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Sidetracked 2012 competition
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seanet1310



Joined: 08 Nov 2006
Posts: 1265
Location: Adelaide


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Getting three Victorian teams could be difficult. I can not think of any Victorians who may build a bot or have them mostly done and interested at this stage.
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Post Tue Oct 30, 2012 6:10 pm 
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ARegularFan



Joined: 29 Oct 2012
Posts: 3
Location: Melbourne, Victoria


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Thanks for all your quick replies. But I've got a few more questions for you.

Does anyone have email address or contact info for people interested in vic? Even if they're just inquiring and haven't built anything, I'd be happy to talk to them.

Secondly, given as it does seem I've come looking for a Victorian robot comp a few years too late, what other comps are there in Australia?

I saw the info about the national comp up QL. But it seems I've missed that as well and I'm guessing the next one won't be for 12 months. So, are there any other comps in NSW/QL that are a bit sooner? If there are any, what sort of weight classes and dates would I be looking at?

Also, wouldn't I only need to find two other teams in vic, seanet1310, given as I would also be competing, or aren't there even two?

Post Tue Oct 30, 2012 6:26 pm 
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seanet1310



Joined: 08 Nov 2006
Posts: 1265
Location: Adelaide


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quote:
Originally posted by ARegularFan:

Also, wouldn't I only need to find two other teams in vic, seanet1310, given as I would also be competing, or aren't there even two?



Should update my profile. For now I am in Canberra with work. Not sure if/when I will be in Melbourne again. Sorry about that.


You might try Serial, and Shreddy on the forum. They posted on page one of this thread.

Can not think of any others. Shreddy has built a bot before.

You could always try some of the old vic builders may have some more luck then I have had. 'Andrew W', NMO (Neweyn although he lives out a fair way. He may put you in contact with Matt), 'Rob team rotwang'. It has been about a year from the last time I contacted a few of them. Goodluck.

NSW is starting to plan some private events (see the thread started tonight by Jaemus).So is QLD (see QRSC 2013 - Events / Arenas / Times) Most if not all of these events other then the next public will be smaller backyard events not large public 3 day events so it may be hard to justify the trip.
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Post Tue Oct 30, 2012 7:33 pm 
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Spockie-Tech
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Joined: 31 May 2004
Posts: 3160
Location: Melbourne, Australia


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Given the pathetic lack of interest or effort from the locals, who it seems cant organise their way out of a paper bag without me to point the way, Sidetracked has now disassembled and stored the Robot Combat Arena.

The Renta-Bots were making a moderate amount of money, but required regular maintaince skills (electronic and radio as well as mechanical and electrical) that were beyond the capabilities of the in-house fix-it-man (Darren).

So, Im afraid you've left it too long guys, the Arena sat there unused (other than rentabots) for over a year. They even decored it up and painted it, but *Everyone* had an excuse why *they* couldnt be the one to organise an event... so Im afraid its..
*Game Over* as far as the existing arena goes.

The Good news is they have used the extra space to reconstruct the dodgem car arena, and with a bit of work and a few polycarb sheets (which are in storage), it *could* be adapted to handle robot combat, although the floor is fairly thin metal, so and floor damaging robots would have to fix any carnage they created. The viewing Area is smaller, but a Big Screen and a few cams could help that.

But unless someone with a *lot* of enthusiastic drive steps up to plate and spends a fair bit of time beating the bushes to get the vic builders to come out of hiding, Im thinking its unlikely that victoria could even pull of a half decent antweight event at the moment.

Ive done my time (5yrs+ EO, Webhost, Controller Design, and Promoter) and am into other things now. anyone who knows Steve or has done one knows what it takes to pull off a successful quality event.. Such people are rare, but they are out there.

Good Luck finding one.
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Post Tue Oct 30, 2012 10:44 pm 
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Andrew W



Joined: 01 Jun 2005
Posts: 220
Location: Melbourne, Victoria


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I and a few others tried on several occasions to organise events at Sidetracked and were told that if we didn't have more than about 6 or 8 robots (can't remember the exact number), they weren't going to let us use the arena (rentobots were making more money than a small event would bring in). As Gary was busy with other things, so that left Neweyn, Matt (if available), Luke, Sean and myself and we weren't going to be able to run 6 robots between us, let alone 8.

Post Fri Nov 02, 2012 5:06 pm 
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Spockie-Tech
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Joined: 31 May 2004
Posts: 3160
Location: Melbourne, Australia


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Well, thats sad, but I can see why Sidetracked would hardly be inclined to count 6 robots as "An Event".

Given the average Robotoeers level of organisation, and the requirement to recharge & repair, I reckon that would work out to about 1 fight per hour on average.

Hardly something that could be (or would be worth) promoting as "an Event" for spectators to come along and see. So I guesss its back to the backyards/sheds/carports etc where it started from.

Sad, but also given the direction that the robots have evolved into ( basically mobile power tools on wheels), thats not surpriing to me, Nobodody wants to watch two angle grinders and a door stop fight it out for 30 seconds with 30 minute breaks between fights.

I realise its currently outside the budget/skill level of the average hobbyist, but maybe one day Robot Wars will return when its something more along the lines of the movie "Real Steel", and less like "Battle of the lawnmowers".

Still, it was fun while it lasted, and we got featured on TV, Radio, Newspapers, National Magazines, and had some awesome public events. The RC Aircraft/Car/Heli Industry is thousands of times bigger than we ever were, and they've never managed anything like the publicity we generated, so I guess we did pretty well.. Smile

So, whos going to be the Evil Mad Scientist/Overlord for "Robot Wars Returns" ?
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Post Fri Nov 09, 2012 1:20 pm 
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Knightrous
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Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 8511
Location: NSW


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We recently just had the biggest, event in Robot Combat history in Australia with 40 odd robots, 80 plus fights and over 3000+ spectators during the duration of the event, and you call it the end of the sport????

Brett old pal, put this bitterness aside (it's bad for your health!), pack IG into a box, jump on a plane and come to an event Razz
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Post Fri Nov 09, 2012 1:36 pm 
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marto
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Joined: 08 Jul 2004
Posts: 5459
Location: Brisbane, QLD


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Look organising an event does not have to be hard.

Firstly stop trying to revive the "Sidetracked Robowars"
Its pretty clear its not going to happen. Running big public events is not easy, not really that enjoyable as you have to make it a show and its not the sort of thing that can be done on a whim.

A few years ago we had SFA going on in QLD and there is only one way to change that. TO HAVE AN EVENTS.

If you are really serious about building something and having a bit of fun I would strongly suggest you look at doing an antweight event. I know its not quite the same but there is many advantages. They really require 0 space and few tools to build, they are relatively cheap and you don't have to worry about transporting it.

The QLD antweight arena literally is made from push together bunnings aluminium, 3mm polycarb and a few bolts. Not the cheapest way to build it but damn easy. It also can be pulled apart and will fit in the back of a normal car. Hell if you run non-spinner you can just make a barrier on a table. But non-spinner in ants isn't very interesting.

Secondly thing you need to do is to actually plan a date. Make a thread. Tell people about it.

It doesn't matter if only 2 or 3 people can attend its still worth doing. Even if its just for a few hours and shit all doesn't work or ends up broken. Its one morning/afternoon and it gets the ball rolling. If everything fails, ah well. Try and look at what you can do next time or maybe aim to build something for our next interstate event.

Third. Build something and document it.
Nothing inspires people to keep thinking about robots and building then seeing their competitors making new stuff. Unfortunately we don't all have time but seeing updates from people you know really helps to keep you thinking about what you should be doing next.

Fourth. Actually do it
Too many people are all talk and no action. FFS this thread has sat here for what like 2yrs now. I will donate a set of BotBitz Gearmotors and ESCs (antweight) to the winner of the first event, if that motivates someone.

Steve
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Post Fri Nov 09, 2012 2:07 pm 
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Spockie-Tech
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Joined: 31 May 2004
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Location: Melbourne, Australia


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Kudos to you guys in Qld. you're certainly the leading light at the moment, and I hope you keep going and no I didnt say it was "the end of the sport."

I just said that guys in Victoria had it all laid out (arena, Public Venue etc) for them, and not *one* managed to get more than a few robots to show up for a few half hearted practice days in over a year. I think Rob Rotwang was the only one who even *tried*.

So now QLD has Steve who is doing a damn fine job (why dont one of you guys ask him how much it takes out of you to pull off a big event.. sometimes I didnt even want to *talk* to *anyone* for a week after a big event) and you guys are getting your (well deserved) time in the limelight (largely thanks to him) , while Victoria is in the doldrums for the time being. maybe itll come back (the arena is still there, and the Dodgem area is up and running)

My apparent Bitterness (and frankly its not really any sort of anger, more just dissapointment) is merely caused by the fact that without me beating the drum in Victoria, (not to mention the time and $) into it, that not one of the other vic builders made any sort of serious sustained attempt at keeping things moving once Id spent all the effort getting the events rolling in the first place. They must have been really keen huh ?

Or maybe, like me, after 5+ odd years, theyd all just had enough and had some other things in their lives they wanted to get on with.. whatever, People and Interests change, and life twists and turns Smile

I.G. is still on the shelf, although as Ive already said, Im not really into the brick/spinner/wedge thing any more, *IF* I was to want to get back into it (more in car/house/electronics project mode at the moment), Id want to see morre of an arms and actuators than a wheels and kilojoules of rotors type competition, so Id be unlikely to resurrect "just another bar spinner"..

He, like most of Gary and my early Robots were originally deliberately designed to ue saw blades and other visually exciting, but hopefully not too damaging elements so we didnt discourage n00bs by sending them home with a pile of wreckage on their first attempt.

If we had gone ahead and built "Rotorblade" (A Hazard (or Jolt for you younguns who dont remember Battlebots) or finished "Lawnmower" or "The Acid Test" or a few of the other early designs we played wth, thats probably what would have happened..

And I think thats possibly an effect at the moment too.. the existing competitors are mostly 5+year vets, so the n00bs have a damn big jump to make to get competitive.

Anyway, Im not wanting to be a whinger, just saying to the vics "you had your chance, and missed it.. tuff luck. wanna play now, do it in your own backyard, or as Aaron said, head for Qld, like they used to have to do (come down here) for us".

and best of wishes for the future too Smile
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Post Fri Nov 09, 2012 2:27 pm 
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