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Rookies Should Build Simple
My 'I have to actually try to help rookies' thing for today is a suggestion: keep it simple. If you have the time and people to make your robot look really cool, that's great, but that cool looking part probably put you to 131 lb, and you won't know it until weigh-in, and that just gets royally annoying. If you don't have something from Small Parts when you want it, buy the same thing at a regular store and swap it out later; this saves a lot of frustration. Don't know pBasic? Ask around here, chances are if you post on the Tech Help board, a really nice guy named Joe Johnson will help you out. Need an extra joystick or other part? Check out the regional team list at the FIRST site, and eMail a few of them, or even, here's a novel concept, call them up on the phone. All of the teams are filled with really nice people, and somebody will probably give you the part. Chances are that you have engineers. Tell them that they're not just there to make sure their companies' money isn't going to waste. Make them share the knowledge they have, but don't let them build the whole bot. FIRST is all about students building machines and learning from the experience. And, last but far from least, be enthusiastic. You don't want to go to a competition and look bummed out. Keep enjoying yourself, and be a team. That's about all I have to add to this topic. Have fun!
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