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WTB a Quality Indicator


blue32
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I am on the hunt for the perfect indicator for me. The quality of a lot of the ones out there, in 3 dial anyway, is extremely lacking. I went to a 3 dial this season, and have purchased 2 Champro's, and on both, the paint on the numbers wore off after a few uses. They are also made from "metal" about as thin as metal can be rolled, so they are extremely flimsy. The biggest design flaw is that the numbers on the dials are embossed rather than engraved, so my fingertips rest right on the numbers and the paint easily rubs off after the course of a game or two. I have used plastic ones in the past, but I prefer the metal ones, because they are a little thinner, and the dials seem to turn easier, IMO.

I have 2 Markwort 4 dial stainless indicators, that have lasted 10 years, with the only issue being the letters on the face have finally worn off. So this year, I tried a 3 dial, and I like the smaller size much better. Markwort makes a 3 dial, but it's made differently than the 4 dial, so I'm not sure how it will turn out, and for some strange reason, very few places carry it. And it's not a 3-2-2.

What would be the perfect indicator for me is this:

Stainless Steel......3 Dials........3-2-2 format......and balls on top. I also need the dials to stick out just far enough so I can notch the 0 with a file. 

Anyone out there know of such an animal, and where I can acquire one? Thanks in advance!

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2 hours ago, Catch18 said:

Hopefully you find one. I use Diamond and they make a great plastic one. No clue why their metal on has strikes on top when the plastic version has balls on top. Stupid.


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Because they don't actually make them. Just put an all star sticker on them.

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10 hours ago, grayhawk said:

I love the All Star.  It's durable (heaviest indicator available) and every number on balls, strikes and outs is notched.  

Yeah that one is definitely a tank. It's a 4 dial though. If Markwort made a stainless 3-2-2, 3 dial with balls on top in the same material and style as the 4 dial they currently make, it would be the exactly what I am looking for. They have a 3 dial, but it's strikes on top

@JimKirk Can you make a phone call and make that happen, buddy? :wave:

 

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24 minutes ago, Mussgrass said:

Bit of a hijack here but why are so many indicators 4-3-3? I could see in slowpitch making use of it to keep track of a courtesy foul, but that is all.

Not a hijack at all mussgrass. It's right on topic. Now, the one right below yours...

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1 hour ago, Kevin_K said:

I prefer this one:  none!

The wheels never stick, the numbers wear off, the materials are not shoddy, and it is unlikely that I cannot find another

Mine gets rusty. Especially after a foul ball within the park that needs to be retrieved before continuing, botched pickoff play, or anything else out of the ordinary.

I love this one, but it's a 4 dial.

I have found a good use for that 4th dial though - I work a league that has a per-inning run limit. At the beginning of every half-inning, I set that dial to the score for the team coming to bat. Makes it easy to see when we've reached the run limit.

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Lots of good indicator ideas. A few insights on indicators. 

1) The All-Star Steel indicator several of you have mentioned has become the best reviewed indicator this year.

https://www.ump-attire.com/Baseball-Umpire-Equipment/Bags-Tools/Indicators/BB-SS_Markwort-4-Dial-Stainless-Steel-Umpire-Indicator-433-Count

2) The Markwort stainless has been one of my favorite indicators for years but several price increases from Markwort have had us raising the price more than we'd like. So the idea of a 3-dial option that's a 4/3/3 I'm not as excited about asking them to do.

3) Optic yellow dials are the trend. More are going that route these days over the white.

4) On the issue of words "strike", "balls" and "outs" running off, Champro was to have fixed that over a year ago.

5) A customer gave us a good technique to keep the paint from fading if you wanted extra insurance.

https://www.ump-attire.com/Umpire-Articles/Keep-Your-Umpire-Indicator-Letters-from-Fading

There's nothing else on the horizon in new indicators that I'm aware of. We'll keep our eyes out. For now, looks like the plan is for umpires to find the BEST available option for them. (If not quite the PERFECT).

GOOD TOPIC! Love talking indicators.

BTW-Sorting for the most popular umpire indicators in the last 12 months, you'll find these.

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14 hours ago, dl1340 said:

I have used the UDC indicator for the last three years. I ordered a new one to have as a backup. I had the metal markwort before and prefer the UDC over it

I like the UDC also. A backup is not a bad idea. You might have to reglue the faceplate to the body at some point.

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37 minutes ago, JimKirk said:

Lots of good indicator ideas. A few insights on indicators. 

1) The All-Star Steel indicator several of you have mentioned has become the best reviewed indicator this year.

https://www.ump-attire.com/Baseball-Umpire-Equipment/Bags-Tools/Indicators/BB-SS_Markwort-4-Dial-Stainless-Steel-Umpire-Indicator-433-Count

2) The Markwort stainless has been one of my favorite indicators for years but several price increases from Markwort have had us raising the price more than we'd like. So the idea of a 3-dial option that's a 4/3/3 I'm not as excited about asking them to do.

3) Optic yellow dials are the trend. More are going that route these days over the white.

4) On the issue of words "strike", "balls" and "outs" running off, Champro was to have fixed that over a year ago.

5) A customer gave us a good technique to keep the paint from fading if you wanted extra insurance.

https://www.ump-attire.com/Umpire-Articles/Keep-Your-Umpire-Indicator-Letters-from-Fading

There's nothing else on the horizon in new indicators that I'm aware of. We'll keep our eyes out. For now, looks like the plan is for umpires to find the BEST available option for them. (If not quite the PERFECT).

GOOD TOPIC! Love talking indicators.

BTW-Sorting for the most popular umpire indicators in the last 12 months, you'll find these.

As always, your response is much appreciated! Not that it changes things, but Markwort has a stainless 3 dial that's 4/3/3. What they don't have is one that is 3/2/2. 

The issue with the Champro optic 3 dial is not the "Balls, Strikes, Outs" lettering, it's the numbers on the dials themselves. The paint wears off the embossed numbers very quickly. I ended up repairing it with a sharpie, and that has worked better than the original paint job did.

Thanks again for allowing us to get a peek behind the curtain from time to time, and keep up the good fight!

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I've been using a metal 3-2-2 with balls on top that I got from Gerry Davis years ago, and it looks like they don't sell it anymore.

I did a bit of Googling and found this -- it looks metal.  See if this is what you're looking for:

https://www.amazon.com/Everrich-EVAC-0004-Baseball-Counter-Left/dp/B001PHY6B6

If you decide to get it, let me know, as I may want to get one as a backup...Bob

 

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23 minutes ago, scubabob34 said:

I've been using a metal 3-2-2 with balls on top that I got from Gerry Davis years ago, and it looks like they don't sell it anymore.

I did a bit of Googling and found this -- it looks metal.  See if this is what you're looking for:

https://www.amazon.com/Everrich-EVAC-0004-Baseball-Counter-Left/dp/B001PHY6B6

If you decide to get it, let me know, as I may want to get one as a backup...Bob

 

Pretty cool, first steel one that I have seen with that setup..... that is, IF it's a 3/2/2.    There's absolutely no description of it on the Amazon site.   And then there's this little feature:

Sale:$9.88 + $7.99 shipping   :o

These are things that will put me off purchasing.  

This particular product is sold by a "storefront" called UnbeatableSale, Inc.  Apparently they sell all manner of products, from baseball indicators to waffle irons.   No surprise then, that they don't include a product description; it's likely because they are a middle-man and wouldn't know the difference between an indicator and a waffle iron.   

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@BrianC14 -- no disagreement with anything you said.  I just did the Googling based on @blue32's desire and the look of what I have, especially since my first reaction to his post was, "that's easy - that's what I have", only to find out it's not sold by Gerry Davis anymore.

I found it on this site for "only" $2.20 - but shipping was $12.58 (yikes!), and again, no description: http://m.opentip.com/product.php?products_id=1452874&ats=product_landing

I guess it just depends on how intent @blue32 is on finding "the perfect indicator" :)

 

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3 hours ago, scubabob34 said:

I've been using a metal 3-2-2 with balls on top that I got from Gerry Davis years ago, and it looks like they don't sell it anymore.

I did a bit of Googling and found this -- it looks metal.  See if this is what you're looking for:

https://www.amazon.com/Everrich-EVAC-0004-Baseball-Counter-Left/dp/B001PHY6B6

If you decide to get it, let me know, as I may want to get one as a backup...Bob

 

Thank you, scubabob! I can't tell if it's a 3-2-2 but I went ahead and ordered one to try out anyway. 

I tried ordering 2, thinking I could save a little on shipping but they doubled shipping charges so that was a no-go. I decided to go ahead and get 1. It was 17 and change. Yes, a little pricey. But it might be exactly what I am looking for.

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5 hours ago, blue32 said:

As always, your response is much appreciated! Not that it changes things, but Markwort has a stainless 3 dial that's 4/3/3. What they don't have is one that is 3/2/2. 

The issue with the Champro optic 3 dial is not the "Balls, Strikes, Outs" lettering, it's the numbers on the dials themselves. The paint wears off the embossed numbers very quickly. I ended up repairing it with a sharpie, and that has worked better than the original paint job did.

Thanks again for allowing us to get a peek behind the curtain from time to time, and keep up the good fight!

Ah-ha. THIS if the first I heard of the NUMBERS paint fading. Sorry I misunderstood that. We'll reach out to Champro right away.

I just checked Markwort's catalog and could not locate a 3/2/2 3-dial steel. I do see a 4/3/3. If you come across one, send me a note as I'd be eager to add it to the selection.

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On 7/13/2017 at 11:02 AM, scubabob34 said:

I've been using a metal 3-2-2 with balls on top that I got from Gerry Davis years ago, and it looks like they don't sell it anymore.

I did a bit of Googling and found this -- it looks metal.  See if this is what you're looking for:

https://www.amazon.com/Everrich-EVAC-0004-Baseball-Counter-Left/dp/B001PHY6B6

If you decide to get it, let me know, as I may want to get one as a backup...Bob

 

I ordered this indicator from a different site than above as the price and unfamiliar brand made it worth exploring.

I'm going to suspend my policy of NOT talking bad about products we do not offer, but this indicator is a No-Go. It came shrink-wrapped in a thin greenish plastic, I wasn't sure if it was intended to stay on or not but the plastic easily started to come of in places. I attempted to remove the plastic, but I was not able to get the all the plastic off. A sticky residue and marks were left as well.

 

IMG_5868.gif

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