Skytrak not registering every shot

[Gumgator]

I have had the Skytrak for 4-5 days, and have used it every day. The last couple of days, more and more shots are not being registered. It has even come to a point where I have had to power off the unit and power it back on. After a shot, normally the laser dot will go away, the unit will think, and the laser dot will re-appear, and the shot will show up on the ipad. But now, nothing unless I turn off my unit and restart it. Then it will work for a couple of shots, and then start missing them again. Of course I have tried experimenting on ball placement, in front of the laser dot, behind, next to it, I tried changing anything white in the background, making sure the black ball labels are facing the unit, etc....

I am using it on a 5x10 county club elite mat, so same mat as I hit on, same level. Any thoughts other than sending it back?

[kevin1889]

An earlier post mentioned some issues with white club shafts. I assume this might be more of an issue for drivers with a white head? Has anyone else seen this. If so, would something as simple as covering the head with black tape work to improve the readings?

[wbond]

I have used an r11s without any issues.

[Hoosierdaddy]

I use a white Rocket balls 3 wood and it has never missed a shot with that club. and my driver has a white shaft also and has never missed a shot on that club either. Might be more of a lighting issue than color of shaft or head.

[davray666]

I have a white head SLDR and as far as I can remember it has never missed a shot in a way that could be attributed to the club.
What you have to keep in mind with the woods is that the shaft or the club head will never pas the line laser before the ball does. That is almost regardless of good or bad of a golfer you are.
With a white shaft on an iron it could theoretically happen that the shaft passes the line laser before the ball. Never happened to me but I don't have any white shafts and I'm a crappy golfer so I am not leaning the shaft forward as much as I should:-) .
With a chrome shaft the reflected laser light will disperse, so that is not a big problem.
Now that I think of it I do have these annoying white stickers on my Cleveland wedge shafts, and I do tend to get a misread on those way more than can be explained with a high vertical launch angle. Need to investigate!!!

[davray666]

If it's having any trouble with long irons, I'd bet 99% chance that the unit was too high. Was it sitting on the mat? On something else? Do you have a low launch? All these are factors and it may even be necessary, if you have too many playing against you, to have the unit off the mat on something slightly lower. It doesn't need to be exactly level - it has an accelerometer inside to compensate for that.

( SkyTrak_Seth ) Seth, I did know about the accelerometer being in the unit. But it's the first time I hear that it's used. Way back in a discussion with Zmax we concluded that the accelerometer is not used.
The test he did was lean the unit back 2 deg and observe the result vs. some other measuring device like ProTee or something (I guess). The error followed the adjusted tilt. Hence the conclusion that the accelerometer values where not used. You also at some point mentioned that your new protection enclosure will have a leveling feature. What's the point when the unit has a 3 axis accelerometer. We could just as easily level it using the iPad app similar to the early Xswing videos we saw.
If it is used, then we need ...
1. A way to see the values to make sure they are OK, and use them to adjust the tilt. (not that it's needed???)
2. A way to calibrate the accelerometers via the iPad app. E.g. place the unit on a leveled surface and then start the calibration mode.
3. A way to turn of the values that the accelerometers provide, off. So that the unit assumes it's leveled. (E.g. you bought the new Skytrak protection with a super accurate leveling feature, why not use that instead)

The reason for no. 3 is that a well calibrated accelerometer could still be some +/- 1 deg wrong. A dirt cheap bubble level is typically accurate within +/- 0.1 deg.
A not so well calibrated accelerometer that has no temperature compensation can be as much as +/- 5 deg off.

[SkyTrak_Seth]

Thanks, daveray. Yes we are using it, and actually your exact comments are already planned for an upcoming release, with the exception of #3. You're very insightful! I'll look into it.

[davray666]

Thanks Seth. That sounds great.

[Hoosierdaddy]

davray666 if you have the app that you use to update the firmware turn it on. you will see at the top the roll and tilt of the accelerometer. Now I have no idea if those numbers being generated are what the unit actually uses. But they change as the until is tilted one way or another. I tried to use those to level the unit and it was real close. But everytime you touch it the numbers change. So now I just use a level similar to the one you have on the cover you printed that is built into my line laser I use to align my unit with the screen.

[davray666]

Where did you get that app? All I have is the normal app and that was the only one I could find in the app store. Have not looked for any Skytrak related apps for a long time.

I actually planed to add a laser pointer holder in the lid but then felt it was an overkill so I dropped it. We will see...

[Hoosierdaddy]

Well not sure what they sent to you guys. But with the simulator package I got an ap to update the firmware. It might not be out to the public. I figured everyone got the firmware updates. You will need it when the sim stuff comes out.

[davray666]

OK, that makes sense. Anyway Seth said it will be in the next iOS app. That is good enough for me.

[luv2golf]

That's great news that some sort of level adjustments can be made through the app (if I read the post correctly).

Now when I go the range, I bring my piece of turf (I find it works best when not on the same mat), torpedo level and wood shims (best way to raise - left/right/up/down).

[SkyTrak_Seth]

Yes, firmware updates to the units in the field will be included with the v2.0 app. Currently only simulator beta testers have access to that. (please don't ask to be a beta tester - we are full )

[ryanoneill1]

Anyone getting flop shots to register on Skytrak? I see the light go from green to red and then back to green. If i take a normal swing it registers.

[davray666]

Flop shots. Nope that does not work. At least not in my setup.