Last year's kit frame

[Elgin Clock]

Originally Posted by Abwehr

Then I vehemently disagree with the GDC's ruling.

On the plus side, as far as I know there is no way to "carbon date" an aluminum alloy...

It'a not illegal (as a COTS item) so that just means you have to purchase it this year.
This is consistent, but the comment from the GDC that is was "custom" is not correct as they stated it apparently going by John's inside info.

Bottom line: It can still be used. Just buy it this year, have proof if necessary with a dated receipt (I haven't looked at the cost & "date purchased" accounting rules completely yet to be honest) & be good to go.

Originally Posted by MikeDubreuil

I hope for the GDC's sake there is a difference between what was in the 2008 kit and what is available here. If not the GDC has stooped to a new low in getting involved with FIRST politics.

If anything, they are giving teams the call to spend money this year on an IFI component if they wish to, so in essence, it's not really getting into politics in the way one would think they would be (by denying teams to use anything IFI related) if that's the accusation, but rather it's treating IFI as any other supplier & telling teams to buy things from them this year, rather than get a "freebie" by using what you have lying around the shop from previous years.

Then again, there is also the rules in place that FIRST says "we don't care if you don't pay anything at all for a component, it just has to be accounted for in your robot budget as the price it would be off the shelf if you were to purchase it." (with the usual other restrictions in place following the flowchart of course)

So.. technically, you could "find" & get a 2008/2009 chassis "donated to your team" from in your team closet from last year for free, but still account for it for the price it would cost you this year if you were to buy it from IFI.

Confused yet?? I know I am slightly. lol