Tools in Action: All-Star 4-Dial Die Cast Metal Umpire Indicator - 3/2/2 Count

[JimKirk]

Tools in Action: All-Star 4-Dial Die Cast Metal Umpire Indicator - 3/2/2 Count

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[kylejt]

 

I have one of those, but only use it on tough games, where I might need a set of brass knuckles to fight my way off a field. It's really, really heavy.

Someone needs to stock the Mizuno, which is really light, crazy thin, and notched.

[kylehutson]

Heavy compared to the others, yes. Heavy as in "you're going to have a hard time with it", not a chance. This is the one that I love, but primarily for a reason not shown here - it's notched so that you never have to look at it - you can "feel" the balls, strikes, and outs while it's still at your side.

I had a friend borrowed mine and said something about it being heavy. I told him if that was the case, he really needed to work out more.

[Biscuit]

15 hours ago, kylejt said:

 

I have one of those, but only use it on tough games, where I might need a set of brass knuckles to fight my way off a field. It's really, really heavy.

Someone needs to stock the Mizuno, which is really light, crazy thin, and notched.

After a couple games, I don't notice it anymore. My biggest complaint is that it's solid metal, and so, the few times I look at it, it blinds me.

[Richvee]

Is this new one notched?  The wheels look huge and round compared to mine. . I love this indicator. Notches, 3/2/2, durable. Mine is 7 seasons and going strong. If the shinny metal really bothers you hit it with a wire brush 

[Jimurray]

So does the ABUA website have a lock on selling the Japanese UDC indicator? That site has gone downhill. But the indicator should be an addition to the wares of any umpire equipment seller. 

[The Man in Blue]

Zombie-thread alert ...

I finally caved and ordered one of these.  I haven't used it yet, but how exactly am I supposed to "read" the dials without looking?  I cannot figure out the system they are employing.  "1" is pretty obvious with a point, but after that I'm not getting it.

[kylehutson]

5 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

Zombie-thread alert ...

I finally caved and ordered one of these.  I haven't used it yet, but how exactly am I supposed to "read" the dials without looking?  I cannot figure out the system they are employing.  "1" is pretty obvious with a point, but after that I'm not getting it.

I'm on my phone so excuse the formatting oddness.

Zeros have a dip, so they're smooth on the bottom.

Ones have a point (as you've noticed).

"Last" (2 for strikes and outs, 3 for balls) has three smaller bumps. I think of it as "rough".

So for outs and strikes, it goes

Smooth, point, rough

With balls it goes

Smooth, point, smooth (again), rough

So how to tell the difference between 0 and 2 on balls? You can feel the point or rough on the side. I've made the habit of sliding my middle finger to the side to feel the point on ball 2, as opposed to the top for all the others

Hope this helps!

[BLWizzRanger]

1 hour ago, kylehutson said:

I'm on my phone so excuse the formatting oddness.

Zeros have a dip, so they're smooth on the bottom.

Ones have a point (as you've noticed).

"Last" (2 for strikes and outs, 3 for balls) has three smaller bumps. I think of it as "rough".

So for outs and strikes, it goes

Smooth, point, rough

With balls it goes

Smooth, point, smooth (again), rough

So how to tell the difference between 0 and 2 on balls? You can feel the point or rough on the side. I've made the habit of sliding my middle finger to the side to feel the point on ball 2, as opposed to the top for all the others

Hope this helps!

I wonder if they ever made a braille indicator... no I am serious....

As you roll over the wheel or push a button, stubs appear or not and you run your thumb over them to read it.

Probably too many moving parts to make it sturdy and last an entire season.

[The Man in Blue]

Thank you @kylehutson ... I know we had a brief chat about this indicator before, but I couldn't find the thread that was in.

Does it help?  Ehh ... I'll get the hang of it.  Seems like there were much more sensible ways to set this thing up.  But hey, maybe they'll let me into the club once I learn the secret code ... 

[834k3r]

Since this topic's been revived, I'll add my review as well.

I initially thought it was "heavy" but I got used to it in a single game; no issue. I love the fact I'm not one of "those" umps always looking at their indicator. I'll feel the count and number of outs.

Out of habit, the only reason I look at the indicator now is between half-innings to make sure the count and outs are zeroed.

If I look at the indicator in the sunlight, it does have glare--but since I don't have to look at the indicator to check the count, it's a non-issue.

Well worth the investment, IMHO.

[boyinr]

I bought one at the beginning of the season.  I haven't really mastered the "no look" technique yet enough to trust it 100%.  It does have some glare that can make it hard to read sometimes.  I actually like the weight of it.  I also like that it can be disassembled and cleaned.      

[ErichKeane]

2 hours ago, boyinr said:

I bought one at the beginning of the season.  I haven't really mastered the "no look" technique yet enough to trust it 100%.  It does have some glare that can make it hard to read sometimes.  I actually like the weight of it.  I also like that it can be disassembled and cleaned.      

I'm the same, I haven't figured out how to 'read' it yet with my fingers, but appreciate the weight, it being a 3-ball-4 dial, and it being more durable than the champro.

I scuffed mine with a scotchbrite pad to remove the shine, but will probably hit it with some self-etching primer when I get a chacne.

[The Man in Blue]

Used it for 14 games over 4 days ... 

I don't mind the weight at all.  Yes, it is significantly heavier but you aren't going to throw your back out.  😁

It took some time, but I was getting the hang of it.  I still think there is a more sensible way to code it, but I was catching on.  Early on I would occasionally have cycle back around to one and work my way up from there, but I think I could get the count now without looking if you handed it to me.

My biggest knock is the "scraping" of the dials.  Will this wear down or do I need to hit it with a tiny bit of lubricant of some sort?

Highly recommend this one!  Feels as if it is going to be nice and durable ... the higher price tag will outlast the same amount spent on cheaper indicators every year.

[kylehutson]

17 minutes ago, The Man in Blue said:

Will this wear down or do I need to hit it with a tiny bit of lubricant of some sort?

I put a bit of silicone lubricant on mine. It may not *need* it, but it makes the dials easier to spin.

[Velho]

Does it have different notches for different numbers? It seems that it does but I'm not 100% clear.

I manually notch mine for 0 on each dial* but was just thinking that having brail-like for each number would be cool.

* I asked a fellow umpire if he did that and he responded "is a baseball round?"

[ErichKeane]

23 minutes ago, Velho said:

Does it have different notches for different numbers? It seems that it does but I'm not 100% clear.

I manually notch mine for 0 on each dial* but was just thinking that having brail-like for each number would be cool.

* I asked a fellow umpire if he did that and he responded "is a baseball round?"

It DOES, but I still can't figure out the pattern

 

As far as the scratchiness, I found that taking it apart and doing a mild-deburr and oil on the wheels made a vast difference.

[The Man in Blue]

Not as easy as that, but sort of ...  @kylehutson's description above was pretty accurate.

Zero is a single groove ... but here is one of the flaws, it is not a uniform size from dial to dial.

One is a very obvious point on each dial.

Two gets a little fuzzy.  For strikes I can feel two low-lying grooves.  They aren't immediately obvious (until you get used to it).  Balls were a bit shadier ... I just got used to feeling for the "one point" pointing down instead of up.  Outs were a bit weird, too ... but I don't recall why at the moment.

Three balls is similar to the two strikes in the multiple, but low-lying, grooves.

Now that I walk through this, I think my biggest complaint is that each wheel seems to have its own system instead of one uniform method.

[834k3r]

12 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

Zero is a single groove ... but here is one of the flaws, it is not a uniform size from dial to dial.

One is a very obvious point on each dial.

Two gets a little fuzzy.  For strikes I can feel two low-lying grooves.  They aren't immediately obvious (until you get used to it).  Balls were a bit shadier ... I just got used to feeling for the "one point" pointing down instead of up.  Outs were a bit weird, too ... but I don't recall why at the moment.

Three balls is similar to the two strikes in the multiple, but low-lying, grooves.

Now that I walk through this, I think my biggest complaint is that each wheel seems to have its own system instead of one uniform method.

The one that gets me sometimes is the difference between 0 balls and 2 balls. It's not a huge deal because you'll know the situation.

A couple of days ago I just took it apart and put some dry graphite on the posts; it does make it easier to turn for sure. I'll probably use silicone the next time (graphite can get messy).

[Velho]

1 hour ago, 834k3r said:

A couple of days ago I just took it apart and put some dry graphite on the posts; it does make it easier to turn for sure. I'll probably use silicone the next time (graphite can get messy).

You're taking that avatar to heart. Don't blow anything up.  

[kylehutson]

2 hours ago, 834k3r said:

The one that gets me sometimes is the difference between 0 balls and 2 balls. It's not a huge deal because you'll know the situation.

As I posted, I've taken to moving my index finger to the side when clicking from ball 1 to ball 2 so I can feel the bump on the side.

2 hours ago, 834k3r said:

A couple of days ago I just took it apart and put some dry graphite on the posts; it does make it easier to turn for sure. I'll probably use silicone the next time (graphite can get messy).

That was why I recommended silicon. Graphite does work, too, but it can certainly leave a mess.