Off-Season Event Updates
NEMO Meeting at Where is Wolcott? Invitational
This Saturday from 10 a.m. - noon, there will be a Non-Engineering Mentor Organization (NEMO) meeting held during the Where is Wolcott? Invitational event. The meeting location will be announced the morning of the event.
Mainely SPIRIT
The Sixth Annual Mainely SPIRIT Competition, hosted by FRC 2648, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 17 at Messalonskee High School in Oakland, ME. Registration is $150 per team and now open here. Second robots are free. Volunteers can sign up here. Visit the website for more information about the event and contact missluce@team2648.com with any questions.
Battle of the Bay
Battle of the Bay, an off-season event hosted by FRC 319, will be held on Saturday, Nov. 12 at Prospect Mountain High School in Alton, NH. Registration is $150/team and teams can register for the event here.
Volunteers can sign up here and more information can be found on the website.
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Note on 2016 Robot Radios
As of Wednesday, June 1, the Open-Mesh OM5P-AN radios used in the 2016 FIRST STRONGHOLD season are no longer available for purchase per the Federal Communications Commission 14-30, ET Docket No. 13-39 (specifically the modification to 2.1033(b)(13)). The open nature of the firmware was too permissive, and regulations are now in place to make sure that wireless firmware meets specific requirements.
Meanwhile, if you're attending an off-season, here are some things for you to know:
- You can still use the OM5P-ANs (just don't try to sell any).
- You can also use the old DLink DAP-1522 radios, but will need to manually configure them per the instructions posted in the 2014 Control System Screensteps.
- If you're really stuck and have no radio, please contact frcparts@usfirst.org and you may be able to receive a used radio from event Spare Parts cases on loan (while supplies last).
More information can be found in the blog.
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FIRST Championship Workshops and Conferences
Didn't get a chance to check out the Workshops and Conferences at FIRST Championship? The archives are now available in the Resource Library on the FIRST website.
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Dean's Homework Reminder
As is tradition, Dean Kamen announced his annual homework for FIRST teams during the Closing Ceremonies of FIRST Championship. This year's homework is to help honor the memory of Christa McAuliffe, a social studies teacher who taught in Concord, New Hampshire, who was killed along with six other astronauts in January, 1986 in the Challenger disaster.
FIRST supporters Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) filed a bill called the "Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act" during the week of April 25, 2016. This bill is important to FIRST as it honors an individual committed to developing students. In addition, as a project of the United States Mint Commemorative Coin Program, proceeds from the sale of these coins will benefit FIRST and be used to support all FIRST programs.
Your assignment is to visit your representatives in Congress and the Senate and urge them to support the respective House and Senate bill for the "Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act" before July 15, 2016. Also, let FIRST know about your visit and the support of your representative for this legislation by emailing marketing@firstinspires.org.
More information can be found on the FIRST website. To find your local representatives, use the House and Senate search tools.
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Help make a FIRST STRONGHOLD-themed LEGO set a reality!
Matthew Quigley and Emily McDermott, two members of FRC Team 810, The Mechanical Bulls, from Smithtown, NY, USA, created a FIRST STRONGHOLD set using LEGOs and have started the process to turn it into a real set available for purchase. To even make it to the next step, we need to accumulate 10,000 votes on the LEGO website.
Please vote for the set here and read the related blog post for more information.
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NE FIRST Swap Meet & Sale
Clean out your workspace before the end of the school year and share or sell your spare parts and materials with other NE FIRST FRC teams! The rescheduled NE FIRST Swap Meet & Sale will be held on Saturday, June 18 from 8 a.m. - noon at NE FIRST Headquarters (400 Woodland Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002).
Schedule:
- 8-9am - Setup
- 9-11am - Sale/Swap
- 11-noon - cleanup
Attendees must RSVP for the event here by this Saturday, June 11. The event will be held rain or shine. Bring display tables, chairs, extension cords (outlets are limited). If you have any materials too large to take to the event, bring a photo and arrange for pickup after the sale. All leftover materials must be removed from the premises at the end of the sale!
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2016 Kit of Parts Survey Reminder
The 2016 Kit of Parts survey is available! Please help improve the FIRST experience by providing feedback about your experience with the Kit of Parts this season. No more than one student and one mentor from each team should complete the survey. The survey will be available until Friday, June 24.
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NE FIRST Reminders
- NE FIRST University Day in Connecticut will take place on Saturday, Sept. 10 at Central Connecticut State University! If you're interested in running a workshop, email ljefferson@firstinspires.org by Monday, Aug. 1.
- If you are interested in helping to expand NE FIRST University Day in New England, contact Steve Cremer at scremer@nefirst.org.
- Venue suggestions for future NE FIRST competitions can be sent to info@nefirst.org, the NE FIRST Executive Director or their Regional Director.
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Upcoming Events
Where is Wolcott Invitational
Saturday, June 11
Wolcott High School
457 Bound Line Rd, Wolcott, CT 06716
Touch Tomorrow
Saturday, June 11
WPI
100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609
Beantown Blitz
Saturday, June 18
Revere High School
101 School St, Revere, MA 02151
NE FIRST Swap Meet & Sale
Saturday, June 18
8 a.m. - noon
NE FIRST Headquarters
400 Woodland Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002
Summer Heat
Saturday, July 16
South Portland High School
637 Highland Ave, South Portland, ME 04106
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