Quote:
Originally Posted by rockinthespecs
The engineering notebook is everything
Keep the team small
Order parts early
The parts (especially tetrix) get back ordered fast. Get them this summer if possible. We waited till September to order our starter kit last year and did not receive it until October.
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Perfect answers. I can't stress enough on the ordering or parts early. Every year, for the past 8 years, (with Tetrix especially), things go on back-order.
Let me first start this off with: If you have any questions, please fell free to PM if you run into any specific questions throughout the year. I am highly active on CD and other FTC platforms talked about on this thread, with years of FTC behind me. 2008- Present.
Robot Platform Building:
My teams have been "custom" (raw stock) building for the past few years, instead of the tetrix platform, partly due to some issues we have had in the past with Pitsco/Tetix*. If your team has the capability and knowledge to work this way, it can save you some money.
If you think your team may want to have more of an erectors-set platform, I highly suggest looking into Actobotics from ServoCity.com. While they are not a direct sponsor of FIRST/FTC, they do offer a 25% discount and send out free parts every month to teams. Our FTC team is a class (& after-school)based team, and with some changes to the STEM curriculum at our school this coming year, our students will be required to create a robot with the Actobotics Platform, before going into a "custom" built robot...
https://www.servocity.com/html/firstr_hub.html
The only thing we buy from Pitsco / Tetrix are gears, servos, axle and motor hubs** and the required batteries. (We purchase the hubs from tetrix, as most of the aftermarket parts on Andymark are a tetrix based pattern, then put them into our lathe to fit them to the Actobotics platform where needed.)
Other building parts:
I highly suggest grabbing a few am-2964s, am-3102s, am-3103s from Andymark. Stay away from Tetrix Motors as much as possible. The stall to burn-out rate for a tetrix motor is 6 seconds, where as an Andymark motor is 2:54 seconds.... longer than the match. The am-2964 is almost a near match to the speed of the tetrix motor, but with a lot more torque.
http://www.andymark.com/FTC-s/274.htm
Static can and may be an issue for your team. FTC is played on foam tiles, with small electronics. Isolate your electronics with a non-conductive plastic/surface.
With the conversation of electronics, the design of the Modern Robotics modules are CRAP. Search for parts on thingiverse if you have access to a 3d-printer. All of the modules need to have some sort of support on the USBs as they come out of the modules.
Other:
If you have the budget, buy the official field walls, pads, and game elements. If you are going to purchase these, order the walls and pads now. The elements for next season will be available for purchase after kickoff. When buying the elements, do so as soon as they come available... otherwise you can wait a month or two for your field. One of the main reason I say to get the OFFICIAL field, is the fact that FTC has a tiny field compared to FRC, and every inch counts, where as in FRC, you can be a few inches off either way, and still obtain a score easily. (Field stays the same size every year. Walls and pads can be re-used)
Walls: 659 before taxes/shipment
Pads: 230 before taxes/shipment
Elements : 450-500 each year before taxes/shipment
Start learning the programming now. FTC just switched over to Java, and still doesn't have a great base out there. Basic stuff is available, but anything advanced, it dwindles fast when trying to find something.
FTC has a very small following on CD, partly due to the fact that our subreddit doesnt show up on the main feed without setting it up, and the fact that our threads dissapper alot to make room... If you want to be active in the social media of FTC, get on Twitter and follow #TipsforFTCTeams, as well as watching the FTC Fourms, and FTC reddit.
http://ftcforum.usfirst.org/forum.php
https://www.reddit.com/r/FTC/
* (Didn't receive our shipment for 5 months after they had lost it, happened again and didn't receive it for 3 months... (Nothing was back-order at the time /week of purchase)