Modding AM14U3 for WCP DS Gearboxes

[KohKohPuffs]

Originally Posted by Knufire

IMO, shifting isn't worth it in most games, ESPECIALLY for a rookie team.

If the game requires heavy defense, then shifting could be an advantage. Also note that this team is built from people like me who already have experience in FRC, so I guess in some way, we aren't really going to kill ourselves by attempting to do something we have no clue into how we're going to do that.

However, I agree that for a team like us, implementing a shifting system would be way too early for us. I mean, of course we could do it given the resources available. The problem I think would mainly be a lack of experience in terms of handling a two-speed drivetrain, as well as the other, more beneficial ways we can spend $600 on as opposed to spending it on gearboxes. For instance, we could probably build a manipulator for that much money, and we would probably be better off doing that due to our limited budget. (I don't have exact numbers on what our funds are, but I do recall someone asking if I can budget-constraint the design)

[Knufire]

Originally Posted by KohKohPuffs

If the game requires heavy defense, then shifting could be an advantage. Also note that this team is built from people like me who already have experience in FRC, so I guess in some way, we aren't really going to kill ourselves by attempting to do something we have no clue into how we're going to do that.

However, I agree that for a team like us, implementing a shifting system would be way too early for us. I mean, of course we could do it given the resources available. The problem I think would mainly be a lack of experience in terms of handling a two-speed drivetrain, as well as the other, more beneficial ways we can spend $600 on as opposed to spending it on gearboxes. For instance, we could probably build a manipulator for that much money, and we would probably be better off doing that due to our limited budget. (I don't have exact numbers on what our funds are, but I do recall someone asking if I can budget-constraint the design)

I helped start a rookie team that did shift their rookie season (2014, and it was pretty much a stock Versaframe WCD). Shifting isn't "hard"; it's not going to take away from your resources much other than money. With a couple mentors with previous experience, the time taken to implement shifting isn't going to seriously hurt the rest of your bot.

However, it's a rookie team. You're going to have rookie students that are rookie drivers, and for all the theory you can pour behind shifting being beneficial, it's not worth it if the driver doesn't know how to use it. We realized this our rookie year and built single-speed drives since. Shifting just isn't the "low hanging fruit" when it comes to ways to optimize your performance for your resources.

Also, save your money. Sometimes there are harder design problems that can be solved by throwing money at it for a nice COTS solution. Things like a DART, while expensive, can sometimes take the hardest part of a simple robot and make them even easier.