We already knew this, but FIRST teams are the best.  We're waiting for a few more purchase orders to come in before we announce an official number, but we will be writing a five-figure check to the FIRST in Texas Harvey Fund after our fundraiser event last week.  Incredible stuff!

Late last week, we also saw the Robot in 1 Weekend crew release an in-depth video of why they chose what they did for their FIRST RELIC RECOVERY build.  As one of the sponsors of the build, we figured we ought to share some details too!
NeveRest Sport Gearboxes: Super Reliable, Super Compact!

NeveRest Sport gearboxes, designed in collaboration with BaneBots, take all the things you liked about the P60 gearbox and adds a whole lot more!  This proven architecture was made to handle many times more than what a NeveRest can output, and it adds many FTC-specific mounting options.  The output shaft is a pre-threaded Nub, the mounting holes on the sides are 6-32 on a 16mm hole spacing, and the nose mount pattern is shared with a NeveRest Orbital motor.

The Robot in 1 Weekend crew used a 256:1 ratio to power the shoulder joint, though with ratios all the way up to 4:1 there's a NeveRest Sport that will help take your build to the next level.
Ninja Star Sprocket
Ninja Star Sprockets and #25 Chain: Lower your center of gravity!

The crew mounted a Ninja Star sprocket to the NeveRest Sport's output, allowing it to drive a REV delrin sprocket up at the top of the arm.  With the tight timetables, we didn't write down the ratios--but that's okay, because you ought to do the math and optimize for your robot's particular needs.

Our Ninja Star and Samurai Series sprockets are designed for #25 chain, which is the near-universal chain found in FIRST Tech Challenge.  With integrated Nub mounting on each one, it's easy to transmit power in your robot.  And by mounting your motors and gearboxes down low, you'll lower your robot's center of gravity and make it incrementally harder to tip over.
NeveRest Orbital 20 gives Robot in 1 Weekend its zip

This Robot in 1 Weekend build ran a custom drivetrain that used a mixture of AndyMark and REV parts.  There are many philosophies on how to build a drivetrain for this game, from TileRunner to full custom setups, but the four NeveRest Orbital 20 gearmotors onboard are a major factor in making this drivetrain so fast and reliable.

These motors feature a 19.2:1 planetary gearbox on the nose of the motor designed for the heavy loads and abuse of robot drive systems.  Compared to the conventional 40:1 gearmotors offered by many manufacturers, your robot will be going much, much faster!
But wait, there's more!

There were a lot of parts on the Robot in 1 Weekend build that we offer, more than we can talk about in one newsletter.  Here are a few more parts:
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What's on Deal of the Day next week?

We've got parts for robots big and small, all on sale for one day a piece!  Here's what we've got planned for next week, so mark your calendar now.



Wednesday 10/11: Entrapption Star, Old Square Bore (am-0619)  (Final blowout!)
We're here to help!

If you have questions about our products, we're here five days a week with hundreds of years of combined FIRST  experience--don't hesitate to give us a call or an email .  Keep checking our  new products page  for fresh releases, and be sure to check each day for our Deal of the Day .  You never know when you're going to find a steal!