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Why Are They Called 'Hardcore' Geohubs Connectors?
Unlike irrigation-type PVC connectors, which are hollow to let water or air go through, Sonostar hubs are designed for the specific function of building geodesic domes. In order to maximize the strength of each arm to the center, our computer modeling showed us that the core should be molded solid.
Easier geodome cover attachment
We could have called them ‘Solid-Core’. So, strength is the main reason. But there are other benefits. When you go to attach a cover to the outside of your dome (or the inside we’ve seen both) you can screw or attach right into the solid plastic without compromising the integrity of the hub. There is a molded circle on the top side of the hub that helps you position your screw holes. If you’re attaching on the bottom side, you’ll just have to eyeball the point where all the lines converge.
Hardcore hub connectors and wiring your geodome
What if you want to snake a piece of electrical wire (i.e. for a photovoltaic panel) through the struts and hubs, so it’s out of sight? Go ahead and do it by drilling through the arms to the center. There’s enough strength in the hard center of the hub to handle that, and remember you’re also distributing the stress of the structure across all the other hubs, too. So, running one line down through the skeleton won’t compromise the strength of your dome.
The final reason is that a lot of us domophiles suffer from low self-esteem. Our friends call us names like ‘nerdy engineer’, or ‘geeky inventor’. The truth is that we’re just as macho as our muscle-brained counterparts, only we let our ideas do the talking for us. ‘Hardcore’ really does describe those of us who put into reality the designs we see in our imaginations. So now when we tell our friends we're using ‘hardcore hubs’, they go, “Ahhhh…” and have a whole new respect for us. Of course, that could all be in our imagination, too!
