Allowable cost of FIRST choice items

[EricH]

I'd go with Bill's Blog in this case. It's quite possible that they just forgot to get to adding FIRST Choice to the Manual.

[Kevin Sevcik]

I'm hoping the manual is correct and Bill's blog isn't. Just for fairness and/or the sanity of inspectors. Do you really want to have to keep track of a different KoP for every team in FRC? Also, while it won't matter in practice, it seems even more unfair than usual to let some teams have an extra $100+ for their robot because they got in early enough to get a free Jag.

Since charging these items against the $3500 is going to affect a rather small number of teams in practice, and keeping track of the additional "free" FIRSTChoice items for all teams at all regionals is going to be a huge headache, I think the former option is the sanest.

[Jeff Pahl]

Originally Posted by Kevin Sevcik

Just for fairness and/or the sanity of inspectors.

Inspectors don't have any sanity. If we did, we'd be doing something else, like field reset.

My take on it at the moment is that they are considered KOP items. I really don't think it will be that big of a deal, in several years of inspecting I have only encountered one team that had an issue with the $3500 limit. And that was due to the 4 or 5 unused speed controllers they had not removed from the robot as they kept changing things. Once they removed the really expensive ballast, they were well below the limit.

Again, as others have said, the official answer will have to come from the Q & A, or probably in a team update. I expect this will be answered by the GDC well before 99.5% of teams even start on compiling their BOM.

[Gary Dillard]

Now that update 1 requires us to use the FTC controller and electrical components, I'm a little more concerned with the answer. Funny how that $3500 hasn't had any adjustment for inflation in the last few years.

No comment on Jeff's sanity since I know him personally.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Gary,
I expect the same interpretation as Jeff outlined above. There is a specific reference to listing KOP items in the BOM for zero cost that must be included. Bill is on the GDC. Remember that although you use an FTC kit, you list what of the kit is actually on the device (robot or minibot, inspected separately) you are listing in the BOM.