[BB]: FIRST Choice

[Andy Baker]

You all are brilliant people. I will try to answer some questions, but please realize that I am restricted to what all I can say, since FIRST is working (with us) on a communication plan. I am glad to say that this program will be clearly defined within a few weeks, well before kickoff.

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

The "first-come, first-serve" nature strongly implies to me that FIRST Choice is not for typical off-the-shelf components. It seems likely that this is how FIRST has decided to handle donations of items that aren't of sufficient quantity to put one in every kit.

Alan, once again, proves to be a very smart man.

Originally Posted by synth3tk

My guess is a limited fixed number of items. Probably more fair that way.

Yep.

Originally Posted by Aren_Hill

The way I read it there will be a separate section of the site for typical KOP items, Not AM items for free.

Yep.

Originally Posted by ajlapp

The text from the post suggests to me that FIRST Choice applies to KOP items only.

Yep.

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

I love the concept, I have a bad feeling that the teams that need this most will end up not knowing it exists or not doing it though.

Oh well, the world is run by those who show up.

This is a good point, Adam. (gosh, you guys are brilliant!) It's really up to us (the teams, AndyMark, FIRST) to help communicate this out to the FIRST community. So, tell your neighbor teams and the teams you mentor about this neat program. Like I said, the communication from FIRST and AM is coming soon. (it's going to be in our upcoming newsletter)

Originally Posted by artdutra04

Very interesting development, and depending on the details this could be really beneficial to teams and the program.

<snipped> (Art explains many good ideas and issues, as usual)

Art the IV has good points here, and all concerns are very valid. We have thought of a BOC, and it would be fun, but I am not sure if this is the best way to do this fairly. It is more likely that we (AndyMark) may incorporate this outside of FIRST Choice for some of our old parts.

Originally Posted by Don Rotolo

There was a forum at Championships where they discussed the KoP in detail, and this was one of the possible ideas they discussed. This is NOT "Free AndyMark Stuff", it is free KoP stuff, and the logistics of fulfillment are being managed by AndyMark. So get those dreams of free supershifters out of your head.

The following is educated and informed speculation:

<snipped>

To get an idea of what kinds of stuff will be offered, think Brass Bag, Igus, Festo, AM Kitbot Frame, Circuit Breakers, Limit Switches, Terminals, Terminal Blocks, FASTON connectors, wire, and so on.

Expect that the KoP will contain the main items (motors, batteries, power panel, etc.) as before, but the stuff that only a percentage of the teams use might not.

Don is right on. Maybe one day, we can provide free Super Shifters to the masses, but unless one of us hits the lottery*, this won't happen soon. I still have a mortgage to pay, employees to keep happy, and three daughters to put through college. You all have been very supportive of AndyMark, and we appreciate it. We try to price things as fairly as we can, while still trying to prove that capitalism still works.

Originally Posted by Taylor

Maybe I'm way off base here, but I'm envisioning a larger-scale version of exactly what Bimba does.

On a side note, I'm willing to wager more teams use the kitbot chassis, trannies, and motors than one may realize. Even if they're not used during the build season.

Mike is smart too.

I think that you all deserve a cookie for figuring this out as well as you did.

Thank you for the discussion. Please continue.

Sincerely,
Andy Baker

* - if I played the lottery, which I don't. Isn't that just a tax for people who aren't very good at math?