Klineka's Garage Simulator Build Thread

[klineka]

Bit of an update here, house is getting closer to completion, should be done in either Sept or Oct so have been looking into this a bit more.

I am going to switch the direction I'm hitting, the original way I had in my first post the garage door rail would be in the way and cast a shadow onto the screen from the projector, so now I am going to be hitting towards the back of the two car garage which gives me more width so I will be going with a 12'x10' screen size so I can have the 4:3 aspect ratio from an iPad.

Drawing isn't to scale but thats roughly what I'm thinking. The blue is roughly where the projector will be on the ceiling and the hitting mat will be somewhere right underneath the projector as well. The back wall is 20 feet wide so I will have plenty of room on each side and the length is ~22 feet so that will give me more than enough since Flightscope recommends a minimum of 15 feet total.

I was always planning on doing a roll up impact screen and sliding curtain style side nets, but the wife has indicated that she would prefer the side nets to be roll up as well compared to just a curtain style one that would be slid and secured onto the back wall so that has added a little complexity to the setup but I believe I am going to go with Metech motorized shade rollers for both the impact screen and side netting. I believe I will be able to configure it so all 3 units can go up and down from a single remote.

The one thing I haven't quite decided on yet is the ceiling protection, can't decide if I want to go with like a heavy piece of fabric draped down a little bit or if I want to go the foam/acoustic panel route and just use double sided tape to secure them to the ceiling. I'm kinda leaning towards the foam/acoustic panel route, I just think it will look cleaner and more like it was meant to be there. Pretty sure I will be painting the ceiling black first anyway so neither option should stick out too bad and will likely just blend in.

So far for the rough costs it looks like I'll be around $1500 total for the impact screen, motors, and side nets, and then the cost of the mevo+, the cost of the projector, the hitting mat, and the ipad. Still haven't picked a projector yet, but will likely be limiting the projector to around $1,000 max.

[Big Lex]

On 2/4/2022 at 3:31 PM, klineka said:

Maybe I'm overthinking this since plenty of people have figured it out, but what does "chop off the sides" mean? If there was text or info displayed on the iPad/computer in like the upper left corner, would that end up appearing on the impact screen or no?

So say a particular retractable screen I'm looking at is 10x10 how do I determine the best aspect ratio and image height If I were to go with a 4:3 aspect ratio (which is supposed to be 12 feet of width based on a 9ft height) does that mean I will lose 1 foot on each side of the width? Like where does that width go? Would it shine out onto the side curtains, would I just lose the first X number of pixels that appear on the left and right of the monitor/iPad (thus making me lose like data points, score, name, etc), does the image that appears on the iPad/monitor just squish together to fit into the 10ft width, etc. For some reason I just can't seem to make sense the relationship between the iPad/computer resolution, the projector resolution, and the screen size. 

I recently installed a Uneekor EYE XO-based system inside my house. I bought it from the Indoor Golf Shop. They were extremely knowledgable about the issues of how far away the projector must be in order to produce "x" sized images, how much such images would fill the screen, etc. etc. 

I went with their recommended projector and screen. My projector allows you to choose aspect ratios and also to change the image size...forgive me if you know that already...but the point is that even though my projection doesn't fill the screen 100%, it was very easy to adjust it to a very attractive and playable size. If I wanted it to fill the screen I could, but there would be spill over on the edges. 

[klineka]

14 minutes ago, Big Lex said:

I recently installed a Uneekor EYE XO-based system inside my house. I bought it from the Indoor Golf Shop. They were extremely knowledgable about the issues of how far away the projector must be in order to produce "x" sized images, how much such images would fill the screen, etc. etc. 

I went with their recommended projector and screen. My projector allows you to choose aspect ratios and also to change the image size...forgive me if you know that already...but the point is that even though my projection doesn't fill the screen 100%, it was very easy to adjust it to a very attractive and playable size. If I wanted it to fill the screen I could, but there would be spill over on the edges. 

Cool that's good info, thanks. Which model projector did you go with? Are you happy with the brightness and image quality?

[iacas]

21 minutes ago, Big Lex said:

My projector allows you to choose aspect ratios and also to change the image size...forgive me if you know that already.

I'm sure that's true if run off a PC, but may not be accurate if run off an iPad.

Also, @klineka, I'd go with the foam/acoustic panels but might screw them in instead. Tape will dry and fall, especially if it's simply stuck to paint (which can itself dry and peel, particularly with added weight). Maybe it takes 20 years… but I've seen plenty of peeling paint in the garages of places around here. It gets dry in the winters, too.

That said double sided tape (Gorilla or something) would probably be fine for years. But if you're gonna do it, do it right? Even nails might work (and you could get black ones).

[klineka]

Time to update this thread.

We FINALLY closed on the new house earlier this month and are pretty much all moved in and settled now. 

Took advantage of Flightscope's black friday sale and just placed my order for the Mevo+.

Still have to order the remaining components but excited to finally start making some progress on this!

[iacas]

Wooo!

[klineka]

Small update here, I ended up going with the MeTechs retractable option for both the main screen and side curtains. That setup is out for delivery today.

Other things I have already purchased and have received include the Mevo+ with pro package, iPad for the simulator software (will run the Flightscope apps and E6 for now), AppleTV for Airplay to the projector, an Optoma GT 1080HDRX short throw projector, a projector ceiling mount, a 4x5 hitting mat from Amazon, and some of the interlocking foam gym mats and a mesh net for the ceiling protection.  

Excited for the retractable setup to arrive and then I can finally start assembling everything. I'll try to remember to take some progress pics as I go.

[klineka]

Made a bit of progress yesterday, got the impact screen mounted, will try and get the side ones done today.

There was a bit more initial assembly than I anticipated, but it wasn't too bad overall. Mainly just sliding a couple pieces together for the motor, sliding the motor in the tube, stapling a plastic edge to the impact screen so it would grab and secure to the tube at the top, then a similar thing at the bottom for the weight bar. 

The screen is 10 feet wide and around 10.5 tall, so my image with a 4:3 aspect ratio should be around 7.7 feet tall

Definitely was a bit challenging to hang it by myself but I tied a rope through the right end and up through the bracket so that it hung about a foot or two down, then lifted the left side up and into position then did the right.

The screen itself is bigger in person than it looks in these pics. Manufacturer said the creases in the impact screen will go away with time and that you can use a steamer to help get them out too.

Edited December 7, 2022 by klineka

[klineka]

Making more progress, got both side screens up, I'm planning on getting some lightweight tarp clips or something similar and clipping the corners together to close the gaps. It was pretty easy to set the travel distance for each screen, and they all move with a singular remote.

Next steps are going to be routing the power wires for the 3 motors, mounting the projector, and installing the foam pads/net for the ceiling.

[iacas]

Why side screens like that? With gaps that you have to clip each time?

[klineka]

20 minutes ago, iacas said:

Why side screens like that? With gaps that you have to clip each time?

I didn't know the gaps were going to be that big when I ordered the kit. The installation instructions as far as mounting them were pretty lacking, I'll do some more research and see if I can find how others have mounted it but I'm not sure how much closer I can get them to each other based on how big the brackets are and how far the brackets/motors stick out from the ends of each tube.

 

Edit: I did just realize I could make the side screens roll up on the insides rather than the outside like they do now which should help close the gaps some

Edited December 8, 2022 by klineka

[iacas]

I was asking for a few reasons, I guess.

Netting would have sufficed, and if you bought netting, it wouldn't have to go floor to ceiling, and it could wrap around behind so you wouldn't have gaps to close up. Heck, you could have just folded some poles down and then back up to fold up the netting.

I feel like maybe we missed this early on, that you were doing screens on the sides.

I was picturing that, but then I scroll down more and I see in post 15 I showed the motorized one.

And maybe on my phone those looked like projection screens, but really, they're just a fabric or something, and not screen material. Which makes it a lot more like #15.

[klineka]

46 minutes ago, iacas said:

I was asking for a few reasons, I guess.

Netting would have sufficed, and if you bought netting, it wouldn't have to go floor to ceiling, and it could wrap around behind so you wouldn't have gaps to close up. Heck, you could have just folded some poles down and then back up to fold up the netting.

I feel like maybe we missed this early on, that you were doing screens on the sides.

Yeah, I mean I didn't really have a strong preference what the actual material was on the sides, the only real requirement (which came from my wife) was that the sides be retractable too so they would be fully out of the way when not in use rather than a curtain style that would get secured against the wall when not in use. 

The sides I went with came as part of a set from MeTechs which made it easy to go with, although I suppose I could have asked for black fabric on the sides instead. 

Looks like in an example on their site someone installed the side ones just a little bit inside the main screen, I could always do something like that possibly, but i'd lose a little width on my main screen if I went that route.

Sounds like the easiest solution is to just not shank it 🤣 

[klineka]

Progress continues, got the projector mounted and the apple TV set up over the weekend. I used some velcro command strips to secure the apple TV and a surge protector to the projector, then utilized the outlet that was run for a normal garage door opener for my power. (I installed a jackshaft/side mount opener near the door so I don't have a traditional opener in the way. Very pleased with the quality of the projector, especially with the lights off. 

Hit a few test shots too into the impact screen without the launch monitor or the software running just to get a feel for everything so far. 

Going to create a fabric "pocket"/sleeve on the bottom for the weight bar to slide into, the quick option they provided doesn't seem like it will last as the impact screen was already coming out of the weight bar after a couple swings. (To be fair they stated in their instructions that creating the pocket/sleeve is the better option)

I also flipped the way the fabric rolls off the side screens too so they are a bit closer in the corners now. I also played around with some clips, in the one picture below I have the right side clipped with 4 clips and that seems to be pretty good for now, but might look into a better solution as time goes on.

[woodzie264]

Looks awesome! Soooooo jealous!

fortunately that light bulb is pretty far to the left or it may not make it to Feb 😉

[klineka]

12 minutes ago, woodzie264 said:

Looks awesome! Soooooo jealous!

fortunately that light bulb is pretty far to the left or it may not make it to Feb 😉

Haha thanks! 

And yeah, ceiling protection is the last major item on the list, I have some foam panels I will be securing to the ceiling, hoping to get to that within the next few days.

[ChetlovesMer]

@klineka It looks like its coming together. 

One question. How level is your floor. I hit balls in my garage a lot and I'm hitting from the back wall toward the doors. (That's just the way everything fit.) Anyway, I'm always hitting from a slightly downhill lie. I have plans to make a platform and make it level, but I haven't done that yet.

Any thoughts on how close to level your floor is? 
That may or may not matter to you. 

just curious.

BTW - Your looks great. It's going to be awesome when its ready. 

[klineka]

So far I'm not impressed with the MeTech solution at all. I used the Mevo+ for the first time today and about 10 swings in the top of the impact screen that connects to the motor tube ripped off and became unattached. 

Not to mention a similar thing happened to the bottom weight bar (which is entirely too light) too after only 2 swings. 

Their method of stapling a plastic strip to the edge of the impact screen and then sliding that into a notch on the motor tube/weight bar is completely inadequate. 

I think I will get some industrial strength velcro with the adhesive back and attach one strip of that to the motor tube and one strip to the top of the impact screen, that seems to work well for most people that I've seen online. 

I expected more considering the price, and if I had to do it again, I would have just ordered the motor and tube from MeTech and gotten the impact screen elsewhere, which I will probably do in the future.

I reached out to them and shared the picture and expressed my frustration but I don't expect that they'll do anything even though I installed it exactly as their instructions suggested.