Attendance has been really low at meetings, so it seems to me that interest in this busy little robotics team is waning.  Well WAKE UP gentlemen because we're not done yet, we stay busy year round on this team and whether you're graduating in a month or haven't been to a meeting in 2 months, you can still take pride in putting in work to make the team better in years to come.

• Cage Cleanup - It's taking a long time, we have to get it done.
• Monty - May 15.  We're in.  Now we have to pay for it.  We can also bring our swollen purple battery to Monty as part of their recycling drive.  There is a ::COUGH COUGH:: Woodie Flowers Jr. Award at Monty, which has a due date of May 8 for the essay submission.
• Bake Sale - To pay for Monty.  This Tuesday, May 4.  Please give Baldwin your schedule so we can man the table for the whole day.  And bring baked goods.
• The cRIO - We've shipped the old one back, in a few more business days we should get a working one.
• Relay for Life - June 19.  Our team is registered, though right now our team consists of Tom and me.  Join at this link - http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=team&fr_id=20713&team_id=715441  I heard that Iron Maidens have been invited.
• AIDS Walk - The day after Monty.  I go every year anyway, but I heard that Iron Maidens have invited us.  We have to figure out if we're going as a team with a robot or as a team or just some of us as individuals or what.
• Mag Fundraising - Kevin's idea from months ago finally got approved, so yet another little fundraising activity we'll be signing up for.
• Think Recycle - Still going.  As part of cage cleanup, we need boxes to fit all the big laser cartridges we have.  Shipping labels are ready, we just need to box them and get them out of the cage.  We also need a box to ship back the big pneumatic piston for a $100 refund.
• Shirts and Hoodies - You owe me money, since I paid the bill already.  T-shirts $8.25, hoodies $22.  Word on the golf shirts will come soon but as of right now they're still being put together.
• Fundraising in general - I'm going to be meeting with the Development Office, but it was recently suggested to me that we try asking big companies for less than we usually have thought.  You guys need to put in work on this, because you can actually produce better results than I can.

So I just got off the phone with Olivia from National Instruments (of course she remembered me immediately) and she said that they have some FRC-cRIOs in stock but priority must be given to teams whose cRIOs break but still have official regionals or the championship to attend.  I told her we want to compete in May, and she said to call her after the championship, April 17, to see what they still have.  I asked if, in the event that they run out, we're out of luck until next kickoff, and she didn't know the answer to that.

What do we do now?  If you guys want, we could start by nicely asking team 1880 for a longer-term loan of their extra cRIO.

• Arm Development
  • Robot frame markers, accurate measurements
  • Telescoping pipes
  • Cables
  • Motor selection
  • Transmission assembly (winch)
  • Transmission mounting (winch)
• Practice Chassis Development
  • cRIO
  • Jags/Spikes/Motors
  • Camera
• Signal Light Mount
• Flicker improvements?
• Bumpers
• Roof
• Bill of Materials
• Assign Drivers & Human Player & Backup Coach

• Autonomous Development
  • Writing 16+ options
  • Camera Follow
• Assign outputs to new arm motors
• Assign joystick buttons for new arm motors
• Plan for the switching of removed solenoids
  • Remove arm stages 1, 2 and Rotary
  • Flicker solenoids going to Solenoid Breakout
  • Spikes going from Relay to Digital I/O

• Generate criteria list of robot features we care about
• Brainstorm good Breakaway strategies in general
• Brainstorm strategies for us to use
• Brainstorm strategies that would work against us
• Brainstorm qualities we would want in partners
• Assign & schedule roles for Field & Pit Scouting

• Robot Form/Function description for construction awards
• Business plan (at least budget summary) for entrepreneur award
• Propaganda sheet about our robot
• Mascot improvements?
• Safety Gimmicks?
• Buttons and/or wristbands?
• Press Release heading into competition or immediately after competition

Do we want to go to this?

 Greetings Teams!!

Three weeks to go! How are your Break Away bots doing? READY TO SHIP in about THREE
WEEKS! 

Yes, we know, its getting tight! The Mentor Tech Support Committee is ready to come
to the rescue! A help session has been set for all of you needing help at Bronx
Academy High School this Saturday, February 6 from 9:30am to 1:30pm. Floating
mentors will be available during the help session to help with programming,
electrical and mechanical/pneumatics issues... HERE IS YOUR CHANCE to catch up with
the building, overcome technical obstacles delaying your projects, and get advise
from the EXPERTS!!!!

Please bring:
Your robot in whatever state it is in
Tools
Driver's station
Power strips
Battery charger
Programming laptop.

Bronx Academy is located on 1440 Story Ave., Bronx, New York

Directions:
Public transit
6 to Hunts point
2 to Simpson Street Station
BX5 to Bronx River or Colgate Avenue