sponsers

[srobot]

Hi
Dose eney body no how much money to ask sponsers for and how
much space too give them on the bot?

thanks
--srobot

[PeterD]

Hi,

Sponsorship of is a form of advertising. To successfully get a sponsor, you'll need to show them the value they will recieve by putting thier logo on your 'bot.

Information like: how many people will see it? At what events? What are the demographics (age range, income level, education level, etc) of the people who will see it? Will the event be televised? Will the logo be color or black & white?

Let your creativity out here: Will you also make & wear a t-shirt with the sponsor's logo? Will you give them a picture of your 'bot with the logo for them to use in their other advertising? Can they pick where on the 'bot their logo will go?

The potential sponsor's product or service should be of interest to the audiance at the event. Also, will the audiance be interested in the product?

A sponsor will be more interested in a robot that is in a National FIRST competition than a local, high-school one.

Another way to approach this is to check the prices for other types of advertising for comparison. What is the cost of a Yellow Pages ad? Or an ad in a local newspaper? Or a banner ad on some website?

One last thought: its often *much* easier for companies to give you product, rather than cash, in exchange for sponsorship.

Keep your options open; give the sponsors as many alternatives as you can; don't get discouraged when you get a lot of "no"s.

Good luck, let us know how it works!

[srobot]

Hi,
thanks!!! I'll keep in mind about the product vs cash
and about the shirts and every thing else!! More
replys would be greatly aprisheted!

thanks
--srobot

[Kevin Berry]

I find local businesses are often impressed by the "cool" factor. The best way to impress them is having a working bot. Kind of a vicious cycle, you need money and parts to build a bot to impress the sponsors to give you money and parts ....

Seriously, a small combat bot can be built for not much money, compete, build a rep, its a spiral type of development.

Now, getting machining time, welding time, waterjetting, metal scrap, etc is often just a case of showing up and asking. Again, the cool factor helps.

PS one SOLID tip in emailing potential sponsors is using good grammar and spelling. They can't see your sincere heart, but do see how much or little work you put into crafting your emails.

[wrighthobbies]

Here is a Caly Poly bot that I sponsored. This is an awesome bot and definitely has the coolness factor. You can see my company's name in the picture.

Here is a video of the bot in operation - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g4Wf-AK5pk&eurl=

Tyson contacted me to talk about sponsorship. After a few email exchanges, I agreed to sponsor several of their creations by primarily providing products and club discounts.

[srobot]

Hi,
thanks!!!!!! I was whundering what you ment by:...a small combat bot can be built for not much money... how could I make a bot for not much money I'm not saying you can not I'm just onedering how?? I'll remember about the "coolness factor"!!! Also that was a cool Caly Poly bot you sponserd (I just wached vid.)!!!!!

thanks
--srobot

[srobot]

Hi,
I for got to ask wright hobbies if you have a store front?

thanks
--srobot

[wrighthobbies]

I'm web only - http://www.wrighthobbies.net

The main question would be why do you need sponsorship? The second reason would be why should a company sponsor your bot instead or or in addition to another robot?

If you can answer those 2 questions, then the next step is to build a scaled down version of your bot. If the full size bot will be 1m x 1m with a titanium shell, try building a 10cm x 10cm version with plastic. The small robot could be shown to sponsors.

3D models are another way to show people what your robot will be like and can sometimes convince companies to sponsor you.

[srobot]

Hi,

why do you need sponsorship?

Because I don't have the money or parts to do it alone.

why should a company sponsor your bot instead or or in addition to another robot?

Because I will put lots of time in to the bot to make shere it is redy to fight at the next fight to give them publisity.

thanks
--srobot

[wrighthobbies]

srobot,

You can go it alone, but you may want to consider building a team. You will notice that most combat robots are built by a group of people, so you have a number of different skills, more hands and more knowledge available to you as you build it.

You may have a hard time getting sponsorship if it is just you without prior combat robotics experience. Those flying solo probably foot the bill the first time through. Then if they win, it's easier to get sponsorship.

[srobot]

yha, I now.. I just emailed team Whyachi to see if I could goin them and then I could get some practis building bots and have some fun... but I would rily like to have my own team and build my own bots... and as for more team members thares no body I know around here that is in to robots... [sigh] any help wold be gud

thanks
--srobot

[Kevin Berry]

small combat bot for $250 with all new parts. $100 with used from ebay and r/c forums. $50 or less if you hack R/C trucks or battlebots toys.

[srobot]

Hi,

small combat bot for $250 with all new parts. $100 with used from ebay and r/c forums. $50 or less if you hack R/C trucks or battlebots toys.

Are there any good R/C forums and what R/C trucks and battlebots toys?
I've been serching ebay for battlebot toys but thare are lots of diferent searys.

thanks
--srobot

[Kevin Berry]

Thought a lot about this thread lately. The young man has a great question, in the "how do I get started without a local support system" vein.

I've been through this with a bunch of young people. First answer: build something. Anything. Just build it. Then show your friends, teachers, friends parents. Someone will help you improve it. When it works well, take it to a competition. Many of our teens drive from Atlanta to Central Florida to compete! Go for it.

Once you've established yourself as a builder, hold your own comp via school or local community group. Start small, non weaponed pusher bots. Two servos + cheap radio system = $100. Hold your event in a very public place and have someone dedicated to taking down email addresses.

Repeat the two paragraphs above until you are old and shaggy like me.

[srobot]

Hi,
sory I have not posted for a wile my internets been down. I looked in my phone book two days ago and theres only one hobby shop in it I've seen it be for thow and it is more like a toy store and you need to set up time with the guy who owns it to go in... I'm also home schooled (which I love!)so I can't rilly show it to my teachers becouse my teacher is my mom. I dont have any friends either so that get rid of friends and friends parents. And as you can probubly tell my town is prity small so thare is no mall or place ware lots of pepull gather. The town is made up of lots of older pepel don't get me wrong I'm not saying that is bad I'm just stating the facts.
So I'm gessing that the internet is the best place for me to get parts, sponser etc. If you have any ideas please post them here.

ps. sory to make every thing so hard...

thanks
--srobot

[dporter]

Getting started it the hardest part, and I agree with Kevin Berry just start by building anything.

Let me give you an example. My homeroom class was required to do an activity each quarter. I asked them what they wanted to do? We had done 2-L bottle rockets and paper airplane competitions, so this time they said they wanted to do robots.

I agreed and then panicked. I knew nothing about robots. So we came up with some general rules for our competiton. They had to design a robot that stayed on the table the longest, in a head to head competiton. Each robot started on opposite sides of the table, and at the signal, they were started by flipping a switch.

They made their robots from old electronic toys they tore apart. Some just moved slowly hoping that it took longer for them to reach the edge of the table, than the other persons. Some were designed to push other robots off the table. One was very thin so that other robots rolled right over it and off the table. Some kids made gravity switches so that their motor wires disconnected when a piece fell off as they reached the table edge. The most creative one ran on rubber bands, matchbox cars, and sticks. The rubber bands were wound to move one wheel pushing the bot forward. The other wheels were matchbox cars taped to the bottom. They had a trigger made from a coat hanger that was attached to a piece of wood. When they bumped into another robot the trigger released a heavy piece of wood attached to several rubberbands. The wood then swung forward and knocked other robots off the table like a baseball bat striking a baseball.

So experiment and be creative. Pick a goal such as designing a robot that won't roll off a table and then try to find a way to solve it.

Also check out Harry Botter's posts on books to get started with. The junkbot book is really good if you can get your hands on a copy. Try Solarbotics.Com they have some great resources too.

Also keep posting, everyone is here to help.

[srobot]

Hi,
I also have lots of Vex Robotics stuff.

thanks
--srobot

[dporter]

That sounds like a perfect system to start with. Do you use radio control or do you program it to run autonomously? If I remember correctly you can set vex up either way.

[srobot]

That sounds like a perfect system to start with. Do you use radio control or do you program it to run autonomously? If I remember correctly you can set vex up either way.

I do both. First I build the frame and test it with the remote control and if it works I program it. Sory I did not say I have Vex Robotics stuff sooner.

thanks
--srobot

[dporter]

It sounds like you have a good start on the basics then. So you can use Vex to test your ideas and you would like to try to build something from scratch then to use in a robot competion?

If that is correct, then I think that next you would might try to find a competition that you could get to and watch. Eventually you would be able to compete too and this would give you a chance to make some connections with people and ask some questions. This would give you some ideas to start with. Is this something that you think you could arrange?

[srobot]

Hi,

So you can use Vex to test your ideas and you would like to try to build something from scratch then to use in a robot competion?


Yep

...I think that next you would might try to find a competition that you could get to and watch. Is this something that you think you could arrange?

I'm going to "RattleBots" next Aprel, and if thare is a "Mechwar" (I know about Mechwar X, but it does not work out) in the summer I'm going to that to!

I think I have a nuff time to build a good combat robot, I just need a sponser for parts or money.

thanks
--srobot

[dporter]

Sorry I have been off line for awhile. Sounds like you have a good plan. In the meantime, I would suggest using your VEX robot to set up a demo for potential sponsors. Show some of your best designs and some of your programming to let them know what you can do. Post some of you pictures too on the homebuilt thread we would like to see what you have come up with.

[srobot]

Does any body know of any transmiter/resever/servo combo under $50?

thanks
--srobot

[Kevin Berry]

Getting a Tx/Rx/Servo, new, for $50 is going to be tough. Used, however, should be somewhat easy. For example, I just bought an old Laser 4 Tx via another forum for $20.

You're going to want to pay attention to a few things. Make sure its a ground frequency (27 Mhz or 75 Mhz in the U.S.). If you buy "seperates" note that not all manufacturers Tx and Rx are compatible with each other. (eg JR and Futaba don't work together, but JR and Hitec do). Also there are some "universal" receivers out there, eg. GWS, that work with both.

If you can mow a few extra lawns and get together $100, I highly recommend Intertia Labs GWS setup, and you can get servos used off eBay or forums, or new from Servo City.

Item number 140069582586 on eBay today looks interesting, but of course you're responsible for your own buying, just showing what a minute searching on ebay for "r/c transmitter receiver servo" produced. I'm not sure if this is ideal for your application but some searching doubtless will find something.

Good luck, keep whacking away at it!

[srobot]

Hi,
I found the Hitec Ranger 2N 2-Channel AM/2 with HS-311 Servos at Tower Hobbies for $39.99 and $8.99 for standerd shiping and $10 for two day shiping so a totel of $48.98 or $49.99 and at Servo City you can get the transmitter for $24.95 and shiping for $4.95 and at robot market place you can get a GWS 4- channel R4PII 75Mhz Pico Receiver for $20.99
and you can also get Hitec HS-322HD Standard Servo there for $7.99 each and shiping is $6.45 so a grand totel of $65.33 so it terns out that the r/c combo from Tower Hobbies is the cheapest at $48.98. I'll keep you posted on any better deals I find!

thanks
--srobot

[Kevin Berry]

One loose end, reading the fine print on Tower's site for that Ranger. Note no Tx crystal is available? Seems weird, especially since that note was written 2 years ago. Might want to call them before you order it, if you decide on them. Especially since they list one 27 Mhz and half dozen 75 Mhz channels.

Otherwise looks like you're doing the right comparison shopping. Need to decide if two channels is enough for you now and later, or if you want to buy 4 channels now. If your bot wants motion Fwd-Rev + L-R + servo, you'll need 3.

[srobot]

Need to decide if two channels is enough for you now and later, or if you want to buy 4 channels now. If your bot wants motion Fwd-Rev + L-R + servo, you'll need 3.

Yha I know 2 is hardly enuff... What I was thinking is I would buy a 2 channel radio for a pushy bot now and try to get a few sponsers and latter get a 3 channel radio for a weapon. Tell me if you think this is a good plan.

thanks
--srobot

[srobot]

Hi,
I just found a cheaper place to buy the 2ch Hitec Ranger:

SouthEastRC

http://www.SouthEastRC.com

tx/rx/servos: $37.99 shiping: $6.94 totel: $44.93

The store front is located at:

1901 West Copans Rd.
Pompano Beach, FL
(954) 978-6050

(I think that is near you Kevin Berry! Lucky, lucky you don't even have to pay shiping!!)

--srobot