Featherweights.org 2 Day Xmas Event 13th/14th Dec

Following the success of the two recent featherweight events (Inspire in Norwich and the Featherweights.org Featherweight Smash in Redditch) weve teamed up to bring you the next big featherweight event.

December 13th and 14th in Norwich will be the closing featherweight event of this season. With a purpose built feather arena, complete with purpose built hazards. Youre all invited to take part in what will be the biggest featherweight event yet with cash prizes and Technobots vouchers being given away like never before.

Registration will soon be open on the Featherweights.org website as before, and whilst space isnt limitied at the moment anyone wanting to come would be well advised not to hang around.

There will be a main knockout competition and plenty of sideshow competitions to keep everyone busy... and prizes for as many categories as we can think of.... The award for being on the recieving end of the hit of the day ????

Anyway.... we all just wanted to let everyone know that the event is going ahead, and well post on here as soon as registration opens on the featherweights.org website !

Take care

Ed H, Ed M, Jas H and Mr Stu
http://www.featherweights.orghttp://www.featherweights.org
http://www.stormrobot.comhttp://www.stormrobot.com

Seeing as weve got a shiny new forum - I thought Id post an update here to let people how things are going - and how registration for the event is going.

To date weve had 16 registrations I believe - thats more than enough for a good featherweight competition, and certainly enough to justify more people registering !

The arena has been checked out - it will be the same as last time, however weve got some arena hazards to keep you all busy including a Pulveriser Battlebots style hammer for your little create to get mashed under :)

Im just working out what help we can give on the accommodation front. I think at the moment were going to reccomend you stay in the local Travelodge/Travel Inn - and we should be able to help with costs towards that.... watch this space.

Everything is shaping up for this to be a great event, just before Xmas. So if youve not signed up yet, what are you waiting for ?

Signup is available at http://www.featherweights.orghttp://www.featherweights.org from the Christmas Featherweight Event section !

Thanks

Ed
http://www.stormrobot.comhttp://www.stormrobot.com

Hi all, we thought it was probably about time we sent out an update on the Christmas Feather Weight Smash for those of you who are already going, and provided a reminder to those who havent signed up yet to come along. Weve got lots more confirmed than we did when we first announced the event !

Accommodation

There is a fund to help offset Saturday night accommodation costs for teams attending. We realise that featherweight teams are often less well funded than the big heavyweight teams. Were recommending that you stay in the Norwich Travel Inn here Holt Road, Norwich Airport, Norwich, NR6 6JA - 08701 977 291 They do rooms for £44.95 per night which will sleep 2 adults and 2 children (1 Double bed, and 2 singles in each room). This is the closest Travel Inn to the venue - there are others around Norwich to choose from, however these things always work out better if everyone ends up in the same place !

Event Format

Stu and Co at Feather Weights.org are busy working out the finer details of the event format. What is known is that to win the Grand Prize you would have to attend for both days. The winner will be decided on points format based on performance over the weekend - and points mean prizes ! There will also be plenty of sideshow events running alongside the main event, so even if you get knocked out there will be plenty of chances to fight - and you might event find a wildcard round to win your way back into the main competition !

This year as well as our Featherweight arena, which is being upgraded to have a roof and higher side walls well have some custom built arena hazards. Huge pneumatic hammers, and spinning disks of doom for you to try to use tactically in your fights - dont panic, none of them are designed to cause terminal damage, but could help you on points in a fight !

As well as the new arena - this years event will have a serious sound system, and professional lighting - creating an amazing atmosphere in the huge space that is Inspire !

Prizes and Prize Fund

There will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes for the main competition, as well as smaller prizes for those winning sideshow competitions. At this point in time were keeping the prize fund secret - however its larger than last year, and the top prize winner should expect to take away more than enough in winnings to build themselves a new robot ! And as for the trophies - soon BattleBots isnt going to be the only place that you can go and win a Giant Nut !

Still not Signed Up ???

If youve still not signed up to the event, theres still time. Visit http://www.featherweights.org/inspirewww.featherweights.org/inspire and fill in an application form. Those attending so far are :

PLF, MiniMoth - the new featherweight from Team Behemoth !, Stiff Breeze, Dark Carrot, Tantrum, Cut-Let, FlowRate, Gianto, RIP, Scorpion JR, Terror Turtle, Rampage 2 and Micro-Maul - theres also more coming from local schools to try and take on the big boys in the arena !

This should be a great event, just before Christmas, with a real Christmas feel to it. The publicity for the event is huge - with adverts in the Robot Wars Club magazine, online and across the Eastern Counties. No doubt well head out into town in Saturday night for an evening of food and drink (lemonade for the under 18s!).

We all look forward to seeing you at the event, and seeing the last event of the 2003 Robot Calendar out with a bang !

Take care

Ed
http://www.stormrobot.comhttp://www.stormrobot.com

Is there any predictions of when the closing date for applications will be? I hope to have my bot finished in time but things always go wrong so i dont want to take up a place and stop someone with a working bot from going only to not go myself.

Joseph Townsend

P.I.M.P.anought

Joseph, at the moment were right on the limit of what we can accommodate with over 25 robots attending so far. Im sure well be able to fit you in !

Ed
http://www.stormrobot.comhttp://www.stormrobot.com

Im sorry but because of a few reasons we (team Mini-Maul) will not be able to make it to this event, Im going on holiday and even if I could go to the event, Id have nowhere to stay, I didnt have much success in the booking side of things...
Anyway I promise Ill make it to the 2004 featherweight smash, With Micro-Maul evo2 Even though evo1 will not have gone to any events.
Cheers, Ewan
P.S all I can say is evo two involves 24kg of walking featherweight with a BIG 6kg vertical disc at the front:)

Ill still be there... dont panic everyone :)

Damn. :proud:

Mr Stu

grrr.... Kittys on the hit-list now boyo!
:)

Kitty aint going - derr. :proud:
Will James Baker be arriving on time to this event?

Mr Stu

ow... now thats a low blow.

Yes, James Baker will be arriving on time as James Baker has convinced himself it starts Friday night, so he will be there by Saturday morning (using the usual 3 hour late rule that has applied so well to date)

Kitty not going? which one of your robots do I get to beat senceless then Stu?

None as i will be busy on the day.
Means you will have to beat me senceless then. :)

Mr Stu
- Then die ya self when mother gets hold of you :proud:

If only I could make it to this event...:sad:

Stu,
Wot no Kitty!!:sad:
Whats the matter mate? Scared? and you havent even seen Scorpion Jr. yet!! (Remember what the big one did to Tomahawk!...Get the point! :) )
Ill bring it to Worthing if you want a sneek preview.
Regards,
Geoff

Kitty aint going as Kitty and Pussycat will not be with me - so give me a break.

Kitty has been in against Vortex so were not scared, give me a break Geoff.

Ne ways - for your sake, i hope you know when i back off when a robot is DEAD at Inspire, all the bots need to keep on going through out the day you know :proud: Or Poor Ed H will be unhappy when there are no bots to run at the event :)

Cant wait to see it at Worthing Geoff, should be good then if it follows its daddy :proud:

Mr Stu

Stu why dont u just get bots to do formation driving that way they wont get damaged..

I wont be able to drive them in formation :sad:
LOL

Mr Stu

Seeing as the holiday is off :sad: I can go to this event :). Just one problem, I need a lift up there, this might really be asking to much but its worth a try... I live in redland, Bristol. Please post on this topic or email me if you can help, Cheers, Ewan :)

Oh, and is Vortex running @ this event?
If micro-maul does go, then keep in mind that now were a horizontal, 1m, 2kg spinning bar which spins at 1200rpm (approx 180mph tip speed). Is this allowed, seriously though, this is dangerous...

If you can convince us that it is safe (ie sufficiently well built etc) and if we think the arena can take it, then I should think it would be allowed. It doesnt really need to be stated that our absolute priority is safety. All decisions will be made with that in mind.

I will now upload a pic in my profile of this spinning weapon...
Also, can ANYONE give me a lift :)

Note: (I cut out some of the pic because it shows some secret future projects :))

Hmm- evidently your head is a secret future project...

Hate to say it Ewan, but that looks distinctly like an accident waiting to happen!

Id be very careful how you run that.

Sam
http://www.shredderteam.comhttp://www.shredderteam.com
http://www.robotcrusade.comhttp://www.robotcrusade.com

Hehe... no the secret project is on the ceiling!
Its true!

If thats a overhead spinning bar will you not need a removable link on the top of it..? like is requited for most FBSs and also like Tantrum has had to be fitted with?

Chris - http://www.featherweights.org/forum

Found a way to stop that spinner already :) Live and Learn is all im gonna say :)

Jas
P.S If you want to know then tough 5h1t. find out yourself :p

I have my reservations ewan- I cant see the motor shaft holding up when you slam that into an opponent at 1200rpm. May have to run it a fair bit slower- we shall see. At the moment I have visions of the shaft snapping and the bar embeding itself in someones head.

Be aware that the motors shaft is 10mm and mounted with needle roller bearings at each end. It really is a BIG motor for a featherweight, weighing an odd 2kg. The slow speed relates to its high torque, being able to spin up in about 4 seconds, very fast for such a vast spinner, the spinning bar extends over 50cm over the body, so youll have to pass the spinner in order to get at us :)
Be aware that I can only come if I get a lift up to this event, PLEASE, ANY LIFTS NEEDED NOW!!!
Oh and The link doesnt matter that much, as long as the spinner is well built, then you can spin it down before you get near. The bar is a solid steel
box section, with 2mm wall thickness, shouldnt bend to easily, also Ive done overkill on the blade mounts...
Cheers, Ewan

Ewan, sadly you seem to have missed the whole point of a link and the rules on two accounts : [*]Youre not in a position to make a deciscion as to whether or not the position of the link matters, those setting the rules and the event organisers are. Secondly - the concern is that should you put in your link, and the weapon start up for whatever reason, the first thing that would happen is it could seriously injure your hand.[/list]
Im sorry as Im sure youve put a lot of work into your bot. but a weapon like that will NOT be allowed at the Xmas Featherweight Event, nor any Roaming Robots event Ewan - you must have a link that you can put in safely without your hand having to be in the path/way of the weapon ! Ignoring the rules as it were - surley common sense dictates this ?

Ed
http://www.stormrobot.comhttp://www.stormrobot.com

QUOTE.

and The link doesnt matter that much, as long as the spinner is well built, then you can spin it down before you get near.



Well our spinner is very very well built and saying the link dont matter is very stupid and a good way to get urself hurt.

Im VERY surprised that Mini-Maul wasnt banned on that fact, The link was right in the path of the spinner, I could have cut my finger off if I was in the way when it spun up, anyway, Ill take your advise, and I have a plan...
If I extend the back of the bot out under the spinner, in a wedge shape, then I can put the link away from the spinner, and have something to push with to. Sorry about the statment sounding like I make the rules, I was just taking previous event expiriences into account. *Runs down to his workshop and starts cutting polycarbonate*.
Job done...

GOOD LAD:)

Im amazed a featherweight can drive a spinner like that without reaction causing it to drill the wheel into the ground... :wink:

While doing a bit more work on the bot, I thought that Id reinforce the weapon mounts. The weapon motor would currently take ALL the shock from a hit, and magnets could even come lose, so a solution has come... If I put wheels around under the bar (Ill put a rim under the bar aswell for the wheels to run on) then the wheels can take the shock from a blow... Suspention wheels would be even better...
Cheers, Ewan
P.S I REALLY need a lift, otherwise all this work after school, would go to waste:sad:

Oh, and are costs for travel-inn actually covered that night (sat)?
Cheers, Ewan

No Ewan, as it says in the posts above there is a fund to help offset some of the costs - but thats a bonus were not in a position to cover expenses.

Ed
http://www.stormrobot.comhttp://www.stormrobot.com

***** Feather Weight Smash Update *****

Another first comes to the Xmas Feather Weight Smash at Inspire. With 25 teams taking part, and everything else for the day on track we can now announce that this event will be filmed for retail/broadcast with a full crew, multi manned camera setup and presenter in the pits !

Hopefully this will only add to the atmosphere at Inspire this year which is shaping up to be one hell of a weekend in Norwich !

We look forward to seeing everyone there, and the Featherweights.org crew will be in touch will all those signed up with final news and info on the event soon !

Ed
http://www.stormrobot.comhttp://www.stormrobot.com

I might not be able to come, unless someone gives me a lift!!!
Last resort: BLACKMAIL MUM TO TAKE ME...
Cheers, Ewan :)

A presenter in the pits...Please god...not Stu!!! :)