Home » RSI magazine » Ball Machines » Ball Machine Selector 2006 — Power

Ball Machine Selector 2006 — Power

Runs on Battery or Power Cord

An “X” in this column means that you can power the machine with a battery or a power cord plugged into an electrical outlet.

Runs on Power Cord Only

Machines in this column require an electrical outlet for power.

Runs on Battery Only

These machines can only be powered by a rechargeable battery.

Battery Amp/Hour

This is an indication of how much “juice there is in the batteries.” It is a measure of the number of amps of electricity the battery can deliver in 1 hour. One manufacturer described amp/hours as being like a car’s gas tank. More amp/hours is like a bigger gas tank, meaning that the machine can run longer on a charge. We are publishing this number instead of the machine’s battery-life. We felt publishing this number for each machine helps reduce any discrepancies in the battery life that is indicated by each of the manufacturers.

Battery Life Indicator

These machines have some sort of indicator to let you know how much battery life is left. Once again, some of these indicators are more informative than others. Talk with the manufacturer for a more detailed description of how it works.

Battery Swapability

An “X” in this column means that the machine allows you to take out a battery that is almost out of juice and replace it with a fresh battery. However, keep in mind that to do this you will have to purchase a spare battery.

Smart Charger comes Standard

All battery-operated machines come with a charger to recharge the batteries as they wear down. But, machines with an “X” in this column come with a smart charger included in the listed price. A smart charger is designed to recharge your battery until it is fully charged. Then, when your battery is fully charged, it reduces the voltage that it feeds to the battery to just enough to keep it fully charged. A regular charger would keep feeding excess electricity to your battery after it is fully charged until the charger is unplugged. This excess electricity can degrade your battery and ultimately shorten your battery’s life-span. But, a smart charger allows you to keep your charger plugged in without damaging your battery.

Smart Charger available as Option

Machines with a dollar amount in this column come with a standard charger included in the listed price. But, for the extra fee listed in this column, you can get a smart charger (as described in the previous feature) instead.

From the July 2006 issue
Permalink