[Billfred]

1) What wheels do you prefer After experience with the HiGrip wheels AndyMark puts in the kit, we're inclined to keep using them!
1a) What kind of challenge/obstacle prompts a certain wheel choice A specific need for some size or traction property. If it were a game that required every last bit of traction, we may go back to roughtop tread. If we had another game like Breakaway with a lot of really hard whacks, we may go pneumatic.
1b) What kind of wheel would you use if you had a low budget (aka can't afford $1,000+ on swerves)The AndyMark HiGrip wheels. They're in the kit!
1c) How do you personally choose what size wheel you prefer? Depends on the kit's offerings, desired speed, and the obstacles on the field. Cost is also a factor--if a 6" wheel is in the kit and gets us in our speed range, we're not going to drop big money on 4" wheels.

2) What do you make your drive train out of? (Base train, custom, 80/20, etc) Three of our four drivetrains are C-Base derivatives (we never quite build them to spec). Our 2010 robot was totally custom on the frame, but our expertise there graduated.

3) What gearboxes do you use for your motors, and why? We've used the AndyMark CIMple Box the past two seasons (and the Toughbox in 2009, but that was Lunacy and doesn't usually count).
3a) Do you use shifters? Why? We used shifters on 1618 a couple of times, and in 2010 (which, in hindsight, was a touch overkill). Recent years haven't made their necessity as obvious.

4) What kind of wheel setup do you choose? (4 wheels, 6 w/ 2 dropped, etc etc) All years except 2009 (again, Lunacy), we used a 6WD with dropped center.

5) How much time do you normally spend building your drivetrain?We normally get it together in a week or less mechanically. Electrical, programming, and other systems may influence when we turn it on and drive around.

6) Do you prefer to use belt or chain? Why? Chain every single year. Belt requires a lot more precision of fabrication, sometimes more than we have, and it makes it trickier to adjust gearing if we need it.
6a) What would prompt using one over another? The only thing that may change us over is the coming switch in the kitbot. Even then, we may go chain if we don't like the speeds the kitbot offers.

7) Generally, long robot, wide robot, or it depends on the game? Depends on the game. When a ball intake is needed, generally wide. When it's an arm game, long. But there are no hard and fast rules, especially if the field offers some obstacle.