So, correct me if I’m wrong, but V5 is about 7 years old, and the 2nd-gen IQ is roughly four years old. As a coach who’s debating about purchasing new kits for the team, I’m seeing these lifespans and get nervous about committing when the numbers suggest a new system could come out in a couple of years. Has there been any news I’ve missed, or I’d even take rumors right now, suggesting an upgrade coming, and I should hold back a few years, or just go for it?
I’m not going to tell you when to buy what you need, but unless if the team is that competitive, you don’t always need to have the latest and greatest brain or motors or even Pneumatics for some teams (although it depends on how competitive the team is.) There are many great teams out there that are still running with older hardware and have preformed well. So, I’d recommend just buying the kits when you are ready, as it isn’t like a 3 year brain is going to be randomly outlawed in competitions. And (depending on what programs you are putting on it) it will preform similarly to newer brains. (Keep in mind, I’m not a coach myself, but I have competed with older brains and other hardware before, so I have some experience in this. I would listen to some advise from some other people as well before you make a decision.)
It mainly depends on the case that Vex will release hardware in around three years from now. The district is still cautious about spending on a program that has been back from the dead for two years, with low turnout so far. Next year, though, I’m expected to get an entire team worth of students, and I don’t want to be in a position where middle schoolers are left waiting on a new kit. But I also remember the V5 transition, and I want to be prepared for that transition to. I know the school was not happy with the previous coach asking for 30 motors at once to fuel the three teams we used to have. Our V5 infrastructure came out day one, and two brains are practically unusable due to the micro USB port wearing out over time.
As for IQ, there have been a lot of STEM opportunities shutting down the last couple of years at the school, and so I want to expand with a non-competitive team, but I hear it’s bad practice to use older parts from Gen 1, even if they are technically compatible. I’m not as worried about this addition, as it creates a pipeline for v5 and gets my young team to be leaders and role models that I know they can be.
Yeah, that is true. Thus, you should buy them once it is the correct time and you know what you actually should get. However, though unrelated, you can still make use out those two VEX V5 brains. In the VEXcode software, you can connect a controller that is connected to the brain instead of the brain itself. The data transfer speeds are slower, but it works. I’ve personally done it a few times.
Do what your heart and what his happening tells you to do. When it comes down to this, you need to make the best decision you think you can for your teams. No matter what happens, I wish you the best of luck, and I’m here if you have any more questions.
I’ve been a VEX owner/user/mentor since the days they sold the 0.5 Inventors kit in Radio Shack. Across that 21 year period (2005-2025) VEX did a great job protecting and supporting their customer base. The initial kits were $300 ($497 in today’s money) and they did things like offer bridge programs from the 72Mhz transmitters to the VEXNet sticks ( VEXnet backpacks for the win!)
There was also a trade-in program to help with the Cortex upgrades.
You are right, the big pain came with the V5 upgrades. It was expensive, but it was phased in across a multi year period. It came out at the April 2018 Worlds. At this point I’m a little disconnected from V5, but from what I can see about the robots, the platform isn’t being really pushed.
On the VIQ side, the first version was 2013. For the time it was very, very spiffy. The entire ecosystem is really well thought out.
It’s all compatible, not sure who would say not to use them. I run about 60 teams using V1 brains and controllers. About 3/4 of the motors are pre-2022. I’ve cycled everyone into the newer battery packs. I just looked at my inventory, I have 11 of the NiMH packs out there in my demo’s.
The new brains run a version of micropython, but from a programmer standpoint they are going to look the same. Programs can be bigger, but I’ve not run into anyone that it’s been an issue for. Some things like the new vision sensor won’t work on the V1 brains.
There have been big upgrades that I’d highly recommend. Toss the plastic axles into a bin and don’t use them for drive trains, arms, etc. The metal capped connectors and the ones with the rings on them are awesome. Buy the advanced connector and corner beam kits to make designs easier.
And even if you get V1 or V2 items, they are still going to have a long life time, I don’t think VIQ will do a big bang on motors or brains.
Reference point.:
(VEX Microcontrollers Through History - #6 by Art_Dutra_IV)
For worn out Micro USB Ports, you can connect the brain to a controller via 4wire cable, and then connect the controller to a computer, and the computer will communicate with both the brain and the controller over that chained connection…someone told me this last week, I’ve been doing this for 8 years…