Jeeves’ Simulator Home Build

[jeeve5]

Hi there... loving this forum and happy to recently be approved as a member. Lifelong dream to have a home simulator, and fortunate enough to have purchased a home almost one year ago with a bonus room just big enough to make it happen. And with 3 kids under 6 this is going to be a much needed addition to keep a club in my hand... and hopefully bring up my kids in the game.

in the past year I’ve done a complete 180 on direction, etc. Started with fullswing (as I know a sales rep) then moving to foresight, then skytrak. But very recently was thrown for a loop when I discovered GSA... and will most likely do the Vistrak stereo (never really needed option to take monitor outdoors, only looked there for cost savings vs built-in system)

Would love some input from the group as there are some minor details I’ve yet to iron out and slightly confused as I’ll be building myself.

My space is exactly 13’ wide x 13’ deep and 10’ high. I’m a minimalist sort of guy. Looking to eschew curtains and panel the walls and ceiling instead. Then do a simple solid turf mat covering the entire space. Angle iron to hold the screen. Looks like GSA can supply most of what I need, although looking at other options for upholstered wall and ceiling tiles.

So for starters, a bit unsure where The vistrak and projector will be mounted in relation to the hitting mat/tee. For reference the bonus room extends and additional 17’ beyond the 13’ that will make up the simulator, it can’t extend mat any further back.

I’ll upload some floorplans and pics soon. Thanks in advance for any comments, suggestions and support. Looking forward to sharing progress and the install as it happens.

[frodaddy00]

Going with GSA is a risky endeavor. A long history of grandiose plans but little delivery. To each his own but are you basically at the mercy of a single very smart guy's pet project. You are better off going GC2 or Uneekor. SkyTrak used to be a great entry level option but their back orders right now have made prices skyrocket.

[keither5150]

I have a Vistrak Stereo beta unit. Currently everything is working properly with the exception of entering putting mode. There is a pretty major bug that needs to be fixed. Other than that, the system works every bit as well as the PX5 stereo system. The new system has specific lighting and enclosure requirements. Cameras will have to be mounted and cables run. The system also needs to be calibrated for it to be accurate. It is certainly not plug and play like a GC2.

Precise speed and direction measurement is key to achieving a realistic experience when chipping and putting.
Speed is measured to the nearest 1/100 of a mph. The system can detect the speed difference between two putts when one putt travels 4 inches farther than the other putt. HA is measured within +/- 0.2 degrees. Short chips are picked up extremely well. In the past, chipping and putting was somewhat of a challenge on a golf simulator.

The Vistrak camera takes the place of the PX mat...... it supplies club data and video playback of your clubhead at impact. GSA is working on an addon to provide spin numbers. Currently spin is calculated from the club data. I have found the calculated spin numbers on the GSA systems to feel very realistic. If you are in Canada, you can PM me for more information. If you are in the US, you will want to go through Mike...... his contact info is on the site.

[keither5150]

Oh, And you need a very strong computer with plenty of fast memory.

[jeeve5]

Thank you Frodaddy... really appreciate it. And thanks to your comments to Keith. Outside of Keith’s posts there’s not much written about GSA. And Although I’m fairly tech savvy I’m not really looking to beta test or have to tinker constantly. I’ll definitely explore the Uneekor.

I will figure it out. I’m committed now - just bought 100 vant panels per their Memorial Day sale!

[jeeve5]

Ok... here we go. Vant panels ordered over the weekend on sale. And found the 9.5x12.5” premium screen I wanted on Carl’s clearance!
Been communicating with Matt at Uneekor and will be wiring funds this week for QED Ignite and probably their camera package (unless someone talks me out of it). I’m going with Ignite because it seems the forum is pretty much favoring TGC19 and the add on integration for QED sounds easy and awesome. So I’ll forgo the Uneekor course and practice packages for that instead.
Stockpiling all the materials and waiting for the demo to start. I’ll provide updates as we go.
Pardon all the kids toys... all the cabinetry will be gone and removing drop ceiling to lift everything to 10’. The screen will be behind what’s now the bar. The bump out on the right was a bathroom Reno we did, converting a half bath to a fulll from the other side of that wall. The closed door is a closet which will be extended out to square off at that open door.. then I’ll have a wall extend past that open door so you don’t look into the bonus room at someone standing on the tee. This also creates the entire space which will have turf. After the 12” dead space behind the screen it’ll end up 12’ deep x 13’ wide. I’ll post more as we go!

[frodaddy00]

R.I.P. bar

[WheelsinLino]

Is there a fabric of choice for the Vant panels? Some have to be 'tougher' that the others???

[jeeve5]

I decided on the leather.

[Shawnmackenzie]

Exciting times!

Your screen size is quite similar to mine. I’ll be interested to see what you find for a projector!

[jeeve5]

Exciting times!

Your screen size is quite similar to mine. I’ll be interested to see what you find for a projector!

What projector do you have and where is it mounted? After hours and hours on projector central I can only find one decent option. Vertical throw is another consideration given my ceiling height to the screen height... so this is what works:
Sony VPL-FHZ55B with VPLL-Z3009 zoom lens. Problem is this is way more money than I was expecting. The projector is like $4k and the lens $2k. I can find some used ones on eBay to save maybe like $2k total. But still having a hard time pulling the trigger.

[3on3putt]

What projector do you have and where is it mounted? After hours and hours on projector central I can only find one decent option. Vertical throw is another consideration given my ceiling height to the screen height... so this is what works:
Sony VPL-FHZ55B with VPLL-Z3009 zoom lens. Problem is this is way more money than I was expecting. The projector is like $4k and the lens $2k. I can find some used ones on eBay to save maybe like $2k total. But still having a hard time pulling the trigger.

How far away are you trying to mount your projector? I can guarantee there are other options available way cheaper than that. Also, what will your actual screen size be once you have it hung? You've only left yourself 2.5 inches on each side from screen to wall and you'll have to take into consideration the frame and some room for bungee tension. If you had a 12x9 screen (which leaves you 6 inches on each side), that gives you a nice 4:3 aspect ratio and you can fill that whole screen in HD for under a grand.

[jeeve5]

How far away are you trying to mount your projector? I can guarantee there are other options available way cheaper than that. Also, what will your actual screen size be once you have it hung? You've only left yourself 2.5 inches on each side from screen to wall and you'll have to take into consideration the frame and some room for bungee tension. If you had a 12x9 screen (which leaves you 6 inches on each side), that gives you a nice 4:3 aspect ratio and you can fill that whole screen in HD for under a grand.

If you could educate me that would be awesome! I am feeling so stressed out about it and don't want to make a bad and costly decision. I will be using angle iron to hang the screen, and per Carl's recommendation for spacing with bungees it should then fit perfect. Yes, this will leave me with a 4:3 at 9' high x 12' wide. My QED will hang 13.5' from the screen and I am going to try and create a box between ceiling joists so that it sits flush at my 10' ceiling. Then the idea was to hang projector just behind at 14' - and with a vertical throw that aligns to the top of my screen. This is why I keep coming back to that projector. Only one I can find that has a vertical throw small enough, and can sit 14' back with the correct 4:3 on my screen.

[Shawnmackenzie]

If you could educate me that would be awesome! I am feeling so stressed out about it and don't want to make a bad and costly decision. I will be using angle iron to hang the screen, and per Carl's recommendation for spacing with bungees it should then fit perfect. Yes, this will leave me with a 4:3 at 9' high x 12' wide. My QED will hang 13.5' from the screen and I am going to try and create a box between ceiling joists so that it sits flush at my 10' ceiling. Then the idea was to hang projector just behind at 14' - and with a vertical throw that aligns to the top of my screen. This is why I keep coming back to that projector. Only one I can find that has a vertical throw small enough, and can sit 14' back with the correct 4:3 on my screen.

I am just in the planning stages but will have a ~13'x10' screen. It feels overwhelming trying to figure it out. The information I have found seems to suggest it is common to get a good 16:9 projector and force it into 4:3. Will keep you posted!

[jeeve5]

Absolutely. But using projector central's throw calculator does all the math for you... and my issues are what I have previously stated

[3on3putt]

If you could educate me that would be awesome! I am feeling so stressed out about it and don't want to make a bad and costly decision. I will be using angle iron to hang the screen, and per Carl's recommendation for spacing with bungees it should then fit perfect. Yes, this will leave me with a 4:3 at 9' high x 12' wide. My QED will hang 13.5' from the screen and I am going to try and create a box between ceiling joists so that it sits flush at my 10' ceiling. Then the idea was to hang projector just behind at 14' - and with a vertical throw that aligns to the top of my screen. This is why I keep coming back to that projector. Only one I can find that has a vertical throw small enough, and can sit 14' back with the correct 4:3 on my screen.

I'll assume by "vertical throw" you mean "vertical offset" (or the recommended height of the lens above the top of the screen).

I don't know a lot about the Uneekor and how it might interfere with the projector. But does the projector have to be located behind it? I know there are a decent many Uneekor users here. Are they all mounting projectors that far away? I would have to doubt it. (waiting for a Uneekor user to chime in here).

Assuming that you can mount a projector in front of the Uneekor unit....

You have a 10-foot ceiling with a 9-foot screen. Is your screen going to touch the floor? If so, you will have 12 inches to spare at the top (between the screen and the ceiling) which means you'll have more room than you think for vertical offset. Here are three BenQ projectors that could work:

BenQ TH671ST will fill your screen from 12 feet away with a vertical offset of only 3 inches. And this BenQ can be had for under 1k (market estimate of $700 on projector central).

BenQ HT2150ST will fill the screen from 12 feet, 1 inch with a vertical offset of only 2 inches. Roughly the same price.

BenQ HT1085ST is the same as above, just maybe slightly more expensive.

Again, I don't know what kind of ceiling space the QED requires and where you can and can't place a projector with them.

Your other option is to floor mount a projector. Your space is a little short, so I'm assuming you'll be hitting from around 7 feet away?


****EDIT: I'm a little confused. You said your room is only 13 feet deep but you're wanting to mount the QED 13.5 feet from the screen??

[jeeve5]

I'll assume by "vertical throw" you mean "vertical offset" (or the recommended height of the lens above the top of the screen).

I don't know a lot about the Uneekor and how it might interfere with the projector. But does the projector have to be located behind it? I know there are a decent many Uneekor users here. Are they all mounting projectors that far away? I would have to doubt it. (waiting for a Uneekor user to chime in here).

Assuming that you can mount a projector in front of the Uneekor unit....

You have a 10-foot ceiling with a 9-foot screen. Is your screen going to touch the floor? If so, you will have 12 inches to spare at the top (between the screen and the ceiling) which means you'll have more room than you think for vertical offset. Here are three BenQ projectors that could work:

BenQ TH671ST will fill your screen from 12 feet away with a vertical offset of only 3 inches. And this BenQ can be had for under 1k (market estimate of $700 on projector central).

BenQ HT2150ST will fill the screen from 12 feet, 1 inch with a vertical offset of only 2 inches. Roughly the same price.

BenQ HT1085ST is the same as above, just maybe slightly more expensive.

Again, I don't know what kind of ceiling space the QED requires and where you can and can't place a projector with them.

Your other option is to floor mount a projector. Your space is a little short, so I'm assuming you'll be hitting from around 7 feet away?


****EDIT: I'm a little confused. You said your room is only 13 feet deep but you're wanting to mount the QED 13.5 feet from the screen??

Thank you!

Sorry, my turfed area will be 12' back from the screen, but the bonus room extends another 16' or so. I can mount pretty much anywhere, so long as I don't physically impede on its cone of vision.
Hitting tee will be 10' from screen... so hesitate to mount at 12' - might be too close to the swing?
But I will check out these projectors. thanks so much.

[jeeve5]

Purchased turf today from Rymar, who Uneekor recommended. Pumped about it... 6.5’x4’ tee mat for only $114, should be comparable to the country club mat. They will cut to size the putting mat to fit around for another 495. 270 shipping and I’ll install subfloor per their recommendation to make the putting mat sit flush with tee. This can be sourced at Home Depot. All in I’m at $1100 to give a level fully turfed 12’x12’

Still struggling on projector placement. Work in progress.