Anyone else using this? It's a neat tool that tries to calculate string tension by listening to the frequency of the string bed as you hit it. I set it up last night and tested and it's pretty neat. I got it to show 28lbs on my racket I just strung which should be right. Anyone have string data or frequency data to compare?
Yup tried it. Seem off by 5lbs at least. One of my racquet was strung at 25lbs, but the reading was 30lbs.
Mine seems to be somewhat accurate. I strung at 28 and it shows 28.5 or so. I have emailed the developer and he is looking into testing it some more.
Depend on the string and racquet head size. If you use thinner string, it will give you higher reading. If you have smaller head size (ARC-Z) higher reading as well.
I just bought it and I'm not impressed. The app is still full of bugs. If you create a new badminton racquet with say 22x21 strings, the description of the racquet will still say 16x20. Also, I can only get it to work half the time, and when it does, it doesn't do the same readings. There seems to be some bugs with how the app uses the settings you set. When starting the app for the second time, I had to go and create a second racquet and a second string type (identical to the first ones) to make it work. Still a lot of work to be done, but it is nice to see something like that is coming.
ClearTune is only $4, but excellent. Sensitive and accurate. Displays dominant frequency. Since I only use one type of string for all my rackets which are all isometric, I use it to check if my stringers are doing a good job or not, and also to monitor the tension falloff with use.
Thanks. I'll get ClearTune when I get the iPad 3 (I think that's next year release). I have the iPod Touch and it needs a microphone for it to use these apps. I should have gotten the iPhone instead of BlackBerry. BlackBerry is only good for BBM. Crappy apps and web browsing. Gonna get an Android or iPhone when my contract expires in 2 years.
IPod Touch 4 has a microphone if you don't want to invest into an IPad. It even has the frontal camera, like the IPhone. It's what I run RacquetTune on.
But I gotta remind you that ClearTune doesn't estimate the tension like RacquetTune. It just displays the dominant frequency, and the user uses that data to keep track of tension. It comes out to around 40-60 hz per lb difference.
Finally got around to purchasing these apps. Bought Cleartune and raquettune. What tool does everybody use to strum their racket to produce the sound?
Why do you use these apps? To me it seems that if you have your machine set up properly and calibrated before you string the racquet then it doesn't matter what the app says. If you string at 25lbs and the app says 30lbs (as somebody mentioned earlier) would you then cut the strings out OR play with it and feel the tension? I understand it could be useful to compare between two racquets you have at the same tension, but to me the feel is much more important than the sound...
Consistency. When you string for clients or friends, you don't want to give them a different tension everytime. When you string the same racket multiple times and the same sound comes off the ping, it means you're being consistent, which is probably the most important thing for a stringer (aside from not breaking rackets). Its more of a tool to check consistency than absolute truth imo. Also, even if your machine is well calibrated, a ton of factors can make your tension not be what you set up your machine for.
But unless your customer has one of these apps then they won't know the difference. The same machine, stringer, string, tension and time should result in the same +/- 0.5lbs tension between racquets. If your tool reveals your tension is too far out how much would you trust that to cut the strings out and restring the racquet so that the app reveals the same tension.
The idea isn't much of cutting your string if it doesnt make the right sound but more to check how consistent you are. So if the ping comes different everytime (by a lot), you might want to find why. If it comes the same, then you kind of have the assurance that you are stringing in a constant way.
Gonna test it out soon. I'll use both apps (ClearTune and racquetTune) on both VT80 w/BG80 @ 27lbs (fresh) and MX80 w/ VS850 @ 27lbs (w/ 2hrs play). Note to self - Different stringers. I'll post the results.