I’m looking into the under $1,000 launch monitors. I’m not interested in playing courses, or connecting to a projector, or paying for subscriptions. I do want to use my iPad and phone to view the numbers. What I’m looking for here is real world reviews, on models you have or have used, what you like, what you don’t and what you wish you knew before you got yours. Is there an app? Is it any good? Whatever you can tell me that will help me decide whether or not to buy.
Budget: Garmin R10, Rapsodo mim2pro, Voice Caddie SC4 or Flight Scope Mevo?
Couldn't be happier with MLM2pro.
Fun easy setup. Affordable price "subscription" sucks but that means you have all the courses and Rapsodo will continue to improve, if not I'm out.
I use my iPad and then recently got a smallish monitor and hook up iPad to that for display.
I'm getting used to it as I've had for a week and a half but smartest but for me in a long time.
Fun easy setup. Affordable price "subscription" sucks but that means you have all the courses and Rapsodo will continue to improve, if not I'm out.
I use my iPad and then recently got a smallish monitor and hook up iPad to that for display.
I'm getting used to it as I've had for a week and a half but smartest but for me in a long time.
I have the mlm2 and really like it. The annual subscription is annoying but rapsodo is clearly investing a lot of money into their software so I think it’s worth it. Without the subscription what you get from the device is a joke.
The sc4 was high on my list before pulling the trigger on the mlm2. Not having to pay for a subscription is a big plus for the sc4. The biggest thing that stopped me from getting it was every early review was saying the spin rates it was giving were way off. I haven’t looked but hopefully they fixed the issues with spin rates.
For under $1k you’re in the ballpark of a used first generation skytrack. It’s not the latest and greatest but still a good unit. There is a long thread about them and plenty of people here who still use them.
The sc4 was high on my list before pulling the trigger on the mlm2. Not having to pay for a subscription is a big plus for the sc4. The biggest thing that stopped me from getting it was every early review was saying the spin rates it was giving were way off. I haven’t looked but hopefully they fixed the issues with spin rates.
For under $1k you’re in the ballpark of a used first generation skytrack. It’s not the latest and greatest but still a good unit. There is a long thread about them and plenty of people here who still use them.
The Garmin R10 was really bad. Direction and distance were off far enough to visually know they were wrong. I couldn’t trust the unit and ended up returning it. My SC100 was more accurate which was a surprise. I figured the R10 would smoke it.
Mlm2 pro out of those and it isn't close. The skytrak with it's new pricing makes it an interesting choice but I've never used 1 personally.
The mlm2 pro had some hiccups early but they have put out a ton of updates and it's been pretty rock steady.
The mlm2 pro had some hiccups early but they have put out a ton of updates and it's been pretty rock steady.
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How useable is it without the paid subscription?
I had the sc 4. I was chosen to test the Rapsodo. I gave the sc 4 to a friend. I used it exactly one more time. The rapsodo is better for my uses.
Curious about that with the Rapsodo too.
Triple Lindy
Active member
It’s not, at least not for me. There are some YT videos that show what you get, which is a very basic 2D “range”, but it does show shot shape - 2D overhead view. No spin data, though, which is what makes the MLM2 shine. With the subscription, it’s as accurate as LMs costing 3x the MLM2 price. And most of them have either a subscription or extra fees to get ball data.
My subscription is due in August. I’m not a big sim player, so most of the updates Rapsodo has issued recently don’t do much for me. I’d rather see a better practice range with a short game area, greens with hazards, etc. And if they add path data, it would be a home run. I’ll probably renew because it’s the best thing going in its price range, even with the subscription fee. As a device for working on your swing, it’s really good. 3 different video shots of your swing can really help ID things to work on.
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I've had no issues with my R10. You have to make sure you calibrate it the first time you use it and if you start seeing numbers that are off, check your alignment and recalibrate if need be. If the MLM2Pro didn't have a subscription cost to unlock most of the data I'd have gone that direction, but it does.
collegefbfan
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I watched a few youtube videos on these units yesterday. It might be a bit before I can purchase one. I was interested in a unit that showed the numbers and images related to face to path, attack angle, etc. Is the MLM2 Pro the only one available? Older version?
Not really at all. You will need awesome golf, rapsodo, or something because without it the experience is not great.
I'll second this as far as ease of use, no subscription necessary, picking up almost every single shot, and ease of use with an iPhone. The calibration is important. Easy for me indoors, a bit more difficult outdoors.
That said, if you want accurate spin numbers at the top of the bag, the R10 is radar-based and - from my understanding - testing has shown it has some flaws. The degree seems to vary from some users to others. When I take it outside, it does a decent job of the numbers reflecting the ball flight I'm seeing. While I obviously can't see spin, I can tell by the ball flight which shots have a low backspin, draw or fade spin.
If precise data were needed, I would opt for the camera-based MLM2 Pro. Since that is not that important to me, I'm extremely happy with the R10.
Triple Lindy
Active member
Face to path and angle of attack are NOT measured by the MLM2. It really only measures ball flight data, not club data. If they ever add club data, they’ll have a package worth paying the subscription fee for. If not added by the time my subscription runs out, I’ll probably look at other options.
collegefbfan
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I figured that. I hadn't read up on what "all" the things each of these did. Many thanks.
Triple Lindy
Active member
Having just re-read the OP’s post, I’d also suggest the original SkyTrak. I had one on a trial a few years ago and really liked it, but at $2k+, it stretched my budget. You can find them new for just under $1k now and used for around the price of the MLM2. As a training tool, the app without a subscription is fine and includes spin rates, as opposed to the MLM2, which is useless without a subscription.
There are other considerations, too, like space requirements. Since Skytrak sits beside the ball instead of behind 6’+ it requires much less space. You also don’t need 8’ of ball flight since there’s no radar, so if hitting into a net, you can get as close as your swing allows.
If using outdoors, lots of people say that the OG Skytrak doesn’t work well in direct sunlight, but that wasn’t my experience. I hit outdoors into a net exclusively, under the bright Texas sun, and didn’t have a problem. If playing sim golf with a lefty, you’d have to move the device from side to side. There’s also a second or 2 delay between hitting the shot and having the ball flight show up on the screen. It’s a bit of a nuisance, but not a deal breaker for me. Like the MLM2, there’s no club data, but the shot accuracy is just as high.
There are other considerations, too, like space requirements. Since Skytrak sits beside the ball instead of behind 6’+ it requires much less space. You also don’t need 8’ of ball flight since there’s no radar, so if hitting into a net, you can get as close as your swing allows.
If using outdoors, lots of people say that the OG Skytrak doesn’t work well in direct sunlight, but that wasn’t my experience. I hit outdoors into a net exclusively, under the bright Texas sun, and didn’t have a problem. If playing sim golf with a lefty, you’d have to move the device from side to side. There’s also a second or 2 delay between hitting the shot and having the ball flight show up on the screen. It’s a bit of a nuisance, but not a deal breaker for me. Like the MLM2, there’s no club data, but the shot accuracy is just as high.
2nd swing has used OG skytraks for around $800
Good to know - I just pulled the trigger on a used one on eBay with a 3D printed alignment/levelling stand with a laser. Hoping to have it for a tryout at the weekend. I'll make sure I do the calibration - are there instructions somewhere for that online ??
It's super easy. You make sure it's level and then hit the calibrate button in the Garmin app. That's it.