Hi,
I’m looking to start a new VEX U team in the Bay Area, and I’m really excited about it but most materials such as the starter kits, bundles, robot brains, and batteries appear to be either out of stock or backordered. Does anyone have any ideas as to what I could do in order to obtain these materials? Any help is appreciated.
Thank you so much!
you may have to just watch for stuff to get back in stock. my team had to wait ~6 months to get motors
There are some people that also resell unused vex parts on a different website, which is where some people get their parts seeing as a lot of parts on vexproducts are sold out or backordered.
I’d also like to add that you should make sure all parts you buy are vex u legal
Hey, friend, I’m in the same boat! It’s super frustrating. I really wish they would have allowed the CORTEX given the fact that the lack of V5 parts is a barrier to entry for literally any new team who hasn’t already got V5 stuff in stock.
Talk with other Vex programs in the area. Some may be able to support a Vex U team with their own equipment.
Go to the Robotics Education website and contact the Team Engagement Manager (TEM) for your area. They may be able to help you.
Do you happen to know where I can find these websites?
Well, these “websites” don’t actually exist outside of ebay, as there are no longer any third party distributors of Vex components. VEX-U certainly has a lot of leeway in the types of parts you can use, but you will still need V5 Motors, controller, and brain, as you have discovered. I can recommend that you and/or your faculty advisor join the Vex World coaches association on Facebook, and an inquiry there might link you up with more help from a local team that might be able to loan you parts to get going.
When do you think most parts will be back in stock? I’m reviving a VRC team at my new school so we have tons of cortex, but no V5. Right now, batteries and brains are both out of stock and I’m hoping to compete before the new year. Is there an estimated time for the pieces to be back in stock or should we just wait and see?
If you want to order right now, there might be kits that ship in Q3 or Q4 of this year, it might not be what you hoped for, but it is better than nothing, for example if you want a super kit, it’s shipping time will be Q3 of 2022, which if you order soon enough that will mean it may come soon, they are offering services that ship it earlier, as per usual, there’s things like overnight, 2 day etc.
^
This meaning although it says backordered, you can set yourself as priority or setting 2 day shipping to get rid of the chances of being in the very back of the line when buying a kit for your teams.
ALSO if I am wrong about all this please correct me so that when others are reading this they don’t get the wrong ideas.