Field tips and tricks

[timytamy]

Some of you may know that our team is going through the process of organizing the Duel Down Under, our off season event. One of the very annoying things is that we are in Australia, the official fields are in America, and there is an ocean in between. Because of this we have to make our own field, with not much to guide us other than the field drawings. So before we start stabbing ourselves in the dark, I'd thought I'd ask, does anyone have any tips for building a field?

We have gotten quotes for the perimeter that seem reasonable (by Australian standards) and we need to make the elements. Our main concern is how to make a bridge that will be similar to balance as the competition bridge. Our last attempt at a bridge was VERY sensitive and nothing like the comp ones. How have other teams built the bridges?

[Alan Anderson]

We built the practice field bridge according to the "low cost" Team Drawings, and then we weighted it with concrete paving blocks so it would match the specified behavior of the competition bridge. I think there's about 120 pounds of additional weight mounted under ours right now, and it seems to have the right dynamics.