HOW DO I HIT THE STRINGS TO RECORD THEIR SOUND?

To check the tension level and condition of your strings put your smartphone in front of you, click on “MEASURE NOW” and hit against the strings. Please do it close to the microphone! You can basically do this with any solid object. Most often, however, the palm of the hand or the frame of another racket is used

If you hit the frame of another racket against the strings, please make sure that there are no grommets outside the frame. These distort the sound and drag on the measurement process. You could also damage your strings with them. Alternatively, choose the handle of a screwdriver, a tablespoon,

WHAT DOES THE COLOURED CIRCLE AROUND YOUR MEASURING RESULT IN KG OR LBS MEAN?

The stringster app shows you the tension level of your strings surrounded by a coloured circle. A green circle indicates “strings are fresh”, a yellow circle indicates “strings are still ok”, a red one indicates “strings are dead”.

The colours do not stand for „high tension“, „mid tension“ and „low tension“!

WHY DOES THE STRINGSTER APP ASK YOU WHETHER YOUR RACKET WAS STRUNG WITH OR WITHOUT PRE-STRETCH?

Electronic stringing machines are equiped with a pre-stretch function. In the pre-stretch mode the machine over-pulls the tension like 10% for a moment, and then goes back to the ordered tension level.

Whether stringing was done with or without pre-stretch has a significant influence on the interpretation of the sound of the strings by the stringster app. So if your stringing was carried out with pre-stretch, you have to click on "with pre-stretch" when setting up a new string. This makes sure you get a correct measurement result.

WHEN DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO STRING WITH PRE-STRETCH?

Pre-stretching originated at a time when natural gut strings were not produced as perfectly as they are today. Due to pulling the strings with increased tension for a moment, the fibers of the string were able to fit together more firmly - and the desired tension level was maintained for longer. Even if natural gut strings are produced more stably today than in the past, most stringers still recommend the use of pre-stretch for this type of string.

In badminton today, however, almost only synthetic strings are used. And with synthetic strings, the effect of pre-stretch is discussed very controversial. So far, our measurements have also not been able to confirm that the ordered tension level is retained for longer thanks to pre-stretch. The disadvantage, however, remains that pre-stretch reduces the elasticity of the string from the start.

STRINGSTER TIP: If you normally use 10% pre-stretch, alternatively have your racket strung without pre-stretch - but instead with 5% higher tension than usual.

IN HOW FAR DOES A STRING LOGO CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF YOUR STRINGS?

Most stringers paint a large logo on the strings after stringing. This is to reduce the “sawing” of the strings while playing. It makes the strings last a little longer.

The color used to apply the string logo dampens the vibration of the strings. The measurement result with stringster is therefore approx. 100-200 grams lower - depending on how much color was used.

This means: If the measurement result for strings with a fresh string logo is 10,5 kg, in reality it’s about 10,6 kg–10,7 kg.

WHICH IMPACT HAS TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATION ON THE MEASURING RESULT?

All badminton strings react to changes of temperature. Temperature differences of 10–15 centigrade may already result in differences of tension level up to 200 gramms.

Extreme heat (e.g. leaving your racket inside the car during summertime) results in an irreversible decrease of tension level and elasticity. Strings may even be completely unusable afterwards.

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