(Part 2) Top products from r/FTC

What kind of experience are you guys coming into this with?

Do you have mentors/are you yourselves familiar with the use and safety precautions necessary around power tools?

What kind of space are you in? Do you have a dedicated space to use or do you need to move things in and out of an area every meeting?

How much do you want to learn? Are you planning on using primarily Matrix/Tetrix this season or do you want to do custom fabrication?

If you're planning on using chain, I'd recommend getting at least one of these (Dark Soul #25 chain tool). You won't need to use master links again, and they're just in general great to have around.

I would definitely recommend getting Anderson Powerpole tools and items. Definitely get a TriCrimp and associated wire, connectors, and contacts, if you don't have them already.

I'd also recommend a few tools that come in useful just in general when it comes to FTC-- a good adjustable wrench is good to have around, whether you're doing custom or not. A ratcheting screwdriver is also good to have around, in addition to more standard versions. I'd also recommend my personal favorite allen wrenches (you can get just metric or standard sets, but I linked the paired version). For taking care of stuck bolts or anything else stuck, a good pair of locking pliers are also great. Also getting some good pliers for all your electrical needs is a good idea. Also extremely useful is a good square. On a similar note, a level is good for checking whether you actually bolted that part on straight.

You should also get a general set of combo wrenches and some of the specific sizes most common for FTC. Pretty much any reputable brand is fine for this-- don't spend more than about $50 for a set and $10 for an individual wrench (honestly, that would be super high, you should probably target half of that). A decent ratchet set is also good, but not absolutely essential.

Other good things to have around are a heat gun or heat bar (for doing custom plastic parts for your robot). You can do some great stuff with some creativity and some sheet polycarbonate.

To go with that, a vinyl cutter is great for doing sponsor decals and general cool stuff.

As far as "essentials" go, that depends on where you want to go. If you want to do lots of custom work-- or use something like 80/20, then you'll want some other tools to do that work. A good power drill is absolutely essential, and if you have the space, I'd definitely recommend getting a solid miter saw and an aluminum cutting blade (I know some people consider them too dangerous, but with proper safety training and precautions, I've never had a student or mentor get injured with one).

As far as materials for doing custom work go, I'd recommend getting some box aluminum (1x1 and 1x2) tubing, 1/8" and 1/16" polycarbonate (I'm partial to the dark tinted stuff, but it's a bit more expensive), and a full assortment of #6 and maybe #8 hardware. You'll also want some M3 screws for face mounting AndyMark and REV robotics motors. I like to use Copper State for this, because while they have a totally garbage web ordering system, their prices are great, and their website isn't that bad (to be honest, I'm a bit spoiled by McMaster-Carr).

You probably don't need me to tell you what kind of COTS parts might be good (if that's within the scope of this money). Electronics, good phones (not those stupid ZTEs), motors, are all good.


You'll notice that I'm not suggesting the very budget stuff-- while you can go that direction if you need to, quality tools help you get quality results. If you have the money to get and use the right tools for the job, I always recommend doing that as opposed to cheaping out with something you'll just end up breaking and messing up your robot with later.

A decent chunk of the tools I linked are suggested by my personal favorite review site, The WireCutter/SweetHome. I've used the majority of them, and my experience has been good enough that I don't have an issue recommending their suggestions for other tools relevant to FTC.

Hopefully that was somewhat helpful. I'd definitely consider the answers to the questions at the top-- they can help you narrow down what will actually be useful for you. I can definitely give more specific suggestions if you know what direction you're taking with robot building techniques and how much space you have/ whether you have to move.

lmao, I didnmt realize that was in the photo, that's a lego organizer

link

it's perfectly framed with the arm, table, and other table

This is the style we have. I don't know which exact brand the one we have is, or exactly what size it is, but it's that shape and general idea.
https://www.amazon.com/Koch-7725010-Roller-Chain-Breaker/dp/B004HKIU4C.
It has worked well for us, and is very easy to use.
Eddit: fixed link

What type of budget does your team have?

How much space is available as your work area?

How experienced at building robots are the mentors?

What build system does you team intend to use? How many custom parts do y'all want to make?

What level of CAD skills does the team have?

We need to know these things to give valid advice. If your team has $100 to spend on tools the list is really different than if your team has $500. If your team has ~$4000 and really experienced mentors the list is also totally different.

​

Let's assume your team has really limited budget and wants to make the most of it. I will also assume you are using the REV system.

Here is my minimum tool list:
5.5 mm Nut Driver - http://www.revrobotics.com/rev-41-1119/

5.5 mm wrench - http://www.revrobotics.com/rev-41-1374/

Allen wrench set - https://smile.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Hex-Allen-Wrench-Ball/dp/B0776C2D6H/

Rotary Cutter - https://smile.amazon.com/WEN-2305-Rotary-Tool-Shaft/dp/B003BYRFH8

Hand drill - https://smile.amazon.com/BLACK-DECKER-DR260C-Drill-Driver/dp/B00T2VJ93C/

Hack saw - https://smile.amazon.com/Tactix-267031-Adjustable-Hacksaw-Frame/dp/B00ABBUU2Q/
Bench Vice - https://smile.amazon.com/WEN-453BV-3-Inch-Heavy-Swivel/dp/B07KKXQQ3S

Metric Drill bit set - https://smile.amazon.com/Drill-Warehouse-99pcs-1-5mm-Titanium/dp/B01NC25BRK

Pliers set - https://smile.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Tools-4-Piece-Pliers-Set/dp/B015X2NHOK


That works out to be ~$110 + shipping and tax. These are the bare minimum tools IMO. If you can answer the questions above I can give you some better advice.

- Frank

If we can convince the GDC to allow this then we'd be all set but I think we already know how that's going to go over, lol.

Don't do that, get a smart charger instead. I'll link the one I have in a little bit.


I have this one


and I am looking at getting this one


Both of these also have one extra really cool feature, you can power them with DC OR AC, this means, you could put a DC battery (i.e. car battery) on your cart, and recharge your robot batteries on the move.

Yeah we used lights like this LEDwholesalers 12V 16.4ft RGB Color-Changing Flexible LED Ribbon Strip Light in White PCB, 2034RGB-R2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00476B908/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_qE4RybXBXEDZ6

We just epoxied them to the bottom and ran power from the core power module

I would highly recommend using kevlar string for pulling yourself up. My team used it for a pulley slide system for velocity vortex and it worked like a charm. The string was under a ton of pressure but we never had any issues with it snapping or getting damaged.


If you do decide to go with kevlar string(once again, I highly recommend it), you really need to make sure that your spool is very strong(especially if it's 3d printed) and that its connection to the motor is really good. Otherwise, your spool will deform and will probably end up breaking. Also, if the connection between the spool and the motor is weak, the points of contact will probably get damaged by the constant force/torque placed on the spool and your robot's performance will significantly decrease as a result.


If your spool is a solid piece of metal, you don't have to worry as much about pressure being placed on the spool. However, if it's 3d printed(as it most likely will be), you will have to consider the things that I talked about above.


You can find kevlar string on amazon here
If I remember correctly, we used this exact product and it worked really well.

EDIT: fixed some weird formatting

We use this one, and while we haven’t tested any others, it seems to work nicely. Logitech C525

Logitech HD Webcam C525, Portable HD 720p Video Calling with Autofocus https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004WO8HQ4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_aMn7BbVM31GSN

It's been said that if you order parts from McMaster-Carr, they fly out your computer's CD drive.

I'd also look at your local Fastenal branch. And bring sponsorship material--some branches have given FIRST teams at least a price break if not freebies.

Or, if nothing else, this might be a good time to learn tapping your own parts to accept the 6-32 screws. (It's not like you'll never need a 6-32 thread in some obscure place ever again after this!)

Get a Pelican Case. Practically indestructible.

We used this and stuck it in like an arch in our intake.

zipties work, but then you invariably have to cut them every time you make a change ... and that happens often, no matter what you plan.

Best temporary is to use double-sided velcro strips.

Here's the premium stuff ...

https://www.amazon.com/Protector-Protect-Management-Organizer-Prevent/dp/B07QLPR8G4/ref=sr_1_5

Tie them up, and then tie them off to something sturdy. People, wire and connector fatigue is real!

I've seen this problem with the old "Rumblepad" gamepads - the ones with buttons 1-2-3-4 instead of a-b-x-y.

or just buy this and crimp your own andersons. https://www.amazon.com/Tenergy-Smart-Universal-Charger-Battery/dp/B001AVUAVC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425787405&sr=8-1&keywords=battery+charger+tenergy#Ask

I have to keep this brief as I have to leave for our robotics meeting this evening.

Display: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077PLVZCX
1 ft hdmi cable: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KSP1SMS
webcam: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LVZO8S

There is also a 1 ft usb type a to micro that powers the display from the usb 2 port on the hub.

I wrote a basic mecanum teleop op mode and merged in last year's tensor flow initialization code. I can post it later this evening.

One common issue is power delivery. If you can get a usb type a male to type a male (like this one) and a battery bank. You should be able to plug it into one of the slots on your hub, which would power the whole thing. I think it's legal, and even if it isn't, the controllers have stayed connected even after the battery bank is disconnected in our experience.

Edit: I am very bad at formatting links

Edit 2: Try this for your type a to micro b connection if that turns out be the problem.