Question on mounting PVC for flag

[haroony341]

it looks like if we can come up with a way to keep our flag verticalat all times even if it comes down with the ramp. like have the flag holder on a hinge and the bottom weighed down to keep it straight up. that would make it higher that the tallest point of our robot, assuming we are completly flat when the ramps are down. do you think that would be a violation or not?

[waialua359]

This is still not clear. Even though it says to be 18" higher than the central mass of the robot, it is still subjective due to ramps deploying, moving arms, etc.
Every team technically will have a different design which may dictate the correct height/positioning of the flag.

[Wetzel]

This seems pretty clear to me. The flag should be above most of the robot most of the time. The holder needs to stay vertical so you don't dump it out on the field.

Remember, this is for identification purposes so think about that when placing your tube.

Wetzel

[waialua359]

Originally Posted by Wetzel

This seems pretty clear to me. The flag should be above most of the robot most of the time. The holder needs to stay vertical so you don't dump it out on the field.

Remember, this is for identification purposes so think about that when placing your tube.

Wetzel

Your reasoning for where it should be placed and the purpose, I understand completely. But based on past experience, inspectors are VERY technical about meeting the rules, even the flag positioning.
However, "The flag should be above most of the robot most of the time" is still vague.

[Justin M.]

We will be mounting it where "we feel is right". If it's not right at the competition, then we'll just simply ask the inspector to suggest a better place. This is why we never somewhat permanently mount the PVC.

[waialua359]

The problem for us is that our entire robot minus arm and ramp is only 12.25" above the ground max. If our ramp is deployed and arm moves which is just under 4' in the starting position, it will certainly rotate and move during the match, thus not give our flag a permanent vertical positioning.
Cant see making a 3' extension just for a flag.
We want to put our flag 18" above the central mass of the robot which is right above 12.25," but they may say "NO," it has to be 18 " higher than our 4' starting point, thus forcing us to create a huge "flagpole."

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by waialua359

Cant see making a 3' extension just for a flag.

In your case, I think making a dedicated flagpole sounds like the correct thing to do.

[lancerbotics]

I think that I am confused too. We are building a low center of gravity bot that will max out at probably 3 ft tall. Do we need to put a pvc pipe that extends 4" 18" on our bot or does the flag have to be just 18" taller than our highest point?

[MrForbes]

Originally Posted by lancerbotics

I think that I am confused too. We are building a low center of gravity bot that will max out at probably 3 ft tall. Do we need to put a pvc pipe that extends 4" 18" on our bot or does the flag have to be just 18" taller than our highest point?

"....top of the FLAG is a minimum of 18 inches higher than any point on the central mass or structure of the ROBOT....."

Sounds to me like you just need to put the flagholder at the highest point on your robot, and the flag will then be as high as the rule demands. The flag is at the top of a 36" tall rod, which fits into your 12" long PVC flag holder tube.

[lancerbotics]

Thanks that helps me alot. The flag is our last step before shipping. So I have some time to figure out where to mount it. It can be in a corner of the bot correct?