Need Help With Hitting Area Lighting Product

[Calypso]

Hi all! I need to find hitting area lighting that does not interfere with our projector image. I am thinking about dimmable strip lighting but am having trouble finding a good product. I have attached a picture with what I am thinking. Can someone help with product recommendations? Thanks!

[GungHoGolf]

My favorite hitting area lighting method is one of these bulbs hanging above the hitting area, it leaves a nice soft 4' circle of light with no spillage onto screen:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CEK1O7G

[Calypso]

GungHoGolf Thanks! We were originally looking at this type of light but were told by a vendor that mounting it in front of our projector would hurt the image on the screen. Any thoughts on that?

[GungHoGolf]

GungHoGolf Thanks! We were originally looking at this type of light but were told by a vendor that mounting it in front of our projector would hurt the image on the screen. Any thoughts on that?

I don't understand how that's possible, unless it's going to cast a shadow. I project in 4K to a 16x9' screen and it looks amazing.

The only possible way it could hurt is from a tiny bit of spillage from the edges that hits the screen, but that's easily solved by putting a can of some sort around it (I cut up a plastic jug that fit and extends down a few inches, so no light could escape). There's nothing about intersecting light beams that will interfere with the projection beam.

I literally cannot tell the difference in the projected image between all lights out, and the hitting area light on.

[GungHoGolf]

I should add that the only thing I'll probably do differently is hang two of them a few feet apart, and both angled towards the ball, because with it directly above, your head will cast a shadow on the ball when you're putting. For all righty players, you could just hang it slightly to the right and angled towards the ball.

[JonH59]

I just finished my simulator and correct lighting was an issue that concerned me. I ended up with overkill - but I can always turn them off - and the ones that I use all the time are a couple flood lights that only light the hitting area. They're cheap and do a good job.

If you follow the link, it'll take you to a website that shows my build. At the bottom of the pics, it shows the finished sim with the two flood lights on. There's a bunch of extra light from not having my blackout curtains installed yet but you get a good idea of how the floods work. I don't believe they interfere with the image at all and they're dimmable down to 10%. There's a parts page with a link to where I bought them too.

Hope that helps,
Jon in American Fork

[lawrencejp42]

I use a LED PinSpot Stagelight w/remote mounted over the hitting area. Its perfect and is the only illumination you need. For general lighting when needed I had dimmable LED tracklight in back from Lowes. Perfect.

[GungHoGolf]

I tried an LED pinspot, but really disliked the cold color temperature (blueish) and hard edges to the circle of light.

[Carl Johnson]

Not sure if this is a thought for you yet, but if you plan to have swing cameras (high fps) at some point in the future, you will want to test the lights first. I have just finished installing a bunch of track lighting with leds (Juno brand) to ensure the hitting area is plenty bright for swing cams. I am now finding that at 180fps or higher, I am getting flickering on video playback. This is NOT noticeable with live video viewing - just on slow motion playback - above 120 fps. I have not found a true solution yet but something I wanted to mention, if high fps cameras are possibly in your long-term sim plans. If no swing cameras, then you have lots of options - will depend on the look you want and the space you have to place them. Trackman's website has a link to indoor sim lighting - not the prettiest looking fixtures but they are long single row style lights as you show in your picture (both flush and ceiling mountable). Hope this helps a bit!

[Carl Johnson]

I just tried to upload the TM lighting file - too large. Here is the link:

https://trackman.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360003701334-Indoor-setup-for-TM4

[Calypso]

Thanks Carl Johnson , GungHoGolf , JonH59 and lawrencejp42 . I appreciate all the leads! My simulator will be finished by November along with an overall basement project and I will share pics/specs then.