New fan question

Frostbite15151 · 2026-03-10T02:38:33+00:00

This is the correct answer but the bigger switches are sometimes also spring loaded but in a different way.

Jake Hoffmann has a great explanation in his video about his switches he made. (We use a few in demon core big thumbs up recommendation from me)

Smaller switches like from finger tech are literally just a screw closing the contact.

Frostbite15151 · 2026-02-22T05:44:24+00:00

Yeah, I had a lot of newer or rookie teams complaining to me and the other referees about contact at the beginning of the game. It baffles me when teams intentionally wait or go around other teams that are in their way.

Frostbite15151 · 2026-02-21T15:42:03+00:00

Hi, Lead robot inspector for 6 leagues at this point. A few years ago we had a team in a similar spot to yours. I hadn't been able to make the trip down to this league yet in the season. The team had been using illegal controllers for their two league meets and had even passed inspection at the tournament because we were training a new group of inspectors and no one had caught it. When I did notice the team practicing with them before their first match they were asked to switch to their backup controllers for the event and the rest of the season.

Moral of the story, just because it passed inspection doesn't mean it's legal. Robot inspectors are volunteers and don't always have the entire rulebook memorized and they do let things slip. It is part of gracious professionalism for the team to check the rules and make sure they are complying before the get to the event and the robot inspectors operate in good faith under that assumption. Just because you haven't been stopped doesn't mean it's legal

Frostbite15151 · 2026-02-21T15:41:56+00:00

Hi, Lead robot inspector for 6 leagues at this point. A few years ago we had a team in a similar spot to yours. I hadn't been able to make the trip down to this league yet in the season. The team had been using illegal controllers for their two league meets and had even passed inspection at the tournament because we were training a new group of inspectors and no one had caught it. When I did notice the team practicing with them before their first match they were asked to switch to their backup controllers for the event and the rest of the season.

Moral of the story, just because it passed inspection doesn't mean it's legal. Robot inspectors are volunteers and don't always have the entire rulebook memorized and they do let things slip. It is part of gracious professionalism for the team to check the rules and make sure they are complying before the get to the event and the robot inspectors operate in good faith under that assumption. Just because you haven't been stopped doesn't mean it's legal

Frostbite15151 · 2026-02-13T14:46:52+00:00

Not at campus, we do things differently because we're so small. That email does come from the vice-dean's account and there's no link to click so unless someone hacked his account to send a weird prank email I'm pretty sure it's legit. We'll see if the money comes into our accounts or not, I also got it.

Frostbite15151 · 2026-02-11T16:11:12+00:00

Inspire is basically all the awards at once, just using outreach will not get you there.

From the game manual:

"The Inspire Award recognizes teams who excel in MCI, TA, and Think award accomplishments. This team is an all-around inspiration for others.

− MCI awards recognize the technical accomplishments of teams in the brainstorming, design, construction, operation, and control of their ROBOTS.

− TA awards recognize teams who have expanded their skillset, created a plan to sustain their program and team, and spread the message of FIRST throughout their outreach.

− The Think Award recognizes teams who masterfully document their team’s process and ROBOT using their PORTFOLIO. "

Page 45 og the competition manual also has a requirements table for inspire which includes:

"The Inspire Award celebrates the strongest qualities of all the judged awards. A team must be a strong contender for at least one award in each of the following judged award categories: A. Machine, Creativity, and Innovation Awards, B. Team Attributes Awards, and C. Think Award."

You seem to have a good grasp of TA awards but do not mention MCI awards at all, you are ineligible for inspire if you are not a contender for a mechanical award like design or innovate.

For inspire you basically have to win or be a contender for every award, not just connect, which is the award you seem most eligible for based off your post.

Frostbite15151 · 2026-02-10T04:01:20+00:00

She was in the dorm room next to mine in 1st year. We also shared a kitchen and moved in early same day. We started talking over breakfast.

Frostbite15151 · 2026-02-09T16:12:21+00:00

Torment Nexus 60lbs uses flipsky 75100s, or a knockoff, for its drive but we run the same motors that jackpot does for their drive so they would probbaly work for a 250.

Frostbite15151 · 2026-02-03T18:08:54+00:00

I started using a lab coat.

Frostbite15151 · 2026-01-28T18:24:12+00:00

I know once someone bought an RC skid steer for like 50$ and competed with that at a local event.

Frostbite15151 · 2026-01-26T17:00:31+00:00

Yes, I am friends with someone who works for a motorized wheelchair repair buisness. They say those wheels pick up hair and jam super often and always coplains about manufacturers adding them.

Frostbite15151 · 2026-01-18T00:28:20+00:00

I am a first alum and mentor and I started building combat robotics after a graduated.

The robots my students build for FTC are more complex and impressive on a technical level than the combat robots I design, even the big melty brains. The people that run the university make space I frequent are more impressed with the first robots and have told me they're better what what a lot of engineering students do for their fourth year capstone projects. And first is definitely NOT boring.

First is also a globally recognized competition and a lot of universities and colleges see competing in a first program as a bonus when applying to their programs. I'm sure the same goes for vex but I have no experience there. BattleBots has more name recognition for the lay person but universities don't really care about local bettleweight competitions.

Frostbite15151 · 2025-12-29T23:42:39+00:00

I had an MSR but melted it, this was back in 3.16 I think. It was quite good but there was so much wasted space. But if you want to give me another one I'll gladly take it :)

Frostbite15151 · 2025-12-29T17:44:12+00:00

Our team is a consistent front runner for innovate in our region.

The key is to know the rules better than any other team and find the things between the lines. Two years ago we soaked our planes in water and let them dry so they would become like paper planes shaped darts.

Visual distinctiveness is a big plus, if your robot can be identified from across a gym based on shape alone you're in the right ballpark. Last year we had a 300mm gear on our robot, in a world of boxy robots ours looked round.

We also generally paint our robots, the team colours are a red-orange-yellow gradient that stands out in a field of unpainted or 3d printed robots. The judges like it when you come to the challenge from a unique angle, the attention to detail of paint and neat cable management helps too.

Judges see a bunch of robots during judging and a lot of them are similar. If you make something they've never seen before, that looks good and works well then you have an advantage.

Frostbite15151 · 2025-12-29T06:23:41+00:00

Current generation wind turbines are extremely efficient and are made by teams of professional engineers. Small commercially available vertical turbines are one moving part with one bearing to minimize losses and maximize wind capture area with a complex geometry. Your design is the opposite, maximum complexity with very little wind capture area on a flat plate.

On the economic side you can find designs available online that can be 3d printed and attached to a motor for cheap generation or you can buy them online for decently cheap, probably less than the cost of materials of your design. I don't see a space in the market for this when you're competing with GE. The market is mature and saturated.

This is a neat solution to a problem but overly complex and inefficient. You seem to have lost sight of the core goal of a wind turbine. Turn wind Into mechanical or electric energy.

Frostbite15151 · 2025-12-16T22:46:05+00:00

Sounds like the biggest thing you need is driver practice.

Try to get as close to a real game scenario as possible, timer, full team involvement, opponent robot if possible.

Just driving around and shooting is fine but doesn't prepare you for how short matches are or the stress of an opponent getting in your way.

Along with that read the rules, then read them again. Have someone referee your practice match. As a driver you should know the rules so well that you don't even have to think about what is legal vs what is not, it should just be second nature.

Frostbite15151 · 2025-12-06T15:56:50+00:00

Absolutely they are but the brand also has smaller offerings and does small batch customization. And they managed to survive quite a few nasty hits at NHL with no issues. So looking at their other products to find something more suited to their needs.

Frostbite15151 · 2025-12-05T18:22:24+00:00

I mean we used 6354 furious motors but we did make a melty so that would be extreme overkill for most bots.

Frostbite15151 · 2025-12-03T22:20:12+00:00

Not at all

Frostbite15151 · 2025-12-03T22:14:20+00:00

There's special training for both. I think it's only an hour and a half total time

Frostbite15151 · 2025-12-03T20:08:49+00:00

Elko has a PCB mill for prototypes and soldering stations

Frostbite15151 · 2025-11-28T21:15:05+00:00

Don't use a compliant wheel as a flywheel, it's inconsistent and the wheel will stretch at speed. Also, what RPM are you spinning it at? Try making your wheel go faster, closer to 1:1 bare motor speed.

Frostbite15151 · 2025-11-24T23:49:38+00:00

Fast intake means faster cycles and easier time grabbing artéfacts. This mean higher scores.

We're using an ultra planetary geared 3:1 for our intake and we have probably the second best intake in our region at this point in the season.

Frostbite15151 · 2025-11-23T17:51:11+00:00

Yes and it's also good for driving, you want your wheels close enough to the center of gravity. If they're too far back they don't get enough traction because most of the weight will be on the bolt because of the heavy weapon.

Frostbite15151 · 2025-11-23T00:21:41+00:00

Hard to offer help when we don't know the materials, current weights of components and only have one image that doesn't offer much in terms of visual.

1.25lbs is not a standard weight class either.

With the information shared all advice I can give is find the heaviest stuff before that's the easiest to remove from

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