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Unread 29-03-2008, 00:45
Rick TYler Rick TYler is offline
A VEX GUy WIth A STicky SHift KEy
VRC #0010 (Exothermic Robotics)
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Re: Starting an FTC team

Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffJ View Post
On the FTC blog we thought they were saying it might be $1,000. But you're saying that wouldn't include registration into the program or into an event? How can that be? The teams we have spoken to in our area have told us they've been competing in FTC using Vex for between $500 and $1000 total, which is what we've been trying to budget to start teams next year.
It sounds on here like starting 1 single FTC team will cost $1500-2000. That just seems crazy, the reason we were doing FTC is because we didn't want to need to fundraise and get sponsors like we did in FRC, which made us have to quit.
If it sounds like Vex is still going to have events in many areas, it seems like that would be a better, cheaper and more proven option for a new school starting like ours. What are we missing that I can't see, we've only got a few days to decide? We have about $2,000 and really wanted to have 2 or 3 teams for the class next year, but it sounds here like we can barely do 1 FTC team for that amount.
You cannot compete in FTC even in the Vex program for $500: Registration: $275, software $100, one parts kit (most teams buy two): $210, battery pack $50. The absolute minimum is $635. Adding some more batteries, the second kit most teams buy, and another transmitter the total comes to about $1,000. You can build a Vex FTC robot for $600, but I doubt it would ever win an event. Our competition robots all use between $140 and $200 just for motors and servos. Add tank tracks -- add money. Buy a bigger chassis kit -- more money. Omni wheels cost either $20 or $25 for a pair.

I don't see why you would think it would take $2000 to build a single FTC robot with the new system. I can tell you that FIRST thinks you can buy a competitive kit with registration for $1,000 or so. That's pretty close to the current amount teams really spend. We tend to spend pretty freely on our team, so I said $1,500 as an upper end. I really have no ACTUAL facts, except that a senior manager at FIRST said their target is $1k. I don't think we'll learn much more until we get to Atlanta.
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Exothermic Robotics Club, Venturing Crew 2036
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