VEX Kits ARRIVED!!!

[Joe Johnson]

My wife is leading a VEX team that consists of my 14 year old daughter and a few of her friends.

The VEX 0.5 kits arrived yesterday.

Lots to like. Radio Shack's money has really spruced up the Kit formerly known as Isaac.

Improvments worth noting:

• Female connectors on RC to allow for better support of PWM wires (AND keyed connections -- it is not possible to plug the motors, switches, etc. in the wrong way)
• Improved switch housing (easier mounting)
• Servos! 180 Degree rotation servos with mounting and square shaft drive like the motors in the kit (makes grippers MUCH easier)
• Metal inserts for Servo/Motor mounting (the self tapping plastic ones were a pain to keep from damaging from overtightening or cross threading)
• Rubber coupling to (hopefully) limit geartooth breakage due to impact loading
• Custom RC Transmitter with 2 springloaded return to center X-Y joysticks on front and 2 sets of 2 finger switches on backside -- has more of the feel of a GamePad rather than a typical RC -- very nicely done.
• Better wheels (not like the foam ones that were so hard to keep from getting flat spots)
• 1 RJ type (phone jack) connection from reciever to RC rather than PWM cables
• Gears (3 gears: big, medium, small. 24 DP choosen to line up with 1/2" pitch of metal parts)
• Battery pack with STANDARD (i.e. Tamaya) connector. I THINK this means that we can use standard 6 cell RC batteries (no instructions with the kits -- coming today???)
• Some useful looking new metal parts.

After looking at the parts in the kit, my (essentially non-mechanical) wife said, "This looks very doable!"

This is a very good sign for VEX. I am no Car Nack, but I predict an inspirational future for VEX Robotics.

Joe J.