Just starting a launch monitor swing simulation garage project

[Wmgioia]

I have a garage space that is 19'deep,11.5' wide,with a 10' ceiling.
iminterested in recording my swing to incorporate evaluation as well as playing courses.

What are the crucial components to assure accurate flight data, and if starting out with a smaller budget where would you cut corners?
planning on $10-15,000.
i'm intending to use a retractable hitting screen,so I'll still be able to park my car.

Am I going to be able to have a respectable system with this budget?
Bill

[richerod]

Absolutely you can have a respectable system. Many option sto choose from for laun h monitor. Budget will get pushed if you have to make environmental upgrades such as garge door tracks raised, heating, ac, wiring, etc.

[3on3putt]

Respectable setup is around 5k, so you're more than fine with that budget. With that budget I'd be checking out a uneekor or gc2.

[Dax]

If you can find a preowned GC2 plus HMT, that may also work and be a good option as well. Especially if you can’t find someone who is selling the software as well.

Foresight sells the above package for about $13k and so you will likely not be able to go down that path, but do believe something like the above sold earlier this past week for around $10k.

[COgolfengineer]

That's a good budget to get a good system. If you want accurate ball data and record your swing, you might need to go cheap in certain areas. Here's some suggestions.

Launch Monitor:
Uneekor QED, $7k. It captures accurate ball data and club data with club stickers. The software integrates seamlessly with swing cameras and you can use 2 webcams for as cheap as $100-200. A lot of users on here have had great success with cameras from Spinel, including myself. Unfortunately, there's a big price gap in launch monitors between 2k to 7k, so you can go to a 2k unit which still work well but using swing cameras won't integrate as nicely. Uneekor also connects to many game simulators, like TGC, E6, Creative Golf, and more.

Hitting Mat:
Many options to choose from but I wouldn't go cheap here because it can affect your fat shots and also give you elbow pain. I use Fiberbuilt. They have many options, mine cost $1k just to give you an idea on cost. If you get just a hitting strip, then that will reduce the cost.

Other Flooring:
You need some padding on the concrete floor to prevent the balls from bouncing. This is an area where you can save money as I did. I put down 1/2" thick carpet pad, rolls are pretty cheap at Lowe's and Home Depot. I then bought cheap artifical turf at Home Depot to roll on top of the carpet pad. It was $20 for a 5x7' roll. My space is similar to yours and this flooring in total cost me less than $200. More elaborate and nicer looking flooring can cost around 1k and up, especially if you want it flush with the hitting mat.

Impact Screen:
A lot of options. If you want it to be retractable, there's some DIY solutions and solutions you can buy, like the Stealth Retractable from Par2Pro. I have the screen from Par2Pro on order and if you add sidewall and/or ceiling protection, it can increase the price quite a bit. Overall, a retractable impact screen, it could cost anywhere from $500-4k.

Side & Ceiling Protection:
Many options. Can add both this to the Stealth Retractable screen for a clean look but will cost you. I went cheap for this stuff for now. I put 1" EMT conduit on the ceiling and used it as a curtain rod. Then added curtain rings with clips and used canvas drop cloths as the curtains. These work well for catching errant shots. And I even used some canvas drop cloths for ceiling protection as well. A 12x15' canvas drop cloth is about $60 on Amazon.

Projector:
Many options and prices range $500 to 5k. Depends on the lighting in your space and the resolution you want.

PC:
Need a gaming PC to run the game sim software because the graphics require a lot of horsepower. Cost 1k and up.

Game Sim Software:
TGC is $1k. E6 has a fee plus annual subscription. Creative Golf has various price options. Other options as well but this is a decent cost.

Misc:
You might want your PC in a cabinetcagood to have an additional monitor that shows your swing cameras on there, might need spot lights over the hitting area, added lighting for the swing cameras, and various other things that I'm probably forgetting.

There's many ways to build a golf simulator and this is more the typical build scenario where you hit into an impact screen and have the projector show an image on the screen. Some people hit into a net and have the shot display on a TV or computer monitor off to the side and this can save some cost mainly from not needing a projector.

But, you can see there's a bunch of cost adders after buying the launch monitor. For better accuracy and improving your game, investing more in the launch monitor is worth it in my opinion.

Hope this helps and good luck!

[kirkemg]

Which Spinel cameras do people have success with?

[COgolfengineer]

Spinel has a 1MP, 720p camera at 120fps. You can get it with different size lenses and the lenses filter out IR which is needed for a Uneekor system. You can also get it in a case or bare board. Another user, stevnkrn, has made a 3D printed case for these and posted the files on thingiverse.com.

Here's a link to one of the Spinel cams.

https://store.spinelelectronics.com/UC10MPC_L17

You can also refer to this thread for a lot of discussions on swing cams, mainly for the Uneekor systems.

https://golfsimulatorforum.com/forum/golf-simulator-brands-and-types/uneekor-qed/268589-camera-options-for-uneekor

[kirkemg]

Thanks for the reply. I have a skytrak so my use is purely for reviewing and recording my swing...