In mid March the Senior
electronic students began the Robot Wars project, which will be one of the more exciting
ones we have done. Some students are fabricating from scratch, while others are adapting dead
radio control cars to the required tether control. Competition should begin in the last week of
May, and should continue for a few weeks as the year-end finale. We may hold a competition
during a lunch hour perhaps, if it turns out really spectacular.
The non violent robot (dubbed "Wuss-Bot") is being constructed by a few students, and is a nice alternative. The schematics are available in the Projects Page.
Junior electronics students are finishing the 10 LED Sequencer circuit boards, and should be designing and fabricating their enclosures. This includes brainstorming, AutoSketch drawings in both isometric and orthographic, full scale models, material testing and final construction. This is followed by a WordPerfect Presentation on their finished product with peer assessment.
Applied Skills 8 students finished the Gravity Car project, learning Physics, kinetic and potential energy, conservation of energy, aerodynamics, friction, and especially momentum and elastic collisions. Some vehicles succumbed to their styling traits (instability of a short wheelbase), while others maximized the lessons learned on four wheel alignment and went the farthest distance!
Now the Grade 8's are working on the Safety of the machines (students must demonstrate 100% safety to use a machine) and are in the middle of the Flasher Project. This project uses a simple transistor astable oscillator to flash two (or more) LEDs mounted in a display of some kind. Super cool!
The Heinous Honda Page
(or, The Adventures of the Crate that was Trying to Die)
Other than the seat, sway bar, R tires, and extinguisher installed last month, I made no other modifications other than changing the oil. I run 5W30 oil, as the thinner oil seems to make the loose 230,000km motor run a bit easier (harder?). Speed difference? Dunno.
March 18th I went to the BCMA Open Practice. It was pouring down torrential rain. I hadn't been that wet since I fell overboard in '85. Nevertheless, I ran a pretty good time. Results weren't posted, so I really can't give you a comparison, but I was able to get within a few seconds of the fastest G/Stock driver (and this guy is fast!).
I did one other modification to the seat bracket to my new seat. Despite 3 incarnations of the seat bracket, I found another way to gain a more vertical seating position. I hacked up the front of the factory seat rails, taking about 1/2" out of the bracket. This made the seat absolutely perfect. It was a vertical and as low as I wanted it. Unfortunately this new angle removed even more support from under the thighs, so I got firm 3" foam from an upholsterer and shaped a cushion to fit comfortably. I got black vinyl and hand-sewed a cover for it, and contact cemented velcro strips to the seat and the cushion so I can adjust or move the cushion. Very nice, and SUPER comfortable. But it really only fits me.
April 01 I went to the BCMA Closed club Novice #1. I am no longer a novice, so I can't really compete against novices, but there were many senior drivers there, too. To me, it's a way to compare my improvement against others. I ran a 53.8 with one cone, and a 54.8 clean as my best. The G/Stock guy ran a 53.0, but I don't know if it was clean or not. E/SP Mustangs were running 50 second runs, so I am quite impressed. Usually I am considerably slower. But this year I have race tires!!
When I ran street tires, I would enter into a sweeping turn with fear and trepidation, wondering if I would exit the turn, or spin wildly out of control. With race tires, the car just sticks. Also, with street tires, I was not consciously aware that I had my 5-point harness on. It held me in well, and I could focus on driving. With the R tires, I was physically restrained by the harness and could feel it holding me in place. I never even came close to feeling that with street tires. What a difference!! This is going to get even more addictive, I can tell.