Who's up for cooling this year?

[Rhenium]

Team Rhenium is going to be back, is Team He-Brew coming again?

Any info on the "free-flow" rules would be appreciated. This year I'll bring more liquid nitrogen and save it to make frozen twinkies on a stick. Xoltan is definitely the first person to get frostbite in August in Las Vegas.

[renderman]

Re: Who's up for cooling this year?

Once again, I will be attempting to get a contraption together, however travel is always a problem so it remains to be seen if it's worth it to try.

I look forward to once again providing quick chilled beer to everyone around.

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: Who's up for cooling this year?

i have the belief that this year the standard for contraptions will be for them to accept a free-flow of beer exclusively. however you choose to input beer, the machine should try to handle it. contraptions will be judged on two hard-data conditions...

1. how long they can sustain free-flow within the target temperature - let's say we start pouring in from one can and the output is at 38 degrees, that's good (the "target" range will be between 35 and 40 degrees, i think). then you're on to can two and we start seeing 39 degrees. by can four we are seeing beer come out at 40 degrees... the moment that a beer comes out above that (let's assume that beer five registers 41 or 42) we stop. the machine has successfully cooled four beers. the fifth beer will not count.

2. rate of output - how fast can a contraption fill a 20 ounce cup to the line? we time the speed, pure and simple. the stopwatch will only begin when beer first starts to pour out of the contraption... but remember, no internal reservoirs are allowed, so you can't pressurize the system and then just let fly by opening a valve when we say go. if multiple contraptions can handle sustained pour of a near-infinite number of beers, then their flow rate (as measured by the keg cup fill speed test) will be the deciding factor.

on another note, i think i'm going to have a vote among the participants (or any other interested parties) concerning what beer should be used for the contest this year. anything lager that comes in cans and is relatively cheap and easy to get in Las Vegas. suggestions?

[[Syntax]]

Re: Who's up for cooling this year?

When are you going to release the official requirements? Im busy as hell working on my own contest, but since I think Im driving in this year, I could possibly put something together.

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: Who's up for cooling this year?

When are you going to release the official requirements? Im busy as hell working on my own contest, but since I think Im driving in this year, I could possibly put something together.

the contest site always has updated details, etc. the latest rules are right here.

it would be great to see you compete if you drive out this year.

[DCFluX]

Re: Who's up for cooling this year?

I am planning on building a device this year. Materials are starting to accumulate. Do we have to bring our own ice or is it provided?

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: Who's up for cooling this year?

I am planning on building a device this year. Materials are starting to accumulate. Do we have to bring our own ice or is it provided?

well... i'd say it's "provided" in the sense that the hotel has ice machines and you could probably fill up a cooler of your own if you wanted to take the time and go from floor to floor a few times, emptying out those devices. having a small section of flexible duct hose often helps make that process tons easier.

i do not bring bags of ice with me to the contest area, however.

you can also acquire it easily and cheaply at local mini-marts but i'm not certain where the closest one is. (that's one thing i miss about the Alexis Park... the mini mart and beer store in walking distance)

you could also social engineer hotel staff. try the "little billy sprained his ankle and i need a bag with lots of ice" or "i'm a universal soldier and have been shot and need to heal" lines on them and maybe get a bunch of ice for free. at ShmooCon valanax and i scored loads of ice simply by wandering through the industrial areas of the hotel's lower levels and the fact that i speak spanish. if you encounter hotel staff like that, just remember... ask them for hielo /yay-lo/ not llello /yay-yo/... the former is ice, the latter is blow. if they start to look all shift-eyed and asking about money, you may not have pronounced things clearly. (but you may have found a local source for anything you need to party with later on in Vegas)

[Fatal Grace]

Re: Who's up for cooling this year?

Walk towards paradise from the outdoor chillout area and you'll find a AM/PM, an AM/PM with ice, and booze cheaper then what you’ll find in the ABC stores.

Ice, and booze

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: Who's up for cooling this year?

Walk towards paradise from the outdoor chillout area and you'll find a AM/PM

fucking rock, man. nice find. many of the teams will thank you, i'm sure.

[ic434]

Re: Who's up for cooling this year?

Team Ad-Hoc will be back. It will be bigger, it will be better, and it will still fit in a suitcase!

[martinbogo]

Re: Who's up for cooling this year?

The Massively Parallel Array of Cooling (MPAC) will be there to beat the desert heat.

-Dr Volts

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: Who's up for cooling this year?

i'm so pleased that we're seeing so many people coming out year after year for this. it's a really fun way to kick off DEFCON for many people, in my opinion.

i'll be sure to wrangle up some decent prizes for the winners. and, of course, all players get some of the bottle opener lighters that are still left over from the very first BCCC contest back at the AP.

[renderman]

Re: Who's up for cooling this year?

i'm so pleased that we're seeing so many people coming out year after year for this. it's a really fun way to kick off DEFCON for many people, in my opinion.

i'll be sure to wrangle up some decent prizes for the winners. and, of course, all players get some of the bottle opener lighters that are still left over from the very first BCCC contest back at the AP.

I think I'll have to bow out. Time and availability and transport of all of my ideas has made it pretty impossible to compete with teams who can easily haul complex contraptions to con.

It's nice to see the contest continue to grow from the humble beginnings beside the pool at the AP.

[darryl_sockwell]

Re: Who's up for cooling this year?

Team Sockwell will be in contendance.

[Rhenium]

Re: Who's up for cooling this year?

Renderman,

We'll miss you. Your last year's low-tech solution was an epic assault on technological over-engineering. :)

Rhenium

I think I'll have to bow out. Time and availability and transport of all of my ideas has made it pretty impossible to compete with teams who can easily haul complex contraptions to con.

It's nice to see the contest continue to grow from the humble beginnings beside the pool at the AP.