Going to Washington Vex Competition, Any Tips?

My team is going to Tower-Takeover in Washington State, any tips I should Know? This is going to be my first time.

if something can go wrong, just pretend it will go wrong (most of the time this is true).

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If you havent been to Washington before:
Drive around the city, the place is incredibly beautiful despite being an area with a lot of businesses. Theres a lot of unique restaurants there, drive around and find a place that you haven’t heard of. Keep in mind that restaurants don’t offer straws, you will need to ask for them (I would still suggest not getting straws though because after we asked the server immediately had an attitude). Theres a lot of major companies like Bungee, Microsoft, etc. Just by seeing their buildings excited me more than enough while doing a college visit in Washington.

Now in regards to robotics:
License plates, make sure you have chargers, and that you have necessary replacement parts for your robot if a part gets lost or broken. Put your robot in something thats safe and secure so it doesn’t get damaged while transporting it. The robot is your girlfriend/boyfriend, treat her/him well. Refresh your rules knowledge and know who will be at the competition. Scouting can be useful, and your knowledge on the rules may save you. If you want you can look up videos of other robots to get a baseline knowledge of what to expect at competitions as well.

Hopefully this helps :slight_smile:

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Bring extras. If its on your robot and you have a spare, bring said spare. Stuff will get lost, or broken, or just not work as intended. It is best you have the supplies to do change or fix them. Spare batters, wires, rubber bands, c-channel, and screws are great to have. Screwdrivers, wrenches, saws, chargers, measuring tapes, drills (and drill bits, don’t forget extra extra drill bits), laptops (with code!), downloading cables, extension cables, power expanders, game pieces, and other tools are important to have too.

If you do forget something, don’t hesitate to ask other teams. Most are happy to lend you a saw or an extra piece of C-Channel. Just make note of what and where you got something from and remember to bring it back by the end of the day. In that same idea of sharing, if you have something that you aren’t using and another team asks, let them borrow it. Again, make note of who to and what you lent out, and make sure to grab it before they leave (or have a teammate watch over the item in question).

When not in use, batteries and controllers should be charging. Listen for when you are being called to queue and for schedule changes (your event will probably be behind). Having a checklist for queuing is also a good idea. When going up to compete use the most charged battery on the robot, make sure all bolts are tight, and make sure the right program is downloaded to the robot.

Before it is even time to queue, try and find your next alliance partner. Get on the same page with each other. Make sure you know what autos you will be using, where you are starting on the field, and what your general strategy will be for your match together. Try and also watch the matches of the opposing alliance members (if you have time). Get an idea if they will be defensive, high scoring, going for towers, what their autos do, etc. Its nice to know what you will be up against and lets you change your strategy beforehand.

If your not busy (somehow), watch matches. You can learn a lot from watching different strategies and robots play the game. Try to take note of who is good and bad too. When elims comes around, you don’t want to be picking a broken claw bot (no offense to claw bots). That or talk with other teams. Ask about their robot and make friends.

Be wary that judges will come seemingly random at some competitions. Be respectful to them and try to make a good impression. Put down the robot if your hands are in it and give them your full attention. Answer their questions politely and try to let them know why your robot is special. Try to have each of your teammates talk about the same amount, they look for teamwork.

If you think a ref is wrong, bring up the rulebook on your phone and politely ask to discuss it with them. The refs are also volunteers and while trained, might not be the greatest. Don’t be pushy though. You don’t want to be rude, and they do get the final say as the refs.

If the competition offers it, do skills. There is no reason not too. At worst you get extra practice on the field.

Use the practice fields if they are there. Try to improve your robot/fix problems. If something is wobbly, add bracing. If things are getting stuck, add a covering. Try and program a simple auton if you don’t have one. Just because your at competition doesn’t mean you can’t continue working on the bot.

TLDR: Bring extras and make sure you are always trying to be productive.

Good luck.

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image
Could you clarify if VEX IQ or EDR :frowning:

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Hi there. I am also participating in washington vrc. I would recommend to look out for other teams and see how you could improve your design. I do not think that there is anything specific that you need to know for here, but make sure that you have all the supplies that you need as mentioned above.