Now available for Apple Watch!
DigiCue BLUE® FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the DigiCue BLUE?
The DigiCue BLUE is a small electronic coach with Bluetooth® technology that fits inside of a custom rubber housing and attaches to the butt end of any pool, snooker or billiard cue. Simply slide the DigiCue BLUE onto the butt end of your cue, push the power button, and then play the game of your choice.
What does the DigiCue BLUE do?
The DigiCue BLUE constantly monitors your stroke for inconsistencies and gives you immediate feedback by silently vibrating when it measures a flaw in your stroke. Additionally, it wirelessly sends statistics of each shot to the DigiCue app on your smartphone or mobile device.
What flaws does the DigiCue BLUE measure?
Jab strokes
Follow through smoothness / acceleration through the cue ball
Finish duration
Tip steering and direction
Straightness of your stroke
Finesse
Shot interval (time between shots)
Backstroke pause duration
Do I need to hit a ball to get the DigiCue BLUE to work?
Yes. The DigiCue BLUE will only trigger if the tip of your cue impacts a billiards ball. It will not trigger on warm-up strokes, chalking the tip, moving a ball with your cue shaft or impacts with your hand.
Can I use the DigiCue BLUE without a smart phone or mobile device?
Yes. The DigiCue BLUE comes pre-programmed with Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced modes that does not require a mobile device or Bluetooth® connectivity. The DigiCue BLUE will vibrate when a fault is detected, but you will not be able to view details of the shot.
How will the DigiCue BLUE help me?
The DigiCue BLUE provides both tactile and visual feedback to help you condition your stroke, track improvements over time, and analyze characteristics and flaws in your execution.
What comes in each box?
Each box contains one electronic DigiCue BLUE (battery included), one small rubber housing, one large rubber housing and a quickstart guide. The small rubber housing should fit all snooker cues (with or without a chamfer) and very small diameter pool cues. The large rubber housing should fit all other cues.
Will the rubber housing damage my cue?
No. The rubber housing(s) are made of soft silicone rubber and will not damage or create marks on your cue.
Will the rubber housing break if I pull on it too hard?
No. It takes much more force to permanently deform the rubber housing(s) than is required to remove them from the butt end of a cue, even when snugly fit. A video of a vice-grip strength test can be viewed HERE.
What do I need to do before I use the DigiCue BLUE?
You will need to install the DigiCue BLUE into a rubber housing and download the DigiCue app. There is a video explaining how to install the DigiCue BLUE into the rubber housing on our YouTube channel HERE
1) First, choose one of the two rubber housings that best fits the butt of your cue.
2) With the battery facing downwards, insert the DigiCue BLUE module into the rubber housing so that the power button notch is aligned with the center of the DigiCue logo.
3) Continue pressing the DigiCue BLUE towards the bottom of the housing until it securely snaps into place.
4) Download the DigiCue app to your mobile device. Both iOS and Android apps are available.
5) Follow the on-screen instructions to connect your DigiCue BLUE to the app.
How much does the DigiCue app cost?
The DigiCue app is free of charge.
How do I put the DigiCue BLUE on my cue?
Slide the rubber housing all the way onto the butt end of your cue so that your cue is in direct contact with the plastic body of the DigiCue BLUE.
Will the DigiCue BLUE be falsely triggered by the use of spin or English?
No. DigiCue BLUE measures flaws relative to the cue stick line, not the shot line. Therefore, if you apply backhand-English to pivot the cue at an angle to the shot path, but stroke exactly in the direction that the cue stick is pointing, then DigiCue BLUE will not register this as a fault. This is important because many shots have spin applied to them. However, if you swoop or steer the cue to create English, then this is a “Straightness” and “Tip Steering” fault.
How do I turn on the DigiCue BLUE?
Press the Power Button Circle once (1) to turn on the DigiCue BLUE. The DigiCue BLUE will vibrate a number of times, indicating which of the four (4) modes it is currently set to:
1 Vibration: Beginner Mode
2 Vibrations: Intermediate Mode
3 Vibrations: Advanced Mode
4 Vibrations: Custom Mode
How can I tell which mode the DigiCue BLUE is set to?
At any time, pressing the Power Button Circle once (1) will cause DigiCue BLUE to report which mode it is set to.
How do I change modes?
At any time, press the Power Button Circle three (3) times to cycle to the next mode. The DigiCue BLUE will remember which mode it was in after it has turned off, even if the battery is removed.
What is Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Mode?
Each of these modes are pre-programmed with a certain combination of settings that best represents the sensitivity levels of flaws expected from a Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced player. A mobile device is not required to set or use these modes.
What is Custom Mode?
All settings are fully customizable using the DigiCue app. Choose the flaw sensitivity levels of each setting and sync with your DigiCue BLUE. Once successfully synched, the DigiCue BLUE will vibrate four (4) times to indicate that the settings are customized. You can exit Custom Mode by pressing the Power Button Circle three (3) times, in which case it will enter Beginner Mode.
How do I turn off the DigiCue BLUE?
The DigiCue BLUE will automatically turn off five (5) minutes after the execution of your last shot.
How long does the battery last?
The battery will last for approximately 30,000 shots, minus the normal self-discharge (lifetime) of a CR2032 battery.
How do I change the battery?
Remove the DigiCue Blue from the housing and squeeze the retention clip on the battery holder to release the battery. Insert, positive-side-up, a common non-rechargeable CR2032 lithium ion battery. Return the DigiCue Blue to the rubber housing of your choice.
How do I remove the DigiCue BLUE from the housing?
Place your thumb just below the letter E in the “DigiCue” text printed on the rubber housing and push with your thumb. DO NOT attempt to remove the DigiCue BLUE by pushing up from the very bottom of the rubber housing as this could damage the DigiCue BLUE. For a video showing exactly how to remove the DigiCue BLUE, see HERE.
Is there a video of the DigiCue BLUE available?
Yes. OB Cues has a video channel demonstrating the DigiCue BLUE on YouTube HERE.
How much does the DigiCue BLUE weigh?
The DigiCue BLUE, rubber housing and battery altogether weigh a maximum of 0.8 ounces.
What are the inner dimensions of the DigiCue BLUE housings?
The small housing inner diameter is 1.1″. The large housing inner diameter is 1.22″. Both housings have a mating contact length of 1.65″ when the DigiCue BLUE is inserted.
Will the DigiCue BLUE be falsely triggered by the use of a pendulum stroke?
No. The “Tip Steering” measurement ignores up/down motions of the cue. More sensitive Tip Steering settings require the motion to be closer to the vertical plane in order to prevent a fault. However, the “Straightness” measurement detects movement in all radial directions, and requires a perfect laser-beam like piston stroke in order to achieve high scores. A pendulum stroke may cause a Straightness fault.
Can the faults be turned on and off?
Yes. All faults can be changed and turned on and off via the DigiCue app.
Can the vibrations be turned on and off?
Yes. Vibrations on success and vibrations on a fault can both be turned on and off independently via the DigiCue app. All vibrations can be disabled so that the DigiCue BLUE behaves like a silent data logger.
Which platforms are supported by the app?
The app works with both Android and iOS.
Can I use the DigiCue BLUE with a Smart Watch?
Smart Watches are currently not supported.
How much battery power does the app drain while running?
The app will drain an average of 4% battery life per hour, if the app is allowed to enter sleep mode. The battery drain of an illuminated screen is far greater than the power draw of the phone’s Bluetooth® module.
Will the DigiCue BLUE detect very softly hit shots?
Yes, the DigiCue BLUE will most likely be able to detect shots in which the cue ball freely rolls about one or more ball widths. The sensitivity will be decreased if the DigiCue BLUE plastic cap inside the rubber housing is not in direct contact with the butt of your cue.
How long does it take for data to be recorded in the DigiCue app?
It may take between 3 to 5 seconds for data to be recorded under normal conditions. Normal conditions mean that there is a good line-of-sight from the DigiCue BLUE to your smart phone or mobile device, that large objects are not blocking the line-of-sight (pool table or other objects), and that the mobile device is not resting on any large metal surfaces that block radio waves. If there is significant interference, it may take up to 10 seconds.
How long should I wait in between shots when using the DigiCue app?
Wait at least 3 to 5 seconds between taking each shot in order to allow data to be sent to your smart phone. If you shoot faster than 3 seconds, then some shots may be missed. This is still OK however, if your goal is to look at a long term statistical average of your performance.
Do I need to keep the DigiCue BLUE oriented in the same way to use it?
No. The DigiCue BLUE can be used in any orientation. However, some very elevated shots (greater than 45 degrees) may not register correctly.
Does the DigiCue BLUE require calibration?
No calibration is ever required.
Will the resonance of the cue stick affect the accuracy of DigiCue BLUE?
No. Resonances and vibrations in the cue are digitally filtered out before the signal reaches the main algorithm. DigiCue BLUE will behave the same way on any cue, independent of the manufacturer.
Will tapping the cue ball or chalking the cue cause a false trigger?
Very rarely. The DigiCue BLUE algorithm contains a discriminator that can tell the difference between a true cue ball strike and other perturbations.
Is the DigiCue BLUE still supported by OB Cues?
No. The DigiCue BLUE is now exclusively sold and distributed by Nathan Rhoades LLC through Amazon. Wholesale is not available at this time.
Who do I contact for tech support?
Please visit the DigiCue BLUE community support page HERE or email nataddrho@digicue.net. Live tech support is not available at this time.
Can the DigiCue BLUE be used with a personal computer?
Yes. A computer program for the DigiCue BLUE has been developed which can run on most common operating systems including Windows, Linux and MAC OSX. The purchase of a $20 dongle is required for hardware compatibility. Find more information and download the program HERE.
What is the format of the Shared / exportable data file from the app?
Data is exported from the DigiCue App in comma-delimited ASCII format. All scores and thresholds are normalized decimal fractions between 0 and 1.
epoch: Timestamp, milliseconds since Jan 1, 1970
dcfin: Finish Score
dcstr: Straightness Score
dcste: Steering Score
dcflt: Follow-through Score
dcjab: Jab Score
dcbck: Backstroke-pause Score
dcint: Shot Interval Score
dcang: Angle of tip movement in degrees (0 degrees is 12:00, 90 degrees in 3:00, etc.)
dcths: Threshold of straightness setting. Compare to Straightness score.
tag: Session name / start of session
tagend: End of session
