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What specifically
is involved in the Robo-Pong® set up?
To setup or take down the robot:
(1) Set the robot on top of the table. Fold down the robot's "wings"
(ball return trays). Fold down the front support mechanism.
(2) Pick up the robot and slide it onto the end of the table. The robot
secures itself by its own weight (about 20 pounds). This is similar to the
way child seats attach to restaurant tables. There are no clamps or other such attachment
devices to fool with.
(3) Attach the robot's side nets to your table net (it helps to
have a sturdy table net with a cord for adjusting net tension sewn at its top)
by capturing the table net between the side net's velcro fasteners.
(4) Plug in the transformer to a wall outlet and then into the bottom of
the control box. Plug in the Connector Cable to the bottom of the control box and
then plug it into the robot.
(5) Turn on the robot and you're ready to go.
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What are the maximums on ball frequency, ball speed and ball spinning speed
(RPM)?
Maximum ball frequency is 85-170 balls per minute depending on model and maximum
ball speed is approximately 65-75 MPH. We do not have a way to measure ball spin
RPM but it realistically simulates the spin that is on serves, fast loops, pushes
and chops.
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My ping-pong® table rests on top of our pool table, there are no corner
legs for support. Will this machine cause a balance problem in this scenario?
All Robo-Pong® models will work on ping-pong® conversion tops for 8-foot
or shorter pool tables. It will not work on 9-foot pool tables unless it sits on
the Robo-Caddy on the back of the table. It will not cause an imbalance to the top.
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Why can’t I vary speed
and spin independently?
Since the machine only has one wheel to create BOTH speed and spin, it is only possible
to adjust these two characteristics proportionally to one another. Although this
sounds quite confining, it actually works out well, leaving only three shots that
Newgy can't reproduce well — no spin "floaters", flat kills and
slow loops. Other shots like serves, pushes, chops, lobs, fast loops and counters
are reproduced well, with minimal adjustment. This design allows Robo-Pong®
to be offered at a comfortable cost with minimal maintenance required.
While there are more expensive robots out there that can do more, our experience
is that they are too complicated to adjust and use, defeating much of the advantages
that they offer. For the price, there is no other robot in the world that gives
you the functionality and ease of use that the Newgy Robot does.
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How does the remote control box function?
For the 540, 1040 and 2040 models- The control box is placed on the side of the
table close to the player’s free hand. The player can control 4 functions
at the box:
(1) Turn unit on or off.
(2) Adjust ball speed from 10 MPH to 65 MPH.
(3) Adjust ball frequency from 15 balls per minute to 85 balls per minute.
(4) Adjust side-to-side head movement from slow to fast. (no oscillation
control on 540 model)
Controls that must be adjusted at the robot include:
(1) Head angle—to produce low shot, high shot or select serving action
(ball hits robot's side of table first) or return action (ball hits
player's side of table first).
(2) Spin—select topspin, underspin, sidespin, or combination spin.
(3) Oscillation Range—select the area of the table that sweeping action
will occur within. You may choose eight different ranges, from full table to one-quarter
table. With oscillator on, robot will deliver balls only within the selected range.
For the 1050 and 2050 models- The control box is placed on the side of the table
close to the player’s free hand.
(1) Turn unit on or off.
(2) Adjust ball speed from less than 10 MPH to 65 MPH.
(3) Adjust ball frequency from 1.2 balls per minute to 170 balls per minute.
(4) Adjust side-to-side head movement from slow to fast.
(5) Oscillation Range—select the area of the table that sweeping action
will occur within. You may choose several different ranges, from full table to one-quarter
table. With oscillator on, robot will deliver balls only within the selected range.
(6) You may also select from 64 pre-programmed drills or create your own
through our Robo-Soft program by connecting a PC to your robot’s control box.
Controls that must be adjusted at the robot include:
(1) Head angle—to produce low shot, high shot or select serving action
(ball hits robot's side of table first) or return action (ball hits
player's side of table first).
(2) Spin—select topspin, underspin, sidespin, or combination spin.
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What type of warranties, guarantees and service policies do you offer?
Your Robo-Pong purchase is protected in three ways: (1) a 30-Day Unconditional
Money Back Guarantee, (2) a standard 1-Year Limited Warranty and (3)
an industry-leading 5-Year Service Policy. Details of the Warranty and Service Policy
are included with the Owner's Manual that comes with the robot. All North and
South America service and parts orders are fulfilled from our headquarters in Hendersonville,
Tennessee. If you live outside North and South America, look under International
in this FAQ list for repair information.
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Do you
recommend purchasing any spare parts for replacement?
The only parts that can wear out with heavy use are the Ball Speed Discharge Wheel,
Friction Block and Discharge Spring. If you are the owner of a Model 1929 or Robo-Pong®
2000 manufactured from 1993 to 1999, and you have a problem with dirt clogging up
the ball feed gears, you may order a new dust-free mechanism (part #2000-508).
This mechanism is standard on all Newgy robots manufactured after 1999, but can
be added to any Newgy robot that has a brass (instead of plastic) post for
attaching the Ball Feed Main Gear.
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How much clearance around a regulation size table is required for operation
of the robot, particularly on the robot’s side?
The robot takes up about 12 inches of room on its side of the table. You can back
up the robot right against a wall. Since the table is 9 feet, the table with a robot
mounted on the end would be 10 feet. The robot is perfect for playing table tennis
in a limited space. By setting the robot to its lower speeds, you can stroke the
ball with your body only a few inches from your end of the table. Minimum recommended
court size is 15 feet. You may be able to get by with a foot or two less if you
have a very short backswing, but that normally leads to bad form on your strokes.
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Does the Robo-Pong® require any special care and is it easy to maintain
and fix if a problem does occur?
The only maintenance required by Robo-Pong® is to keep the robot clean. To
that end, it helps if you also keep the room you play it in very clean. Dirt normally
enters the machine primarily on the surface of the balls after they have rolled
around on the floor. The parts you need to clean periodically (depending on
how clean your room is) are the Friction Block and Ball Discharge Wheel in the
head of the robot (from where the balls are shot) and the transfer gears
at the foot of the unit where the balls are picked up.
Maintenance is very easy. Cleaning the parts that get dirty takes approximately
30-45 minutes. If you keep your playing area reasonably clean, you would only
need to do this on average once a year. If you play on carpet, have pets that shed
hair, or play in dirty conditions, you may have to do it as often as every week.
The robot comes with a complete Owner's Manual that details set-up, take-down,
adjustment, maintenance, troubleshooting, assembly/disassembly, and a parts
list. We also offer a toll free customer service line for questions not answered
in the manual.
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Is there
some type of netting which captures returned balls?
Premium Robo-Pong® models come with a net collection system the captures and
recycles balls. The net is contained within the space dimensions given above. Balls
are automatically recycled if they are hit into the net system.
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How
long can I keep Robo-Pong® running without turning it off?
You can keep the robot going for many hours at a time. In some of our tests, we
have kept the robot going for more than 24 hours straight.
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If I were to take the robot on the road, for use on another table, can
it easily be set up and taken down? How about the net that captures returned balls?
This is one of the outstanding features that sets our robot apart from other models
available in Europe and Japan. The Robo-Pong® comes fully assembled in the
box so you can start to play within a few minutes of unpacking it. It takes less
than 5 minutes to put the robot on or take the robot off the table. The net and
robot are attached during use, transport and storage.
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If I take proper care of the robot, how long can I use it in excellent
conditions?
You can expect many years of use from your robot. We have many customers who bought
robots when we first started selling them in 1988 and are still using them today.
They are very durable and dependable.
