Official FRA Featherweight Site - FeatherWeights.org

FeatherWeights.org is the official FRA site - a separate site which focuses more on Featherweights inside the FRA plus more. It has created a little home for Featherweights, with an online Database of most of the Featherweights around. Also Technical Help posted by other featherweight roboteers and FeatherWeights.org them selves in places people need info when building and maintaining their featherweight. Also a run down of the events that featherweights can attend and more.

Check it out at http://www.FeatherWeights.orghttp://www.FeatherWeights.org - submit ya featherweight to the database - then get building and fighting :)

Regards,
FeatherWeights.org Crew
Stu B, Ed M, Jas H
http://www.featherweights.orghttp://www.featherweights.org

i like the logos and graphics ;)

Are there any rules posted anywhere for feathers and middleweights? It might be well worth ensuring that the current RW set is posted up somewhere and set in stone, or perhaps we could have a few pounds on the UK limit to bring it line with the 30lb limit.

Oh, we all could do with a bit more weight limit :)
There arent any actual rules I know about JUST for featherweights, Mostly we share the heavies rules exept we dont need power Leds etc.
Just email Stu and talk to the FRA, they could then change the rules, depending on what most people want. Cheers, Ewan

The FRA build rules do actually include Feathers and Middleweights..
There doesnt really seem to be any need to write individual rules for every weight, would just over complicate matters in most cases.

Thats unless the weight of opinion starts to lean towards them needing their own rule sets obviously? In which case Im sure the FRA will be happy to have a look into it..

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

After the first development of the new breed of featherweights last year, there was little mumble from roboteers, about upping the feather weight limit because people were finding it hard.

However I was strongly against it, feather weights wouldn€™t be feather weights if they weren€™t 12kg.

People have now persevered to get the weight down, and we have low pressure flippers, high pressure flippers, crushers and spinners, all in the weight limit, why change it.

JOnno

I think that it all part of the game be it feathers or heavies getting on the weight

I dont see any need to change the weight limit. There are lots of VERY effective robots easily built within the 12Kg limit. I dont think that 12Kg is a limit thats preventing anyone from building any particular type of robot - yes it can be challenging, but I dont see it as limiting anything.

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

I think that the challenge is good, but that you should be able to give abit at an event. (like if a team has brought a robot, fully expecting it to be underweight, that they can have about 200 grams of give in the rules)
Cheers, Ewan

There is a little give at events Ewan.
But sorry you took the **** at FWSmash2003 i was told :)
Roaming Robots, FeatherWeights.org both give a little which is 200g. Its in the rules for Robot Wars that a Heavy Weight has to be 100kg and no more. But allow a 1% scale error which gives them 101kg true weight limit. 1% for 12g is 12.125kg , but we round it up to 12.2kg as its an easy number. (And Jonnos scales only go to 2dp) hehe.

12kg is the limit for Feather Weights. Like Ed said, it is a challenge, but thats part of building the robots.

The extra 1.6kg to make it ti 30lb (13.6kg), thats a 24v Nicad 3000 pack. Thats a Mag motor. Thats a 600g Co2 bottle, thats about 2mm worth of Ti all over a feather weight.
Think Feather Weights need to stay at 12kg.

Mr Stu

All good :)
(had to take the main weapon blades off at FWS 2003:))

I know the feeling,
had to take loads off Tantrum to get into RW7, which was weird as it was 12.2 when I left wrexham.

with all the messing about, and taking teeth off, when I weighed it at home after, it was 11.6kg. Its that local gravity thing, Im sure.... well, either that or my scales are lying.... hey, that explains everything, cancel the bulk order of slimfast, its the scaless fault Im a tad portly

on a serious not, if feathers are too light, build a lightweight... end of my thoughts on the matter.

My opinion is that if you increase the weight limit then its just as much of a challange to build a robot in that weight limit. Even though heavyweights have 100kg to play with not the 12kgs of a feather its equally as hard to get a heavyweight underweight as it is to get a featherweight underweight.

You see if we increase the weight limit that means that people will want to use bigger bore rams to flip the heavier weight the same height so all that extra weight is gone and your still struggeling to fit it into the weight class.

Others will stick extra armour on. The spinners then stick on a heavier disk so they can get through the extra armour. Pushers up grade their motors so they can push everythign still. It just goes on and on and on and you are still struggling to get the robot under the weight limit.

12kg is a fine weight limit. Why change it? As they say if its not broken dont fix it!

Regards
Ian

Gravity does not exist. The earth sucks

Jonno,

there was little mumble from roboteers, about upping the feather weight limit because people were finding it hard.

Who could you possibly be talking about?

Ian
Cutlet540 in weight now!

i dont think upping the weight would be a good idea, a coupke of years ago, maybe. But we have had to spend alot of money and cut back on items to keep the feathers within the weight. It wouldnt be fair to change it now (although it means G2 would of been in weight!).

I think the main issue is that of damage (currently being discussed on Ti Grades thread.

I think people should see what feathers come in the next 12 months, and then thank God we didnt up the limit!

I agree 100% with that comment James...Looking at pictures of feathers a year ago...youd be lucky to see some 6mm rubbish grade ali used and if you had that it would be classed at OTT, Now we are seing all these billet bots that are soon to come to roaming robots ( I think they are?) and im sure they will impress alot of people....but an exstra 100grams would suit me fine :)

regards
Dave moulds
Team Turbine

We toyed with the idea of just making a robot out of a billet of Aluminium early last year - but rejected it for a number of reasons.

Monocoques arent what theyre cracked up to be !

Weve got a hybrid billet bot if thats what you want to call them for 2004 which takes the idea a stage further. Billets are so last year :)

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

Sorry Mr Fashion guru.

If nobody made one, how can it be last year?

Im sure youll change your tune once you see them, just because you dismissed them doesnt mean its not worth doing. Not sure what reasons you had for turning them down, but they are all theyve cracked up to be so far.

Just an observation, having seen one in action already.

Yes, the 1 i saw supper dooper or was it called L? Was impressive....could do with a tad more ground clearence though...

Out of interest why did you rejected the idea Ed / Lorence lowenen bowen :)?

regards
Dave moulds
Team Turbine

Mostly down to maintainability Dave, but there were a host of other reasons, also to do with the kind of robot we were trying to build at the time - perhaps on seeing one Ill change my view.

I was just chortling at the concept of them being new thats all. It all comes down to perspective I guess !

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

Yea Bricks are boring to watch mind you having said that people pay to watch Tornado dont they :P

Just an update,
The FeatherWeights.org site has been Re-Vamped.

Mr Stu
http://www.FeatherWeights.org>

Hey Stu, FeatherWeights.org is a great site but personally I preferred the old style and layout.

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

Na, old one was tacky i felt, and annoying to get around. Everyone so far seems to like it, na well, keep the comments coming in.

Mr Stu

NEW ONE ROCKS!!!!!!!!!

Whens my profile going to get updated :proud: *hides behind table*

You sent the updates like 10 mins ago! Give me a chance! LOL - Also im going to bed, its past 1:50am, i need to go to bed now. Deary me.

Mr Stu

Well the new site layout is very red :) but overall much easier to navigate around. I would suggest that you remove the statement that that power LEDs must NOT be flashing from the comms page before you confuse any other poor simple souls like me ;)

I was told by the FRA that a Flashing LED Power Light MUST NOT flash. Robots were failed at some events as their LED POWER light was Flashing.

Mr Stu

The current version of the rule in question is according to the FRA website

6.8. All Middleweight, Heavyweight and Superheavyweight Robots must have a light easily visible from the outside of the robot that shows its main power is activated.

Anything else published anywhere else is surely confusing mis-information, the FRA may have told you non-flashing but in reply to my question on the forum Andy Kane stated that flashing or non-flashing was up to the individual roboteer.

Now which events are failing robots with flashing LEDs so that I can make sure I take the latest copy of the rules along for their tech checks ;)

regards

Tim

Well Tim,

Enginuity were asking robots not to use flashing LED power lights, and asked to deactivate them. If i remember rightly Staglet was one of the robots to have it deactivated.

Dont kick a fuss about it, no flashing LED lights. I will bring it up at the next FRA meeting or send a few emails out now to admend this. In the mean time, i have told you no flashing LED lights as i have been told.

A Power Light is either ON or OFF - not both - simple.

Also this isnt the place to talk about rules, maybe take this to the LED thread in the Safety section.

Mr Stu

If featherweights.org is misquoting rules it would seem as fitting to raise it here as anywhere else.

http://www.extremefightingmachines.co.uk/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?tpc=9&post=14752#POST14752http://www.extremefightingmachines.c...pc=9&post=1475 2#POST14752 is a link to the reply from Andy Kane after I had asked for a definitive answer on LED requirements. It would appear to indicate that the featherweights site is in error on this point. Ill quite happily fit any colour or style of LED to any circuit the rules require, I dislike wasting time and money due to incorrect interpretation of vague rules.

Tim, I really dont see the confusion. Im assuming that having posted the link above you took the time to read the meeting notes that it relates to ? If not I have pasted them below for you :

All robots(not ants) must carry at least one surface mounted non-filiment always-on lamp that illuminates when power is supplied to the robot(ie when the link is in) any colour is acceptable provided that it is in contrast to its surroundings. Suitable parts are leds availiable from Radio Spares(RS384-5020 series or similar)

Hopefully that will save you from wasting any money, it reccomends a part to use and it seems fairly explicit as to what is required. Another good LED to use is this RS part no. 376-9184

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

We habe Even suggested a decent LED to use on FeatherWeights.org in the Reviews section and Tech section.

Just trying to help Tim. Dont shoot the messenger.

Mr Stu