Skytrak Advice Needed

Products
#1

Hey everyone, I could use your advice. I purchased a used Skytrak with no issues. Worked properly and paid for the practice improvement plan.

I sold it because my garage is not insulated and I didn’t want it sitting around not being used.

The buyer issued a refund because it would not work under “Network”.

So anyways, now I’m back with this Skytrak that has potential hardware issues. How should I go about fixing this? I’m fine with keeping it, but really don’t want to pay $200 to get it fixed, plus another $900 for TGC2019.

In my opinion, it’s only worth having it I can play courses online. What would you recommend- I’m trying to make an objective decision and would like to keep it long-term.

#2

Have you tried connecting in Network mode on your own wifi? Maybe the buyer didn’t know what he was doing or had an issue on his end.

Unless you have some kind of expertise with microprocessors and such, this doesn’t sound like a DIY job if it is truly broken. If you really want to use it, you probably need to bite the bullet and pay the $200.

The cheapest option for playing courses is WGT which is only on iOS.

I just recently entered the Skytrak arena and decided to go with Creative Golf 3D for a simulation plan, mainly because I can play it on the laptop I already have. TGC and E6 both require high-end gaming computers to run, which will add about another $1000 to your cost.

#3

Network mode is not required to play online, it is just one of the three connection options. When I tried network mode, I would experience more lag than usual. I chalked it up to my wifi signal not being strong enough in my building, so I always used direct mode.

#4

Thanks for the advice. As of now I won’t send it in and just use the other modes.

I’d like to be able to play scramble mode with a buddy or two. Can you do that on creative golf 3D? Also I’ve heard good things about GSpro, which is $250 a month, but I’m guessing another gaming laptop is needed.

#5

That’s great to know thank you. This is my current set up and I’d just like to commit and make it playable with a scramble option

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#6

I haven’t tried it yet, but I see ‘Texas Scramble’ as one of the game modes. Which I guess is not the same as a ‘regular’ scramble. I think in Texas scramble, you take the best tee ball then everyone plays their own from there. I know it supports this in local mode (everyone is physically at the same location). Not sure if you can do it remotely.

Admittedly, the graphics on Creative Golf look like a golf PC game from the 1990s, but the gameplay seemed pretty realistic. Just not as pretty looking as E6 or TGC.

I’ve heard that GSpro is a good product. Skytrak doesn’t officially support it yet, but I’ve seen a YouTube video of a workaround to make it work. I do believe it requires a gaming laptop.

#7

I had this same issue after using mine for almost 2 years. All of a sudden it would not connect via network mode and I was unable to even get direct mode working. Full factory reset and it worked fine after that. I honestly don’t think it is a hardware issue and more of a software glitch. I have noticed that the slower the wifi speed the more it struggles connecting.

#8

Per year actually :slight_smile: Good software that will get better over time. Scramble mode works really well and is a lot of fun.

#9

Oops! Yes I’ve heard great things about it. Can anyone elaborate on the pros and cons of TGC19, GSpro, and WGT?

I’ll also try a factory reset to see if I can fix that.

#10

Here’s some things to reference to help decide on a simulator package:

#11

Thank you! I’m thinking E6 will be the best for me currently, but kinda of bummed about the limited course selection.

I like GSpro but I’d hate to spend money on it and later not compatible with the Skytrak.

As far as system requirements go, I have a Nvidia GeForce MX150, I5-8250U @ 1.6GHz.

Does anyone know if this will run it? I did research online and it seems like it may have the capability, but I’m guessing it would lag too much to be functional.

#12

I don’t have WGT, but I can speak to TGC2019 and GSPro. TGC is a one time $1K payment. GSPro is either $250 per year or $500 for perpetual rights to a “major version”.

What is the same and/or debatable about both:

  • Great depth of free courses - TGC has “more” but GSPro has a more curated set of validated courses… both are way better than FSX where you have to pay per course
  • Terrific communities around both that have a variety of fun competitions, both of which are largely driven via Discord
  • Folks in both communities say “their” graphics are better; I find GSPro looks more “realistic” while TGC looks more “perfect” but lots of reasonable people have disagreed
  • At this point, both are compatible with GC2, GCQ, and Skytrak. Pretty sure both are also compatible with Mevo+. GSPro just got GC3 compatibility (I think it depends on which version/license you got).

GSPro benefits:

  • Developers keep making the software better and are very responsive to community feedback; TGC2019 is what it is at this point and ain’t nothing gonna change
  • Scramble mode (TGC2019 does not have this) - this is actually a lot of fun and makes for a nice social experience
  • Now compatible with at least certain versions of GC3
  • Different way of calculating penalties out of the rough and sand. The GSPro penalties are largely based on vertical launch angle - the higher the launch angle, the lower the distance/spin penalty. This is to make it more “realistic”, but it can also make the penalties feel more random.

TGC2019 benefits:

  • More stable - GSPro is still a work in progress; on the negative side, this software is what it is at this point and won’t get better.
  • Easier to make your home course if it’s not already in the catalog
  • Much more more predictable penalties out of the rough/sand. 13% penalty out of heavy rough. 7% penalty out of light rough. 40% penalty out of green side bunkers. Less realistic but removes randomness.
  • Putting is easier. Maybe this should be a negative.

If you have to choose, I’d go with GSPro. It’s cheaper and it’s going to get a lot better over time. But both are terrific pieces of software, and I would definitively choose them both over FSX and E6.

1 Like
#13

Thank you this analysis! I can’t tell you how many websites I’ve read or YouTube videos I’ve watched and both go back and forth.

Really leaning towards E6 or GSPro. I’ll have to keep reading about those two.

#14

What are the odds that someone would buy GSPro and Skytrak would deny them the ability to play it? I’ve decided I’d rather purchase GSPro over E6, but fear dropping $250 only to have it not accessible.

#15

Sorry for the slow response on this one. I think Skytrak/GSPro interoperability is pretty safe. My understanding is that they are, in fact, officially collaborating on this. A lot of folks are buying Skytraks now with the expectation that it’ll work with GSPro, so it’d be hard to walk that back.

Worst case scenario is that you make an investment for a year, and it doesn’t pan out, but I’d be really surprised if it stops working

#16

I’ve read that even if a relationship does not work, you can still use GSPRO on a Skytrak so long as you don’t update the Skytrak hardware.

#17

Do you need the game improvement plan to run GSPro?

Also, when you register a new Skytrak, does your 30 day free trial start automatically, or do you need to activate it?

#18

You do not need the game improvement plan for GSPRO.

I believe the free trial starts once you register your new unit and create an account. (Via Skytrak website)