Is there a comprehensive list of VEX parts that will essentially be made obsolete once V5 becomes available? I’d like to avoid purchasing excess quantities of those parts that will be impacted. I understand Cortex, remotes, and motors will be made obsolete, but what about things like 7.2v batteries, power expanders, sensors, battery extensions, jumpers, LED’s, extension cables, Y cables, AAA batteries and chargers, etc.? Budgets are limited, I’d rather not spend money on things that will end up in a box on a shelf.
I know that there will be some new sensors, but I believe that the old sensors will be usable with an adapter which also means that there will be new wires. I have also heard some rumors of the cortex having a battery inside of itself (which I find ridiculously stupid and horrifying because we don’t have time to charge a full battery between every match). So, this might make batteries and chargers outdated as well.
I anticipate it will be similar to the IQ system: it has a slide-in rechargeable battery pack, and the controller has an internal rechargeable battery which charges via usb. IQ controllers last all day on a single charge.
Can you buy multiple battery packs for the IQ controller? Even if one battery can last an entire day, if you have to do a lot of testing throughout the day, how would you manage that? Also, the robots that my team builds tend to be extremely power consuming because I prioritize efficiency and ability over power saving since my team has an excess amount of batteries.
As for the placement, I don’t think that would really change things. Even now we have to make sure the cortex is accessible, so it shouldn’t be a big deal to continue putting them in accessible spots.
Honestly I don’t like the fact that we know V5 exists. Every time I purchase motors, wires, or sensors there is the fact that they will become obsolete hanging over my head. Even if I consider them necessarily purchases they feel like a waste of my money. I’m also mentoring a team that is starting this year. Obviously they want to compete this year, but the ~820 dollar investment for the base electronics required to compete seems like a waste of money since it will all be obsolete next year.
you can buy spare batteeris: https://www.robotmesh.com/vexiq-controller-battery But there is no charger…like your cell phone, it plugs into USB for charging, so it would probably be easier just to have a backup controller (with a charged battery). I’ve got 22 VEX IQ sets, and never had a problem with controller charge (even with all-day summer camp), as long as they get plugged in the night before. A bunch of cheap USB wall adapters from ebay helps.
Sorry. I misread and then miswrote. I meant for the new V5 Cortex. Will that have a separate battery like we have now, or will it be like the controllers?
7.2v batteries - yes, obsolete with the V5
power expanders - yes, obsolete with the V5
battery extensions - yes, obsolete with the V5
AAA batteries - yes, obsolete with the V5
chargers - yes, obsolete with the V5
LCD screen - yes, obsolete with the V5
393 motors - obsolete, but still usable
integrated motor encoders - obsolete, but still usable(?)
Another excellent suggestion. As of right now, we have not created a list of products that will eventually be obsoleted by the release of V5. I say eventually obsoleted, because it will not be immediate. Similar to the upgrade from the PIC to the Cortex, we’re not going to make using the V5 system a requirement for next season, as a number of teams just won’t have the budget for a full upgrade. I think it’s safe to say that the Cortex and the rest of the current control system will be supported for at least a couple of years after the release of V5.
I’ll pass this idea on to the development team to gauge their thoughts on this.