2009 Kickoff Broadcast???

[billbo911]

OK, I know I should know the answer to this, but I can't seem to find the complete, correct answer.

It looks like this year the Kickoff at UC Davis will not be held. Instead, we may need to travel to San Jose'. So here is the question: Can the entire Kickoff broadcast be viewed on NASA TV via the Internet? If so, we may be better off just having a local gathering with just one or two teams and paying for shipping of the KOP's.

What would be your recommendations in this situation??

[Branden Ghena]

I agree, my team has watched the kickoff from the comfort of a mentor's home the last several years. Of course, that started because FRC kickoff in Michigan is synonymous with the phrase "giant snowstorm."

Overall, it has worked out pretty well so far.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by billbo911

OK, I know I should know the answer to this, but I can't seem to find the complete, correct answer.

It looks like this year the Kickoff at UC Davis will not be held. Instead, we may need to travel to San Jose'. So here is the question: Can the entire Kickoff broadcast be viewed on NASA TV via the Internet? If so, we may be better off just having a local gathering with just one or two teams and paying for shipping of the KOP's.

What would be your recommendations in this situation??

I would assume that NASA will once again webcast Kickoff. (They've been doing it since at least the start of the alliance era, why stop now?) It's definitely good to get together with other teams; even if they are picking up their kits, all teams benefit. You could, for example, send one team to the remote kickoff with a truck and all the letters for the teams. They pick up the kits and pass them out on return. Meanwhile, a group of teams watches the webcast together, starts talking about the game a bit, maybe even brainstorms together, then split up and go come up with their own designs.

[waialua359]

Watching remotely from a webcast is very doable.
Hawaii was doing this since 2000 up until last year, where team 368 TKM hosted the first official kickoff location.
Unfortunately, its difficult and expensive for our neighbor island teams to attend it on Oahu, so they still use a webcast/NASA TV.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by billbo911

OK, I know I should know the answer to this, but I can't seem to find the complete, correct answer.

It looks like this year the Kickoff at UC Davis will not be held. Instead, we may need to travel to San Jose'. So here is the question: Can the entire Kickoff broadcast be viewed on NASA TV via the Internet? If so, we may be better off just having a local gathering with just one or two teams and paying for shipping of the KOP's.

What would be your recommendations in this situation??

I've been to the SJSU kickoff every year since 2002.

There's really no reason to come from Davis in my opinion, assuming you have access to the NASA TV feed. I'm not sure I'd want to watch it via webcast though, if there was no NASA TV access.

If you do come, there's just the video from Manchester, kit pickup, and then a Q&A period after the kickoff video is over (which really isn't worth sticking around for). You're also going to add 4 hours of wasted time driving (and you'll have to be up at like 3 in the morning).

[billbo911]

Originally Posted by Cory

I'm not sure I'd want to watch it via webcast though, if there was no NASA TV access

I don't have DirectTV that carries NASA TV but I do have 10Mb/s Broadband from Surewest tied into a PC I have connected to my 50". Think that'll work??

Originally Posted by Cory

You're also going to add 4 hours of wasted time driving (and you'll have to be up at like 3 in the morning).

BINGO!
Exactly why I am trying to avoid going to SJSU if I don't need to!

Originally Posted by Branden Ghena

I agree, my team has watched the kickoff from the comfort of a mentor's home the last several years...
Overall, it has worked out pretty well so far.

I think this is the direction we are heading. I have no problem hosting my team for this event in my home. We just need to weigh out whether we send someone to SJ to pick up the KOP or pay for shipment.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by billbo911

I don't have DirectTV that carries NASA TV but I do have 10Mb/s Broadband from Surewest tied into a PC I have connected to my 50". Think that'll work??

I'm sure you can view the webcast just fine with that connection-it's just that the highest quality you can get out of the webcast is probably going to be a lot less than the NASA TV feed.

[sanddrag]

For the past several years the Los Angeles kickoff at USC has displayed the webcast (on a large projector screen) and for the most part, the connection and quality have been fine.

[KathieK]

Just keep in mind if you are scheduling team kickoff meetings that schools that you usually meet in, may not be open due to the extended holiday weekend.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by Cory

I've been to the SJSU kickoff every year since 2002.

There's really no reason to come from Davis...

If you do come, there's just the video from Manchester, kit pickup, and then a Q&A period after the kickoff video is over (which really isn't worth sticking around for)...

I'm sure that at least some local kickoff events will continue with a session on programming the 2009 FRC control system. Check out that possibility before making your final decision.

[billbo911]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

I'm sure that at least some local kickoff events will continue with a session on programming the 2009 FRC control system. Check out that possibility before making your final decision.

Thanks for the advice. Fortunately, I have been able to connect with a local NI Sales Engineer who specializes in the cRio and LabVIEW. He was able to provide us with copies of LabVIEW Student edition 8.5.1 and training manuals. I have been running training classes with the team once a week for the last 3 weeks. We are actually doing fairly well on learning LV. We will also receive our Advance Controller shipment in late Nov. or early Dec.

I "believe/hope" we should be fairly ready by the time Kickoff comes around.