[dlavery]

I really hate to burst anyone's bubble. But before anyone puts a lot of effort into coming up with snazzy alternatives to the flags, we need to admit something right up front: it ain't gonna happen. Why? It is due to a simple, basic fact that everyone has skipped over so far:
$$$

Let's check some fiscal realities. A typical rotating bubble light (single bulb, 12v, single rotating element, including two single-color gels and mounting hardware), purchased in bulk, goes for about $58.50. There will be an estimated 1500 teams next year. Each team needs one, plus 10% more for spares, so 1650. That comes to a total of $96,525.*

The bright LED clusters (including 4- to 6-LED element, programmable color display, protective diffusing cover, mounting housing, and connecting hardware) came in at about $43.50 each. Each of the 1500 teams will need two (or maybe four, but let's go with the lower limit for a minute), plus 10% for spares, so 3300 units needed. That comes to a total of $143,550.*

Now consider the flags. A typical red or blue bicycle flag (impregnated fabric or urethane plastic, 10-inch size, mounted to a 1/4 inch diameter, 36-inch fiberglass whip pole) can be purchased for $6.50 (unit one). Each team does not need a flag (they just provide their own flag holders), so they don't have to be included in the kits. Each regional competition just has to have an adequate supply of the flags. Let's say they need 24 flags (six on the field, 12 more for the teams in the queue, and six more for spares). There will be an estimated 42 regional competitions next year, but only 10 running at any one time (the flags get recycled from event to event). That means you need a total of 240 flags, for a total cost of $1560.*

So, put yourself in FIRST's place. You have a choice between three options. They price out at $96.5K, $143.5K, and $1.5K. Everything that goes in the kit of parts has to be cost-justified. If you go over the set budget, every additional dollar will get passed directly to the teams. That could result in a cost increase to participate in the program. And the last time the cost of participation went up, the teams screamed bloody murder about it.

Anyone want to guess what we will have in the kit of parts for next year?

-dave

p.s. again, I am not saying any of this to put down any of the cool ideas that folks might come up with. But I am trying to remind everyone that when they start thinking about cool solutions to perceived problems, you have to make sure that the solutions address the ENTIRE problem and not just part of it. "Cost" is ALWAYS a part of the problem statement.

p.p.s. * all these prices have been normalized to reflect unit one purchases from easily identified sources. They can be reduced through bulk purchases. But the relative costs between the options will remain the same. Yes, it is probably possible to get the prices of the lights/LEDs reduced. It is also possible to get the prices of the flags reduced. So please don't nit-pick the numbers and say "but I can get the lights for $1.16 less than that from XYZ company" - that is irrelevent to the central point.