In Minnesota, our typical FLL competition area has the venue lighting turned down and a light bar mounted over the center of the two completion tables. We think it enhances the atmosphere and allows us to utilize a camera mounted on the same light bar to display match videos on large screens behind the competition tables.
We are currently planning for a joint FLL & FTC event and are considering having a single darkened competition area that will support both FLL and FTC. We are looking at lighting options to put some form of light bridge over the FTC field. Has anyone set up something similar for FTC or attended an FTC event with darkened competition area?
VAFIRST use have our FTC regional in a large test in the science museum. It was not heated and poorly lit. They placed a small bank of lights (fluorescent) over the fields to improve the lighting in that area.
What was your assessment of the lighting? Did it in any way affect game play?
Just to clarify what we’re considering. Our lighting would be very limited in the area illuminated. Something on the order of stage lighting that would provide lighting to the field and the participants, suspended about 10 feet overhead.
That’s about what they did as well with the 10 ft overhead. The lighting on the field was serviceable. The real problem I had was the low level of lighting in the pits and the snow that kept falling in us one year.
At the inaugural Florida FTC championship (FVC back then) I set up 2, 15’ tall light trees on either side of the field with some Source 4 Pars, some had red and blue gels for lighting alliance sides. It really looked awesome. We did a VEX event 2 years ago with some LED fixtures in a similar configuration that worked very well. All of the equipment was donated from my work, a stage lighting rental company.
