Quote:
Originally Posted by fargus111111111
Often the kit base gets a bad rap for being inadequate and this year without modification it was, but I want to talk about how they perform in more average FRC conditions aka a flat carpeted floor. In 2014 and 2015 my team used a 4 CIM kit base and did relatively well, in fact if you ask anyone on the team they will probably say that those were some of our best robots in recent history (last 6 years). I would credit much of their success to how quickly they were running for drive practice and testing. With this in mind I want to ask 2 questions.
1. Does your team frequently use the kit base?
2 a. If yes to q1. Do you modify it and if so how?
2 b. If no to q1. How do you reliably develop a drive base to be quickly usable for on field testing, have you formed your own kind of "kit base" that is the origins of each year's design?
I ask because I am interested in encouraging my team to work on developing other types of drive trains in the off season but I'm not sure if it is worth it because of our very good experiences with the kit base.
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Probably best to lay out these answers in order:
2009: C-Base, with F-P motors (or some small-can motor like that) into AM Planetary, because who needed more than that that year?
2010: Full custom frame, with 2-speed. That one worked out pretty nicely for twin 1398 (and partner 343), but oye those robots had teething problems.
2011: C-Base, made into 6WD and wedgetop on the wheels. 2 regional wins playing hard D. No complaints.
2012: C-Base, 6WD, no changes at all. Another regional win, this time on offense.
2013: C-Base, 6WD, belts between wheels and a chain run going to the then-new VEXpro ball shifters. A miserable failure, but given my current affiliation I'll make this clear:
entirely our fault. We discovered after the season that the kids neglected to use grease or thread locker during assembly as recommended, and the mentors failed to catch it. One of those years where you'd kill for a mulligan because everything else about that robot was money.
2014: AM14U, stock but with the 3-CIM upgrade. Won Orlando playing literal wear-the-wheels-bald defense.
2015: AM14U2, made into H-drive with an additional AndyMark Toughbox and VEXpro omniwheels. The H-drive component was scrapped after our first event in favor of a ramp. At least the other omniwheels meant it turned well?
2016: Full custom chain-in-tube frame, with dead-spaced #25 chain. Worked great once it was shaken down. Team Cockamamie used the AM14U3 for their Robot in 3 Days build, which also worked pretty well for the purpose but wouldn't have lasted a season. The very small bellypan and open front meant the sides of the drivetrain were beginning to camber inward.