What to bring to a competition?

VEX V5 General Discussion General Forum
#1

Hi we have a competition this Saturday, and I was curious, what do you guys bring to your competition’s / what would you recommend.

#2

We have one this Saturday too at NVHS. I would recommend you bring your robot (Obviously) and every VEX part that you own. This is to ensure that if you need to make a quick change then you can do so.

#3

We have too many parts to bring all of them, but we do bring some

#4

We are competing at sky ridge by the way

#5

You don’t need all of your parts per se, just a significant amount so that you can make the changes.

#6

A good basic rule of thumb is that if you have a part on your robot, you should be able to replace that part with stuff you brought. Other things would be like extra batteries for controllers and extra controllers/brains if you have them.

#7

I generally bring:
power strip/extension cord
chargers
extra batteries
9-volts (if cortex)
some extra parts for repairs
SAFETY GLASSES
first aid kit (mostly for bandages)
paper towels for the inevitably spilled drink

#8

Aside from the robot stuff:

water
snacks
comfortable shoes

#9

Here is the checklist that my teams used before we went V5. Of course the specifics that you need may be a bit different, but it is a good place to start
Packing Checklist

#10

A positive and constructive attitude. all problems are solvable. assume your teammates are working to the best of their abilities.

#11

What’s your team #? I’m apart of Neuqua’s club (2360N)

Besides that, I would bring a Dremel or saw to cut any parts that may be too big or need last-minute alterations.

#12

I have one this saturday as well lol.
bring as many batteries as you can, as well as just a ton of random parts in a big tub. or sort them if you feel like it, just make sure you can replace anything on the robot.

#13

Middle School team.

#14

I recommend if you have it enough parts so that you could build 1/3 of the robot again. this includes one of each part on the robot. Also every type of screw, nut, axle, wire, sensor and other small parts. Things NOT to forget ever: Dremel, file, drill, and the last one is kind off weird but a flash drive with a code that you know works. In the event that your laptop breaks (seen it) or you just overwrite all of your code for some reason you have a physical back up.

#15

Bring extra of every small piece of your robot (example: shaft couplers, rubber links, standoffs, etc.). Even if your robot only has one of those pieces bring extra because even one small piece missing can completely brake your robot.

#16

@Firerobot1008 have fun this weekend and good luck :slight_smile:
To answer OP’s question, something that we’ve found to be really helpful is to have a small box with important things (tools, spare screws and nuts, etc) that you can carry with you at all times in the case of an emergency repair. I use a toolbelt to carry all of our team’s tools, which we have seen to be helpful.
In addition, don’t forget these frequently forgotten items:

  • License plates
  • Wires/cables (especially if using v5)
  • Backup battery/backup battery holder
#17