Please come in if you own a fanatec or T500RS

  • Thread starter shaun_ccxr
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left888
It really is designed for Forza, I enjoyed it driving various cars their but I mostly race in iRacing and hardly touch Forza anymore so it was an easy decision for me.
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I really can't agree with that statement. People are taking the logo on the rim too far. The core of the base is the exact same as the CSW, so statements of it being a Forza wheel are a bit skewed. Or if that is to be a true statement, then the CSW was also developed from those roots. I don't believe that to be a true statement so likely a chassis was developed to fit both scenarios and then scaled back in the electronics portion. Having as many parts as possible shared between the 2 greatly help manufacturing quality and costs.

I think one of the issues with the hardware are people forming opinions based on 3 levels of firmware over a few weeks.
 
left888
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I know most people like the Elite wheel but for me I prefer the T500, it is powerful, Raw and when I race the Riley Prototype I can feel the power this car has, if I race the MX5 I can tell I am racing the MX5. Don't get me wrong, the Elite wheel is an amazing wheel, two motors and is so smooth but I lose the feel of the car. It really is designed for Forza, I enjoyed it driving various cars their but I mostly race in iRacing and hardly touch Forza anymore so it was an easy decision for me.
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That's strange. I've run the Riley DP for a straight season now and have basically clenched my division. Riley DP has only felt better with the csr-e (I've been racing in Grand Am Rolex series since Barber week I think with this wheel). Granted, I've seen a much better improvement in my times when going up to the Acura HPD (higher class car which utilizes iRacing's new tire model). Riley DP is still on the old tire model. But my point is I've felt every bump and kerb with the csr-e even more accurately than with my T500rs. I still own both wheels so it's easy for me to compare'em side-by-side
 
Much different for me, the Elite felt smooth on every track I ran. More then anything it was the cheap rim. It felt like a toy wheel. I am sure if I did the mod and put on a good quality wheel it might have been better, no I'm sure it would be better.

BTW I looked at your times in the Riley and I was faster on some tracks, granted it was only hot lapping :)
 
Yeah like most folks my best times are all local unfortunately due to multi-class (Mustangs) and the long races. But I'm not an alien by any means. You'll want to checkout Scott McDonald (Grand Am Rolex God) for that or Csec Rui :scared:

edit: I've seen Scott M hit his PBs 24-7 without a single mistake in an hour long race
 
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I know there are some fast guys out there and I am definitely not one of them, I will be lucky to run in the middle of the pack. I have two top 5's in five races, two of them I should of won but was taken out by by inexperienced drivers.

Hot lapping is easy compared to mix classes without a doubt.
 
redmalloc
Which for my money means the product is not finished.
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But it is better to release 5 or 6 versions of a wheel like Thrustmaster did with the T500?
The official release was January 2011, back in July or so there were V5's on the market.. They released 5 versions of the T500 in a half year, so that is better than releasing a few firmware updates in a short time? Thrustmaster started with Firmware V31 or so and now they are on V38?!

I think this is normal and does not mean the product isnt finished.. Releasing different versions of a wheel means it's unfinished.
 
redmalloc
Which for my money means the product is not finished.
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Yes but everyone who has an elite right now knows that already. people who have one right now bought it under preorder status and most have researched enough to know that it is still in development but they are still okay with that. people holding out for the clubsport wheel willl at first be the same way until the final release version is available much later. you just have to ask yourself to accept its a different kindof retail purchase in that the wheel is generally tested beforehand to make sure it wont break, but fanatec relies heavily upon the early adopters who buy the preorder editions to help give feedback nessesary to build better firmware for the next update. in between updates people play, have fun and give their opnions about areas they think need to be developed further. thats why thomas so frequently visits these forums to analyze peoples reactions. which i quite like the oportunity to feel like i helped develop it buy sharing my opinions :)
 
I dont want my product to be "finished". I want firmware updates for my wheels always. It's just like video cards they always get patches. Why is when a wheel gets firmware updates it's a bad thing? I forgot to question that post too
 
The versions of the T500 are only a indicator, which firmware it has installed. No other difference between the versions.
 
Mahnegold
The versions of the T500 are only a indicator, which firmware it has installed. No other difference between the versions.
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The last T500 I got back in June was a V4 and it has installed Firmware V32, the second Firmware. So this cant be true.. There must be other differences between the versions but I never figured out what these differences were..
 
No, someone put this qustion directly to Thrustmaster and they gave the reply which I repeated in my comment. No difference in hardware at all.
 
uh

easy choice

fanatec = $700 + i.e CSR -E + CSP ( not so good after sales support)

thrustmaster = $400 on sale at frys some guy has the link in another thread (good after sale support)

$300 difference, there is no doubt the CSP are better but i have both and I don't find the t500 pedals that bad to be honest
 
Maybe an easy choice for you, but some are willing to spend more for the additional features the CSR-Elite offers.

Remember, you don't have to buy the CSP's, there are the CSR-Elite pedals as well which are $50 cheaper and still offer the load-cell technology. I guess it's just differing opinions, but I thought the T500RS pedals were complete crap, just as bad as the G25 pedals, they just look fancier.

Oh, and for the majority of us, Fanatec's support has been great, granted they had problems in this past, but they are improving by leaps and bounds.
 
I think the choice is pretty simple. If you have the money for the CSRE or CSW w/ CSPs get that. But if money is tight, the T500RS is a decent option.
 
sandboxgod
I dont want my product to be "finished". I want firmware updates for my wheels always. It's just like video cards they always get patches. Why is when a wheel gets firmware updates it's a bad thing? I forgot to question that post too
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Just my opinion i.e "for my money". But the rapid fire firmware releases makes it feel like it was not quite ready upon release. I would rather wait for 3-6 months for the product to be more mature. That doesn't mean that it should never get an update but that it is not ready for me.

Are we only allowed to think in black and white?

For example I use Linux on my desktop (except gaming) and CM on my phone. But I don't use nightly builds. I don't "upgrade" to the latest distro version the instant it is available. Does that mean I never want an update?
 
With the load cell adapter for the T500 just around the corner the T500 is becoming a more viable option. For under $500 you get a very good wheel and pedal set, the load cell adapter is rumored to be around $100
 
Only problem is John Bodin's load cell adapter will be PC only I think at first.

Hm, I see he gave an update looks like it will work on ps3 too:

Just wanted to provide all of you interested party with a brief update -- I didn't get a chance to make as much progress as I had wanted over the Christmas holiday, what with family and stuff, so I don't have the electrical prototype completed yet. I had been kicking around a few options, but I think I've settled on an all-in-one solution that will allow you to connect the T500 pedals with the load cell mod directly to the T500RS wheel, OR to use the pedals as a stand-alone controller device using the Bodnar cable, or possibly a Derek Speare option if he comes out with something similar.

Anyway, I'm attaching a copy of the physical diagram -- I'm looking at 4 different input/output cables, so the per-unit wiring complexity is rather large, and I want to make sure I have EVERYTHING taken into account (including over-voltage or reverse-voltage circuit protection for the load cell amp) before I hook ANYTHING up to my T500 (kind of sucks using my primary wheel as my test bed for this, but . . . someone's gotta do it, right? ).

So, I'm very, VERY close -- all I need now is a few spare hours with no distractions to get it all wired-up (easier said than done, with basketball tournaments going on and a daughter that I have to haul to cheerleading while my wife finishes-up her Master's degree).



Still, rest assured that this project is still very much alive and kicking -- at this point, I have ALL the parts on-hand for my first prototype, so the only thing that remains is for me to spend some quality time with my soldering iron and a rats nest worth of wiring in order to bring it all together. Easy, right?

In the meantime, enjoy the pretty picture showing my planned connection diagram (click to enlarge), and imagine it all attached to YOUR T500RS pedals to provide you with some load cell goodness!
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iRacing member only thread link
 
Just wanted to provide all of you interested party with a brief update -- I didn't get a chance to make as much progress as I had wanted over the Christmas holiday, what with family and stuff, so I don't have the electrical prototype completed yet. I had been kicking around a few options, but I think I've settled on an all-in-one solution that will allow you to connect the T500 pedals with the load cell mod directly to the T500RS wheel, OR to use the pedals as a stand-alone controller device using the Bodnar cable, or possibly a Derek Speare option if he comes out with something similar.
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That means it will work on PS3 too
 
sandboxgod
That means it will work on PS3 too
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Hey, guys (and gals?) -- this is my first post here. left888 pointed me to this thread, so I thought I'd drop by and let you all know that one of my beta testers will be able to test using a PS3 to confirm if the load cell mod will be PS3 compatible.

I'm attaching my latest concept for the electricals:

Bodin_Load_Cell_BLC-T500_Ideal_Concept_Diagram_-_V2_public-1.jpg


Basically, the load cell will be a bolt-in piece, and installation of the load cell won't void your warranty at all -- in order to connect everything, you should be able to plug the pedal assembly into the BLC-T500 load cell electronics assembly, then plug the output of the BLC-T500 load cell electronics assembly directly into the T500RS wheel, same as you would the pedals by themselves. That way, if you ever want to remove the load cell mod, or if you have a warranty repair issue, you just unbolt the load cell, unplug the pedals from the BLC-T500 electronics assembly, and the pedals are back to the stock configuration.

I can't see how it could be much easier that that!

:)

I'll drop in briefly to keep you posted -- I'm still working on the final wiring for the BLC-T500 electronics assembly, but once I get that worked-out I'll be ready to deply a few units to my beta testers (sorry folks -- I already have some reliable sources lined-up to do beta testing and provide initial feedback, so there are no openings there).

Thanks to left888 for pointing this thread out to me! 👍
 
Hey John, welcome to GTP. 👍
I hope we'll see you around a bit more here in the future as well.

I have a small question. It might have been posted here already I don't know. However the question is a simple one. What is the estimated price point you'll be selling this very nice upgrade for when it's done? :sly:
 
Good to see you post here John, I know there is a lot of interest here on your mod of the T500 load cell. The price you mentioned sounds about right, it should sell well. Just so you guys know, John mentioned he is not going to get rich selling these, it's more to help the community. iRacers know John as one of the good guys who is always willing to help people.
 
I am definitely interested in this load cell mod and would like to know if it will be available to get in Australia (would it add much cost for shipping?)
 

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