Here are some more solutions to this presentation:

Slide #6 Item #1

Also make sure the lock-washer is present on the PDP power lugs, if not the lugs can slip and slide causing power outages. We learned this the hard way at our State Championship last year.

Slide #7 Item #2

POE (Power Over Ethernet is a good suggestion), but if you don’t have that, a SMALL DROP of hot glue on the side of the power barrel and the CAT5 cable goes a long way. Don’t put hot glue on the CAT5 thumb latch, just the side of the connector. Many teams and mentors have given us a hard time about hot glue, (Alan Anderson, look away) but we stick to our guns on that solution. We apply hot glue to everything, even back in the day on all the PWM cables on the robo-rio and the Victor Speed controllers.

Slide #8 Item #3

Ferrules is the answer here for us, ever since we started using number 20 AWG ferrules for these connections, things have been looking pretty solid. We also use this for all CAN-BUS connections as well. And if we get extra paranoid, we put a small drop of hot glue on the ferrule barrel as well. We get our ferrules and ferrule tool here:

http://www.ferrulesdirect.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FD&Product_Code=SK700P&Category_Code=WIRE_FERRULES_DELUXE_KIT

I personally recommend this Ferrule tool here:

http://www.ferrulesdirect.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=FD2810HX&Store_Code=FD

DO NOT USE these kind:

http://www.ferrulesdirect.com/terminal/3210/FD2410N.htm

AndyMark carries a far cheaper version, it crimps a SQUARE on the ferrules which is still good as well.

andymark.com Ferrule Crimp Tool This crimp tool is used in non welding, standard electrical connections, for tubular bare terminals and tubular pre-insulated terminals. This tool can be used with ferrules like these: 20 AWG Ferrule, 18 AWG Ferrule, 16 AWG Ferrule and 12 AWG...

Slide #9 Item #4

The same solution as Item #3 above, use FERRULES. They grab the wago terminals really nicely and secure and you can check and make sure you have stripped your wires long enough while you are crimping the ferrules on.

Here is a picture of with ferrules:





Slide #10 Item #5

For sure check your batteries, label each battery with a number and sequence them. We have 9 batteries in rotation, start with battery #1 and your ninth match, you should have battery #9. So you know your tenth match you got battery #1 again and should have been on the charger the longest.

Slide #11 Item #6

We ZIP TIE the battery connectors together. Also bolt down the reciever battery connector to your robot frame with a 4-40 bolt and nylock nut.