Do i have to sign up with TechConnect?

I just had a copy of RsLogix 500 Standard v6.2 transferred into my name and my question is do i have to pay for TechConnect to buy the latest upgrade.I've heard it might be less expensive to buy a new copy instead.

As far as I'm concerned rockwell are trying to bully people to sign up by not giving tech support to the extent other plc mfr are giving.
tec connect support is expensive but not if you have loads of software, I'm in the process of removing all AB/Rockwell from site as & when required because of this & their reduction of partners in sales, we can't even buy them from RS anymore.
I phoned for tech support in uk & they said if not on tech conn then it would be at least a couple of days that did it for me.
By the time they replied I had cured the problem

To answer the actual question, the lowest level of Tech Connect would probably cost less. But, if you have only Micrologix 1000 and 1100 to support the programming software for them is now free.

I'll answer the implied question, too.

Rockwell Automation TechConnect is a broad set of services: Telephone, E-Mail, and Chat support from the Support engineers, downloads of Software products and firmware updates, and access to the entire Knowledgebase. Some customers also have 24/7 access to worldwide resources, and some even have continuous remote monitoring of their control systems by RA.

If you're evaluating the price while focusing on only one of those services, you're not doing a fair evaluation. That's not fair to Rockwell Automation and it's a disservice to your company, too. This is especially true when you do it here in public.

A couple of weeks ago customer in the south of England called the support line at Kiln Farm a few minutes before 5 PM GMT on a Friday night and was connected to our group in Ohio, USA, which patched the call through to me on the West Coast.

I spent the next six and a half hours on the phone with them walking them through a complex system troubleshooting and network tuning procedure. During the call, their engineers and electricians went off-shift, some went home to sleep, a couple took meal breaks... but the phone call to RA stayed connected. By the end, their control system was running and the factory was back in production.

Until that phone call, the customer's only interaction with RA this year had been to download software updates to support the new V17 controllers their OEM had provided. They really weren't getting their money's worth until that Friday night.

Rockwell and much of the rest of the industry are clearly looking at tech support as a profit center. I don't like it, but it is a legitimate business model. Other companies, such as AutomationDirect, provide good support without additional charges. They only have phone and email support and don't really have local distributors. That is also a legitimate business model.

Just remember, like Daddy always said, "You get what you pay for, or less."

So, whether it is worth it to you to get the tech connect package is a function of your needs, resources, and other requirements. If all you want are software upgrades, maybe not. If you have a local distributor with good support people, maybe not. If you only have one or two software packages, maybe not.

If you have a large variety of PLC and HMI platforms to support, maybe yes. If you have a lot of different software packages of different vintages and versions, maybe yes. If you have field guys of uncertain skill level scattered all over the world, maybe yes. If you have multiple programming locations with multiple licenses, maybe yes.

This is my own personal copy that i use at home to help me learn more about the PLC'S i'm working on, at the place i work and we do have a TechConnect account. I'm just trying to get my newly acquired software up to date. Since one of the programs i came across created with the latest verison of RsLogix 500 would not open using verison 6.? My question is a simple one with no hidden agenda, will Rockwell sell me just the upgrade like they used to. If not would it be less expensive for me to get the limited TechConnect or purchase a new standard copy.