FIRST Choice - What are you getting?

FIRST General Forum
1

With FIRST Choice opening in just 2 daya (noon ET on the 21st), teams should be thinking about what they want to get their hands on. As the captain of a newer team, I’d love to hear how some of the more seasoned FIRSTers go about FIRST Choice.

What do you prioritize? Why? Has it changed over the years?

1 Like
2

Since I can’t log in, I’ll just assume that I can use all our credits to buy my team’s way off the waitlist for an event, right?

3

I prioritize knowing my options for what I can prioritize. :wink:

This is based off last year’s information, which may be different this year.

My personal shopping list tends to look like this:

  • Unobtanium. The ebm papst fans, since they’re the only legal ones, just in case we want that cooling. The signal light. Things like that, which are expensive or hard to acquire (without setting up an account and calling the local distributor between 9:30 and 12:30 on Tuesdays for a quote…) until we have enough spares that we’re satisfied.
  • Expensive things we need. If we’d cooked a PDP, yeah let’s swing for a new one why not?
  • Good value items that are near-guaranteed to see action. Historically, the balancing point was 1 point per dollar. So if a $20 775pro is 10-15 credits, heck yeah I’m loading up.
  • Solid-to-weak-value items likely to see action. Most motor controllers fall in this category.
  • Things that might be fun to experiment with. (The Jetson board, for example.)
  • Ehhh, at this point I’m keeping my points for Round 2.
4

Yup, same list when I was the “buyer”, but that never left any points for round 2.

5

I usually run a poorly programmed python script (written by me) to scrap data from the FIRST choice site into a spreedsheet, and then crowdsource some remaining data (typically the actual cost). You can see last years here:

Other than that I think Bilfred’s list is pretty good. Probably a slight change for me:

  • What am I definitely going to use that I could then put that money towards something else (PDP, VRM, etc) and are at least around the point/dollar ratio
  • What is something that would (probably) get used at some point if we had it, but I haven’t justified spending the money on it yet (Fluke multimeter, pneumatic cylinders, etc)
  • Expensive things that might get used and/or are hard to come by (spare RSL, large lazy suzan bearing for prototyping. Usually I’m out of credits by the time I get to this point anyway.
6

The First Choice list initially had less items than it currently has. So if you already looked at it once, you might go back and look again to see if something else has shown up that you might want.

7

I haven’t heard back from our head coaches yet, how many credits have teams been given this round?

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550

9

For those who are lazy, the system is live with the new parts.

I hope things keep showing up, I don’t want to be a complainer about free stuff (thanks sponsors!) but I’m a little disappointed in the lack of motors/motor controllers so far. Usually we snag a couple CIMs or Victors.

10

the change in the product numbering system requires more effort to change my python program than usual - especially because right now it’s fairly easy for me to put together my priority list.

Happy to give my python program to anyone that wants to modify it. I think you’d probably just have to create a list of all part number; [fc-ctre_pdp_1-2, fc-ctre_vrm_1-2, etc]. There may be other issues though once it actually goes to read the pages too

11

We’ll probably pick up some of the 10 gauge lever nuts and the AMT encoders. Nothing else really looks interesting to me.

12

It amazes me that there are teams who pass on getting additional PDPs and VRMs on FIRST Choice.

13

110 copies of the LEGO Technic Builder’s Guide.

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I’ve gone ahead and updated my script. spreadsheet here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DfF2vP5NST1DfUY52Iog9QV8fg57v59KCYxj321jn_M/edit?usp=sharing

If people can help fill in the costs of some items, that’d be awesome. My referenced file from last year may have some of the costs, assuming they haven’t changed much. That’ll make me feel a lot more like it was worth it to change the program.

Also, please remember if you edit it, you edit it for everyone’s view. If you want to sort by cost/credits/etc - please make a copy first.

15

Agreed, but even if you get them all you’ve still got more credits to spend. Plus they aren’t super useful once you’ve built up 3 robots worth of them if you don’t have room to keep spare bots around.

16

Always pneumatic stuff.
CTR stuff
NavX

If you haven’t gotten on of those Fluke meters you should.

17

Eh…same boring stuff. Probably some tubing

18

Does this normally happen? This is the first time it’s been up to me to do the priority list, but I’m a bit surprised at some of the items I’m not seeing this time around.

19

So many throttle motors.

But really just the usual stuff. Always great to get another PDB, VRM and PCM.

20

Put in for 55 throttle motors this year. Hopefully they don’t run out before we get them.