Tetra connectors metal or plastic?
 

I searched for "tetra connector" and did not get an answer to my question therefore I am posting this. I am a bit confused on the tetra connectors. The ones we got in the kit and that IFI sells are plastic. The ones in the PDF drawing on the FIRST webiste are .098 zinc plate. In the real game, which are used where? Do the small tetras get the plastic ones and the goals get the metal ones, or are they all metal?

Re: Tetra connectors metal or plastic?
 

This document may help to confuse you more: http://www2.usfirst.org/2005comp/200...s_Overview.pdf

Re: Tetra connectors metal or plastic?
 

The Offical FIRST field parts are:

The [pvc, colored] Tetra clovers are LDPE Plastic.

The Goal clovers [for the aluminum goals] are metal.

and while im at it:

The Vision Tetra Panels are HDPE Plastic.

Re: Tetra connectors metal or plastic?
 

Can you quote your source? I had the same confusion about this, and I'd have to disagree with your interpretation. From http://www2.usfirst.org/2005comp/200...s_Overview.pdf

Goal- There are eight tetrahedron goals on the full field. Four of the goals are modified with a hanging magnet at its peak. There are two methods to simulate the actual game goal. One uses the low density polyethylene (LDPE) ‘cloverleaf’ connectors provided by FIRST in your robot kits, the other uses metal ‘cloverleaf’ connectors and pipe nuts available from Innovation First, Inc.(IFI). The IFI hardware will create a goal visually identical to the actual game goals.

This says to me that the goals are LDPE, and the metal ones are only visually identical. But in the same document:

Tetra- made from PVC pipe, end caps and molded ‘cloverleaf’ connectors.
Additional connectors can be ordered from Innovation First or fabricated from ¼ in polycarbonate (Lexan). The drawing link for the connector is “2005 FIRST Robotics Competition Game Team Field Elements Tetra Connector”.

So are they LDPE, Lexan, or Zinc Plated Steel as the drawing shows?

Re: Tetra connectors metal or plastic?
 

I sure would like to know for certain because we are planning to lasercut a whole bunch tomorrow or the next day.

Re: Tetra connectors metal or plastic?
 

Gary, with the slew of papers from all over, I can't cite an official source.

But I've been on the field, touched the goals (and strong-armed them over--good luck tipping these bad boys), and handled the tetras. Dez has the right answers.

Re: Tetra connectors metal or plastic?
 

I believe the source is the actual field from the Manchester kickoff. I'm not sure if the remote kickoffs had a fully assembled field with all components and game pieces, but the Manchester kickoff did. From what I gathered, the field present there is going to be the field used at one of the regional competitions, so I can only assume the 80 tetras present were authentic game piece tetras, which are what Dez described.

Re: Tetra connectors metal or plastic?
 

Gary as from the link you presented, i will try to explain my previous post.

Gary as that paper say, the materials that are used to build the objects there are for practice, thus economical items to save costs.

My sources from my previous post is the field that i packed with FIRST from the kickoff for the BAE Regional.

Re: Tetra connectors metal or plastic?
 

Just in case anyone is interested in a cheap easy tetra, just take some PVC pipe cut to 3' lengths, then drill a hole in the ends and use some 12-18 gage stranded wire and tie the ends together. I just built 2 like that tonight and beat em up pretty good. They react pretty much the same as the spec ones.

Re: Tetra connectors metal or plastic?
 

I was on the Innovation FIRST site and they now have the parts available for ordering (and they don't mind charging you for them). According to IFI:

Quote from IFI: Field Parts: These are the exact parts you will compete with at the FIRST competitions.

Maybe this is the answer?

Re: Tetra connectors metal or plastic?
 

That sounds pretty credible to me; Thanks Dez. I guess after last year I'm still gun shy, and it sounds like once again FIRST is putting lots of time and effort into telling us how to build cheap fields and forgetting to tell us what the actual field is.

<insert links here to the dozens of posts where I complain about the lack of accurate field drawings last year. Or maybe not>