Small Pen - I’ve been using this one lately, it writes smooth enough.
Small Notebook - I need to stock back up on these but I almost always try to have one in my back pocket for quick notes.
Between those two things and my phone? I’m pretty much good.
If I have my bag on me I try to keep a larger notebook in it for longer form notes. When traveling I usually try to keep an iPad in there in place of a laptop, let’s me do digitized notes much easier.
For events the bag often has my micro 4/3rds camera for robot pictures. This pairs nicely with the iPad since I can wireless transfer images and videos to the iPad for review.
portable computer
a couple of phone batteries and USB cables
seat pad (inflatable from REI–I’m the envy of everyone around me)
pens and a letter size pad
safety glasses (with bifocals)
Leatherman
Anker LC40 flashlight (18650-powered, lights a room)
Streamlight Microstream (AAA-powered, clips to hat brim or grippable in teeth)
Victorinox Tinker (carried since JrHS graduation)
Ring of flash drives
Folding lockpick set
Canon SX280
Zebra 0.7mm pen
The iOS Notes app is more than adequate for notes. What’s on my person is what I might need in a pinch. Anything else I might need is in the laptop case.
As an LRI, I tend to carry a lot (too much) of helpful fix-its:
Notepad and pen
Team-list (event brochure)
Match schedule
Sharpie (usually with some spare duct tape wrapped around it).
Red/blue/white gaffers tape. Typically as a roll gets close to being used up, I fold out the core to flat pack it MacGyver style (not that new horrible MacGyver, but the awesome Richard Dean Anderson style).
Assorted zip ties. Typically several small, and some larger.
Multi-meter (small one)
3/8, 5/16, and 7/16 wrenches for tightening loose battery cables and/or main breakers.
Flashlight
Electrical tape
Battery Beak
Wire strippers
Mints
water bottle (usually to offset other stuff)
Leatherman
Snacks
Jumper with 2 alligator clips (usually sacrificed 1/season to become robot parts)
Thumb drive with this years updates
Pocket knife
keys
wallet
cellphone
MISC. buttons from Team XYZ that didn’t understand why I wouldn’t take a button.
Leatherman multitool
Inkzall fine point marker
Pens
Pen Light
Wire Stripper
Ratchet Driver with 5/32, 9/64, 1/8 Hex and phillips/flathead
4 in 1 Ratchet box wrench 3/8, 5/16, 7/16, 1/2
12’ Stanley measuring tape
Laser distance meter Tacklife
Small Diagonal cutters
Flash Drive with updates and basic code backup
Smartphone with back up battery
Nalgene with obligatory stickers
Various zipties that end up in my pockets…
…and most important, since FRC is in winter, chapstick.
Although there have been many changes in the line up the volume remains about the same.
I carry an rather large assortment of items plus I use the same tool belt at work as I do for robotics. I almost always have what I need close at hand.
Several of our students over the years have realized the benefit of having a well stocked tool belt or pocket protector and assembled heir own.
For those of you that find it a pain to carry a match schedule, my team writes our match schedule on the inside of our forearm. It works best for drive team/strategy. It’s typically formatted
our alliance 857* 2586 4391
match number opposing alliance 33 27 2767
the match number is written in our alliance color along with our alliance partners. (blue sharpie for blue alliance etc.)
*our team, we typically don’t include our number to save space
you can add whatever notes you want, like which drive station you are at etc. (subscript on match number is what I do for that)
This can save space on your EDC or just streamline your Mad StratZ
2 laptops (one linux, one windows)
1 usb C cable
2 usb A cable
1 usb B cable
A microsoft lifecam
An extra raspberry pi
My phone (I can get internet anywhere)
safety glasses
A piece of bent metal that can get me through locked doors (because other programmers never unlock the doors)
Then, via the internet, I have ssh and vnc access to my workstation at home. This has all the regular tools installed, along with various betas of some tools and is more powerful for doing quick builds of big projects.
I also have access to git (hery handy)
and access to a few servers. These do the following:
One that serves a vpn and emulates the FMS (for playing around with)
One that serves various proxies, a vpn, a wireguard server, and a tor bridge so I can access blocked services anywhere (like at school)
And one with a ton of processing power. Because why not?
Ham radio? Well it’s different country to country…
Here in Canada, you take a free exam, get your license and a radio, and you are pretty much set for your allocated bandwiths.
If you have more specific questions, I’m going to guess that @kb9wd will have better answers, since I’m still studying for my exam, and he has a license (and a proper setup)
I can answer questions about sdrs though. They are nice to carry around because you can just play with them. For example, one day, I set up in a parking lot and started playing with car tire pressure sensors. Or I was trying to make a “RoboBlock” that would find the routers on the robots, and forcefully disconnect the driverstation.
Getting into Amateur (Ham) radio in the US is about the same.
Study and take and pass the test or tests depending on the level of privileges you want (there are 3 Licence classes in the US with increasing privileges). Get and set up radios and operate.
In the US testing for Amateur radio is administered by VE’s (Volunteer Examiner’s) who are usually part of larger amateur radio clubs and organizations. There is a nominal fee of $15 to take the test/test’s
The best advice I can give you is to find a local radio club, most will be able to point you in the right direction to find out when and where testing sessions are held local to you.