pic: Seattle Cascade tubes.

[Jared Russell]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

The device was not spelled out, but the spec was:
As I recall, the triangles use the 7" guage, and the square and circle use the 8" guage. The way the triangle is made causes it to bulge up at the corners. The square does so as well, but not as much.

These tubes are easily 20% larger than the tubes in Florida (but still smaller than the tubes I saw in NJ).

I have it on good authority (from just asking refs and FTAs) that the field manual is pretty sparse on details as to HOW to use the gauge (blow up UNTIL the tube fits vs. blow up and FORCE the tube to fit vs. blow it up all the way and hey, it still fits!).

With a compliant object like an inflated inner tube, I have no doubt that a triangle on the verge of bursting could still fit into a 7" gauge...

[thefro526]

Originally Posted by Jared341

With a compliant object like an inflated inner tube, I have no doubt that a triangle on the verge of bursting could still fit into a 7" gauge...

Jared, weren't the FTA's in week one Jamming the tubes into the Gauge..?

What bothers me most about over inflated tubes is that they don't fit through the feeder slot in some cases. If the tube doesn't fit through the slot then don't you think someone would realize that it's too big....?

(Also, you know there is a problem when someone who has never been exposed to Logomotion (My Boss/Our Sponsor) can tell that the tube sizes vary a lot more than they should.)

[pfreivald]

We experienced tremendous difficulties at FLR because the tubes were much more inflated than we were led to believe they would be, even with the gauges specified before week one.

Now that we finally have our claw working well with the super-inflated tubes, I wonder if we'll have to modify it again when next we play...

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The lesson I learn every year, and then seem to have to re-learn every year: never engineer too closely, because all FIRST specs are nominal, even if they aren't labeled nominal -- and if they are labeled nominal, they could be anything.

[soccerchapo12]

Anyone getting the webcast yet?

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by soccerchapo12

Anyone getting the webcast yet?

I finally got it working!

[Hawiian Cadder]

we used a roller with spokes comprising of rubber bands to solve this problem, the roller has 2-3 inches of compliance while still gripping tubes well. the roller is about 6 inches in diameter and then some grip.

[Rick TYler]

Originally Posted by BrendanB

I finally got it working!

And I finally gave up. It never worked for me.

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by Rick TYler

And I finally gave up. It never worked for me.

Ouch. The audio had some issues and it was kind choppy but it was better than nothing. I know that you can watch previous matches which is really nice!

[mwibbels]

Personally would appreciate it if FIRST would set an expectation that the tubes would have a mean of 7" for the body of the triangles and an mean of 8" for the body of the squares and circles.

I think that this could minimize the general tendency to inflate and compress with the C's- which generally renders the spec as it is currently being implemented fairly meaningless. In addition, I personally think this type of expectation would be more consistent with what was the more common reading of the tube size rules.