When shopping for electronic scoreboards, the topic of the mini scoreboard comes into play. This is especially important if you have young teams in a grade or middle school and a very small budget for a scoreboard. While the mini scoreboard might be initially attractive, you might want to review the pros and cons of the mini scoreboard before you decide to invest.
Pros:
Portability: This will give you and your team the ability to take an electronic mini scoreboard to all of the games, no matter where the game is.
Lightweight: Always important if you plan on moving the scoreboard and using it at multiple venues.
Lower cost: The mini scoreboards are a lot less in cost than the larger scoreboards.
Remote Control: Excellent convenience for the person controlling the scores. Score results are immediate.
Multiple mounting options: Can be mounted on a wall, a desktop or shelving mount.
Two-Sided LED Screen: Displays crisp LED scores. One for each team.
Durable: Most are made with somewhat durable casings.
Good for all games: Without specific team or color associations, the mini scoreboard can be used for all teams.
Cons:
Hard wired: This will involve running electric cables. The cables can be a safety hazard for attendees and team members. The cables must be a major consideration for any game or venue.
No or Limited Sponsor Area: The mini scoreboards typically are for scores only. Some offer limited and static logo areas. Since sponsorship as an important topic for a team, this can be a major downside.
Limited LED score colors: Usually the scores are displayed in one color only. It’s fine if the color is not associated with any particular team. Not so good if it happens to be one of the other teams colors.
Small distance viewing: Typically good for those attendees that are within seventy five feet or less. Good for the small venues, but impossible to see for games at larger fields. It actually becomes a detriment if the fans can’t see the scores.
Not team specific: If you are buying a mini scoreboard for a particular team, the generic look of the scoreboard will not give you the ability to identity the scoreboard with your team.
Limited Casing Colors: There are usually only a few color choices for the casing.
You get what you pay for: While a mini scoreboard costs less, you are also getting a lesser quality product that may not accommodate the needs of your teams and sponsors.
Low Tech: There aren’t any of the streaming video, crisp changing LED messages, audio or up to the minute play by play reviews available. Mini scoreboards are considered low tech. This is a down side if you are in a high tech demographics area.
Limited Warranty: Typically one to two year manufacturer’s warranty. This could be a problem if the mini scoreboard is going to be transported to a lot of games. It causes additional wear and tear on the casing and electronics.
Maintenance: Can be costly if something goes wrong after the warranty has expired.