Help! For Radar Experts

[BNosler]

Ok, so I have an indoor simulator with TM3e and E6. I moved my shop in January into a small space but still within the necessary requirements to run Trackman. 13' from hitting area to screen and 8.5' from Trackman to hitting area. I have 1/4" metal lined walls on the left, right and behind the simulator screen. 3e never really has been any good with higher speed players with drivers. It might get 1 out of 5 on a good day in the old place with no metal walls with a guy swinging at 110mph+. Well since I moved into this new location it has gotten even worse. TM is blaming the metal wall behind the screen. However they demoed the new TM4 and it picked up everything. So i upgraded yesterday and it arrives Monday. I have 14 days to determine if it works or not.
So my questions are:
1) Can the metal actually be damaging to the radar itself? 2) how quickly does radar weaken over time? 3) Maybe TM3e just isn't good indoors or I had a lemon? 4)I don't feel like I'm getting the whole story from TM and I don't want it to work great for 14 days and then on day 45 go haywire. 5) Any thoughts? I'd love to hear some!

[Dax]

I had extensive issues with my garage set up when I initially recieved my TM3e. The issue for me was that I was my screen was right in front of my garage door. Just as you have experienced, I also had a large number of non reads from my unit and in particular my driver.

Subsequent to identifying the cause and ratter than waiting around for anpossible fix, I decided to move my set up.

Since moving i no I no longer have any issues and while I still have situations where I do t get a reading with my driver it is very very rare.

Please feel free to ask questions, but when I look at your pics I can certainly see why you are getting issues based on my past experience.

[Yrrdead81]

The metal won't "damage" the radar. Nor should your unit degrade over time(well it is a bit of electronics and high(ish) energy directed electromagnetic radiation so it won't last forever but probably longer than I will). But realize that metal especially a vertical wall of it has a very very very strong radar signature. So much so that it "washes" out the ball's signature if that makes sense.

If you are only indoors than a Foresight unit would be my suggestion. You should be able to flip your TM pretty easily and pick up a Quad or GC2+HMT.

[codehead]

I agree with dead81. Damage is of no concern. What is of concern is the ability of the radar to distinguish the ball and club signals in a very noisy environment. The noise in your case is caused by radar reflective materials covering the walls. TM is using the reflection of it's generated signal to do its measurements, but in your case almost all of the signal is being reflected not just the objects being measured. As an example that may be more intuitive to you lets take another electromagnetic wave, light. Assume you have to say where the ball was going by seeing it in a pitch black room. Now when the ball is struck a strobe light goes off. If the background is black chances are this will be fairly easy. Now instead of a black background replace it with mirrors on 3 sides. Now it becomes extremely difficult because mostly what you are going to see if your own light being reflected back at you and blinding you. This is the situation you have created for your tm.

[codehead]

Also I forgot to mention that if you are absolutely stuck in the current location and orientation then they absolutely do sell a product referred to as RAM (Radar Absorbing Material). This is what is used in anechoic chambers used for testing electronics, vehicles, etc. I have no idea how much it costs or where to get it or what frequencies you need to absorb based on the generated signal from TM, but it would be totally possible.

[LEO MODE]

Hey, would you happen to know any solution for my case?

I get two issues at my house simulator set up.

1) putting gets automatically triggered randomly
2) chipping/putting doesn’t get registered sometimes (especially when it’s lower speed)

i contacted Trackman support and they said a heater or fluorescent light can cause the radar to misread it as radio frequency.

But I have LED lights and an AC. They weren’t on today at 2PM. I do create some shadow when I walk over to the tee since the projector is mounted on the ceiling.

My house is pretty regular I would say. Computers and electronic devices on the right. Sofa on the back. Soundbar behind the screen. AC on top of the ceiling. Really just like a typical room.

[BNosler]

You guys are the best thanks for all the great info! Do you think I need to buy this expensive material or do you think if I put up some 5/8" sheetrock panels behind the screen covering the entire screen area that it would take care of the problem?

[Dax]

Have you spoke with TM? I think they would be able to answer your questions. My thoughts are that you may still have issues.

[codehead]

Sheet rock will have no effect. Does it absorb your router signal? The answer is no

[Yrrdead81]

Want a cheap material that is awesome at absorbing radar(microwave) energy? Water.

Now how you apply that to your situation I'm not sure. But some thin air mattresses filled with water might work. There are some foams that have been mentioned but I have no idea how much those would be.