I’m looking for the best designs to quick swap license plates without having to screw them in.
Screw one in and attach the other ones with IQ pins.
Don’t have a pic but I will soon
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Also, be sure to “black out” the backside of the permanent plate in accordance with R26-c of the game manual.
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Yes definitely
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if you want the stl file I can send it to you, it does work, and I have used it in competitions, it already has screws holes in the right spots too so you can mount easily onto vex parts. Also for how it works you stick a red and blue license plate together and before a match you take it out flip it to the correct team color then put back in.
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There are a number of different designs on thingiverse as well if you want to 3D print something:
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If your organization has IQ parts than the corner connectors work great.
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Here’s a Link to a “VEX Quick-Flip License Plate Holder” on Thingiverse.
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As a Referee, I consider IQ pins the worst possible way to quick-swap license plates. It often results in the top plate popping off, which makes it very hard for Referees to accurately call robot interactions. It’s legal, but I’d strongly recommend against it!
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Sorry you feel that way. I have teams that use the VIQ 1x2 pin and capture the inside with a 1x1 beam or a rubber shaft collar. It’s up out of the way so it’s not going to get hit by the other robot. Hasn’t been a problem all season.
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Sounds like your region’s teams have found a good workaround that makes IQ pins a valid option. Hey, Colorado teams: you should do it Foster’s way if you’re going to do it!
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I was just saying one option. I have seen teams that have modified that approach to make it better. Personally I just use screws with keps nuts to attach the license plates (which is like the only thing that keps nuts are good for.
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I’ll start taking notes.
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If you have a 3d printer or access to one, people in previous posts have mentioned some great options for files. Here is the thingiverse link to the one I personally use. It has worked great for me so far, it has a ton of holes on the back for mounting and is easy to use.
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Slide and flip is fine, just need to remember to black out the edges so the hidden color isn’t seen. Your design is really nice with all the holes to pick from.
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that could work really well, thx
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Thanks.
Is the top edge of the back plate showing an issue you’ve come up against? It’s been fine for us as most teams have much more of the back plate showing. As a ref/inspector I am more than fine with it, but if it does matter, may I need to redesign a bit.
There are some refs I observed from my kid’s season that are very strict about that, and considering it’s in the rules explicitly, better to comply with it as best you can, either by blocking off the back side in a two-plate configuration or making it quickly swappable.
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The rear side definitely needs to be blocked. It gets confusing otherwise. I am curious if just showing the top edge of the rear plate is an issue.
When I was reffing our state championships, many teams had plates back-to-back with the simple IQ pins holding the front one on. (The rear plate was bolted on and we made sure they taped the backs if they were visible.)
The problem with the IQ pins was that there were approximately 6 matches where one of the front plates fell off and showed the rear plate. I’m pretty sure that one of the elimination matches ended with 3 different plates laying on the field - 2 from one robot now completely misidentified. It definitely made things more difficult. If this had been happening earlier in the day I would have made them secure them in another way.
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My old school used velcro to slap them on. It worked really well, as long as the velcro backing stuck to the frame