[FRC Blog] 2016 Radio Update

[notmattlythgoe]

Originally Posted by JB987

Ok...so someone please just share with the rest of us a narrow range of $$ that includes the cost of the radio, thus avoiding publicizing the cost POINT ( more than X but less than Y will do just fine for now

More than $0 and less than $1000

[maths222]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

Nothing unethical about publishing the price. They had several opportunities to ask teams not to share the price (i.e. on the blog post, on the page with the price, etc) and they, to my knowledge, have not done so. They have merely explained why *they* aren't sharing the price. Their contract prohibits them from sharing it publicly. Them, not us. If they didn't want us to ever say how much it costs teams, they would have asked us not to. I don't really see what the issue is here.

That is what I think as well.

[FrankJ]

I think First, Open Mesh, Andymark all realize they cannot stop people from posting the price. They probably prefer that you do not. Personally I will not, but will not (I hope ) get into an extended ethical debate about it. Even on the Andymark website, apparently, you will only be able to see the price & purchase from your official team account. So it is not particularly public there. Since it requires a sign in to see the price, they could add verbiage asking that you do not disclose the price. Probably not enforceable from a practical sense. It will keep you from using it to negotiate with vendors that have low price guarantees since it not an "advertised" price.

[dtengineering]

While nothing would prevent a team from posting the special price here, teams would be well advised to remember that if they make it EASY for people to give FIRST teams a special price, then they are likely to get special prices in the future.

If teams choose to make it a pain in the butt to give FIRST teams a special price, well, don't expect to get special prices in the future.

Jason

[AquaMorph]

This routers seems really expensive for the features and specs it lists on the website. Am I missing something that justifies the routers cost?

[SenorZ]

People are obsessing over price posts... I'm obsessing over the pear.

[JB987]

Originally Posted by notmattlythgoe

More than $0 and less than $1000

Within +/- $.02 range will work too. BTW, I have already seen the price in AndyMark account...I just want somebody else to have the opportunity to share

[efoote868]

For any of those that have already used this, would you care to comment on how fragile this device is? Susceptibility to brown-outs, electrical noise, or static shocks?

[AllenGregoryIV]

Smaller is good. Looks like its a 12v router which means it will need to be wired to the other side of the VRM, I'm sure that will mix up a few times (especially all the VRMs with stickers that say the radio should be powered off the 5v rail).

One of the ethernet ports is gigabit, doubt anyone needs that but possibly cool.

For anyone that needs more ports you can just get a small 5v or 12v switch and add all the ethernet ports you need.

Hopefully FMS will allow for a way to mix and match radios with the new and the old Dlink for off season events or its going to get pretty expensive to upgrade all those practice bots and prerookie robots.

[Navid Shafa]

These numbers are marginal in the grand scheme of things, but I'm still curious if anyone has them:

• What is the reduction in footprint size?
  
• What are the weight savings?

[connor.worley]

Originally Posted by MechEng83

so.... 2 ports for roborio + camera + tether = ???

= buying a switch. Completely worth it for the firmware improvements though.

[nuclearnerd]

Originally Posted by connor.worley

= buying a switch. Completely worth it for the firmware improvements though.

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if someone starts offering a 3 or 4 port ethernet switch on a board that plugs into the roborio MXP before February.
http://xtdplink123456.en.ec21.com/Be...1_5953264.html

[Knufire]

Originally Posted by Navid Shafa

These numbers are marginal in the grand scheme of things, but I'm still curious if anyone has them:

• What is the reduction in footprint size?
  
• What are the weight savings?

About half the footprint at around the same weight.

[Michael Hill]

Originally Posted by nuclearnerd

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if someone starts offering a 3 or 4 port ethernet switch on a board that plugs into the roborio MXP before February.
http://xtdplink123456.en.ec21.com/Be...1_5953264.html

Why would it need to plug into the MXP? You have 2 ports on the new radio. 1 port will be for the roboRio, but you could just plug a standard switch into the other port.

[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by AquaMorph

This routers seems really expensive for the features and specs it lists on the website. Am I missing something that justifies the routers cost?

This may be the best thing since sliced bread and maybe I'm not seeing it, but it does seem a bit expensive to me as well.