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**3on3putt** · 05-11-2021, 12:04 AM

Projectors are highly dependent on your screen size, ceiling height, hitting spot and other variables. But BenQ makes quite a few 4k projectors that are less than the one you quoted.

https://www.projectorcentral.com/pro...=&db=&ltg=&tr=

(Not to mention a lot of 4k projectors from other manufacturers as well. Just have to determine the throw distance and vertical offset you need for your space)

**mthunt** · 05-11-2021, 01:16 AM

Originally posted by Hawkman23 View Post

Hey everyone! I am very new here. I've been doing a bunch of reading the past month or so and now it's time to start my own simulator build. I have a budget of around $30k. (I originally got a quote from Trackman on a full turn-key build and it was way out of my budget) so I did quite a bit of research and I believe I can get some really nice equipment for what I am trying to build. The build dimensions are 15" wide/9' tall/ 19' deep (I plan on hitting from 12' and setting the trackman back 7' from me). I can overanalyze some things so I am looking for advice in a lot of areas from people who have built their own and just simply know a lot more about this than I do from experience!

Below is my potential build list...

- STI Pro Putt (PL306) putting turf. This turf runs about a 8-9 on the stimp per the company I am getting it from.
- SwingTurf hitting mat (4'x6'). I emailed rainorshinegolf.com and they got back with me within a day with a custom quote on the 4'x6' size. I want just a little bigger hitting area than the 4'x5' they advertise on their website.
- Trackman 4 Simulator
- Alienware Aurora R12 Gaming Computer. Does anyone recommend what graphics card will give me the best graphics? I am lost when it comes to gaming computers. The one I built is $3k. Can I get something from them for less that will give me top quality picture and graphics?
- BenQ LK953ST 4k projector. Is it worth the $5499? I want the simulator graphics to look as real as possible, could I get something for less and it still give me great 4k graphics? If so, what does everyone recommend?

As for the impact screen. What would everyone say is the best impact screen out there for this setup?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I plan on starting the project next week by doing the turf and hitting mat first.

Thanks everyone!

IMO the PC and Projector are way overkill. They’d be nice for sure but how nice do you need? a $1200 gaming PC and $1000 HD projector will really pop. The most important thing in the PC is the video card. A GTX1060 card will do it for you. Go up from there. If you really want 4K you need the ones you mentioned but not necessary to me.

For the mat, consider something bigger. 4x9 would be better if a leftie comes over. Install the mat and shim the putting surface to Match. That’s what I did.

**Stetson** · 05-11-2021, 03:08 AM

TM4 + Listed Projector + Listed PC … how are you not over budget already?

**COgolfengineer** · 05-11-2021, 05:36 AM

Stetson is right, your budget is already taken up with trying to get the best projector and PC and there's still other costs you need to consider such as sidewall and ceiling protection, lighting, leveling the turf with the hitting mat, maybe extra monitors by your PC, a cabinet for your PC, cost of the Trackman Virtual Golf software, etc.

Back to the projector, what kind of space is your sim going to be in and will you have natural sunlight coming in? If you have any natural light coming in, a brighter projector is probably better than higher resolution. If that's the case, you'll probably want at least 4000 lumens for a good picture. Also, I think for the TM to measure club data accurately, it needs a lot of light, so you might want a bright projector just to combat the needed lighting for TM. If you don't need a super bright projector, then the one 3on3putt mentioned would probably work well, if you need 4k.

Since your space is 15' wide and 9' tall, that's exactly a 16:10 ratio, so maybe could go with a 16:10 projector. Your image size will be smaller than your room dimensions though. But Panasonic makes a good 1920x1200 projector with various brightness levels, 4000-6000 lumens. Here's a link to their previous gen version, pretty good deal at $1200 for 5000 lumens and leaves plenty of room in your budget.

Just a moment...

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1352043-REG/panasonic_pt_vz580u_vz580u_5000_lumens_wuxga.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjws-OEBhCkARIsAPhOkIYcoFukwzXhuLdmZwkDET1UZgU1_nZ7TSe9a7wiZRsG4TE97AEt4VwaAoWUEALw_wcB

For your PC, you might need a pretty good graphics card to run TM Virtual Golf 2 as the graphics are pretty good. I'm sure TM has some recommended PC specs.

The fortunate thing is you can always upgrade some pieces later on and resale value on some of these things are pretty good, so I wouldn't stress too much on getting the "best" you can get. You'll learn a lot once you get the sim up and running and can figure out what's worth upgrading and what's not worth it. Starting out with a good LM like TM is an awesome start!

**Dax** · 05-11-2021, 05:52 AM

Here are the min specs for Virtual Golf 2

Windows 10 (64-bit)
8 GB RAM
SSD 256 GB
Desktop CPU & GPU
- i5 Processor
- Nvidia 1070 8GB GDDR / Nvidia RTX 2060 6GB
Laptop CPU & GPU
- i7 Processor
- Nvidia GTX 2060 6GB

**Dax** · 05-11-2021, 06:03 AM

A coupe of other thoughts.

1. based on your description you note 19 feet to work with and then note 7 feet TM4 to impact and 12 feet of ball flight. Please make sure you account for at least a foot of distance from wall to impact screen and also keep in mind that the front of your TM4 will sit about 7 or 8 inches from your back wall. This your ball flight will be a little less than what you are hoping. Te a big issue as TM 4 should be just fine for 10 feet plus for ball flight (less once the new firmware comes out).

2. Someone noted above that you will need to cost in VG2. On a new TM4, you should get a one year software and hardware subscription. Thus, Software sub after year one will need to be factored in.

3. At the moment and while VG2 looks great, I would argue that a 4K projector should be considered future proofing for when TM upgraded the graphics engine in a future release. A good 16:10 projector at around $1500 might just be enough and should give you a pic that you are more than happy with and you would not be sacrificing much in terms of added features in your projector. This will also help with computer budget. GPUs are expensive at the moment and very hard to find. I am currently running a 2070 super and it works great (I have a 16:10 projector and a 1080p monitor).

4. Budget a good hitting mat to ensure you protect your joints. Also, for your screen etc, check out Par2Pro and also Gung-ho golf.

5. As much as possible read some of the build write-ups on this forum from the last year as you will find them very helpful.

Goodd luck with your build.

**Dax** · 05-11-2021, 07:43 PM

Hawkman23 check out these links:

https://trackman.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/article_attachments/360069735993/Spotlight_Installation_Instructions_4.20.pdf?mobile_site=true

https://trackman.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/article_attachments/360025007453/TM_Indoor_Setup_v1.1.pdf?mobile_site=true

I think these should answer all your questions on the lighting. However, o take all quests work out, I would go with what TM recommends and is selling as this way you will be sure your solution will work as intended.

**Hawkman23** · 05-12-2021, 03:56 AM

Thanks for the advice. I will check it out.

Originally posted by 3on3putt View Post

Projectors are highly dependent on your screen size, ceiling height, hitting spot and other variables. But BenQ makes quite a few 4k projectors that are less than the one you quoted.

https://www.projectorcentral.com/pro...=&db=&ltg=&tr=

(Not to mention a lot of 4k projectors from other manufacturers as well. Just have to determine the throw distance and vertical offset you need for your space)

**Hawkman23** · 07-28-2021, 02:19 AM

Well it’s been over 2 months and I haven’t made much progress, but I’ve got a few big purchases that should finally show up this week.

I did a bunch of research on the most ideal pieces for my simulator build. Unfortunately a few of these pieces were on back order for a little while so I’ve had to wait.

Here is where I’m at right now, again I haven’t gotten to far, but I would rather make sure this build is perfect rather than rush through it. Ive installed about 2” of foam insulation to protect the pipes behind my screen.

The turf I ordered from Turf Factory Direct will be delivered Friday and my SwingTurf hitting mat just arrived 2 weeks ago. I am waiting on the Turf Bond turf adhesive to get here as well. Once that arrives I will install the flooring in my sim room then start on the screen. I also purchased some angled foam from Home Depot to put at the bottom of my screen to avoid any bounce back and help the ball roll back after hits.

Hopefully once the flooring goes down it will start to look like a sim room. Thanks to everyone who has helped answer questions for me that have helped me in starting this build. I’m going to put a link below to everything I’ve ordered to complete my sim room.

SwingTurf Hitting Mat - https://rainorshinegolf.com/products/swingturf-golf-mat

TFD Putting Elite Turf - https://turffactorydirect.com/produc...putting-elite/

TurfBond Adhesive - https://www.turfbond.com/collections...cts/29-oz-tube

Angled Foam Wedge - https://www.homedepot.com/p/GUTTERST...203318223-_-N&

Pipe Foam Insulation - https://www.homedepot.com/p/M-D-Buil...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

- Hawkman23

**Hawkman23** · 08-15-2021, 04:29 AM

Progress…slow but steady! Will install the frame for the impact screen this week. I also have to move the duct work before I install the screen.

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