Portable basketball hoops

[jvriezen]

What have teams been using for a basketball hoop solution for off season demos?

We ending up building the plywood backboard, but used a old high school hoop (very heavy gauge!) and a 2x4 stand, similar to what was spec'd in the manuals. However, that doesn't fit in our trailer and we modified it to have some hinges and such, but that design is not holding up.

Wondering what other teams are using when they go to demo at a site that doesn't have a b-ball court (or gym floor that they don't want a robot running around on)

[Akash Rastogi]

You could make an elevator type lift with a detachable base/locking casters. Could be a cool exercise for your mechanical team. Could probably just manually raise/lower it and use something simple to lock it into place. OR you could create one that elevates up and also uses a linkage arm like many 2011 robots had. Of course this would probably require a lightweight backboard. http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6645095-0-large.jpg

[jvriezen]

Should have mentioned it needs to be fairly easily assembled/disassembled into pieces that will fit in our small trailer.

[HumblePie]

I had an adjustable hoop that lived in my driveway for 7 years that works fine. It has two nested poles that allow adjustment down to 8 feet. If I remove the two bolts that hold the backboard to the post, it stands around 7.5 feet tall. It has 2 wheels for transport, and fills with water for extra stability if we need it. It's rollable (into a trailer) with or without the water. Used ones should be easy to find for pretty cheap.

I started a different thread to see what folks are using for a more durable basketball, but no response yet. Any feedback is appreciated.

[CalTran]

What I've been thinking about doing is reducing the backboard size to just the reflective tape part (or whatever part you shoot off of) and the part that holds the hoop, and then making a reduced size basketball hoop. The reduced size would be about 4-6ft tall, depending on what height you want to shoot at. Assuming we're talking about just one basket, a simple box frame with two shorter a-frames perpendicular on the sides to support it upwards would suffice. Then, you can put this mini-hoop up on a table or some elevated surface where you are demo-ing. Folding tables work too.

[Tom Line]

I just purchased a portable basketball hoop for the dual purpose of my kids christmas present and the 2012 robot.

The vertical pole that supports the hoop has a pin in the middle so it can be disassembled and put in a trailer easily. The hoop is adjustable to 8 feet.

[jvriezen]

Originally Posted by Tom Line

I just purchased a portable basketball hoop for the dual purpose of my kids christmas present and the 2012 robot.

The vertical pole that supports the hoop has a pin in the middle so it can be disassembled and put in a trailer easily. The hoop is adjustable to 8 feet.

Can you give me a link to what you purchased ?

[Tom Line]

Originally Posted by jvriezen

Can you give me a link to what you purchased ?

I ended up with this one because it was on sale:

http://www.dunhamssports.com/product...ortable-66291/

The vertical post is actually 3 pieces. The last two pieces join between the base and the adjustment handle (and it actually goes down to 7.5 feet). The post is a beveled slip-fit that jams together as it slides together. I drilled through the bottom tube and put a bolt through so that the two tubes fit together but are never completely jammed (because it's a pain to get them apart if they are jammed tightly!). Then I drilled a second hole through both and put a bolt through that they couldn't turn or come apart. Just unbolt the bolt that goes through both and they slide apart.

[Samwaldo]

our team recently built one, for a robot competition we were in that involved us basically showing off our robot. It seperates into 6-7 pieces so that it can fit in a car, and we even painted it red, and white, and blue to grab attention. It is not the height of the game hoops. instead the top of the backboard is somewhere between 8-9 feet, so that its easy to put into any room, even when there's a low ceiling. We understand its not standard game height, but its better than nothing, and truly does make an impact on the audience when demonstrating your robots accuracy.

[Kevin Selavko]

We actually just attached a plywood backboard we made and hoop to the minibot polls and base from 2011 with u bolts.

[jvriezen]

Originally Posted by Kevin Selavko

We actually just attached a plywood backboard we made and hoop to the minibot polls and base from 2011 with u bolts.

We ended up doing something very similar-- in fact the same except instead of 2011 bases we used cinder blocks with EMT (mini-bot pole pipe) splicer connectors that were half embedded in concrete set in the blocks. Setup/takedown/transport are all very good. Basket is shorter than three point Rebound Rumble hoop, but most demo audiences don't know that, of course..

We demo'd at Rochester MN FLL tournament yesterday and prior to awards being handed out in the community college theater, we shot baskets on stage and shot balls into the crowd.. (Not for them to keep, but they tried making baskets from where they sat) Also one of our mentors played HORSE against the robot. (Lost HOR to zip) It went over very well.