without rules and regulations

[andrewwski]

Last year was my first year doing Boomilever. I knew that I'd be doing it beforehand, so the summer before I did a little bit of work. I tried different designs for attachment bases and joints - things that gave me experience to carry over when I actually made real ones. However, it was a waste to spend a lot of time on designs or building real ones, as they obviously would be different.

[dudeincolorado]

I agree with andrewwski. Somehow I ended up as the balsa builder this year (and let me say that I'm not amazing) and I did bridge in 6th grade and that totally helped me with my basic skills (the monotous sanding, cuting and glueing) this year.

[haven chuck]

You shouldn't spend too much time perfecting something over the summer that will propably break rules for next year. Instead, you should work on designs because they can be modified to fit next year's rules.

[Winkyeye]

Is there anyone that's starting yet, even though there are no new rules?

you would... heh

[sean9keenan]

Is there anyone that's starting yet, even though there are no new rules?

you would... heh

Haha, I probably should have put this in Study/Lab events, because those are what I'm starting, not the building events, at least not yet...

Does anyone know if the event list that's up is Official? Or is there still a chance that the events could change (ie. did they have the meeting to decide events after or before Nationals?(The meeting where everyone is there?))

[andrewwski]

AFAIK, that meeting was before nationals.

The event list is the official one.