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Calibration procedure

Q: I inherited an old Ektelon stringing machine, but it didn’t come with a manual. Do you have any information on it? It still works, I just don’t know how to ensure the calibration is correct.

A: In general, we don’t have manuals for old stringing machines, so we can’t help you there. However, all of the “Ekte-clones” work about the same. To adjust the calibration, you have to change the point at which the brake lever catch releases the brake lever. Typically, there is a small adjuster somewhere on the tension head assembly that controls this adjustment. Check the front of the tension head assembly (the side that faces the mounted racquet) to see if there is a small hole with an Allen-head screw inside.

If the calibrator reads lower than the reference tension, you need to make the adjustment so that the brake lever catch releases the brake lever later, so you would turn the adjuster screw so that there is less pressure on the brake lever catch. If the calibrator reads higher than the reference tension, you need to make the release point earlier, which means increasing the pressure on the brake lever catch. However, as mentioned in the tip above, you always want to make your adjustment from low to high, so in this second case you would adjust the release point until the calibrator reads low, and then adjust back up to the correct release point.

If the tension head is simply worn out, but the clamps and the rest of the machine are in good shape, you can virtually eliminate your calibration problem by fitting an electronic Wise 2086 Professional Tension Head. Wise can be found on the web at www.tennishead.com, or reached by phone at 888-836-7466.

From the July 2006 issue
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