Do you think they'll renumber?
 

Alright, I've talked about this a bit, so what do you guys think, will they renumber the teams next year??

I would laugh if they did renumber. Think about the whole who gets first-come-first-served. Some teams might switch from odd to even or visa versa. Imagine and odd-numbered team who gets switched to even for next year and doesn't get to go to nats for two years in a row. That wouldn't be a happy camper situation. Then again, they could keep even teams even and odd teams odd.

Actually, it is not a well known fact but FIRST has started filling in the gaps already. I know this because a few new Canadian teams (who registered right before the registration deadline this year) were assigned numbers in the 700s. I believe the reason is that FIRST did not want to have 4-digit team numbers this year. I'm not sure what they will do next year though.

Anthony.

I think this is because the Innovation FIRST controllers can't handle anything more than three digit ID's right now.

They could have a "new" Innovation FIRST controller for this year that simply allows for more numbers. And I think it would be easier to not renumber so we can tell who the veteran teams are (for scouting, judging, etc).

BTW, I want to make sure this is right. As of this coming season:

• #1-#205: 5th year or greater
• #206-#335: 4th year
• #336-#490: 3rd year
• #491-#716: 2nd year
• #717+: rookie

Which explains why there are some new teams in the 700's too.

I think it would be a very very very very very very bad idea to completely renumber the teams..........mainly because i really like our team number....

With the way they have nationals rigged up in relation to team number now, I don't see how they could go back and renumber completely. As for filling in holes, keeping teams in order of years participating I think works out well. Not only is scouting easier but you can just grab a better idea of a team w/o having to ask many questions.

~Tom Fairchild~, who must admit he likes being in the 100's. :)

Number of Years
 

For Eddie's scouting purposes and FIRST's cost-saving same controllers to be used, renumbering will be necessary, and I think that it should be done by date joined, starting with #1 and going all the way up to #***, as that the Innovation controolers currently in use shall still be used.

I heard from team 694 that this year the controllers will be slightly different

Innovation First Controllers
 

While it may not have been very noticable, the firmware of the Innovation First equipment changed from 2000 to 2001, as well as a few of the connectors on the board. They should be able to add a new LED display that would show, if nothing else, a 1 if the team number was above 999 with little to no difficulty. The Team number DIP switches are capable of going well above 999...

They won't renumber 'till they have to
 

Until '98, the teams were renumbered about every year. Then the decision was made to keep the same numbers to create continuity, and so teams could come up with an 'identity' associated with their team number. My guess it that if they need to avoid 4 digit team numbers so the controllers will work, they will continue filling in the empty high 3 digit numbers for as long as they can.

For what its worth, while I like, and have gotten used to our present team number, I wouldn't mind a renumbering based on seniority. We would then have a one digit team number.

I think that's mostly right but team 250 has been around since the beginning....that would make this the 11th year...

At one point FIRST changed teams' numbers when they switched sponsors. That could explain how your team got #250.

I know my team was originally #201, but when picked up EDS as a sponsor in '99, we were changed to #251. When Visteon became our sponsor in 2000, our #201 was returned. I guess FIRST dropped its policy of changing numbers, or at least gave us our number back.

I didn't get it 100% correct either. It shold be #1-#208, no #205. And it should be #336-#491, not #490. :)

Won't Renumber
 

Hello all,

I don't believe FIRST can renumber. FIRST would like to in someways resemble sports. So when you have a new player on the team you give them a new number. FIRST can no more give a rookie the numbers of Blue Lightning or Plymouth North than the Celtics can give their newest player #33. FIRST retires numbers and I salute them for doing so.

-Justin

Team numbers have become the easiest and most reliable unique identifier of a team. I don't think they'll renumber; what's the problem with going to four digits? Team numbers over 1000 would be impressive! The guys from innovation FIRST said last year at kickoff that they have four display digits already set up in the controller units, but one is just covered up and not utilized in the current units. That's the only problem (but really not much of one) that I can think of.

Patrick

im with clark on this one
 

I could not imagine my team not being #131. It just wouldn't sound right.

"In the red alliance we have team 898 C.H.A.O.S."

I DON'T THINK SO!!!

Yeah, plus our motto wouldn't sound as good ("1 Team, 2 Partners, 1 Goal") if they renumbered (for some reason, 9 teams, 5 partners, 7 goals just doesn't cut it).

There's a fourth LED digit covered up by the plastic.

Matt

Re number
 

I was one of the team leaders that led the charge to keep the numbers each year. This was done at a summer workshop for team leaders in 1997.

There are many valid reasons for keeping your number each year the largest is team identity and the cost associated with materials and your team.

Changing numbers of any type is very expensive.

In our area they have changed the phone area codes three times in the last 7 years. Just calculate the cost to businesses for this change it is stagering to say the least.

Leave the numbers alone. I live on the number 47.
My watch alarms on the 47 of the hour all day long, I purchase goods and extra to get it to come to 47. I encounter this number at least 25 times each day without planning it.

Hey, there are websites dedicated to this number ( not mine ). This is indeed a special number for many reasons.

11 year teams
 

I am a former member of team 250 - Dynamos. Before they were dynamos they were also Team 20 - River Rats, Team 102 - Team Xtreme etc etc... it would be nice if the veteran teams could reclaim their old numbers (if they wanted them...) I dunno, I think it would be cool for the shen team to be #20 again.

No one else mentioned it, so I thought I would.

~JVN
Head of Strategy, Team 229
Clarkson University
Former member of Team 250