Why Did We Change To Flags???

[colin340]

Originally Posted by Ogre

Before there were fancy lights for robots, teams used to use interchangable colored panels. They were red or blue, 4"x6" polycarbonate panels with your team number on them. (I tried to find the manual, but no luck) That meant you had to have a large area to stick the panel onto the robot.

So, which method would you prefer to use:
Flags, LEDs, Dome lights, or Panels?

Flags, teams just need to make better mounts
use a shim or something

when an led got hit they would always break and some times glow green

[John Gutmann]

Originally Posted by whytheheckme

They also didn't risk falling out, breaking, and don't cause the team the trouble of having a 4 ft. long piece of pipe coming out of the base of their bot because if the flag is attached to the ramp which folds down, then the flag falls out (ok maybe that was too specific)...Jacob

They broke, if there was an intrusion into a robot there is the possibility of the colored light color breaking.

How about instead of using the flag we just all wrap out robots in color saran wrap. there! problem sovled!

If you really don't like the thread this much and with all the threads on here, why don't you all start emailing FIRST and tell them to change it. I mean after all you are the ones that play the game, not FIRST.

-John

[David]

Our robot still has one of those lights we had around the shop. Old habits die hard

[Ryan Albright]

I vote to go back to the LED's. I think in the past we just had the wrong LED's

These are the ones to go with

http://www.swps.com/led-x-exterior-lights.html

These are the new LED's Police agency's are starting to use.

SUPER BRIGHT, Alot of agencies around me use them and brag you can see them a mile away.

Kinda of expensive, but have dropped alot since they were mass produced about 3 years ago.

Here is a video to show you how bright they are

http://youtube.com/watch?v=z3FcTKlcf...elated&search=

[edit] just noticed these are the self contained ones, they also have wired ones[/edit]

[Schnabel]

Like I said in the other flag thread (man there are too many of them), use red and blue cold cathode tubes that flash in patterns. As far as keeping them safe, don't ask me, let that be up to the teams.

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by colin340

use a shim or something

469 jammed a piece of pool noodle foam in there to hold their flag steady.

[Jay H 237]

The flags seem like they will hold up the best and handle the most abuse. They may fall off and have to be put back on but they won't break like the rotating light or even the LEDs.

[SBass]

yeah, it's pretty bad when flags are flinging off and nearly spearing the head referee

[Kyle Love]

Man, I sure do love seeing those little flags go flying through the air. They add a new fun element to the game. Go little flags, go!

[LightWaves1636]

I'm okay with the the flags, the big revolving lights just take up too much space and suck up too much power. I liked the LED's but from a spectator's stand point it was hard to tell the teams apart(also, I liked the small red/blue LED lights way better than the Amber light this year). The only time I'm annoyed about the flags is if a tube gets thrown and it's caught(hasn't happen to anyone on our alliance yet, just flags getting thrown off), although I do love how team 2250 at the Colorado regional used their flag to get in the way of the human element, popped the tube too.(wasn't on purpose, very good match).