Help in stringing using alpha Revo 4000

Hi,

I am a stringing newbie and recently bought alpha Revo 4000. Are there any videos / websites that
l can watch to learn how to string on this machine.

Some how I was under the impression that it comes with a DVD, but it has paper instructions Not very straight forward to follow.

I will be stringing a babolat aero drive.

Thanks.

Go to the top of this page and start looking at some of the videos.The "sticky" threads have lots of info.

If you're really concerned, look for videos using a lockout machine.

You're machine is a lockout, so pretty much any lockout works the same, but the clamping and mounting systems will vary.

The videos at the top are really helpful. Having just started 2 years ago I have made probably every mistake one can make and they are fresh in my head.

1. String 2 piece it is easier on you and from what I read easier on the racquet (The video is part of this section.)
2. It is not a race so take your time especially with Poly where it kinks very easily which is bad when it happens.
3. Weave 1 ahead on crosses. I found videos online showing weaving as far ahead as you can leaving little loops which I found is not good and in my experience damages the string just as bad as not stringing any ahead if not worse.
4. I find it easier to use a starting clamp to start the crosses vs. a starting knot (I failed knots in Boy Scouts). Just be sure that the string sits deep in the clamp.
5. Just in my experience again... At first don't get picky on the tie-off knot and use a double half hitch (See Boy Scout issue above).
6. This is just my opinion but believe it is right... I had a coach at a local club telling me I was making a mistake not to pre-stretch the Poly but from what I read it should not be done and logically to me it should not be done.. I think back to being a kid with a slinky and having my little sister stretch the thing out.. Once that is done it does not snap back into shape (and won't walk down the steps). You are using the string for for it's snap back/memory so why deform it before even using it. In my opinion it makes sense not to pre-stretch a poly.
7. I use RacquetTune as a cheap sanity check when done. I don't necessarily look at the actual value but look for consistency from stringing to stringing on the same racquet/string/tension on the machine. If I find it really off then I know I botched something up someplace.
8. I went to my local club and they had an old racquet that someone had left and never claimed and they also had some old nylon string sets that they gave me. When I had free time I restrung the racquet and cut out... and restrung and cut out... etc.

There are others that have way more experience than me I read on this platform but just wanted to relay my experiences as a newbie.

AEROPRO DRIVE [T=tip of hoop, B=bottom of hoop, Source KM]
Range: 55-62
Lengths: 20'M-19'C [Generous est.]
Pattern: 16x19
Skips: 8T-8B
MTO: 6B
1st X: 8T
XTO: 7T-10B

Mains end at throat, so 2 piece is needed or ATW. I am assuming you meant APD or variants when you said Aero Drive. Central mains are #1. Your last mains will go thru hole #9. Do not do more than 3 mains ahead on either side. If your 1st string job involves all polyester, take your time. I would recommend using something like a synthetic gut for the 1st time since it will be easier to weave.

Thank you for the helpful information. Planning to attempt this today. I remember reading that lockout machines loose tension during stringing and should be strung 2lbs higher. Is that right? Thanks.

Depends on what machine was used previously. If that was CP, you may need to increase ref tension by about 10%. If you are doing this on brand new frame, increase ref tension by 2# to seat the grommets.

forty_love said:

Thank you for the helpful information. Planning to attempt this today. I remember reading that lockout machines loose tension during stringing and should be strung 2lbs higher. Is that right? Thanks.

Click to expand...

the longer a string is held under tension the more it is going to relax. If you remove the relaxation from the string it will hold its tension longer. If you tension a string in a LO it is held under that tension for an instant and if you never remove the relaxation it will be lower than for a CP machine. How much tension you loose depends on the string and how much it relaxes. If you tension the string in a LO a second time though the relaxation is removed as it is stretched farther.

The racket came out ok (after almost 5 hours) I strung with synthetic gut 15g that came along with the machine and used 57 lbs for tension. Having never played with 15g or synthetic gut wasn't sure what tension to use.

Some of the finishing knots were probably too big (used double hitch for 3 finishing knots), and some of the crosses are already moving. I tried to straighten them during pulling tension button probably didn't do it well. Also I forgot to tighten the base of the clamps sometimes. Wonder if that dramatically affected the tension.

Anyway, will find out how it hits maybe tomorrow (too exhausted today already )

I had one question. The crosses tie off is supposed to be 10B (10 in the bottom). I believe I tied in the correct grommet (based on YT videos), but couldn't figure out where 10 is counted from.

Thanks for all the help.

Irvin said:

the longer a string is held under tension the more it is going to relax. If you remove the relaxation from the string it will hold its tension longer. If you tension a string in a LO it is held under that tension for an instant and if you never remove the relaxation it will be lower than for a CP machine. How much tension you loose depends on the string and how much it relaxes. If you tension the string in a LO a second time though the relaxation is removed as it is stretched farther.

Click to expand...

Do you mean I should be pulling tension twice for every string?

forty_love said:

The racket came out ok (after almost 5 hours) I strung with synthetic gut 15g that came along with the machine and used 57 lbs for tension. Having never played with 15g or synthetic gut wasn't sure what tension to use.

Some of the finishing knots were probably too big (used double hitch for 3 finishing knots), and some of the crosses are already moving. I tried to straighten them during pulling tension button probably didn't do it well. Also I forgot to tighten the base of the clamps sometimes. Wonder if that dramatically affected the tension.

Anyway, will find out how it hits maybe tomorrow (too exhausted today already )

I had one question. The crosses tie off is supposed to be 10B (10 in the bottom). I believe I tied in the correct grommet (based on YT videos), but couldn't figure out where 10 is counted from.

Thanks for all the help.

Click to expand...

Never mind about the 10B question. Not sure why I was confused

forty_love said:

Also I forgot to tighten the base of the clamps sometimes. Wonder if that dramatically affected the tension.

Click to expand...

Yes... immensely. Without the bases keeping things where they should be, you will lose a tremendous amount of whatever your reference tension is intended to be (#57, in this case).

forty_love said:

I had one question. The crosses tie off is supposed to be 10B (10 in the bottom). I believe I tied in the correct grommet (based on YT videos), but couldn't figure out where 10 is counted from.

Click to expand...

Moving outward, from the center of the throat bridge, count 10 grommets away.

In the case of this particular Babolat frame (AeroPro Drive, correct?), that should have you arriving at the grommet that the 2nd from bottom cross (the 18th cross) passes through.
Because of how close the outer (8th) mains come to the grommet at 10B, it makes for tight quarters for a tie-off.
That's why many (including myself) would opt to use the "Pro Knot", in this type of scenario, instead of the knot we would normally use (i.e. Parnell Knot).

I used double hitch for all the finishing knots and they look too big - also couldn't squeeze them really close to the grommet. Are Parnell knots better?

For the cross's tie-off my finishing knots and the main string are touching. Will try pro knot next time.

Thanks.

forty_love said:

I used double hitch for all the finishing knots and they look too big - also couldn't squeeze them really close to the grommet. Are Parnell knots better?

For the cross's tie-off my finishing knots and the main string are touching. Will try pro knot next time.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

There isn't much you can do about it (not your fault at all). It's purely a result of exactly where Babolat (poorly) chose to drill the holes.
That's why the main string & your bottom cross tie-off are nearly on top of each other.

Naturally, this is exacerbated the thicker the strings are.
It's still an issue, even if you had used a Parnell knot AND even if the string gauge is thinner (although it would be slightly less bulky).

This is why many stringers commonly use the Pro Knot in this kind of very "tight" scenario.
Reason? It's because the Pro Knot has just about the lowest profile/bulk.
It only has to pass around the anchor string (main) ONE time.

A double half hitch, and even the Parnell, have to go around the anchor string twice, which normally poses ZERO issue.
In cramped spaces, it is an issue, as you've discovered.

forty_love said:

Do you mean I should be pulling tension twice for every string?

Click to expand...

No. If you only pull once you will have a lower tension than you'll get from a CP. if you pull twice it will be very close to a CP.

Irvin said:

No. If you only pull once you will have a lower tension than you'll get from a CP. if you pull twice it will be very close to a CP.

Click to expand...

Hi Irvin:

Just out of curiosity, on my old crank I would just estimate a higher tension. For example my son used to play with Luxilon Element and he liked it at 53 lbs so I would string him at about 62 lbs on the crank. Is it better to do that or pull twice at the 53 lbs?

I don't have to worry about that now with my new machine but am just wondering.

Thanks!

LOBALOT said:

Hi Irvin:

Just out of curiosity, on my old crank I would just estimate a higher tension. For example my son used to play with Luxilon Element and he liked it at 53 lbs so I would string him at about 62 lbs on the crank. Is it better to do that or pull twice at the 53 lbs?

I don't have to worry about that now with my new machine but am just wondering.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

If you pull once you will have an initial tighter stringbed that will fall off sharper initially. After a short break in I’d think it would be about the same. If you pull twice you loose some of that initial ealaxation. One good way to test it out it to string it both ways and measure the tension drop over time.

Irvin said:

If you pull once you will have an initial tighter stringbed that will fall off sharper initially. After a short break in I’d think it would be about the same. If you pull twice you loose some of that initial ealaxation. One good way to test it out it to string it both ways and measure the tension drop over time.

Click to expand...

Thank you! I will do that as I am really curious.

I was worried about double pulls but did note with my technique of stringing higher that there was still excess slack per your point. That would go away with a second pull making the approach of stringing closer to the desired tension and pulling twice a better approach. I will give it a go both ways and compare!

I use that machine and read your questions. Here are some suggestions:

1. Cut out your 1st job! When you forget to clamp bases it will completely goof up your string job and you don't even want to hit with it. You want that 1st experience to be positive. BTW, if you did the mains correctly and only goofed the X's then just remove or cut out the X's and leave the mains. I do this constantly with my Gut mains.
2. When you string the X's you'll windup with a happy face unless you adjust the X's as you go. So Tension, Clamp, adjust. Note that adjusting actually makes weaving the next string somewhat easier.
3. Your first only took 5 hours? I think mine was like 10, because I made so many mistakes I had to redo 3x.
4. Learn to weave using the Loop/Pull verses weave/push. Way easier and I'm even seeing the pros use this method on TV. I did invent it though so your welcome Kidding aside I was so bad at weaving I was about to give up completely until I developed the loop pull method.
5. On knots, the parnel is where you want to get to, but you start with the double half hitch. The 1st half hitch is the one where you can find good youtubes on how to tension, or just rock back and forth until tight. The 2nd half hitch MUST start in the opposite direction to get full effect.
6. On tension, the 2 lbs estimate is the Resulting difference. But as stated, it's based on dwell time which can make you crazy if you over think it. So all I do is record the tension in a log and next time I string that racquet can see what tension it was and adjust from there.

*** Last thing about tension. Before you clamp the base (after clamping the string) I push the base against the tension and then clamp. I find doing this results in better consistency as the string doesn't move once you release the tension head.

here is a link to old video of revo4000 and Pioneer:
http://www.alphatennis.com/RevoPioDC.mp4

I got a used revo4000 last year and it was solid so far.