What cables do I need for a golf simulator, and how do I run them?

In summary

Most rooms need one HDMI cable from the picture source to the projector, power to the projector and any PC, and sometimes a data cable from the launch monitor to the PC. Plan the routes before delivery day, keep every cable out of the hitting area and off the walkway, and run the long ones round the edge of the room.

The cables, piece by piece

1. HDMI: from the picture source to the projector

HDMI is the standard lead that carries picture and sound. It runs from whatever makes the picture (a Garmin R50, a PC, or a tablet with an adapter) to the projector. HDMI isn't included in our SimSpace packages, so order one with the kit.

• Length. Measure the actual route, not the straight line: up the wall, along the enclosure frame or ceiling, and down to the projector, plus about a metre spare at each end. In our rooms the projector usually sits in a floor case in front of the hitting area, so the run from a PC beside the screen is short, but a PC at the back of the room or in a cabinet can need 8m or more.
• Version. The R50's maximum output is 1080p, and Garmin asks for a cable that can carry at least 1080p. Our SimSpace packages use a 1080p projector. Any certified High Speed HDMI cable handles that. Our 10m cable is HDMI 2.1, rated for 48Gbps, which carries 4K at 120Hz and 8K at 60Hz, so it covers a 4K projector later.
• Long runs. The HDMI Licensing Administrator says that as speeds rose, passive cables got shorter or thicker, and that active optical cables allow much longer runs in a thin cable. If your run is longer than 10m, look at an active optical HDMI cable. These only work one way round, so check which end goes to the projector.
• Certification. Genuine certified cables carry a label with a QR code you can scan to check it.

You don't need HDMI ARC, which is for sending TV sound to a soundbar. Any HDMI input on the projector carries the picture.

2. Launch monitor to PC

Most launch monitors connect over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, so there's no cable. Some need or prefer one:

• Uneekor EYE MINI: wired by Ethernet (a network cable) to the PC. Uneekor includes a CAT6 cable and says to plug it straight into the PC, not through a router or switch. The unit must be registered on a PC before it will work with an iPad. Plan this run from the hitting position to the PC before you fix anything down.
• Foresight GC3: connects by USB-C, Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
• Full Swing KIT: Wi-Fi or a USB-C cable to the PC.
• FlightScope Mevo Gen2: charge it with the USB-C to USB-C cable in the box. FlightScope says a USB-A cable can't supply enough current, so the battery slowly drains while you play.

Uneekor also asks for a spare Ethernet port on the PC, so if the PC uses a network cable for the internet as well, it needs two ports or a USB network adapter.

3. Power

Count the plugs: projector, PC and monitor, launch monitor charger, speakers, lighting, and in a garage a heater or dehumidifier. A socket near the projector, one near the PC and one at the hitting position cover most rooms. Uneekor says to use only its supplied adapter, and if it won't fit the outlet, to have a proper socket fitted by a qualified electrician. For outbuildings, see garden-room electrics.

Extension leads are fine for low-power kit if you use them as Electrical Safety First advises. Most are rated at 13A in total, and some older ones at 10A, however many sockets they have. Don't plug one extension lead into another, and don't run a cable reel while it's still wound up, because it can overheat. A 2kW to 3kW fan heater uses most of a lead's 13A on its own, so give it its own wall socket.

4. Wi-Fi in the room

Even a Wi-Fi launch monitor needs internet for sign-ins, updates and course downloads. The Foresight GC3 has to go online at least once every 45 days. E6, GSPro and Uneekor all list an internet connection in their requirements, and Uneekor asks for 25Mbps.

• Test the signal where you'll hit, using your phone, before delivery day.
• The Garmin R50's Wi-Fi is 2.4GHz only, so join the router's 2.4GHz network rather than the 5G one.
• In a garage or garden room, a mesh Wi-Fi system (extra units that carry the signal further) or a network cable from the house are the usual fixes. A buried data cable can share the trench with the power cable if your electrician agrees.

Running cables safely

1. Keep every cable out of the hitting area and the swing path. A cable under the mat lifts it and can be hit by the club.
2. Never run a cable across the walkway between the door and the mat. If you must cross the floor, use a rubber cable cover (a low ramp that protects the cable and stops trips).
3. Run cables round the edge of the room, up the enclosure frame or along the ceiling, using clips or trunking (a plastic channel that holds cables against a wall).
4. Don't run cables behind or through the impact screen, where the ball lands.
5. Keep power and HDMI apart where you can, and unwind any cable reel fully before use.
6. Leave slack at the projector so you can move it while you line up the picture.

In a floor case, feed the cables in through the case's cable ports. Our SimSpace floor case has them built in, so the cables stay protected from low shots.