What to bring to AWS (advise for first timers please)

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MySolderIsOlder
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What to bring to AWS (advise for first timers please)

Post by MySolderIsOlder »

This time next Friday the boy and I'll be hopping on a train to Rugby ready for our first ever AWS event (we're overnighting at the Dun Cow) and it occurs to me that I don't have a clue what to bring. I'm probably not the only one in this situation so I was hoping some of the old hands might share their wisdom in terms of what to pack. Food & drink, small screws, nuts/bolts, spare wheels, screwdrivers, insulating tape, craft-knife, spare LiPOs, a charger and charging bags, obviously - but how over the top do people go with tools? Do I need a long extension cable (might make the packing challenging). Do people bring soldering irons or would that cause H&S issues for the venue? And for that matter, in practice, how much repair/rebuilding does one normally get to do on the day (especially when entering multiple bots)?

Sorry to be asking such a vague question (more a plea for some words of wisdom) but it's one of those scenarios that's hard to picture until you've been there - and the otherwise excellent videos on YouTube are generally short on scene-setting shots of the 'pit area'.

Either way - really looking forward to it!
Stuart
Stuart (Tony's dad)
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MarkR
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Re: What to bring to AWS (advise for first timers please)

Post by MarkR »

Remember the transmitter :)

If you use a rechargeable transmitter, remember to bring the charger for it / charge it up. They probably last more than a couple of fights, but it's better to be safe than have it fail just before a bout.

Mark
Robots: Betsie - RaspberryPi controlled flipper bot with gyro stablisation - too clever for her own good?
Stacie - tidy flipper; 4wd driven by hair bands
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Kyro
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Re: What to bring to AWS (advise for first timers please)

Post by Kyro »

for tools, i bring soldering iron/solder, hot glue gun/glue and drill with bits... along with various glues, spares and stuff this is sufficient for me... i build my bots using few tools so im actually able to bring practically every tool i use with me...

+1 on tx charger/spare batteries...

i will have some stuff so if you forget something just ask and if i have it, you can borrow it...

if you dont know what i look like at the event, i will be the guy with the robots...
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LimaHotel
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Re: What to bring to AWS (advise for first timers please)

Post by LimaHotel »

Tape and acetate for replacing your acetate after it inevitably gets scuffed.
I bring my entire tool box with me, which I know is overkill!
A grabber? I CHALLENGE IT WITH JIGGY!
James Williams
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Re: What to bring to AWS (advise for first timers please)

Post by James Williams »

Definitely bring chargers & acetate. Strongly recommend bringing tape & spare batteries/wheels/nuts & bolts etc. Some events do have issues with having enough power sockets for everyone so more extension cables are always welcome. There is a supermarket 5 minutes away from the venue so you could always pick food as & when you need it but I'll be stopping there on the way. One thing to keep in mind is even if you don't have something there will very probably be someone there happy to lend you what you need.

Regarding repairs, in the first few rounds there can be up to an hour between each individual bots fights so as long as you don't get wrecked :-? , repair time isn't too much of an issue then. That time between fights drastically shrinks once you reach the 5th round & the majority of the field have been eliminated, but by then most people have lost at least some of their bots (if not all) so repair time isn't too bad either. Ultimately it depends on who you end up fighting. Again though, if things are getting difficult there will always be someone willing to help out.
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Kyro
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Re: What to bring to AWS (advise for first timers please)

Post by Kyro »

yes, us roboteers are a lovely friendly bunch...










outside the arena...


but after a fight, we would probably happily help repair any damage we caused...

we can be an odd bunch
Team Rocket
Trappist 1(4wd grab 'n' lift)
Ton 618 (4wd expanding bot)
Io(4wd flipper)
MySolderIsOlder
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Re: What to bring to AWS (advise for first timers please)

Post by MySolderIsOlder »

Great - so I'll leave the bandsaw and large drill-press at home but otherwise... bring everything that will fit in a suitcase! :lol:

And spare wheels! Greatly relieved to receive an email from Nuts N Bolts on Saturday to say my order of wheels was ready for posting - otherwise I'd have been swapping them between robots on the day (my spare pair having been ruined when an experimental flail-bot self destructed in style last week)
Stuart (Tony's dad)
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