Need help LP or Antros Conductive lightweight rubber piste

[Harrychoi]

in order to up grade the standard of competition in out local match, our committee are now looking at buying 8 to 12 new pistes and would appreciate if anyone can give a comment on Conductive lightweight rubber pistes.

1. Leon paul or Antros or are they the same.

2. life expectancy, we will be using 12 two day events per year.

3. we will be using them on wooden floor (in door sport hall)

4. Time to set up ( we normally have only half an hour to set thing up)

5. how's the feel compare to aluminum section (allstar) we have them but very hard to get help to set it up. especially after a long day.

thanks |||

[brtech]

We've tested them at NACs. So far, they aren't acceptable, but USFA use is different from most use so Your Mileage May Vary

LP and Artos pistes are different, and AF and BG each have ones that appear to be different. I don't know how many actual manufacturers there are, but the vendors each have somewhat different product. Rubber thickness is different and the surface is different.

We use them over concrete. Fencers don't like that. When used over concrete, we get holes. The holes are not big enough to cause an actual problem, but we are very worried they wont last.

They do set up fast. You can tape one end down, unroll it, and stretch/tape the other down very quickly. We tape the sides, because it slips too much over concrete. Over wood, it doesn't appear to slip as much.

They are much slicker than the aluminum sectional strips. That is one of the fencers complaints.

Over concrete, I don't think they will last a season of USFA use (which is 6-7 events of 3-4 days, plus a 10 day event) at least the last version we tested. They are improving. We'd really like it to work. Even if they last a season, it might be worth it to save shipping costs.

[rsy]

The NJ Division purchased 4 AF strips last year. They are used at 10 2-day events per year and they are laid down over athletic floors (wood or compound). They are easy to lay down and take up and after a year of use the only wear and tear are some small holes matching the circumference of a foil or epee tip. We are still experimenting with how best to repair them.

We have borrowed an Antros strip and it is considerably lighter (maybe 50 kg v 100 kg) which makes it much easier to transport than the AF strips. It seemed to have slightly better traction than the AF strips, but there is more movement that needs to be controlled with tape, although not as much as I had expected. Its performance is similar overall to the AF. But the Antros strip we borrowed had considerable amounts of fraying all along both edges which, if endemic to the design, I would deem unacceptable.

Mr. Chen has loaned us one of BG's prototype roll-ups. It is similar in weight and performance to the AF strip, but may be more resistant to the small tip-sized holes, (Mr. Chen flicked it repeatedly with a foil with no damage). Perhaps as a result, the BG strip is a bit slipperier than the AF.

In looking at purchasing roll-up strips vs metal sectional strips, we compared the cost of acquisition, storage and transportation. We found that those costs for metal strips are so much higher than the costs for the roll-up strips, that if the roll up strips only last about 2 1/2 seasons, they can be replaced and it is cheaper than having the metal strips.

The set up time is quicker than laying out a strip with tape. It takes two people to unload a strip from the van, one person to transport it with a hand truck, 1 or 2 people to position it and one person to roll it out. Once they are positioned, you roll them out, tape one end (about 3-4 strips of 3" painter's tape), make sure they are straight and flat and then tape the other end. Mis en place, less than 5 min per strip.

We are more than satisfied with the performance of the AF strips.

-r

[swordsen]

We have four that were made by FWF. They are light, easily transportable, dirt simple to lay out. WE are a bit worried about the long term durability. To be truly cost effective they will have to last a LOT longer than 2-3 seasons. (Or the price has to come down substantially)

But we quite like them.

[Harrychoi]

first I would like to thanks every one for replying to my post and their valuable comment.

One of the reply from fencing .net suggested that I should also look at absolute fencing, since than I have received quotation and reply from them.

Now I have the following question.

1. hows the AF product (thin) compare with LP and Arthos in terms of durabilities.

2. if price are not our major concern what should we get.

3. is there other manufacturer or product that we should be looking at.

Thanks again!!!

Harry Choi

[rsy]

Originally Posted by Harrychoi

Now I have the following question.

2. if price are not our major concern what should we get.

If you are comparing a roll-up type strip vs an aluminum sectional strip, weight and size create transportation and storage issues that need to be considered.

The sectional strips weigh about 800 lb. each and require a sheetrock cart or other heavyweight dolly to move them around efficiently. If you buy four strips, their weight plus the rest of the equipment you need for a tournament probably exceeds 3500 lb. I don't think that you can rent a U-Haul type trailer that will handle that much weight. If you rent a truck and don't have many willing hands and strong backs, getting the strips onto the truck bed can present a problem. Ramps found on rental trucks may not be wide enough to accommodate sheetrock carts and if you are short handed you may need to address these issues with a powered lift gate.

Because of their weight, set up and tear down of the sectional strips will require more people. Two people can efficiently setup, tear down and store 4 strips without overburdening themselves. I guess that 3-4 times that number would be needed for the sectional strips.

Our division rents a 5x10 public storage space to store all of its equipment (4 roll up strips, 18 scoring machines, 36 reels, floor cords, stands, supplies, printers, etc.) and the space could easily accommodate another 4 or more roll up strips. 4 sectional strips would require the rental of at least twice that space.

-r