Bubba22's thread with regard to pricing on a protective case, etc. got me thinking off on a tangent pretty quickly. I didn't want to derail his thread, so I made my own here.
As crazy as it seems to be making a thread with suggestions for improving a device that has yet to be released, there are two things that I can think of right now that should be on the radar.
Padded Carry/Tote Bag
In addition to a protective stand/shield, Ernest Sports should also consider selling a small padded tote bag designed to hold the unit, shield and perhaps a tablet for easy transport back and forth to the range. A lot of us are going to be using the unit at home for simulation purposes, but also taking it to outdoor ranges from time to time.
Right now, the average recreational golfer knows very little about launch monitors. As they proliferate, this is going to change. And one of the big shocks for Joe Sixpack who hangs at the driving range/batting cage combo or the local muni is going to be the price (as you can see from the other thread, even serious players are starting to balk a bit at $4K).
So, it goes without saying that theft of launch monitors is going to be a BIG issue.
Leave the device for a minute to run to the bathroom while hitting balls and there is a good chance it will disappear. Snatching a whole set of clubs is one thing (and believe me, it happens). Video surveillance coverage at driving ranges and even high end courses is notoriously poor. Something far smaller/easier to grab and 3-4x more valuable? These things are going to be targeted a LOT.
Having a small bag with a strap that would allow you to bring it with you for snack and bathroom breaks would be ideal.
When I had my Skytrak, I went out and bought a small Turkish bath towel to pad it and protect the lens covers from scratching. After wrapping it, I stuffed in a small backpack. A specifically designed pack with padding and anti-scratch interior would have been a lot nicer.
On a related note, if you hit balls using before a round, and take the device to your car after your range time, you are asking for it to get stolen. You can bet that there will be degenerates watching to see what you do with it after you finish hitting. It has to come with you. In the back of the cart at the very least, better yet, buried in your golf bag.
As I mentioned briefly in his thread, the tote bag needs to be nondescript. No logo, no company name. Nobody understands the importance of branding more than I do. Still, this is one place where respect for the customer has to come first.
If you have a logo on the carry bag, you might as well make the carry bag a handcuff briefcase. Because if you leave it unattended, it's going to walk.
Anti-Theft Features
Speaking of theft...
As much as I detest subscription based models and other situations where a consumer pays a substantial amount for an item but doesn't really seem to own much, there is one situation where I have no problem with the company retaining control...
While is may be very late in the design process to implement this for the ES16, it would be nice to see a way for Ernest Sports to blacklist serial numbers of stolen units. Obviously, we don't want to see a situation where you need internet access at all times.
But if there were a way to perhaps do this and check the serial number of the unit for a blacklist every time a new device (PC, phone or tablet) is added, it would go a long way toward preventing theft. Making it impossible for people to sell *HOT* LMs would be a huge start.
The mobile phone industry in the US has been WAY behind the times on this for years. The manufacturers sell replacement phones when units are stolen, so they have been in no rush to fix the problems.
As crazy as it seems to be making a thread with suggestions for improving a device that has yet to be released, there are two things that I can think of right now that should be on the radar.
Padded Carry/Tote Bag
In addition to a protective stand/shield, Ernest Sports should also consider selling a small padded tote bag designed to hold the unit, shield and perhaps a tablet for easy transport back and forth to the range. A lot of us are going to be using the unit at home for simulation purposes, but also taking it to outdoor ranges from time to time.
Right now, the average recreational golfer knows very little about launch monitors. As they proliferate, this is going to change. And one of the big shocks for Joe Sixpack who hangs at the driving range/batting cage combo or the local muni is going to be the price (as you can see from the other thread, even serious players are starting to balk a bit at $4K).
So, it goes without saying that theft of launch monitors is going to be a BIG issue.
Leave the device for a minute to run to the bathroom while hitting balls and there is a good chance it will disappear. Snatching a whole set of clubs is one thing (and believe me, it happens). Video surveillance coverage at driving ranges and even high end courses is notoriously poor. Something far smaller/easier to grab and 3-4x more valuable? These things are going to be targeted a LOT.
Having a small bag with a strap that would allow you to bring it with you for snack and bathroom breaks would be ideal.
When I had my Skytrak, I went out and bought a small Turkish bath towel to pad it and protect the lens covers from scratching. After wrapping it, I stuffed in a small backpack. A specifically designed pack with padding and anti-scratch interior would have been a lot nicer.
On a related note, if you hit balls using before a round, and take the device to your car after your range time, you are asking for it to get stolen. You can bet that there will be degenerates watching to see what you do with it after you finish hitting. It has to come with you. In the back of the cart at the very least, better yet, buried in your golf bag.
As I mentioned briefly in his thread, the tote bag needs to be nondescript. No logo, no company name. Nobody understands the importance of branding more than I do. Still, this is one place where respect for the customer has to come first.
If you have a logo on the carry bag, you might as well make the carry bag a handcuff briefcase. Because if you leave it unattended, it's going to walk.
Anti-Theft Features
Speaking of theft...
As much as I detest subscription based models and other situations where a consumer pays a substantial amount for an item but doesn't really seem to own much, there is one situation where I have no problem with the company retaining control...
While is may be very late in the design process to implement this for the ES16, it would be nice to see a way for Ernest Sports to blacklist serial numbers of stolen units. Obviously, we don't want to see a situation where you need internet access at all times.
But if there were a way to perhaps do this and check the serial number of the unit for a blacklist every time a new device (PC, phone or tablet) is added, it would go a long way toward preventing theft. Making it impossible for people to sell *HOT* LMs would be a huge start.
The mobile phone industry in the US has been WAY behind the times on this for years. The manufacturers sell replacement phones when units are stolen, so they have been in no rush to fix the problems.
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