This user has no status.
Hello all,
after buying the new table tennisrobot Pongbot Omni S Pro and testing it for several hours I'd like to share my experiences with you. I also will compare the robot to other models like Powerpong Omega/Amicus Prime and Donic Newgy 2050 and 3050XL models.
It's my third robot after a Newgy 2050 and the Powerpong Omega. A short summary for those who don't know these models:
- Newgy 2050: a very solid entry choice, no spin changes possible during a drill though; costs around 800-900 EUR
- Newgy 3050XL: new flagship with rotating head, around +/- EUR 2000,-- (currently offered for $1300 on newgy !?!, probably + tax)
- Powerpong Omega: product from Hungary, identical to the Amicus Prime, 1700-1800 EUR
- Pongbot: new product from China in the high end sector, there were already some posts about it on TTD; the Omni S Pro Version is about EUR 1600,-- right now
So the last three robots are well comparable, because they offer similar functionalities (mainly the possibility of creating custom drills with changing spin) and prices.
My Powerpong has had some issues (problems with placement and speed) which are not solved yet, therefore I was looking for an improvement. At first I was hesistant to buy the Pongbot, because I wasn't sure about the final price with taxes and import duties. Their customer service was spotless, and I was quickly assured that the offered price was final, as they were sending it from Germany - therefore no import duties or added VAT, nor shipping costs. I ordered on a Saturday and received the parcel on Wednesday (shipment to Austria)!
So after trying the Pongbot for 5 hours, here some insights:
First you have to be aware of the different functionalities. The Powerpong/Amicus uses a stationary 3-wheel ejection system (google for photos). Direction is changed with a guide rail in front of the wheels. Advantage: easy access, spare parts like the wheels can easily be replaced. Disadvantage: balls which are directed to the side (backhand or forehand) kick to the side annoyingly. Sidespin balls feel slightly unrealistic. Dirt from balls can affect the functionality (was discussed in a post here). The height of the head can be adjusted, which is helpful for service drills and add to the functionality, but also require reprogramming existing drills.
The Pongbot looks quite futuristic, but the ejection system is probably the same as the Newgy flagship 3050XL: the head moves freely and points in the direction of where the ball is ejected. Two wheels are visible in the ejection hole. In my opinion more % of the table can be covered this way, also the sidespin is much more realistic (without the ball sidekicking). Maintainance/cleaning looks rather complicated with the Pongbot on first glance.
Setup: easy, but build up and dismantling is easier with the Powerpong. The Pongbot doesn't have a closure on top and no screws to adjust for table size. Other than that the Pongbot has the same concept as the Newgy 2050: plastic hardshells as sideparts, therefore you have to remove the training balls before dismantling. The Powerpong has sideparts made of fabric, which on the first glance looks cheap, but has some pleasant advantages: no ball removal necessary when dismantling, and no hitting noises nor stray bullets (when shooting at the plastic hard shells). The net of the Pongbot has a nice feature however: brake nets (like in handball goals).
Steering technology: the Powerpong comes with a tablet and is app-controlled. The Pongbot comes with an interesting touch unit. Both robots can also be controlled via mobile-phone-app. Connection is via bluetooth, there were no connectivity issues with neither robot yet. The Powerpong-Tablet can be charged during operation (connection cable with the main unit) and has a holding device for the table, the Pongbot touch unit has to be charged seperately and has no holding device.
Operation: a quite annoying problem with the Powerpong were frequent ball jams - no ball was feeded, the drill interrupted (there's also a post about that on TTD). With the Newgy 2050 ball jams were very seldom (mostly when foreign bodies jammed the ball supply), the Pongbot didn't have a single jam yet. Well, IF there's a ball jam - I wouldn't know what to do, as the feeding tube is not accessible. With Powerpong, it was quite a challenge to solve a problem (but possible), with the Newgy2050 it was very easy (just remove the transparent front plastic part and solve the problem). However, the Pongbot has a unique feeding system which looks very stable and solid. During my researches before buying the Powerpong I read some reviews that critisised the feeding system of the 3050XL heavily (frequent jams), but I can't comment on that personally.
Functionality of the Pongbot: there are prefabricated drills (basic - advanced - complex), which are average (serves for the flick drills are unrealistic and bad). But as an advanced player you will program your own drills anyway. The possibilities seem to be greater with the Pongbot as more % of the table can be reached. Serves and spin levels seem realistic. There are some good and unique features (like the expected trajectory of the ball). The downside is the functionality of the app: no scattering, no mirroring, no cloning or duplicating balls or drills. That makes creating complex drills cumbersome. The Powerpong-App however is excellent regarding functionalities, including a great "serve" - option to create serve/random continuation drills (the app was also the main reason why I ordered the Powerpong instead of the Butterfly Amicus Prime).
The Pongbot-App has a library-function which could be great, but the drills cannot be edited at all, so it's hit-and-miss. I can't even look at the settings of the used balls.
Accuracy: there's some deviation as with all robots, I expect more deviation with increasing levels of contamination and dirt on the wheels. I estimate +/- 5 cm deviation from the expected impact point, about the same as the Powerpong in the beginning.
Summary: I really like the Pongbot so far, doing drills is motivating and interesting. Hopefully the app will encounter some improvements, so programming your own drills will be faster and more efficient - a cloning option for drills and balls is required. A final evaluation can only be given after the stress test of ongoing use - what happens when the wheels get dirty or worn (will it influence the performance heavily?), availability of spare parts etc.
Please feel free to comment and ask questions.
Regards,
Stoni
after buying the new table tennisrobot Pongbot Omni S Pro and testing it for several hours I'd like to share my experiences with you. I also will compare the robot to other models like Powerpong Omega/Amicus Prime and Donic Newgy 2050 and 3050XL models.
It's my third robot after a Newgy 2050 and the Powerpong Omega. A short summary for those who don't know these models:
- Newgy 2050: a very solid entry choice, no spin changes possible during a drill though; costs around 800-900 EUR
- Newgy 3050XL: new flagship with rotating head, around +/- EUR 2000,-- (currently offered for $1300 on newgy !?!, probably + tax)
- Powerpong Omega: product from Hungary, identical to the Amicus Prime, 1700-1800 EUR
- Pongbot: new product from China in the high end sector, there were already some posts about it on TTD; the Omni S Pro Version is about EUR 1600,-- right now
So the last three robots are well comparable, because they offer similar functionalities (mainly the possibility of creating custom drills with changing spin) and prices.
My Powerpong has had some issues (problems with placement and speed) which are not solved yet, therefore I was looking for an improvement. At first I was hesistant to buy the Pongbot, because I wasn't sure about the final price with taxes and import duties. Their customer service was spotless, and I was quickly assured that the offered price was final, as they were sending it from Germany - therefore no import duties or added VAT, nor shipping costs. I ordered on a Saturday and received the parcel on Wednesday (shipment to Austria)!
So after trying the Pongbot for 5 hours, here some insights:
First you have to be aware of the different functionalities. The Powerpong/Amicus uses a stationary 3-wheel ejection system (google for photos). Direction is changed with a guide rail in front of the wheels. Advantage: easy access, spare parts like the wheels can easily be replaced. Disadvantage: balls which are directed to the side (backhand or forehand) kick to the side annoyingly. Sidespin balls feel slightly unrealistic. Dirt from balls can affect the functionality (was discussed in a post here). The height of the head can be adjusted, which is helpful for service drills and add to the functionality, but also require reprogramming existing drills.
The Pongbot looks quite futuristic, but the ejection system is probably the same as the Newgy flagship 3050XL: the head moves freely and points in the direction of where the ball is ejected. Two wheels are visible in the ejection hole. In my opinion more % of the table can be covered this way, also the sidespin is much more realistic (without the ball sidekicking). Maintainance/cleaning looks rather complicated with the Pongbot on first glance.
Setup: easy, but build up and dismantling is easier with the Powerpong. The Pongbot doesn't have a closure on top and no screws to adjust for table size. Other than that the Pongbot has the same concept as the Newgy 2050: plastic hardshells as sideparts, therefore you have to remove the training balls before dismantling. The Powerpong has sideparts made of fabric, which on the first glance looks cheap, but has some pleasant advantages: no ball removal necessary when dismantling, and no hitting noises nor stray bullets (when shooting at the plastic hard shells). The net of the Pongbot has a nice feature however: brake nets (like in handball goals).
Steering technology: the Powerpong comes with a tablet and is app-controlled. The Pongbot comes with an interesting touch unit. Both robots can also be controlled via mobile-phone-app. Connection is via bluetooth, there were no connectivity issues with neither robot yet. The Powerpong-Tablet can be charged during operation (connection cable with the main unit) and has a holding device for the table, the Pongbot touch unit has to be charged seperately and has no holding device.
Operation: a quite annoying problem with the Powerpong were frequent ball jams - no ball was feeded, the drill interrupted (there's also a post about that on TTD). With the Newgy 2050 ball jams were very seldom (mostly when foreign bodies jammed the ball supply), the Pongbot didn't have a single jam yet. Well, IF there's a ball jam - I wouldn't know what to do, as the feeding tube is not accessible. With Powerpong, it was quite a challenge to solve a problem (but possible), with the Newgy2050 it was very easy (just remove the transparent front plastic part and solve the problem). However, the Pongbot has a unique feeding system which looks very stable and solid. During my researches before buying the Powerpong I read some reviews that critisised the feeding system of the 3050XL heavily (frequent jams), but I can't comment on that personally.
Functionality of the Pongbot: there are prefabricated drills (basic - advanced - complex), which are average (serves for the flick drills are unrealistic and bad). But as an advanced player you will program your own drills anyway. The possibilities seem to be greater with the Pongbot as more % of the table can be reached. Serves and spin levels seem realistic. There are some good and unique features (like the expected trajectory of the ball). The downside is the functionality of the app: no scattering, no mirroring, no cloning or duplicating balls or drills. That makes creating complex drills cumbersome. The Powerpong-App however is excellent regarding functionalities, including a great "serve" - option to create serve/random continuation drills (the app was also the main reason why I ordered the Powerpong instead of the Butterfly Amicus Prime).
The Pongbot-App has a library-function which could be great, but the drills cannot be edited at all, so it's hit-and-miss. I can't even look at the settings of the used balls.
Accuracy: there's some deviation as with all robots, I expect more deviation with increasing levels of contamination and dirt on the wheels. I estimate +/- 5 cm deviation from the expected impact point, about the same as the Powerpong in the beginning.
Summary: I really like the Pongbot so far, doing drills is motivating and interesting. Hopefully the app will encounter some improvements, so programming your own drills will be faster and more efficient - a cloning option for drills and balls is required. A final evaluation can only be given after the stress test of ongoing use - what happens when the wheels get dirty or worn (will it influence the performance heavily?), availability of spare parts etc.
Please feel free to comment and ask questions.
Regards,
Stoni
