Understanding WCP Drive Train Calculator

[GeeTwo]

Originally Posted by InFlight

I'm not a big fan of these calculators as you miss out on understanding the fundamentals equations of why you would want a particular ratio. These equations ignore any inefficiencies in the drive train, but give you a better insight into the tradeoffs.

Being a big fan of "use the source", I have learned a lot about what is important in the FRC drive trains and other systems by reading and interpreting the formulas in various calculators. It's very convenient to be able to do the calculations in your head (to around two decimal places) to be able to figure out what is and is not feasible on the spot, but before any money is spent, yes, I go back to a spreadsheet (sometimes my own, sometimes a published one) where I can examine all the steps.