Short Throw or Normal Throw

[d_orr]

Hey guys, I'm new to the world of golf simulation and projectors, so I'd appreciate some feedback. I currently have a 12'x 9' Carlsplace enclosure set up so there is approx 120" of diagonal screen space to fill. It's set up in my garage where I have 15' ceilings and plenty of room behind me as well. So my question is this, what are the pros and cons of using a short throw projector vs a normal projector. Like I said I have plenty of room to mount one to the ceiling, but part of me likes the idea of having a floor mount projector that I can store while the simulator is not in use. There is also quite a bit of ambient light in the garage which I will need to try and minimize. But am I correct in thinking that a projector closer to the screen would have a brighter picture?

thanks
DO

[3on3putt]

The main thing is shadows. If a projector gets too far behind you, you run the risk of your shadow being on the screen. With 15 foot ceilings, you have a little more room to work with if you wanted to put one behind you.

As far as the floor vs. ceiling mount, you say you want to store the projector when the sim is not in use? Like store it in a closet? Why? With such high ceilings, you should be taking advantage of that and do a ceiling mount. Floor mount is always in the way when you're going up to the screen to gather balls and you'll have to putt around to the side of it. Floor mount should only be a last resort if you don't have ceiling space.

[RAH5]

Agree. I am floor mounted but would be ceiling if I had that space. Floor mount works perfectly fine but overhead it would just be out of the way.

I have a short throw and am very happy with it. Among other things I also use it for indoor/outdoor movies for the kids. With short throw I can basically set it up anywhere.

[JayJo13]

If you get the right projector mount with a quick release you can easily remove the projector from the mount to store and then re-attach when needed without having to re-align. That's what I do.

[d_orr]

I really appreciate the feedback so far. So my follow up question would be is there an ideal distance/ height to have a projector mounted from the ceiling for simulator use? My current set up has my hitting area about 12' from the screen I've been doing some research on projector central looking at throw distances etc. It seems to vary from one projector to the next. So should I determine the ideal distance for my set up and buy and projector based on that?

[JayJo13]

Once you determine the dimensions of your space and your desired screen size your projector should be the next thing you consider. You should definitely base your projector selection on where it is going to be located, screen size and ratio but here are also some projectors with optical zoom which takes a lot of the guess work and setup stress out. If you feel like you have a decent sized area to hang a projector just make sure you use the projector calculator as you compare models to ensure they will work.

[3on3putt]

Now that you have a screen size and hitting location determined, you now know the throw ratio that you will need. Look for a projector with that throw ratio (or one that is very close). As far as how high it will hang, that will depend on the vertical offset of the projector (and just like throw ratio, each projector will have its own respective vertical offset). That measures how high the lens will be from the top of the image that it displays. And with a good amount of light in the room, pay attention to the lumens and what projector central says about how well it will work in rooms with ambient light. Also, invest in some blackout curtains for any windows to eliminate some of that.

[rajnarang]

Hello Everyone

We want to get garage sumulator room built. We have a 3 car garage in Michigan and would like to use 1 garage for the simulator. Looking for someone to build the whole thing. Can anyone suggest how to go about getting this done.

Appreciate your help in advance.

[3on3putt]

Hello Everyone

We want to get garage sumulator room built. We have a 3 car garage in Michigan and would like to use 1 garage for the simulator. Looking for someone to build the whole thing. Can anyone suggest how to go about getting this done.

Appreciate your help in advance.

Check out the "sim in a box" options. They are packages that come with everything you need.

[Will]

To eliminate shadows, the projector specs are normally 0.50 to around 0.90 lens throw ratio for 10'-12' ball to screen distance. Having a projector mounted nearly overhead places the unit in a safe spot and will also eliminate shadows while swinging. Vertical lens shift is likely required.

Even though @d-orr has a 12'x9' screen he will need to work off the screen height to understand the zoom ratio. The projector lens will likey setup natively as a 16:9 screen and waste all of that screen space ( and lumens) as black on the right and left of his impact screen.

A 16:9 projector will natively show 1080p or 2160p. You have to ask the height of your image, then multiply 1.77. Then work off that width to know your zoom ratio.

16:10 projectors are available, but you should just go to a site like projectorcentral to narrow down your choices. Name a price range and others will chime in on their choice.

E.g.
A 16:9 12' wide screen would only have a native image height of 6.75'.
A 9' tall screen would be 16' wide with a 1080p projector. Placing a ball 12' away would require a 0.75 throw ratio. (12/16 = 0.75)

[kirkemg]

Hey piggy backing this thread. I'm just about to install a 16x9 P2P stealth screen over my garage. I have an 11' ceiling. So much projector analysis out there. Do you mind suggesting the height/distance from the screen I should ideally shoot for to fill the screen? Hit from 10' and mount projector x far......type of thing? I know it changes by projector but just generally to the optimal numbers to shoot for........thank you!

[Will]

Place ball and projector at about the same distance to the screen. Get a projector with vertical lens shift.

Stick with less than 0.90 throw ratio to prevent screen shadows.

The garage door rails required my projector to be slightly forward of my ball. It's not an issue with planning. Screen to lens is one thing, but if there is a garage door limiting the location of a projector mount downrod you may be forced to go closer or further away. Or, change how your door raises and lowers.

[TanDev]

Hi. I'm in the process of getting everything purchased & set up. The last remaining item is the projector. I'm setting it up in the garage. It's the Net Return Pro series, with the screen being 94 inches wide x 84 inches tall & 126 inches diagonal. I have been told to get a short throw projector with a minimum of 3500 Lumens. What other criteria should I look for & how crazy expensive should I be looking at. They seem to range from $500 all the way to $4,000 ++. Also there seems to many to choose from. I have approx 2 feet of clearance above the net. Help. & Thanks

[GungHoGolf]

Hi. I'm in the process of getting everything purchased & set up. The last remaining item is the projector. I'm setting it up in the garage. It's the Net Return Pro series, with the screen being 94 inches wide x 84 inches tall & 126 inches diagonal. I have been told to get a short throw projector with a minimum of 3500 Lumens. What other criteria should I look for & how crazy expensive should I be looking at. They seem to range from $500 all the way to $4,000 ++. Also there seems to many to choose from. I have approx 2 feet of clearance above the net. Help. & Thanks

The BenQ TH671ST is a very popular golf sim projector, and works for almost any studio as long as you can ceiling mount it on the center line of the screen at the appropriate distance back. For your 84" tall image, it would be placed 8'10" to 10'7" back from the screen (to the lens). It has optical zoom, hence the range of mounting distances. Ideally it would be placed 2" above the top of the screen, but you have lots of flexibility up or down there, too, since it has very smooth vertical keystone adjustment. See https://www.projectorcentral.com/Ben...or-pro.htm#top

Don't fixate on lumens. You get a good image by controlling ambient light in the room, not by overspending on projectors with more lumens. The TH671ST at 3,000 lumens is a very bright projector, and as long as you control the light in the room, it will look great. The brightest projector in the world won't save your image if you have a significant amount of ambient light hitting the screen (since the dark parts of the image can never be darker than the white screen without the projector on).

I carry them here, along with the links to my favorite ceiling mounts:

https://store.gunghogolf.com/BenQ-TH...NEW-p265749740

If you buy from me, I will help you configure your computer to perfectly fit your 94x84" screen as long as you have an Nvidia graphics card. It can be configured to fit everything from 16:9 to 1:1 (square) perfectly.

[Will]

"You get a good image by controlling ambient light in the room, not by overspending on projectors with more lumens"

+1
Control the room's light!

It's cheaper to control the light than to buy lumens.

(Even an 8000 lumen laser projector will not overcome the afternoon sun and tinted windows)