HeyBLU Field Guide

iPhone settings (check before you leave)

Auto-Lock → Never (Settings → Display & Brightness → Auto-Lock). If the screen locks on the tripod, tracking stops.
Low Power Mode off; charge fully and stay above ~30% battery.
Do Not Disturb (or a Focus) so calls and alerts stay quiet during the session.
Volume up, or connect a Bluetooth speaker / earbuds so the pitcher hears calls.
HeyBLU → Local Network On if you use Command Training, Follow Game, or a second device.
Clean the camera lens before you mount.

1. What to Bring

Tripod (inside the fence) Hand-holding ruins calls. A refurbished iPhone 13 (non-Pro) without cell service is an ideal dedicated device.
Measuring tape (Pro iPhones) Enter camera-to-plate distance and lens height from the ground after you mount.
Slightly used white baseballs Slightly scuffed white baseballs—not brand-new pearl-white if you can avoid them.
Fully charged phone See iPhone settings above—Auto-Lock, Low Power Mode, Do Not Disturb.
Wi-Fi for a second device (optional) Put every device on the same Wi‑Fi (travel router, Android hotspot, or facility Wi‑Fi). Do not use the tracking iPhone as the only hotspot host.

2. Scan (at the Plate)

Move slowly: ~20–30 seconds—closer, farther, a bit left and right.
Keep plate in view in a 5–10 ft half circle around home plate.
Clear the area: Walking bodies during the scan confuse the map.

3. Place Strike Zone

Match the virtual zone to the real home plate using on-screen controls, then walk to the tripod. If you use a temporary plate, point it straight at the mound.

4. Mount & Frame (Red Lines)

Expect the zone to shift when you mount. Fix it on screen before Play Ball.

Position & height

Tripod 10–15 ft from the plate, inside the fence, offset to the side (from a few feet past the catcher toward either foul line). Set height to the center of the strike zone—lower than most people expect. Don't block the lens with fingers or gear.

Center the pitch path (red ROI)

Two thick red vertical lines are the detection window. The full ball flight must stay between them—not the plate alone in the middle.

Align the blue strike zone with the red line on one side (plate edge).
Keep the mound visible beside the red line on the other side.
Do not center the zone between the red lines.

Realign after mount

Slide zone onto the plate; use Distance/Height or Up/Down; use Adjust Plate for overhead fit. Pro phone: enter measured distance and lens height. Tap Calibrate on a test pitch if inside/outside is consistently wrong (9-zone grid, non-contact pitches only).

Play Ball

Only when the phone is still, the path is inside both red lines, and the virtual plate matches reality.

Quick Troubleshooting

Trust your eyes. MPH is an estimate (±5 MPH). Ball/strike is roughly within one ball width when setup is good.

If this happens...	Do this...
Zone shifted after mount	Slide zone, Distance/Height, Adjust Plate; on Pro phones enter distance + lens height. Then Calibrate with a test pitch.
Every call inside or outside	Calibrate on screen (9-zone grid). Settings Adjust HeyBLU is backup only.
Missing calls / wrong path	Check red-line framing—full pitch path between lines, not zone centered. FAQ diagram →
Tripod bumped or idle >10 min	Restart the session—especially if people walked through the scene while idle.
Calls stopped; Calibrate didn't fix	End session and redo setup. Phone hot from sun? Cool it—thermal throttle kills AR.
Calibrated after contact	Batted ball can poison the read. Calibrate on pitches not swung at (use Live Batter mode when applicable).

Don't Bother If...

Pitch speeds regularly above ~65–70 MPH (untested)
Tripod can't sit within ~15 ft of the plate
Indoor or artificial lighting only
Phone below ~30% battery
You need a live-game umpire replacement today
Hard breaking balls at any speed (still testing)