Quote:
Originally Posted by techhelpbb
1. Even a month is too much warning to a vendor.
It's a month more than anyone else.
If FIRST needs something available by kickoff that's what the KOP is for.
So, if anything, perhaps FIRST should have put pneumatic tires in the KOP this year.
2. Agreed as long as COTS doesn't decide between success and failure for everyone it's fine. In this case I mean specifically that the game leaves -everyone- no choice but to buy a COTS part or fail. I want people to have access to the tools and for FIRST to continue to be a good reason to strive for that. FIRST has saved many a machine shop in a school and if we give up on that too easily that help will disappear. As we dash to protect COTS we should remember that to detractors of having these resources COTS is just another reason you don't need them. The fact it helps those less fortunate is why I voted openly in the other topic to let all COTS, even robots, in. However that decision carries responsibilities to steward the gains FIRST made for so many. I can tell everyone right now - if not for the FIRST FRC requirements: Team 11/193 would not have the tools we do. By 1995 the Mount Olive High School shops were seeing insufficient upkeep. When I graduated in 1994 was the last year there was any room to cut back without losses. Much of the money that keeps the tools there running comes from mentors, sponsors and FRC11/193.
It is admirable to think forward but also make sure you're not forgetting the positive stuff that happened before.
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FIRST putting game specific items like pneumatic wheels is absurd.
I do not mean to sound this mean but seriously think this through. Pneumatic wheels are very useful this year. We bought the pneumatic wheel upgrade kit for the am14u3 the day it came out. It was also $350. How could you expect Andymark to include pneumatic wheels in the KOP essentially cutting down their profits substantially. Besides the fact that pneumatic wheels are not the only way to play this game and plenty of teams are going to show up with alternatives or the kit bot. Also many lower level teams do not even know what pneumatic wheels are essentially removing the edge from more knowledgeable teams. I watched the reveal video and pneumatic wheels were the first wheels to come to mind but many low resource Teams do not think like that.
Second point our school got rid of machine shops many years ago and outsourced everything to a vocational program. If you want to be a welder for. Instance you spend half the day in the vocational school welding and the other half back at our school for normal subjects. Therefore we started our rookie year without any tools at all the only place with tools being the wood shop for stage crew and the 2 wood shops down at the middle school. All 3 which were pretty much off limits. We continue to build up our capabilities while also obtaining sponsors. Like our waterjet cutting sponsor. Yesterday actually the head of buildings and grounds came by he looked at our workspace and said "we can make this a lot better" we ended up finding out he has a full Metal shop and would help us out with welding. He agreed to make new workstations for us a table for our mill and drops for pneumatics with quick disconnects. I am willing to bet if you can sell robotics to your school district you can convince them to support you.
Back to cots discussion though.