Is it true that the outer diameter of the pole is really 1 and 3 quarters of an inch
That’s close enough; the field drawing says to use 1.5 inch EMT which has an OD of 1.74 inches.
We’ve never seen the real pole used on an official field (most of us, at least, and those who might have, probably didn’t think to bring a caliper) so it’s hard to say. But that’s what the rules say.
Did any start building the pole yet??
My guess is that the pole on the official fields will be 1-3/4" x .095" steel tubing, the same stuff that most stock cars use in their roll cages.
EDIT: My Guess is wrong, however, the differences are unlikely to be THAT important. See Tristan Lall’s post below for the correct stuff.
1208 finished its pole today. We found the correct size (1-3/4 in OD) at a steel supply company.
The pole is Ø1.5 in nominal OD, Ø1.74 in actual OD EMT steel conduit. Wall thickness is roughly 0.06 in. McMaster-Carr will sell it to you as 7126K5 in a 10 ft length.
That’s different from Ø1.75 in steel tubing or pipe (like this, this or this, for example).
If you aren’t using EMT conduit, you’ve got the wrong stuff. For most minibots, the differences in surface finish and flexibility probably won’t matter too much—but given that the real stuff is so cheap, you might as well invest in the real material just to be sure.
But don’t buy it from McMaster Carr. Truck freight is kind of slow and expensive. Instead, go to your local hardware store, building supply store, or electric supply store.
I just picked one up today at a local Home Depot. 1 1/2" EMT SKU# 091111020056 $11.76.
I’ll just use my Festivus pole 
Mine is aluminum…magnets don’t work on it…darn