Frequently Asked Questions

Why is your team name “The Insomniacs”?
Why is your team color green?
How much does it cost to run the program?
Do I need to have prior experience to join?
Is there a fee to join?
How frequently do you meet?
How many hours do you put into the bot?
How many meetings do I have to come to?
Do I have to volunteer?
I am not in High School. Can I come and see what you guys do?
What do you mean by “Insomniac Season”, “Post-Season”, “CalGames Season”, and “Education Season”?

Why is your team name “The Insomniacs”?
In 2004, an FRC team of all seniors at Mission San Jose High School referred to themselves as the Insomniacs, because they had a bad habit of procrastinating. Many of this team’s members returned to mentor us in 2008, when we started Team 2489. As a special nod to this predecessor team, we named ourselves the Insomniacs as well. And of course, Insomniacs need lots of coffee!

Why is your team color green?
Since the founding high school had forest green as its school color, the team chose to make its team color forest green. After expanding the team a year later to the whole district, we switched to a neon green for tradition’s sake.

How much does it cost to run the program?
Our annual budget is approximately $15,000, which is provided by our generous sponsors and parents. Our competition registration alone costs $5000.
What tools do you use?
We use different equipment such as a drill press, band saw, and a dremel. Our programmers use C++ programming to code our robot.

Do I need to have prior experience to join?
No prior experience is needed! Our members will teach you everything!

Is there a fee to join?
Team dues are $100 for the year. Membership dues help pay for our registration costs and for new equipment for our workspace. However, we understand that all families may be unable to pay  dues, and there are alternative plans that can be worked out with Mentor Mark Edelman.

How frequently do you meet?
During offseason, we usually meet three times a week for about 3 hours each meeting. In Insomniac Season we meet every day for 3-6 hours, either at our workspace provided by DeVry University or in a Google Hangout.

How many hours do you put into the bot?
During the 2012 build season, our team spent over 1800 hours working on the bot. Our team has 30-40 members, which means each committed about 60 hours into build season. Of course, this number varies greatly due to varying levels of commitment from each member. We respect and appreciate the dedication of each member!

How many meetings do I have to come to?
You can come to as many meetings as you possible.  We understand you will not be able to come to every meeting but try to come to as many you can while maintaining all your other activities and school.  Keep in mind, the amount you put in is the amount you will get.

Do I have to volunteer?
No, volunteering is not required. However, it’s a great way to participate in FIRST while fulfilling your service requirement. Many of our members volunteer as referees, DJs, emcees, and in other fun positions at FIRST tournaments. We have also held presentations at various schools and started/mentored FIRST teams at other schools. FIRST has always valued Outreach and spreading STEM throughout the community, and Team 2489 believes in sharing the FIRST opportunity with as many people as possible. As a team, we enjoy volunteering and we recommend it to all members!

I am not in High School. Can I come and see what you guys do?
Younger people can come and take a tour of our workspace and see what we do no matter what their age.  See our contact page and arrange a time when you can come by and we will give you a tour.

What do you mean by “Insomniac Season”, “Post Season”, “CalGames Season”, and “Education Season”?
Team 2489 developed our own calendar based on the events we participate in (more information can be found in the Team Manual.) In a calendar year, Insomniac Season is January~April because those are the months following Kickoff when we build the robot for the official FRC Regionals. May~June is Post-Season, as that are the two months we ‘recuperate’ and recover from the intense Insomniac Season. July~October is CalGames Season, because we spend our summer improving our robot for our Off-Season competition CalGames (held every year in October.) November and December comprise Education Season because we teach new members (before the official season) skills, we hold workshops (for example, safety, CAD, and programming), and we practice/explore what we haven’t had a chance to try out yet. These seasons aren’t absolute (we’re always learning!) but it helps in identifying our priorities for the season.