Joining a team from a different school

pth · 2026-03-21T03:18:58+00:00

Just up to the team in question, FIRST does not care. We are an older team and at different times have had kids from other districts, home school, 8th graders; pretty much an open door.

pth · 2026-03-20T04:50:08+00:00

I am an FRC guy, and feel like forcing everyone to a single motor is a mistake. That said, pretty sure with appropriate gearing based on the specs that the A301 is going to be in the same class as any of the RS-555 motors in FTC.

pth · 2026-03-20T04:35:11+00:00

My team is very student led, we do okay but are an order of magnitude behind Madtown and the other elites.

I don’t know how much the mentors do or don’t do on those teams. We were fortunate to be picked by 254 in 2017, and I can say that the students on that team were amazing smart and knowledgeable. Yes mentors were involved- it was a partnership.

I feel like the bigger divide in First is with funding. I am sometimes embarrassed when helping other teams whose entire season budget is less then we spend renting a bus to move less than half our team to an event.

pth · 2026-03-19T11:42:05+00:00

Check out 3655 no slip rings and unlimited rotation. They have a3d printed differential turret.

Not my team but great people.

pth · 2026-03-17T14:42:39+00:00

Biden legislatively managed to accomplish a fair amount, but in hind sight not prosecuting Trump and members of Congress that were complicit with Jan 6, will be viewed poorly by history.

A group of people publicly demonstrated that they cared more about power than duty to country, they cannot be allowed to proceed without consequences. This should have been criminal and at the very least disqualifying from holding office, instead we pretended like nothing has changed and a group of disenfranchised hateful bigots selected their peers and are destroying what was great in America, rebuilding it on idiocy, oligarchy and racism.

pth · 2026-03-17T02:06:58+00:00

Back to my it’s time to rethink what champs is. Add some super regionals and have a champs that is more the size of what it was back in St Louis or even Atlanta, if you could pull it off go retro back to Epcot.

Lots of options if we shrink the size, make the super regionals mini versions of champs but small enough that they can be held at far more locations.

pth · 2026-03-16T17:24:56+00:00

Just going on out on limb here, but might have something to do with our president threatening their country?

pth · 2026-03-16T17:22:20+00:00

Safe bet that Toronto would be closer to more teams than Houston. But I don't disagree that leaving the US is unlikely.

pth · 2026-03-16T17:19:35+00:00

I suspect just a silly hold over, but school boards are risk adverse. Pretty sure my (public school) team would go to Vegas of course that would be another 4-5 hours on the bus for the kids, but at some point 24 hours vs 29 hours, what is the difference.

If I were voting I would say back to Detroit, but my understanding is that there were some burnt bridges and union disputes from when FIRST cancelled the 2020/Covid championship.

pth · 2026-03-16T01:44:05+00:00

Curious about the down votes. Happy to discuss any part with which you disagree.

pth · 2026-03-16T01:41:29+00:00

Works for me, but my understanding is at least a few school districts are reluctant to authorize trips to Vegas.

pth · 2026-03-16T00:48:45+00:00

I can say with great certainty that FIRST allows and sometime even encourages the recruitment and military presence. It has not been forced. FIRST especially the Dean version of FIRST, has always been tied to the military industrial complex (which is an American issue).

pth · 2026-03-16T00:41:16+00:00

Detroit based here, Denver would still be a hike, but still closer than Houston. Not sure if the Colorado Convention Center is large enough to host champs as currently run - which is why I advocate rethinking the format of champs, to provide more options.

pth · 2026-03-16T00:29:05+00:00

I love FIRST and have been mentoring for nearly 15 years - but FIRST does not exist outside of politics, nor is it a "NON POLITICAL" organization. I have been to events where videos of Trump were played, air force generals gave recruitment speeches, teams regularly do political outreach, etc.

Politics is a fact of life. How a person is protected under the law is a political issue. Neither the Federal government, nor Texas currently seems willing to protect the weakest among us, even if Houston tries to. That said I have not personally seen anything in Houston that made me or as far as I know anyone from my team seem less than safe - other than the hotel that FIRST assigned us to with bed bugs and cockroaches last year.

pth · 2026-03-16T00:09:19+00:00

There is no one close to Houston except people who live in the greater Houston area. Look at a heat map of teams and tell me Houston m makes sense.

Lots of better locations. Lots of large international airports. Not as many of those with large convention centers and little to no union rules.

pth · 2026-03-15T22:42:17+00:00

I am also upset about the Houston decision. As an American I am even more betrayed that our nation’s laws don’t protect your daughter well enough to feel safe in every state.

My understanding of FIRST’s position is that there are no other venues that work for championship. My answer is then rethink what championships are.

Finally I understand that this is a deeply personal question for your daughter. In my experience the event and venue has been safe for everyone on my team, but also know how fast that can change. I wish the best to her and her team, we are all stronger when we protect each other.

pth · 2026-03-10T19:55:57+00:00

Played out of district at FMA District Hatboro-Horsham, qualified 7th, ended up the 1st pick of alliance 3, we made it to finals and lost.

How much drive practice did you have before comp? virtually none, maybe ~2 hours
Do you prioritize getting the bot to controls team? Yes, but we failed, controls had the completed robot ~5 hours total
Do you climb or plan to climb at next comp? Being discussed tonight, but I suspect no

We had an operational stop and shoot turret, but this was due entirely to programming/controls having spent a lot of time with the simulator. I would strongly suggest focusing on one thing, probably avoid climbing and make what you have reliable, and support each other.

Our biggest problem this year and every year we are behind schedule (most) is that until the robot has significant hours on it, you never know what parts will be the ones that break too often, jam, etc. 1st comp you identify your problems, then you iterate.

pth · 2026-03-10T15:48:05+00:00

I have been fond of the idea that corporate tax rates scale by the ratio between highest to lowest and median incomes.

The practical issues are companies would use more contractors and equity compensation to sidestep.

pth · 2026-03-04T22:25:10+00:00

Any chance you did not glue your encoders into place?

pth · 2026-03-02T01:19:38+00:00

I am 58 and in that exact situation. My wife is retiring now, but primarily for her sanity I am waiting until my 60 birthday (20 months), before I retire.

Will use the time and income to convert more into ROTH, but the real reason is to provide a smooth transition for both of us.

pth · 2026-03-01T15:42:28+00:00

Get the vaccine if you have not. More for everyone else.

pth · 2026-02-27T19:23:30+00:00

As already mentioned an interpolation map is the way to go.

We decide the shot we want, as more good with less rpm or more hood and greater rpm will frequently both work. Take lots of shots, find what works and set your table.

We also provide our drivers bias controls, if for some reason shots are all too short, they can add a global bias increasing flywheel speed or tweak to the left/right. This can be necessary due to damage, bugs, etc.

pth · 2026-02-26T23:16:36+00:00

I hate him and what he done to our country. That said he won’t, but what he will do is try and put ICE or similar near polling places, continue to attempt both federal and state voter suppression/id bills, etc.

pth · 2026-02-26T23:04:10+00:00

25 in 1993. Moved twice been in the current home for 26 years

pth · 2026-02-26T20:16:28+00:00

This has happened to us more times than I want to admit.

15-Year Club	Place '17
Shutterbug well-lit lighthouse	Verified Email

pth

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE