Ordering Trackballs & IR boards

[Gary Dillard]

I'm hoping you're being sarcastic Travis. My choices are a 48" ball or a 40" ball that weighs less than 2#? Maybe I should just stick a 10# sack of potatoes in a sleeping bag - probably behaves closer to the real thing.

[Travis Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Gary Dillard

I'm hoping you're being sarcastic Travis. My choices are a 48" ball or a 40" ball that weighs less than 2#? Maybe I should just stick a 10# sack of potatoes in a sleeping bag - probably behaves closer to the real thing.

Weight schmeight!

I haven't assembled the things so I don't know what the *real* bladder looks like, and I didn't see a weight rating listed for any of the items I linked (I wasn't looking for one). I noticed the similarity in diameter and cover and went from there.

At least I'm trying to find these items instead of hopelessly lamenting via haiku.

[Gary Dillard]

Originally Posted by Travis Hoffman

At least I'm trying to find these items instead of hopelessly lamenting via haiku.

I see right through your jealousy, grasshopper.

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Travis Hoffman

At least I'm trying to find these items instead of hopelessly lamenting via haiku.

a tip: cows colored
from different perspectives
create bladder loss

[xrabohrok]

I have not found anything on finding more IR boards. The part number listed in the documentation is for the Chip on the board, not the board itself.
Help!

[Gary Dillard]

Slight difference between the FIRST 40" bladder, at $30 and 2500g of PVC, and their standard 40" bladder, at $20.50 and 2200g of PVC.

[Gary Dillard]

I see the IR board has finally shown up (available and with a price) on the IFI FIRST store.

[Frank Neuperger]

Sportogo says they were the vendor to FIRST for the trackball cover but not the ball.
THe FIRST balls weigh 7.1 to 7.2 lbs. We did this measurement on a really good load cell.

The FIRST cover weighs ~1.5 lbs (weighed by Sportogo on spring scale with 1/10 lb graduations). This would suggest that the FIRST bladder should weigh 5.6 - 5.7 lbs.

The $20.50 Sportogo ball SP01501 weighs 4.4 Lbs (per Portogo) and does not have the "anti burst addative" that makes the PVS have the closed cell foam texture.

The $30 Sportogo Ball SP100001 weighs 4.8 lbs and does have the antiburst addative.

Both of the above bladders at almost 1 lb underweight. We are still on the hunt for the EXACT FIRST bladder.

Note that we did repair the 1.5 inch laceration in our ball by using PVC cement (the stuff for PVC pipes) and a patch made from a deflated 8" PVC ball of similar material (no foam) and clamping overnight. It seems to be holding air. We repaired the tear in the cover using an iron on patch before inflating the patched bladder. Be carefull with the temperature of the iron!