No CIM Motor in 2006?

[Sscamatt]

While browsing the IFI Robotics site today I noticed that the CIM motors were out of stock and under it it says "We will not be receiving any more of these items". Could this mean an end to CIM motors?

http://www.ifirobotics.com/kitbot.shtml

[Don Wright]

I doubt that. I bet they just don't want to have CIM motors sitting around for a year.

[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by 2000vfr800

I bet they just don't want to have CIM motors sitting around for a year.

I actually would doubt that. At only $28 a pop they would be a big hit with the battlebots community. They probably just can't get enough of them from Chiaphua, or there were only a certain amount made before the season, most went in the kits, IFI sold a certain amount, and now the rest are going to the regionals as spares.

So in concurrence with the above post, I too doubt the Chiaphua motors will leave any time soon. Especially with all the development that was put into the kit-provided gearbox.

[Don Wright]

I also think that due to the debacle with the Fisher Price motors this year, along with the problems of getting replacements for other motors (like having to buy an entire van door or something), I think it's in FIRST's best interest to have more control over the motors and having IFI be a sole source for these CIM motors is excellent.

How's that for a run-on sentence.

[Peter Matteson]

I also doubt they would change the kitbot transmission after they already tooled up for this year. Retooling would be expensive and I don't see this part of the kit disappearing if FIRST wants to continue to attract rookie teams. Particularly if they want teams that may not have the engineering background which some of the long timers have.

[JVN]

Originally Posted by Dzdconfusd

I also doubt they would change the kitbot transmission after they already tooled up for this year. Retooling would be expensive...

Yes.
It's not as though this transmission could be quickly adapted for use with other motors...

I mean... who would ever run a FP, Globe, or Van Door through that gearbox.

2006 - The Year of the Globe Motor...

[Conor Ryan]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

I actually would doubt that. At only $28 a pop they would be a big hit with the battlebots community.

why get one of those when you can get a nice Magmotor, now thats my kind of motor, if we could use those it'd be great.

[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by cdr1122334455

why get one of those when you can get a nice Magmotor

Not all of us have $250+ to spend on one motor. You could buy 9 Chias for the price of a Mag. I think the Chias win the power:dollar ratio.

[coreyjon]

Yea, I agree with that last statement, but those magmotors are just so powerful . Maybe they can up the ante and let us build even bigger, I know this has been discussed before, but I still think it would be cool to move up to a 24v power system, or maybe even above that, Of course they could make the terrain more rugged, like say the surface of a planet *caugh*Mars*caugh*, and the extra power could help move us through the sand while keeping the current draw down, so the motors could stay cooler. I would like to get two of those magmotors in the kit, it would suck to fry one, but the power required to do that is immense. Think about the torque!

[Bharat Nain]

Originally Posted by coreyjon

but those magmotors are just so powerful .

Exactly why FIRST won't let us have them. They're a potential risk as some high school students[geniuses] are building robots... if ya know what i mean..

[Andy A.]

There is always a more powerful motor, stronger material, better battery, faster processor and on and on.

Part of the fun of this competition is taking motors designed to lift RV's and open van doors and make them lift tetras and move robots. I love the 'do what you can with what you've got' mentality that FIRST forces us think with.

Give me 4, 6 volt FP motors next year, and I won't notice the loss of those heavy CIM's! I don't care if I have to replace them every match, I need every oz I can get.

Heck, just give every team 8 FP motors, and see what happens . Now that would lead to some interesting drive trains.

-Andy A.

[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by Andy A.

Now that would lead to some interesting drive trains.

Naw, there's nothing interesting. We would just have 8 dewalt transmissions or 8 AM planetaries. LOL.

[NoodleKnight]

And a lot more robots letting off smoke.

[bombadier337]

Do you think it is likely they will stick with the gearboxes too? My team is probably going to mock up an experimental drivetrain over the summer and if they used they same parts it would make it easier for us to transition the design over when the build season actually started.

[coreyjon]

"Part of the fun of this competition is taking motors designed to lift RV's and open van doors and make them lift tetras and move robots. I love the 'do what you can with what you've got' mentality that FIRST forces us think with." - Andy A.

I agree, That is what makes this more challenging, and more exciting. I too enjoy the "Macgyver" aspect of FIRST. I can tell you like the FP's, I think of the FP's as the party motor, they are kinda like mini smoke generators. I'll admit, they are light, and depending on what your asking of thoose motors, they may burn out if you stall them for just a short while. Those CIM's on the other hand are very robust, and it takes a lot of abuse to kill them.