I'm wondering what CD's opinions are of the new soldering heat shrink tubes that AndyMark just released. They require no soldering skill, only a heat gun and
these (or
these)heat-shrink tubes.
In my opinion, learning how to solder is an invaluable skill that students can learn to do well through FIRST and carry on with them into their careers. I would say that, for most of the robot, these aren't necessary and it will be cheaper and a better learning experience to solder and heat-shrink by hand. I do think this is a great option for those quick electrical modifications between matches where you don't want to have to wait for a soldering gun to heat up and then have to squeeze inside the robot to solder two wires. It just takes ~30 seconds with a heat gun, which heats up almost instantly.
What do you think?