Posted by Dan.
Student on team #10, BSM, from Benilde-St. Margaret’s and Banner Engineering.
Posted on 1/9/2000 8:49 PM MST
To someone who has a manual: how high is the yellow bar from the tip of the ramp? How high is the top of the trough? How wide is the ramp? I haven’t been able to reach the FIRST site so I don’t know if the field dimensions are up yet. I’m guessing other people face these same problems. Thanks for your help, :-Dan
Posted by Jon.
Engineer on team #190, Gompei, from Mass Academy of Math and Science and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Posted on 1/9/2000 9:55 PM MST
In Reply to: Field Dimensions posted by Dan on 1/9/2000 8:49 PM MST:
word on the street is that the field diagram and bom will be up on Monday.
i don’t have a manual but what i know is:
top of scoring trough is 6’
ramp is 1’ high, 8’ wide, not sure of the grade, looks like 14 degrees… 4’ base by estimate.
Posted by Raul.
Engineer on team #111, Wildstang, from Rolling Meadows & Wheeling HS and Motorola.
Posted on 1/9/2000 10:32 PM MST
In Reply to: Field Dimensions posted by Dan on 1/9/2000 8:49 PM MST:
I have the drawing they handed out at the kickoff.
: To someone who has a manual: how high is the yellow bar from the tip of the ramp?
>> 5 feet to the TOP edge of the pipe. Schedule 40 pipe is typically about 1.67’ OD.
How high is the top of the trough?
>> 6 feet to the top edge of the horizontal pipes.
How wide is the ramp?
>> It is made of two 4’x 8’ pieces of plywood on 2’x12’ boards. So it is 8 feet wide and 7’-9’ front to back.
Question for others:
Is anyone actually using aluminum pipe. We are still using the steel pipe. It is cheaper and much easier to get.
Raul
Posted by Joe Johnson. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.
Posted on 1/10/2000 3:20 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: Field Dimensions - the answer is… posted by Raul on 1/9/2000 10:32 PM MST:
We are going with steel at the Chief Delphi practice field.
FYI.
Joe J.
Posted by Sam Lindhorst.
Engineer on team #240, Mach Vee, from Jefferson High School and Visteon.
Posted on 1/10/2000 10:46 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: Field Dimensions - the answer is… posted by Raul on 1/9/2000 10:32 PM MST:
: Question for others:
: Is anyone actually using aluminum pipe. We are still using the steel pipe. It is cheaper and much easier to get.
: Raul
We’re using PVC pipe for the goals, and steel for the ‘hang out’… hmm… New suggestion for this year’s game name: ‘Hangin’ Out with the ‘Bots’. :o)
PVC is cheap and light, cheaper than steel pipe I think, and certainly easier to move around. We have to store our apparatus between classes (we teach a robotics class concurrent with the competition, and about 2/3’s of the team gets school credit for FIRST, 1/3 volunteer for no credit) Light equipment is a lot easier to move.
Also, what do guys think of the unlimited PVC in the kit? Resiliant and strong… maybe better than aluminum? With the increased volume we have, PVC might be the material of choice…
Sam
Posted by Allen Smith.
Engineer on team #7, Knights, from Parkville High School and Black & Decker/AAI/Raytheon.
Posted on 1/10/2000 11:38 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: Field Dimensions - the answer is… posted by Sam Lindhorst on 1/10/2000 10:46 AM MST:
If cost isn’t in the equation aluminum is your best bet for robot construction. There aren’t many structural components on an airplane made out of PVC, and I am sure they investigate strength vs. weight throughly in that field. PVC will fracture under impact loads - more so at low temp.
Posted by Erin.
Student on team #1, The Juggernauts, from OTC-NE, Oxford High School and 3-D Services.
Posted on 1/10/2000 6:50 PM MST
In Reply to: PVC vs. aluminum vs. steel posted by Allen Smith on 1/10/2000 11:38 AM MST:
i have an idea for all non-rookies, and those who has practice areas last year. RECYCLE!! cost-efficent. 
just think- teenagers are now thinking on the cheap side…maybe its a revolution! FIRST is doing great things!! hehe!
-erin
Posted by Dodd Stacy.
Engineer on team #95, Lebanon Robotics Team, from Lebanon High School and CRREL/CREARE.
Posted on 1/11/2000 7:41 AM MST
In Reply to: SOLUTION TO ALL PROBLEMS! posted by Erin on 1/10/2000 6:50 PM MST:
Good suggestion. We just recut the steel piping we had lying around from Ladder Logic 2 years ago. There was enough for one goal and the ‘monkey bar,’ and about half the needed Kee Klamp fittings.
Dodd
Posted by Daniel.
Coach on team #483, BORG, from Berkeley High School and NASA Ames & UC Berkeley.
Posted on 1/10/2000 1:55 PM MST
In Reply to: Re: Field Dimensions - the answer is… posted by Sam Lindhorst on 1/10/2000 10:46 AM MST:
take a piece of PVC and hold it at one end.
take a 6 year-old style baseball swing against a wall
pick up the pieces.
If you plan to hang off that bar, there are going to be a lot of people who dont’ want you there. I highly suggest NOT using PVC for anything structural. Especially not if it’s external. It works really well for things like conveyor rollers if you’re making a robotic vacuum cleaner for the balls. Especially because conveyors are typically internal mechanisms.
Posted by Lora Knepper.
Student on team #69, HYPER, from Quincy Public Schools and The Gillette Company.
Posted on 1/10/2000 4:26 PM MST
In Reply to: Re: Field Dimensions - the answer is… posted by Sam Lindhorst on 1/10/2000 10:46 AM MST:
: : Question for others:
: : Is anyone actually using aluminum pipe. We are still using the steel pipe. It is cheaper and much easier to get.
: : Raul
We’re using steel pipe too. We keep recycling the pipe from the past two years, same with the carpet. It’s cheaper than having to purchase new stuff every year. Hopefully, we’ll get the credit for robotics this year, but I’d do it anyway!
Lora Knepper
Team 69 (HYPER)
Posted by James Keohane.
Student on team #69, HYPER (Helping Youth to Pursue Engineering and Robotics), from Quincy Public Schools and The Gillette Company.
Posted on 1/10/2000 4:40 PM MST
In Reply to: Re: Field Dimensions - the answer is… posted by Lora Knepper on 1/10/2000 4:26 PM MST:
: : : Question for others:
: : : Is anyone actually using aluminum pipe. We are still using the steel pipe. It is cheaper and much easier to get.
: : : Raul
: We’re using steel pipe too. We keep recycling the pipe from the past two years, same with the carpet. It’s cheaper than having to purchase new stuff every year. Hopefully, we’ll get the credit for robotics this year, but I’d do it anyway!
: Lora Knepper
: Team 69 (HYPER)
Yes we are using the good old steel…
Team 69 (HYPER)
Posted by Chris Orimoto.
Student on team #368 from McKinley High School and Nasa Ames.
Posted on 1/11/2000 1:02 AM MST
In Reply to: Field Dimensions posted by Dan on 1/9/2000 8:49 PM MST:
I hate to be trite, but I just noticed that FIRST has finally posted its updated field dimensions on the usfirst.org website. But when I saw it, it was only 9:30 my time. So I don’t know if anyone else has recognized it yet. Anyway, hope that helps!