Newb and looking for advice Please

[scelebre]

Hello. I very recently moved to a home with a massive garage with 17 foot ceilings and 12 feet wide and extremely deep (4 car lengths deep). I decided I want to put in a Skytrak system. I looked at the Optiplex system and don't feel like that type of accuracy is what I am looking for and Skytrak seems to be the cheapest option for a simulator that tracks the ball. I am not super interested in geek stats but would like to have a very accurate representation of how the ball would react in reality. The reason for this is because I would like to play simulation golf as well as for practice. I am very interested in local multiplayer with friends and not as much into online play (though that could change as I get into this thing). Do you think Skytrak is my best option for this purpose? Budget is of concern so I am not willing to spend more than the SkyTrak.

I contacted Jancor Agencies for a quote on the hardware necessary. It is much steeper then I would like to spend. This is all in Canadian funds
Skytrak 2900 plus tax = 3335.00
Metal Case 199 plus tax = 230
T5049 Hitting Mat 900 plus tax = 1035
ProScreen 180 3100 plus tax = 3500
Pro Rack Stand 1750 plus tax = 2000
Projector 1000 plus tax = 1300
Total with tax = 11,400

I assume I can mix and match hitting mats and screens with the Skytrack? The mat and the system don't connect in any way I assume. Any advice on what I can get and where I can get the add ons that are significantly cheaper? Realistically I would like to spend no more than 7000 if that is possible. If that means hitting up driving ranges for old hitting mats I am game. I can upgrade as I go into the future but just want to set up and get playable for as cheaply as possible wihtout too much impact on the quality.

Also, what software do you recommend for local multiplayer on courses? This does not have to be an initial investment though I would at least like to play single player on a course out of the box. I assume I can upgrade my PC and software in the future and am not stuck with what I have at initial purchase?

Sorry for the long long message but I am a total newb for this stuff.

[cmckelvmi]

Welcome to the rabbit hole! You have a good sense of what you need and what the options are. SkyTrak is a great launch monitor and has a fantastic range software with very cool features. If you're looking to save money you can get a net return and skip the projector/impact screen. I did this for years as I was collecting things here and there along the way. A good gaming PC will help minimize the SkyTrak delay. However, you can save money by using an iPad if you have a newer model.

WGT is a fun starting software you can use on your iPad. This will allow you to play popular courses but is single player only and no online competition. TGC will be much more inclusive and allow you to play 100k+ courses and online play.

Funny you mentioned going to a driving range for mats. I did exactly this by going to a driving range that went out of business and bought two 4' x 5' fiberbuilt mats for less than half of a new mat.

You came to the right place. Good luck!

[scelebre]

Thanks for your comments. What is a net return? can an impact screen be added to a net return in the future? I presume by skipping the impact screen I would be displaying to a monitor of some kind.

[jasonreg]

Hi - welcome to the forums - a tremendous amount of information is available here - don't shy away from searching the forums using your keys words - lots to read. A couple of recommendations to control costs:

• Break your project into chunks - prioritize what is most important.
• You nave selected Skytrack - do some research, a lot of folks compare this to Mevo+ but choose one and lock it in.
• Do you need (at least initially) to project your image? Hitting into a Net Return Pro with a large monitor on the side can be a great way to save some cash - upgrade downrange if you wish
• Do your research on hitting mats. Many opinions - everything from all-in-one solutions to a simple hitting strip. I am a big Fiberbuilt fan (IMO good realism but more importantly exceptional safety / injury prevention) but there are a lot of options. Check this out: Fiberbuilt Practice Station (fiberbuiltgolf.com)
• DIY is your friend to control costs. Find the best components for the best price you can find. Check out Par2Pro - Edmonton based. Fantastic company and sells soup to nuts quoted in Cdn $
• If you want to project onto an impact screen you can save $ on your projector/Screen and frame. Solutions avail from Par2Pro - but I like many built my own frame for a couple of hundred $.
• Enjoy the process. You can get lost and bogged down - like I said, decide what is most important, break it into chunks and go from there.

Enjoy!

[scelebre]

Thank you I will have a look at those sites for some info on the hitting mats. I am not much of a DIY guy so I think I will have to go the prebuild way

[3on3putt]

1. Skytrak's biggest disadvantage (IMO) is that it's not super righty/lefty friendly. You say that you are mostly interested in local multiplayer play. If you were to have a lefty over (or a righty of you are a lefty), you have to pick up and move the Skytrak to flip it around between righty and lefty shots.

The Mevo+ is at the same price point and is more righty/lefty friendly because it sits behind you instead of to the side. However, with only 12 feet of width in your space, you will not be able to have righties and lefties hit from the same spot and would likely need to move the Mevo as well. But I would say go out there with a driver and try to determine how far apart the righty and lefty hitting spots would have to be and see if that distance is within the Mevo's range. Even if it's not, it might still be the better option.

2. The quote on the screen is outrageous, even if that includes the enclosure. You can do both for under 400 Canadian easily.

3. You can save a small fortune on a mat. $900 Canadian is 716 US. You can buy a good quality mat for less than half that amount.

4. The projector estimate is in the right ballpark if you are looking to go 1080p. If you want to save some money you can go to a lower resolution and buy a quality used one for less than 200 US (250 Canadian).

5. What exactly is a "pro rack stand?"

6. As far as software, if you go with the Mevo it includes 5 courses of E6 software. TGC2019 is more money upfront but cheaper in the long-term because it's a one-time purchase whereas E6 uses a subscription model.

7. You will need a decent gaming computer for TGC2019 or E6 for PC use. E6 can be played on an iPad with lesser graphics.

Here's a general cost breakdown of my setup in Canadian dollars:

-Skytrak = 2600
-Mat = 250
-Projector = 1130
-Computer = 1130
-Screen = 160
-Enclosure = 125
-Artificial turf = 250
-TGC2019 = 1130

Total = 6,775 (Canadian)

Your goal of 7,000 is easily doable. Just dig around the internet for various options and you can piece it all together. As for an enclosure, they are really easy to build using metal EMT piping and connectors and you will save a ton of money vs. buying an enclosure. That's easily where your biggest savings will be according to those quotes.

[scelebre]

Thank you for your response. I will check out the MEVO as well because I do want to be able to switch from lefty to righty easily. Picking up the unit and moving it doesn't sound too bad but obviously will start to get annoying im sure.

The pro Rack was a stand that holds the impact screen in place. The other option was a wall mount. I think I would like some sort of stand to hold the screen up. What are my options there?

I think I will hold off on the gaming computer for now just for costs but something I will likely get in the future. How is it on the IPAD?

Can you explain a little about E6. I have not heard of it. All I know is WGC and TGC. Does E6 allow local multiplayer?

[3on3putt]

scelebre ---- Wait a minute ...... 3,100 Canadian ($2,400 US) for just a screen??? And then another 1,750 Canadian ($1,400 US) for the enclosure?? What in the world??? That can't be right. Absolutely no way a screen alone is costing $2,400. Even the very largest Carls premium screen with finished grommets and everything is only $1,100 and that's about the most you could even spend on a screen if you tried. There has to be a mistake there. If that really is the price, I would be running far away from that guy.

Check out Carl's Place for screens. I have no idea what their Canada shipping policy is but it will give you a good idea of what you should be paying for a good screen. I do not have a Carl's but they are among the most popular (maybe the most popular).

I bought a 9x9 supertex screen for $130. Shop around. Google is your friend with all of this. Just search "golf simulator impact screens" and explore your options and check out the screens section of this forum. But whatever you do, don't pay that kind of money for a screen lol.

As for an enclosure, the EMT pipes and connectors will cost between $100 and $200 for all the parts you need and then you just connect it all together.

You can find info on E6 on the Skytrak website under the "simulation plans" tab at the top. TGC has more courses and better graphics and is also the cheaper option in the long run. But if you're looking to trim costs the Mevo comes with the 5 E6 courses right out of the box.

[scelebre]

oh it was no accident those were the prices they quoted me. Jancor Agencies they are called. I knew it was outrageous and that is with no knowledge going in.

[cmckelvmi]

https://www.rukket.com/collections/golf-hitting-nets-portable-driving-ranges/products/rukket-haack-golf-net-10x7-bundle-with-tri-turf-hitting-mat

This is the net I started with. When I ended up getting an impact screen I hung the net behind the screen to prolong the life of the screen as well as deaden the sound.

I second what 3putt said regarding building an enclosure. I bought the EMT from Home Depot for $111 and the connectors from Ace Hardware for $68.

[jasonreg]

Par2Pro sells both screens as well as frames - and full up enclosures as well. SQ screen (their premium screen) + Stand for a 12x9 screen was just over $2200 Cdn. Lots of choice out there.

[richerod]

Budget is realistic assuming garage is environmentaly suited for sim play: heat, ac, lighting, WiFi, sloped floors, mechanical inteference. Totally agree with other posters here on the outrageoius quotes for screens and enclosure. I have a DIY garge setup and its very DIY. Seems like 50% of total costs have been in the making environment comfortable enough that I would want play golf in dead of winter (North East).

[scelebre]

Thank you. You raise a few good points that I had not considered.

Garage space is of no issue but is not heated or AC. It is however well insulated. WIll be cold in winter (Toronto) but hoping a couple of space heaters facing the hitting area will allow me to play while moderately dressed (hat and sweater).

Lighting is very good but I would not say amazing. Previous owner was a mechanic and had a car lift and the lighting installed is well above a normal garage but I would not call it vibrant. Would this be good enough lighting for the Skytrak? Obviously you do not know exactly what I mean but is Skytrak decent is lower lighting?

Wifi I will need to test and maybe buy a google nest.

Sloped floors? Mechanical interference? Floor is perfectly level and not sure what would cause mechanical interefernce. WOuld a garage door opener be a problem?

[richerod]

Garages in Northeast typically slope towards the doors away from house ) if it is an attached garage. If you opt for a radar based system, the placement of the unit relative to appliances and/or mechanical systems may matter as it may cause interference. As for Skytrak, many folks in the forum have had great success with lighting, alignment, and other environmental considerations. I will defer to them.

Other big expense for me was raising garage door tracks to a high lift setup which I needed so I could swing driver.

[scelebre]

Thank you that was helpful. Garage size is of no issue. It was custom built by a mechanic. Ceiling is 20 feet, about 15 feet wide and the length of 4 cars. It was a nice selling point on the house

[3on3putt]

Skytrak doesn't really need any lighting. It can be used in a totally dark room with only the light from your projector. If you can see the ball, so can the Skytrak.

There is also no electrical or mechanical interference to worry about with a Skytrak as there is with some radar-based units.

It does not get nearly as cold where I live, but I use a space heater in the winter time positioned just a few feet away and it's fine, especially wearing some under armour or something. I usually find myself turning it off after a while because swinging a golf club over and over really keeps the blood flowing. I've seen several threads from Canadians and other northerners here about the various ways they keep their rooms warm. Might be able to find those with the search tool.

A sloped floor is no problem. As long as the Skytrak is level with the hitting mat, hitting off a slightly sloped floor is no different than hitting off a slightly sloped fairway.

[brdgolf1]

Although after adding a small selfie light that shines on the ball area, I get much higher read rates on Skytrak. The selfie light was only $30 on Amazon.

[3on3putt]

I noticed fewer no-reads on putting when I added a little light. It's certainly not necessary to have much light other than the projector. But I think you're right in that it may help. Or at the least, certainly not hurt.

[scelebre]

thank you. In that case I have more then enough light.

[scelebre]

Any reason why this would be a bad setup keeping in mind that cost is very important?

https://spornia.com/collections/all-products/products/spg-7-bundle-7-in-1

Also, I am looking at some of the Chinese manufactured projectors on Amazon with native 1080P for around 200-300. Would something in that price range be effective? I don't know much about projectors. Anything that needs to be considered? The costs vary so much

[timsiegle]

Look at the BenQ TH671ST on Memory Express. Decent amount of adjustability at a good price especially if it's on sale. Got mine for $829 boxing week

[scelebre]

Quite a bit more then I would be able to spend at the moment. If a cheaper projector is absolutely no good I will have to save my pennies and forgo the projector for the time being. If I can get away with a lower cost one for a few years I will go that route and upgrade in the future

[3on3putt]

Any reason why this would be a bad setup keeping in mind that cost is very important?

https://spornia.com/collections/all-products/products/spg-7-bundle-7-in-1

Also, I am looking at some of the Chinese manufactured projectors on Amazon with native 1080P for around 200-300. Would something in that price range be effective? I don't know much about projectors. Anything that needs to be considered? The costs vary so much

You can get a better quality screen and enclosure setup for less money. Honestly, it's really not difficult to build your own. I am not at all skilled in DIY stuff and nobody would ever describe me as handy and I had no trouble putting one together. It's literally just inserting metal pipes into connector sleeves. Look up a company called Maker Pipe. For a good low-budget screen, look up Supertex.

As far as those cheap Chinese projectors, I don't think any of them are short throw. Which means you have to mount them a mile from the screen, which doesn't really work for golf sims. Post a link here if you think you've found one though. If you want to save money, check out the used market. You can find some good deals on older projectors that still have plenty of lamp life. You can also go with a lower resolution. I just sold a short throw 1280x800 projector to another user on this forum this week for $100. It's really important to know your screen size and throw distance when choosing a projector.

[3on3putt]

scelebre --- There are two big things you need to consider with any projector purchase. The first is throw ratio. Most golf sim users use projectors with throw ratios in the ballpark of 1.0. That means the mounting distance is equal to the width of the screen, so say 10 feet away from the screen to cast an image that is 10 feet wide. For example, my projector is mounted around 6 feet away for an image width of 9 feet, so the throw ratio is around 0.6 (distance divided by width). The problem with mounting something too far away is that if the projector is behind you, your shadow can end up on the screen. That's why it's best to get the projector above your head or slightly in front of you.

Now, you have huge ceilings, so you can certainly get away with putting a projector behind you. And this is where the second important thing comes into play: vertical offset.

Vertical offset is the distance between the middle of the lens and the top edge of the image (for a ceiling mounted projector). People with low ceilings have to use projectors with very short vertical offsets (3 inches or so) because they don't have a lot of space between the top of their screen and their ceiling. I have 11 foot ceilings, so I am able to use a projector with more vertical offset (16 inches I believe). That allows me to mount the projector up higher and get it more out of the way and then allow the vertical offset to drop the image down to where I need it.

Again, you have a lot more flexibility than most others because of your high ceilings. But you'll need to consider how to mount it (may have to DIY yourself a hanging shelf to put it on because I don't know if there are any projector mounts that extend that far).

The trouble with the Amazon listings of these off-brand projectors is that it's not always easy to find out the throw ratios and vertical offsets of these projectors, and those are 2 of the most important specs to consider.

My advice is to use projector central to make a list of projectors that will work for your screen size and space. Then search eBay and other used markets to see what you can find. A good quality used projector with a slightly lower resolution (which will still be quite good) can be had for less than $200 U.S. That's a good budget-friendly projector that you can use while you save up for a future upgrade.

Start with determining what your screen size will be. You'll want to know that first before you start going down the projector rabbit hole.

[scelebre]

wow that is a lot to consider. I will hold off on projectors for now until I can learn much more about them. I did have a question about mounting and wondering if it is at all possible to not mount the projector and just have it on a table behind me. The reason I ask is that I wouln't mind having it portable and being able to use it in other areas of the house. Like for a movie night with the kids.

If i did put it on a table behind me would I need to have it slightly off center so that my shadow would not get in the way. I assume there are some with a feature that allow it to be off center but still project the image properly?

[3on3putt]

scelebre --- Yes, it's possible to mount it off to the side and then use what's called horizontal lens shift to shift the image over to where you want it. However, this feature generally only exists on higher end projectors. If you're trying to go the budget friendly route, horizontal lens shift is going to be out I'm afraid.

What you can do if you want portability is mount it on the floor. Ceiling mounts are generally preferred because then the projector is out of sight and out of mind. But some people do put their projector on the floor just in front of the hitting mat. And since you will be hitting offset to one side, that option can work for you since the projector will be centered but you will be chipping and putting around to the right side of it. That makes for easy portability.

[Pgetzen]

Jumping in a little late on this but I am at the beginning of my build. I used to have a Skytrak, but sold it and went with the Mevo+. I mostly did this to avoid any subscriptions unless I really wanted them, and the Mevo+ came with a lot just out of the box. I ended up buying a Carl’s DIY enclosure for about $800 with the preferred screen (but will have to buy the EMT pipes (would think around $150 or a little more)). I also bought the BenQTH671ST projector for $700 new, and will need to buy a projector mount. I have a Fiberbuilt Flight Deck station to hit off of, so all in, I think I am going to be in for just at $4K, which is about as cheap as I think can be done for a reasonable setup. I helped a buddy build something pretty similar and it turned out pretty well. Good luck with your build!

[scelebre]

Thanks. I ended up with the Skytrak because it requires less space from the net and will be used primarily indoors. I do agree that mevo has more going for it out of the box software wise.

[Pgetzen]

The Skytrak worked flawlessly for me, so assume you will be very happy with it. Best of luck with your build, it’s a fun project!