FAQ's -ROBOTS

Q: What's the maximum ball frequency, ball speed and ball spinning speed (rpm.)?

A: Maximum ball frequency is 85-90 balls per minute and maximum ball speed is 65-75 MPH. We do not have a way to measure ball spin RPM, so we do not have this specification, sorry. I will say, though, that the spin is very realistic, and simulates very well the spin that is on serves, fast loops, pushes, chops, etc..

Q: Why can I not vary speed and spin independently?

A: Since we only have one wheel to create BOTH speed and spin, it is only possible to adjust these two characteristics proportionally to one another. Although this at first sounds quite confining, it actually works out quite well in real life with only three shots that the Newgy can't reproduce well — no spin "floaters", flat kills, and slow loops. Other shots like serves, pushes, chops, lobs, fast loops, counters, etc. are reproduced well, with minimal adjustment.

This same design also allows the Newgy to be low cost & maintenance. There is no other robot in the world that gives you the functionality and ease of use that the Newgy Robot does for its price. To get those "missing" 3 types of shots, you would have to purchase a robot costing twice as much or more and it would be more difficult to adjust and keep running.

The Newgy Robot is by no means perfect. I've yet to discover a robot that is. While there are more expensive robots out there that can do "more", my experience with them is that they are too complicated to adjust and use, defeating much of the advantages that they offer. For the price, Newgy Robots are the best robots available, and by far, are the easiest robots in the world to use.

Q: What type of warranties/guarantees/service policies do you offer?

A: Your robot purchase is protected 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 done at our headquarters in Gallatin, Tennessee. If you live outside North and South America, look under International in this FAQ list for repair information. Also Newgy is a member in good standing with both the Better Business Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce. We invite you to inquire about our company with either of these two fine business quality-assurance organizations.

Q: I don't have much space in my home for a table. How much clearance around a regulation size table is required for operation of the robot (particularly on the robot's side)? Is there some type of netting which captures returned balls? Do returned balls automatically get reloaded into the robot?

A: 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. Robo-Pong 2000 comes with a net collection system for capturing and recycling balls hit into it. The net is contained within the space dimensions given above. Balls are automatically recycled if they are hit into the net system.

The robot is perfect for playing table tennis in a limited space. Much more so than having two people play on opposite sides. 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.

Q: If I were to take the robot "on the road" (to a nearby facility) and set it up on their table, is it easily set up/taken down? How about the net that captures returned balls?

A: This is one of the outstanding features that sets our robot apart from other models available in Europe and Japan. The Newgy Robot comes fully assembled in the box so you can be playing on it 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 together during use, transport, or storage.

Q: If I take proper care of the robot, how long can I use it in excellent conditions? (Months, years, in your experience!) How long can I keep Robo-Pong working without stopping it?

A: 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 who are still using them. They are very durable and dependable. 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.

Q: About maintenance, does it require any special care? Is it easy to maintain and fix if problems occur? Do you provide some after sale service? ? Do you recommend getting any spare parts for replacements?

A: The only maintenance is to keep the robot clean. In that regard, it would help tremendously if you also keep the room you play in very clean since dirt normally enters the machine primarily on the surface of the balls after they have rolled around on your 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 (where the balls are shot out) and the transfer gears at the foot of the unit where the balls are picked up.

Maintenance is very easy. To clean the parts that get dirty would take approximately 30–45 minutes. If you keep your playing area reasonably clean, you would only need to do this maybe 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 parts list. We also offer free telephone customer service if you have a question that is not answered in the manual.

The only parts that can wear out under 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.

Q: I have been wondering about the functions of the remote control box. Could you please briefly explain this to me?

A: The control box is placed on the side of the table close to the players 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 75 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.

Controls that must be adjusted at the robot are:

(1) Head angle—to produce low shot or 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 what 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.

Q: Can you tell me the specifics of what it takes to set it up? Also, since 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 (will it cause the table top to tilt or fall over)?

A: Robo-Pong 2000 will work on ping pong conversion tops for 8-foot or shorter pool tables. It will not work on 9-foot pool tables unless you set it on the Robo-Caddy in back of the table. It will not cause an imbalance to the top. The specifics of setting up or taking down the robot are:

(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.