Leisure Link is Proud to Present:
Silent
Partner in Australia
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Leisure Link is Proud to Present: |
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Silent
Partner in Australia
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VIDEOS OF THE BALL MACHINE
IN ACTION
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Note about oscillation. All Silent Partner PRO machines are equipped with a random oscillator that, when activated, provides ball delivery in different areas of the court. This random oscillator makes the machine sweep the court from sideline to sideline the way an air fan sweeps a room. Balls are ejected at the interval selected by the user. The programmable oscillator option allows the user to select two specific court locations for ball delivery. In coaching a squad, balls can alternate between two lines of students. A single player can also chose to receive a ball on the forehand and the next ball on the backhand side. |
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FEATURES |
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SPEED CONTROL |
25 Km/h to150 Km/h (15 to 95 mph) |
SPIN CONTROL |
Backspin to Topspin |
FEED RATE |
Stop to 1 ball/second |
ELEVATION |
Electronic |
LOB HEIGHT |
12 Metre (40 feet) |
OSCILLATION |
Random: Fast or Slow |
PROGRAMMABLE OSCILLATION |
Two Positions and Random between Two Positions |
REMOTE CONTROL |
Feed and Sweep |
BATTERY |
1 Fixed, 1 Removable |
PLAYING TIME ON BATTERIES |
Up to 4 hours |
AC MODEL |
Mains Powered Only |
AC/DC |
External Adaptor and On-Board Batteries |
HANDLE |
Four Position snap-in |
WEIGHT WITH BATTERIES |
22Kg/48Lb |
PRICES |
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PRO DC Battery power only (Item SPBM-PRO) |
$3025 |
PRO DC As above with programmable oscillation (Item SPBM-PROP) |
$3707 |
PRO AC Mains power only (Item SPBM-AC) |
$3124 |
PRO AC As above with programmable oscillation (Item SPBM-ACP) |
$3817 |
PRO AC/DC Both mains and battery power. The machine detects and selects accordingly when plugged into mains power (and charges the batteries automatically). (Item SPBM-ACDC) |
$3586 |
PRO AC/DC As above with programmable oscillation (Item SPBM-ACDCP) |
$4279 |
PRICES INCLUDE GST |
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The battery charger jack is located at the top of the panel.
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The picture to the right shows the four-position handle of the Silent Partner PRO. Here the handle is fully extended, allowing the machine to be rolled as easily as a luggage caddy. The machine can also be rolled around on the court when full of balls.The SPORT and the ULTRA LITE have a simpler handle that swings upward from the back of the machine (the handle pivots on the black plastic handle shown on the right in this picture). The swing handle allows for easy rolling by pulling the machine from the back.Note that the hopper is wrapped around the lower section of the machine. This is where the hopper is kept when the machine is not in use. |
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Three of the four positions of the handle of the PRO are clearly shown in the picture on the left.Position on the first machine: For lifting and storing.Position on second machine: For rolling while full of balls.Position on third: For rolling as shown above.The fourth position of the handle is shown in the picture on the right. It allows ultra high lobs. Battery powered portable machines that can put spin on the ball do not usually throw high lobs. When the handle is pushed all the way down, the PRO tilts, and this adds to the internal elevation adjustment. With this boost, the PRO achieves ultra high lobs. |
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All Silent Partner ball machines have been designed to fit easily in the trunk of a car.Many portable machines are built like a cube and no matter how the machine is positioned, it stands too tall to allow the trunk to close. This is particularly true of machines with spin capability where the propulsion wheels are positioned one above the other. Silent Partner ball machines stand only 14" high when placed on their side. |
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The Silent Partner PRO is equipped with two batteries. One battery in installed inside the machine and is only removed for replacement after several years of use. The other battery can be removed easily from the top of the machine as shown in the picture on the left.
The removable battery can be replaced with a spare to extend play. Each spare adds about an hour of play. Spare batteries cost $45 + GST and can be used in all models of Silent Partner machines except AC models. Spares can be recharged in the machine using the panel charger that is supplied with each machine, or outside the machine using a $45 + GST charger that clips on the battery to be recharged. Note that these options are not available in all areas outside North America.
The batteries used in Silent Partner machines are of the "sealed lead acid" variety. They are about the size of a brick and can be purchased from Leisure Link (Aust) Pty Ltd or from battery supply companies.Back to index
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Parts and labour warranty: Any breakdown not caused by abuse or neglect will be repaired free of charge for a period of one year. For the convenience of the customer, Silent Partner provides as much technical support over the phone as possible. Parts that can easily be replaced by the customer are sent with instructions whenever possible. If a machine has to return to the factory for repair, the customer assumes shipping costs one way. Return shipment is paid by the factory. |
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1) How are balls thrown by the machine?All quality tennis ball machines presently available on the market use wheels to throw the ball. Normally there are two wheels that turn in opposite direction (thus the label "counter rotating wheels") and have a small space between them. The ball rolls down a chute and is squeezed by the counter rotating wheels which then eject it. The situation is not all that different from gravel being thrown from under a spinning tire, though in the case of the tire only one wheel is responsible for the "throwing".2) Do machines with a tube that makes them look like a canon work the same way as machines that use counter rotating wheels for ejecting balls?No, machines that look like a canon work by air pressure. Pressure is usually supplied to a drum by a vacuum cleaner motor. A ball is lodged at the throat of the tube and is retained by a collar that is slightly smaller in diameter than the ball. When pressure builds sufficiently to push the ball through the collar, the ball is ejected. Because these machines work on air pressure, they are called "pneumatic".3) Is there any other way for a tennis ball machine to throw balls?Yes, some machine use a "hammer" to strike the ball, and various spring loaded designs have also been developed. The performance of such machines is so limited that they are not discussed further here.4) What's better: Counter rotating wheels or pneumatic pressure?Today no machine costing more than $2000 works on the pneumatic principle. All better machines use counter rotating wheels. There are a number of reasons for this. Pneumatic machines are noisy and do not provide the high level of performance achieved by the better wheel driven machines. Pneumatic machines also require a lot of electrical current and cannot, therefore, be adapted to battery power. The only advantage of pneumatic machines is their cost which tends to be lower than that of wheel driven machines.5) How does a machine put spin on the ball?Wheel driven machines put spin on the ball by varying the relative speed of the upper and lower wheel. When the upper wheel turns faster than the lower wheel, the ball is ejected with topspin. When the lower wheel spins faster than the upper wheel, the ball is ejected with backspin. Of course, when both wheels turn at the same speed, the machine throws a flat ball. Pneumatic machines use friction in the canon tube or just outside the tube to impart spin. When the bottom of an ejected ball is rubbed as it exists the machine, the ball acquires topspin, and vice versa.6) Can all machines put spin on the ball?No, some wheel driven machines do not have spin capabilities. This is usually because the wheels are arranged in a horizontal plane rather than a vertical plane. By changing the relative speed of the wheels in a horizontal wheel machine, one could achieve side spin but no topspin or backspin. Because side spin is not an important element of tennis, manufacturers of horizontal wheel machines do not usually provide a spin adjustment.7) What is an oscillator?An oscillator is a mechanism that allows the machine to throw balls in different locations on the court. The most common type of oscillator, known as a random oscillator, causes the machine to sweep the court from side to side repeatedly much like an air fan sweeps a room. Balls are thrown in different and somewhat unexpected locations to simulate play with an opponent.8) What is a programmable oscillator?A programmable oscillator can be programmed to throw balls in specific locations. The optional programmable oscillator available on the Silent Partner PRO allows the user to select any two locations on the court. In program mode, the machine throws a ball to each location in alternation. In random mode, the machine throws balls in random locations between the two locations in the program. Expensive full size machines sometimes offer more selectable locations. Less advanced machines offer a "two line" feature that allows a teaching pro to feed two lines of trainees. The two line feature is less flexible than the fully programmable feature of advanced machines such as the Silent Partner.9) How important is top speed in selecting a ball machine?Although an intermediate player usually practices ground strokes at speeds of about 40 to 60 miles per hour, a higher top speed is a crucial consideration in a ball machine. There are a number of reasons for this: 1) As the trainee improves, higher and higher speeds are required to keep practice challenging; 2) reflex volleys require much higher speeds than ground strokes; 3) to put spin on the ball, the machine needs to slow one of the propulsion wheels down in relation to the other one, and this reduces top speed accordingly; 4) competitive players require very high speeds to simulate their opponents hard shots. All in all, a ball machine with a poor capacity for speed is quickly outgrown by its user.10) What kind of batteries are used in battery powered ball machines?The batteries used in portable ball machines are sealed and do not leak even when used upside down. The batteries are not motorcycle or car batteries, nor are they "gel cells". The batteries are known as "sealed lead-acid" batteries. Batteries are rated by the number of Amp/hour reserve charge they carry. Each battery used by the Silent partner machine is rated at 7 amp/hour. The two batteries installed in the PRO and SPORT provide a total of 14 amp/hour. This is as much as any machine available on the market today. Unlike certain types of batteries that have a "memory" and that need to be discharged completely before being recharged, lead acid batteries do not have a memory and can be recharged from any state of discharge.11) Is there no way to extend play when batteries are discharged?The batteries of some ball machines are not accessible and cannot be swapped with charged batteries. When the batteries are exhausted (usually after 2 hours of play) the machine must undergo an overnight charge. One of the batteries on all models of Silent Partner ball machines is accessible and can be swapped with a fresh battery to extend playing time. Each battery is the size of a brick and extends playing time by about one hour.12) What is a heavy duty battery?The term heavy duty has no technical meaning. Sealed lead-acid batteries are rated using amp/hour units. In the realm of tennis ball machines, heavy duty usually means 14 amp/hour.13) How can one know the level of battery charge in one's machine?Some ball machines offer a "low charge" indicator to let the user know when it is time to stop playing because of battery discharge. Silent Partner machines have a four-level indicator to show more precisely the level of battery charge available.14) How are batteries recharged?Battery powered ball machines are usually supplied with a battery charger that plugs into a household outlet and that connects to the control panel of the machine. Because the batteries in ball machines are sealed, they must not be charged very quickly. This is why charging time is usually about 12 hours. Faster charging can reduce the life of the battery.15) Can all battery powered ball machines be carried in a car's trunk?No, some battery powered ball machines that can put spin on the ball cannot be carried in the trunk of a car. All models of Silent Partner ball machines can easily fit in the trunk of a car.16) What is an AC-powered machine?An AC-powered machine is a machine that can only run on household current (110 volts in North America, 220 volts in most other countries). Such machines do not contain batteries and can only be used when an electrical outlet is available. Owners of private courts and clubs often prefer AC-powered machines because they can be used indefinitely without worrying about batteries running out. Silent Partner machines that are built to run on AC current cost a little more than their battery-powered counterparts and offer similar performance. The AC converter is housed inside the machine, and the machine remains completely portable and can be carried in the trunk of a car.17) What is an AC-DC machine?An AC-DC machine contains batteries but is built to also receive an adapter for use with household current. In the case of Silent Partner machines the machine detects and selects mains or battery power. When the adapter is connected, the batteries are not in operation but are charged automatically. When the adapter is disconnected, the batteries take over. The AC-DC option is desirable in cases where the availability of an AC outlet is not certain, but can be anticipated in some situations or in the future. Silent Partner machines that are equipped with the AC-DC option are just as portable as the battery-powered models and fit easily in the trunk of a car. |
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