Movie Screen Tarps for impact screen

[Yongchai]

Anybody got any experience using movie screen tarps as impact screen?

So far 2 that i found are

http://www.mytarp.com/outdoor-movie-screen.aspx

http://www.tarpsupply.com/movie-screens.html

They both are
1) 16oz (which i guess is pretty thick for tarps?)
2) Viny Screens (which are more durable?)
3) Have a black-out layer in the middle (triple layer?)
4) Grommets installed
5) unfortunately have seams
6) but are much cheaper than

http://www.par2pro.com/shop/product_...products_id=99

http://www.westcoastnetting.com/nett...n-netting.html

How is the:
1) durability (tear resistant/screen deformation?)
2) bounce back
3) impact sound
4) image quality

Thanks

[CPA]

My guess is balls will rip and tear these apart.
Golf impact screens are quite elastic and forgiving.

[Yongchai]

I have seen some golf shops using tarps as impact screens (no projection) and they seem pretty durable. I don't know what thickness they are using but 18oz seems to fall in the heavy duty range.

Also i remember reading about another person using painter's drop cloth as an impact screen and he seemed pretty happy about it. Those drop clothes are made of canvas which are supposedly not as durable as vinyl.

Maybe what you are thinking about are normal projection screens, which i am sure will rip apart, but what i am talking about are Vinyl 3 layer heavy duty tarps. So anyone with any experience with them?

[goatbarn]

You could probably get by using a very heavy tarp, but I'd think the noise would deafen you after a long session.

The painters drop cloth was used with almost golf balls. Believe me, I had one for a little while with my optishot setup and it was fine for almost golf balls, but a real ball would go through it, even on a pitch shot.

[Yongchai]

I've got a large room, so hopefully noise will dissipate and won't be an issue. Also planing on putting roofing insulation foam behind the screen to absorb some impact and noise.

For the drop cloth, do you mean go through it as in "it made a hole", or go through it as in "bottom wasn't weighed down, so ball slid through under the cloth and went through?" I guess it also depends the thickness of your drop cloth (could you provide some specs?), the ones i'm thinking of are thick, and seems like they should be able to withstand some punishment.

[Dax]

This is one area where you likely want to not take a chance. Have you considered the HQ Raw material from Cory at Par2Pro and then just have someone do the sewing for you over there? Should save you a bit of money going this route. I think that savings will be eaten up with shipping, but at least you have something that is tested and rec'd great reviews on this forum.

[goatbarn]

I've got a large room, so hopefully noise will dissipate and won't be an issue. Also planing on putting roofing insulation foam behind the screen to absorb some impact and noise.

For the drop cloth, do you mean go through it as in "it made a hole", or go through it as in "bottom wasn't weighed down, so ball slid through under the cloth and went through?" I guess it also depends the thickness of your drop cloth (could you provide some specs?), the ones i'm thinking of are thick, and seems like they should be able to withstand some punishment.

I mean go through like put a hole in it.

Real balls will put holes in painters clothes without a doubt. Doesn't matter the thickness. Cloth is not meant to take the kind of force that a golf ball traveling at 160mph delivers. Especially over any amount of repeated use.

I put holes in cordura as well. Best to do as others suggest and not cut this corner.

[Yongchai]

My ball speed is only around 110-120 range, so we're in a different league... Well maybe i'll just start off a super heavy duty tarp 22oz and not a movie screen tarp.

A 10' x 16' will only cost $115-120

http://www.tarpsupply.com/010160.html
http://www.mytarp.com/10x16-white-vinyl-tarp-22-oz.aspx

Whereas an equivalent HQ raw will cost $480, not including finishing. If i have to change to the HQ raw, i can use the tarp as a back net so no big loss.

However i still want to get an opinion on the movie screen tarp (cost $115-130 for same size) from someone who has had real experience hitting into them, so i can decide if getting them is a good investment.

By the way, where did u purchase the cordura from? Between tarp and cordura, which is a cheaper/better option?

[DFDubb]

Seems like you've made up your mind and don't care about anyone's advice here so go ahead and do what you're going to do and let us know how it works. I used a canvas drop cloth to setup my projector when I was waiting on my impact screen. I wouldn't feel comfortable hitting anything more than foam balls into it.

[schaedj]

Just an FYI. I built my simulator using a 16oz canvas drop cloth / tarp. My swing speed for my driver is 85-95, and my ball speed is in the same range as yours. Three weeks into using it, the bottom third of my screen is shredded, and there are lots of holes punched through higher up. I hung a sheet over it to give me something solid to project on. At the moment, I'm focused on the hardware/software for my setup, so it's no big deal, but I would not expect any canvas / woven fiber solution to hold up to prolonged impacts from tee shots. I can't speak from experience about these particular vinyl tarps, but all of the vinyl tarps I have ever seen have been made of a woven material, and though the tarp itself is very tough, the individual strands can't stand up to high speed impacts. As soon as one breaks, the tarp starts to unravel. I doubt you'll be happy with the vinyl as a long term solution, but If you go into it figuring you'll upgrade after a season, go for it. Just remember you'll probably be throwing the $115 in the trash can 9 months from now. (maybe sooner)

[Frans@france]

the sound will kill you! The return of the ball might kill you! And at the end the vinyl will just have holes in it.

It's just not made for high-speed ball impact! Buy some archery netting and you will be happy with the quality and the nice projection you can do on it.

I'm using 23oz pvc vinyl only as a extra backstop and for the side panels.

[CPA]

So are you going to listen now?....or just try and save a few bucks and end up spending more. Get HQ raw and sew.

[Libbing]

from http://www.mytarp.com/covers-tarps-how-to.aspx
Sports Backstop Tarps
Vinyl Coated Polyester or Vinyl Laminated Polyester tarps are sometimes used as backstops for baseball, golf and soccer practice. The strength of the player will determine the ounce per square yard of the fabric needed. For indoor use, the flame retardant vinyl laminated polyester tarps may be required. The flame retardant vinyl laminated polyester tarps are available in 27 oz. and 32 oz. The 22 oz. and 40 oz. vinyl coated polyester tarps are also used. Suspending the tarp loosely will allow the fabric to absorb impact more efficiently.
----
Make sure you check out how the seams are done and where they would be. Put a seam anywhere near the hitting area and there is very little chance it will hold over time. Could probably send an email to the company that produces it and ask about whether they think it would hold. To your point, it could be a second layer if hung closely to another screen

As the post notes, if you hang it loosely it could last longer. But it reduces image quality since you don't have a smooth surface

[Yongchai]

I would get the best net available, but there are budget / delivery time / customs to consider. I left my laptop charger in another country and had it sent back by post. By the time it got to me its was 1-2months. Customs taxes here are around 20%.

So i appreciate all your advise, but i think the best thing for me in my situation would be to go for a locally sourced tarp where price/delivery/taxes are not an issue.

Also, i think that if i need a white vinyl tarp, the thickest one is only 22oz, otherwise i would definitely go for the thickest based on the comments here about safety/durability.

[golfsimxpert]

If you don't back it up with something will never last a week. Will be loud as a firecracker and likely bounce back quite a bit. Have built screens with many products, vinyl and canvas based materials just aren't good for simulation.

However you can use projection screens with netting in front and rear projection similar to the set up put in for the Golf Channel. This is great as a home theatre combo as you can raise the netting and always have a vibrant home theatre image. The possibilities are endless.

[Yongchai]

Went shopping and this is what i bought.

- 2 tarps
- 6 inch thick roofing insulation foam

The plan. Sandwich the 6 inch insulation foam between the 2 tarps and hang them up on the frame. Put a cheap bedsheet/old curtain in front to improve image quality and dampen sound and bounce back. Replace/add on front sheet when necessary. Total cost about usd$100

Golfsimxpert - Can i ask what screen u use if not vinyl/canvas? Or what is the next best alternative? Thanks

[Yongchai]

Finished setting up the screen with tarp and my impressions so far:

Bounce back is good - most fall within 1m of screen, roofing insulation foam doing a good job.
Sound is OK - ball hitting screen is as loud as driver hitting ball
Image quality is lousy - you can see your target, but watching movies is not going to be a pleasant experience.

So in an effort to increase image quality, i looked into getting a proper hitting net.

West Coast Netting does not deliver overseas - bummer
Par2pro's international shipping rate is $454 (almost the same cost as the screen!)

I'm now thinking of experimenting with blackout curtains if i can't find a cost effective solution.

Can people outside North America share where you got your hitting screen?

[Dax]

I don't know how bright your room is, but you may find that you need the blackout curtains in any event.

[Yongchai]

I'm using an Optoma GT 760 projector, 3,400 lumens casting on a 3m x 4.8m crappy screen and i'm happy with brightness, so blackout curtains will be an option for screen and probably not for controlling lighting.

Aren't there other nationalities other than north american on this site who can share their experience on how they got their hitting screen?

[Dax]

I believe that some of the other international people on the forum bought from Cory, as he has a very good high quality screen with many great reviews for a very reasonable price.

[Yongchai]

Well, emailed Cory and he managed to find an alternate shipper that costs less than $100, so thats much better. Now just have to wait for availability, but would still love to hear from others in the meantime to see what other options are out there.

A local sim establishment uses mesh screens from korea. Didn't feel right to ask them for more details. Anyone know more?