Home launch Monitors

steetyj · September 1, 2015

Are we going to see accurate launch monitors for personal use (practice and full sim) coming in under the $1000 mark anytime soon?

I know Skytrak offers this at $2k but that seems to be a bit pricey for the average golfer.

Other companies offer radar based LMs but are limited in the data they provide and can't be used for simulation.

Ultimately we would have something that could offer data accurate enough for sim and practice at home at a reasonable price.

robrey85 · September 1, 2015

I highly doubt anytime soon. The market wants to make as much money as they can even though we have the tech, they're too stingy to make it affordable. Just plan on dropping the 13k for a GC2 w/ HMT and call it a day.

IMHO, respectively.

iteachgolf · September 1, 2015

The Xi can certainly be used for simulation. And would be more accurate than skytrak. You will never see accurate home launch monitors that can simulate for that cheap. Simulation software alone is over $1,000. Need a $1,000+ computer to truly take advantage of modern software and a good projector will set you back $1,000+ if you want one with lumens high enough to use in anything but darkness (need light to film swings). I'd say you could do a budget launch monitor system for $7k or so with screen and everything. But that's building it in pieces yourself and sacrificing of hardware

steetyj · September 1, 2015

I'm really not considering projector/computer/screen as part of the cost.

Mainly just the LM hardware/sim software.

Not even concerned with will sim...would love a driving range mode for home practice.(full sim would be a bonus)

I don't know a ton about the hardware but it seems as if GC2 and Skytrak are just some
High speed cameras and image/video processing software.

Is there really any more to it than that? Are the cameras in these units especially costly? I assume the cameras are the main hardware cost. What kind of specs are these cameras? What frame rate do you need to hit to track a ball
Moving at 180+ MPH?

robrey85 · September 1, 2015

When I was looking into it, the GC2 unit ran like 5-7k and the HMT unit was an additional 5k. The HMT unit is the unit that is going to tell you all that crap about attack angle and stuff. It's all pretty costly if you ask me. If 13k isn't much, then go for it man. I'm sure it's well worth it to have the unit for personal use. I'd definitely get one if I didn't have to finance it, haha.

TravAz · September 1, 2015

[quote name='robrey85' timestamp='1441142464' post='12247226']
I highly doubt anytime soon. The market wants to make as much money as they can even though we have the tech, they're too stingy to make it affordable. Just plan on dropping the 13k for a GC2 w/ HMT and call it a day.

IMHO, respectively.
[/quote]

I couldnt disagree more. This concept makes businesses key candidates for disruption, they cant survive long with an attitude like that.

Tech is accelerating at a rapid pace, Im sure companies are egaer to crack the home user market. I mean hell, iPhone can do 240fps slow-mo now.

Poser · September 1, 2015

I bought the gc2 last year and have the golf club software for the simulator piece. It's amazing I can play online against other players and it's great for practice. The skytrack is very well priced for what you get and probably the best budget option out there. There are other things like trugolf , optishot, p3pro that are under 1k but, eh you get what you pay for.

Poser · September 1, 2015

[quote name='TravAz' timestamp='1441153621' post='12248152']
[quote name='robrey85' timestamp='1441142464' post='12247226']
I highly doubt anytime soon. The market wants to make as much money as they can even though we have the tech, they're too stingy to make it affordable. Just plan on dropping the 13k for a GC2 w/ HMT and call it a day.

IMHO, respectively.
[/quote]

I couldnt disagree more. This concept makes businesses key candidates for disruption, they cant survive long with an attitude like that.

Tech is accelerating at a rapid pace, Im sure companies are egaer to crack the home user market. I mean hell, iPhone can do 240fps slow-mo now.
[/quote]

It comes down to supply and demand.... Not many people have the real estate for a home launch monitor and not alot of people actually want one. Same reason golf training aids that cost 2 bucks to make cost 100 bucks. Supply / Demand...

iteachgolf · September 1, 2015

[quote name='Poser' timestamp='1441153850' post='12248172']
[quote name='TravAz' timestamp='1441153621' post='12248152']
[quote name='robrey85' timestamp='1441142464' post='12247226']
I highly doubt anytime soon. The market wants to make as much money as they can even though we have the tech, they're too stingy to make it affordable. Just plan on dropping the 13k for a GC2 w/ HMT and call it a day.

IMHO, respectively.
[/quote]

I couldnt disagree more. This concept makes businesses key candidates for disruption, they cant survive long with an attitude like that.

Tech is accelerating at a rapid pace, Im sure companies are egaer to crack the home user market. I mean hell, iPhone can do 240fps slow-mo now.
[/quote]

It comes down to supply and demand.... Not many people have the real estate for a home launch monitor and not alot of people actually want one. Same reason golf training aids that cost 2 bucks to make cost 100 bucks. Supply / Demand...
[/quote]

And cost of R&D and production. Skytrak is less accurate than GC2. With camera based systems the key is how good their formulas are and how well they can do error correction. Foresight has better software which results in better accuracy and you pay for it.

Krt22 · September 1, 2015

[quote name='iteachgolf' timestamp='1441154478' post='12248232']
[quote name='Poser' timestamp='1441153850' post='12248172']
[quote name='TravAz' timestamp='1441153621' post='12248152']
[quote name='robrey85' timestamp='1441142464' post='12247226']
I highly doubt anytime soon. The market wants to make as much money as they can even though we have the tech, they're too stingy to make it affordable. Just plan on dropping the 13k for a GC2 w/ HMT and call it a day.

IMHO, respectively.
[/quote]

I couldnt disagree more. This concept makes businesses key candidates for disruption, they cant survive long with an attitude like that.

Tech is accelerating at a rapid pace, Im sure companies are egaer to crack the home user market. I mean hell, iPhone can do 240fps slow-mo now.
[/quote]

It comes down to supply and demand.... Not many people have the real estate for a home launch monitor and not alot of people actually want one. Same reason golf training aids that cost 2 bucks to make cost 100 bucks. Supply / Demand...
[/quote]

And cost of R&D and production. Skytrak is less accurate than GC2. With camera based systems the key is how good their formulas are and how well they can do error correction. Foresight has better software which results in better accuracy and you pay for it.
[/quote]

But how is the precision? In the realm of any non-flight based launch monitor, which is more important? Lets say the skytrack is 5yrds off, but a consistent 5 yards if its really just an algorithm difference

iteachgolf · September 1, 2015

[quote name='Krt22' timestamp='1441155350' post='12248306']
[quote name='iteachgolf' timestamp='1441154478' post='12248232']
[quote name='Poser' timestamp='1441153850' post='12248172']
[quote name='TravAz' timestamp='1441153621' post='12248152']
[quote name='robrey85' timestamp='1441142464' post='12247226']
I highly doubt anytime soon. The market wants to make as much money as they can even though we have the tech, they're too stingy to make it affordable. Just plan on dropping the 13k for a GC2 w/ HMT and call it a day.

IMHO, respectively.
[/quote]

I couldnt disagree more. This concept makes businesses key candidates for disruption, they cant survive long with an attitude like that.

Tech is accelerating at a rapid pace, Im sure companies are egaer to crack the home user market. I mean hell, iPhone can do 240fps slow-mo now.
[/quote]

It comes down to supply and demand.... Not many people have the real estate for a home launch monitor and not alot of people actually want one. Same reason golf training aids that cost 2 bucks to make cost 100 bucks. Supply / Demand...
[/quote]

And cost of R&D and production. Skytrak is less accurate than GC2. With camera based systems the key is how good their formulas are and how well they can do error correction. Foresight has better software which results in better accuracy and you pay for it.
[/quote]

But how is the precision? In the realm of any non-flight based launch monitor, which is more important? Lets say the skytrack is 5yrds off, but a consistent 5 yards if its really just an algorithm difference
[/quote]

It's not consistent and big changes in spin rate produce huge difference in results. I've seen it side by side be similar -10 yards shorter and 10 yards longer than radar based LM. Same guy hitting all shots. There was no consistency to what side it was gonna error on. At -10 to +10 you had a huge margin where it could be off. Was even poorer with short irons.

steetyj · September 1, 2015

Hopefully Skytrak software will improve and perhaps price will come down.

northgolf · September 1, 2015

[quote name='TravAz' timestamp='1441153621' post='12248152']
[quote name='robrey85' timestamp='1441142464' post='12247226']
I highly doubt anytime soon. The market wants to make as much money as they can even though we have the tech, they're too stingy to make it affordable. Just plan on dropping the 13k for a GC2 w/ HMT and call it a day.

IMHO, respectively.
[/quote]

I couldnt disagree more. This concept makes businesses key candidates for disruption, they cant survive long with an attitude like that.

Tech is accelerating at a rapid pace, Im sure companies are egaer to crack the home user market. I mean hell, iPhone can do 240fps slow-mo now.
[/quote]

The market is too small for economies of scale to run down the price.