2007 Kit

[Conor Ryan]

So what does everyone think of this year's kit?

Several things I noticed

• New Items
  • Battery (kinda obvious)
  • Off-White FisherPrice Motor/Transmission
  • Labview Software
  • Tie Wraps (Did they make a new appearance?)
  • Power Distribution System
  • Back-Up Battery (it's Yellow!)
  • Banebots Motor
  • Banebots Gearbox
  • Panel Signal Device
  • New Radios
  • AndyMark Designed Kit wheel!
  • New Kitbot Gearbox
    • 12:1 Banebot Plantary Gear (for 2.5" Cim)
• And the return of:
  • Cims (2.5" Diameter)
  • Mini-Bike's (3" Diameter)
    • On a sidenote I'd like to request that the standard name for the 3" motor be "Mini-bike", and for the 2.5" to be referred to as "Cim"
  • 2006 Controller

So what did everyone else think of it?

addition:

Originally Posted by 2007 Manual

10.1.1 Kit Evolution
Some of the exciting and important additions found in the 2007 Kit Items include the following items:

• All event-registered teams were invited to apply for National Instruments DAQ modules and receive their LabVIEW software before Kickoff.
• One C-programming tutorial account with Machine Science
• Two BaneBots planetary, 12:1 transmissions.
• One 36mm BaneBots gearmotor
• One BaneBots RS545 motor
• One vacuum kit (including 4mm pneumatic tubing, suction cup, and vacuum generator)
• Four AndyMark, Inc designed wheels which include integral molded hub adapters
• Two target light kits enabling teams to practice working with dual light targets
• One DualVee linear track system including four wheels, two concentric bushings, two eccentric bushings, and two pieces of track
• One Allen-Bradley terminal block assembly and two pieces of DIN rail to replace the power distribution block and ground stud Assorted Tyco electrical terminals
• One modification kit for the battery chargers facilitating the use of the Anderson Power Products connectors to plug into the batteries

[David Kelly]

Originally Posted by Conor Ryan

So what does everyone think of this year's kit?

Several things I noticed

• New Items
  • Battery (kinda obvious)
  • Off-White FisherPrice Motor/Transmission
  • Labview Software
  • Tie Wraps (Did they make a new appearance?)
  • Power Distribution System
  • Back-Up Battery (it's Yellow!)
  • Banebots Motor
  • Banebots Gearbox
  • Panel Signal Device
  • New Radios
  • New Kitbot Gearbox
    • 12:1 Banebot Plantary Gear (for 2.5" Cim)
• And the return of:
  • Cims (2.5" Diameter)
  • Mini-Bike's (3" Diameter)
    • On a sidenote I'd like to request that the standard name for the 3" motor be "Mini-bike", and for the 2.5" to be referred to as "Cim"
  • 2006 Controller

So what did everyone else think of it?

addition:[/list]

Those all new 6" Wheel (replaces Skyway Wheels) can be purchased on AndyMark.biz.

[Sean Schuff]

I'm not normally one to gripe but I am highly irritated that they aren't allowing us to use batteries from past years. Our team made a serious investment in batteries over the last two years and now all they are good for is practice, holding the door to our office open, and taking up space on our electrical shelves. The only external difference I can see so far is past year's batteries were made in Taiwan and this year's batteries are made in Vietnam. In my opinion not enough of a difference to warrant discontinuing use of other batteries. Or am I missing something painfully obvious?

I question the logic in doing this and wonder how many other teams this imapacts in a way similar to our team!

Agitated in Appleton.

[ahecht]

Surprised no one has mentioned the vacuum components that they added this year: the venturi generator, the suction cups, and the additional tubing.

Oh, and I bet MOE is loving the neon green pneumatic tubing.

[Alexa Stott]

Originally Posted by Sean Schuff

I'm not normally one to gripe but I am highly irritated that they aren't allowing us to use batteries from past years. Our team made a serious investment in batteries over the last two years and now all they are good for is practice, holding the door to our office open, and taking up space on our electrical shelves. The only external difference I can see so far is past year's batteries were made in Taiwan and this year's batteries are made in Vietnam. In my opinion not enough of a difference to warrant discontinuing use of other batteries. Or am I missing something painfully obvious?

I question the logic in doing this and wonder how many other teams this imapacts in a way similar to our team!

Agitated in Appleton.

That's one thing that bothers me, too. We just bought a whole bunch of new batteries last year (then had to buy another batch after they didn't have the EP sticker on them), and now we can't even use them. This means that we're going to have 12 batteries sitting around that don't serve us any real purpose.

[VEN]

Agreed on the batteries. We're one of those teams who can't just go out and by more batteries due to budget issues. I only got a peak at the kit since we had to get ready for a vex competition but the first thing that made me smile was the suction cup package...oh and the neon green tubing of course

[Sidney San Martín]

What about that indicator light and solid state relay? What're we supposed to do with that?

[ntroup]

Originally Posted by Sidney San Martín

What about that indicator light and solid state relay? What're we supposed to do with that?

The rules stated that there will be wiring instructions on the FIRST website, in the Documents/Manuals area. But, nothing yet

I am very disappointed that the IFI breaker panel is not allowed, as far as I can tell. The new distribution block and fuse panels are more weight that Raul won't let me have

-Nate

[roboticsguy1988]

Originally Posted by ntroup

The rules stated that there will be wiring instructions on the FIRST website, in the Documents/Manuals area. But, nothing yet

I am very disappointed that the IFI breaker panel is not allowed, as far as I can tell. The new distribution block and fuse panels are more weight that Raul won't let me have

-Nate

So does it state some where that if we buy the breaker panel that we can't use it?

I found rules in which would support using it, but also found rules that would make it not usable, and by the flowchaert it could be used.

Of course going by the rule that you have to "follow the wiring diagram" then we couldn't use it. However last year it was like this also and they changed and said we could which was nice.

It provides for a lot more clean wiring and does not have as much weight.

[Billfred]

Well, battery gripes aside (Was 1293 in 2004 the only team that ran its season on two batteries?), I dig this kit. You've got the right balance of getting the smaller teams underway and enough goodies to really get things going for the upper-level teams.

I foresee omni heads jumping for joy over the newer, more compact, cheaper CIM planetaries from BaneBots. You can definitely mount them up in more places than the old kit transmission. So long as the reliability is there, I'm sold.

I'm also noticing that the as-received kit is down on power this year. You can get two more small CIMs and one more large CIM, but you know how things are when they're out of sight. (They're out of mind.)

I also bemoan the continued absence of the IFI breaker panel, but we'll survive. Oh, and did anybody think we got enough 6 AWG crimps?

The media packet was nice and organized, moreso than past editions.

Oh, and I'm feeling the new AndyMark-provided wheels. They're small, lightweight, and grippy as anything I've seen in the kit.

The absence of a few choice parts like the breaker panel grinds on me a bit, and the battery gripes are obvious, but overall it's not that bad a kit. I'd give it a low A or a high B.

[MikeDubreuil]

Originally Posted by AtalanteStar25

This means that we're going to have 12 batteries sitting around that don't serve us any real purpose.

Lightheartedly, I would like to remind all of you who have made serious investments in batteries to remember to recycle them

[Dan Zollman]

This thread notes:

Originally Posted by Ben Piecuch

The battery size is the same, as is the nominal capacity. However, I noticed one key difference, being that the new MK battery has a max discharge current of 90 amps, as compared to the exide, which can discharge at (a rated) 230 amps.

The change could have been for safety.

[thefro526]

Did anyone notice the gear ratio on the banebot transmission 12:1 (I think), but weren't the KOP transmissions some other ratio? isn't 12:1 very slow?

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by thefro526

Did anyone notice the gear ratio on the banebot transmission 12:1 (I think), but weren't the KOP transmissions some other ratio? isn't 12:1 very slow?

The '05-'06 kit gearbox (and AndyMark Gearbox) are 12.75:1. Similar.

[Pat Fairbank]

I tested out the vacuum kit this afternoon, and it really sucks!!!

That is to say, it seems to work well. It holds on to the inner tubes with no problem.