Mission Possible C

[blakinator8]

We just posted the sample ETL on the website: http://www.soinc.org/mission_c

Not to be pedantic, but isn't the final energy transfer on that ETL a parallel task?

[olympiaddict]

I was wondering that myself

[Uncle Fester]

Well, with two eye surgeries and a heart procedure in recent weeks, this has to be my latest start with Mission ever. Northridge (IN) in a week, so I'm cutting things close. Seeing now just how much stuff is going to be different from the Olden Days, I suspect I'm going to have to sit people down for a mass ETL training class-- I've never run a DQ Fest, and I'm not going to start now.

Looking at the sample transfer list: Rule actually don't state if transfers are documented/scored as "transfers from" or as "transfers to". Only real clue is in the sample ETL-- the only way the sample points work out is if it's "transfers from", i.e., "what's listed on the left column". The starting task, which doesn't transfer (it just starts), is pointed as the start task. The Mech -> Chem (20pts) and Chem -> Nech (30pts) gives it away-- second use of mech on the left, and first use of chem on the left. If you base it on the right column, "TO", the points don't work.

Now look at the bottom. They're numbered sequentially, with "to arrows" between them. But the points are referenced to individual steps, and not pairs (transfers). Assigning points on the "what's in the left column" method works here too.

So, if you're being coached by an Old Head, WATCH OUT! The Old Way, which was done for years and years and years, was "what you're transferring TO." But, as every third post here states, this is not the place, etc, etc, ad neauseaum. Just remember who turns in the score sheets.

Now Onto Other Things:

"All transfers must be visible" absolutely does NOT mean you have to be some clairevoyant and see electricity or magnetic fields. So please don't ask any more, okay? It means that you can't hide "secrets" inside a box. If I don't see HOW it works, you don't get the points. This only comes up in competitions where two teams that hate each other set up side-by-side. Sure, like sonepne's going to steal, reverse engineer, build, test, debug, and change their ETL in thirty minutes!

Use of propane? I shouldn't even have to answer. Home made batteries? Check the rule for what's required of batteries-- I leave the answer to this question as an exercise to you people. FETs and MOSFETs-- if you can use these ELECTRONIC components, you can certainly read and understand the rules that apply.

Nowhere on the rules is Conservation of Energy even mentioned, and it's certainly not required. Intent of the entire ecent is to teach/learn about forms of energy, and you learn by going from one to another.

On a related note, there's a very, very old PDF of an energy transfer matrix. on the FILES section of the Yahoo Coaches forum. From any form to any other. One of each, including the elusive thermal to mechanical. Start digging.

Inverse transfers, I love 'em! Legal. Nothing in the rules says everything has to be "turned on to transfer." Think about it-- ENTROPY is your friend. Stop things. Block things. Cool things. (Just don't have any motors running beforehand). It's easier, trust me.

Transfers involving Chemistry: Anyone think about what to do with waste products? Best to have a disposal plan, and follow it. There;s no requirement to write it down or create a novel. "We're gonna take it back to Mr. Frankenstein's room" is good enough for me. If you're the only team with Lead Nitrate and a janitor starts yelling about what's in the bathroom sink, your event supervisor is going to spread the joy. While not mentioned specifically, it's a violation of safety as well as Competition Spirit.

Now for the BIG ONE-- Internediate Steps in the Black Box rule. Personally, after some 3500+ Missions, Junkyards and Simple Machines, I'd really like to see it go away. A lot of time wasted waiting for a reply that would most likely involve 10 points at the most-- the way the rules were written, there's no need for the BBR any more, IMHO. I can hold my ground against the coach that claims five transfers off of one toy, but in the past there were quite a few teams that used the BBR to protect themselves from an overzealous judge.

But what if a judge asks you to explain the chemical process? Judge CAN ask that, and dock points if you can't answer. What if you explain in detail the carbon/zinc dry cell, and the judge looks down and sees it's an Alkaline?

Enough for tonight; good luck to all of you this season (remember, the plural of "luck" is "skill"). This might be just a four-tournament season for me, since so many people are so concerned that I'm going to somehow keel over dead. HAH! You wouldn't be so lucky.

Uncle Fester, the Undead State Event Supervisor

[Uncle Fester]

Parallel? Far most likely it's not, depending on how it was built. If all three sort bins are on a lever, it's one step (combined mass, not optional mass). Plus, there's a very specific exemption in the rules for BONUS.

NOTE: Mistakenly entered "Task Completion" instead of Tasdk Completion, which is what following post replied to. Trust me, his reply makes sense. Corrected solely to eliminate wrong information.

Uncle Fester

[blakinator8]

Parallel? Far most likely it's not, depending on how it was built. If all three sort bins are on a lever, it's one step (combined mass, not optional mass). Plus, there's a very specific exemption in the rules for Task Completion.

Uncle Fester

The exemption you're referring to only applies the the bonus task (and turning off motors), not the final task, which is lighting the light bulb.

[Uncle Fester]

In that vein, it's probably not Kosher. But what if the task before actually DID sort the mix? Then it IS legal. All is states is "and so on".

[blakinator8]

In that vein, it's probably not Kosher. But what if the task before actually DID sort the mix? Then it IS legal.

Yeah, I can see what you're saying.
I'm also confused that they aren't counting the ending energy transfer as Electrical > Electromagnetic.

[Uncle Fester]

Interesting. Maybe all possible steps/transfers were covered by "and so forth" and it wasn't needed.

In years past, there have been many impromptu competitions of "how many points can I get off of ONE step?", and I've seen some incredibly complex results, but I have never, ever in 20 years seen anyone claim that last step as anything other than "task completion".
.

[twototwenty]

Inverse transfers, I love 'em! Legal. Nothing in the rules says everything has to be "turned on to transfer." Think about it-- ENTROPY is your friend. Stop things. Block things. Cool things. (Just don't have any motors running beforehand). It's easier, trust me.

Uncle Fester, the Undead State Event Supervisor

So, mechanically blocking light would count as mech -> EMS? If so, that's pretty handy ( I had considered that, but didn't think that would be legal)

[OwenRobert]

Just a few quick questions

The final task says to switch on a light, but I don't see where it allows electric lights. Unless photocell includes electric lights, but I thought that only referred to photoresistors like CdS cells and photovoltaic solar panel. Is my definition of photocell correct / can anyone clear this up for me? Thanks

I like the rules this year although the size element is tricky

Tricky question.. Were you able to find the right answer for this? Can you share it..