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Unread 26-12-2013, 17:52
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Re: Victor 888 vs Jaguar for rookie drive train

Quote:
Originally Posted by brennonbrimhall View Post
Good choice.





I'd hesitate to say one is "best," because they are different products with different feature sets. Which one is better for you depends on what you're looking for in your motor controllers. (Though I agree with R.C.; Victors would probably be a better choice for your rookie team, and most rookies in general.) Some questions to consider for your team:
  • Are you planning on using CANBus or PWM control? (Jaguars can do CANBus or PWM, Victor can only do PWM. Sounds like you're not planning on CAN, and I'd say that's another good choice.)
  • How much is reliability a concern for you? (Victors are considered to be more reliable than the Jaguars, generally speaking.)
  • Is physical size of the controller a concern for you? (Victors are smaller than Jaguars.)
  • How much of a concern is cost for your team? (Victors are $10 cheaper than Jaguars, should you need spares/extra.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by KrazyCarl92 View Post
It seems like there might be a couple misperceptions here. The Kitbot on Steroids was developed with the 2011 kitbot in mind. Since then, the rules restricting robot size have changed (robots are smaller now). Also, the kitbot will be quite different this year from previous years (as per the FRC blog). Most of these changes are for the better, but it does mean that the Kitbot on Steroids isn't necessarily legal for this season and it's features may not directly apply to this years kitbot. However, many of the concepts in KBoS, like the electronics board and changes with the wheels can still likely be adapted to this year's kitbot to help you improve your drive base. It's awesome that you are looking to Kitbot on Steroids for inspiration, just want to make sure you're aware that the exact design isn't necessarily legal for this season.

As for jaguars vs. victors, I agree with RC and Brennon that victor 888's will be the more reliable option for you. However, it's not that there is 'no use' in using jaguars if you don't use CAN. Jaguars will also work on PWM, but they are heavier, have a larger footprint, and are less robust than victors. So the jaguar you get in the kit isn't 'no use' because you choose not to use CAN (I support this choice by the way), but I would suggest that any additional motor controllers you get be victor 888's or talons.

We are aware that the rules according to size will change. We are just using the basic principals of the kitbot on steroids, the wheels, chain drive and 4 motors, in our build. We will adapt those ideas into whatever size there will be for the 2014 season.

As of the motor controllers I am aware that Jaguars can use PWM. We have a loaner bot that we are messing around with and that has 4 Jaguars on it. I was trying to say that one of the main advantages of Jaguars was that you could use CAN, and because we arent doing that it would be logical to use the lighter and smaller Victors.