The Thrustmaster T500RS Thread

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Paul33993
Inspected things a little more closely and a couple of observations:

These aren't just rebadged version 1/2/etc. The pedals have the latest brake spring. Also, we all know they used to have the fan blowing down on top of the heatsink. Then they switched to blowing across the heatsink. Not only does this fan blow across the heatsink, but the little circular blow holes (where the original fan used to be) are completely closed up like the rest of the case. So they made a minor change to the top cover (probably cheaper to manufacture if they didn't have to punch those top holes in). Note, the holes to the left/right are obviously still there.
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I finally slogged through pretty much the entire thread, it was very interesting reading the historical changes in the T500RS since early 2011.

On this subject: The wheel I got this week also had no v.? numbers on any of the boxes. The fan currently mostly makes an air flow noise although it's clearly not that awesome. It does however switch on and off quickly, so far no extended duration fan blowing long after I finished racing (then again I've only had 3-4 hours total on it so far).

But what I wanted to mention is that when the fan is running you can feel the air blowing past your fingertips very clearly. And I think that like Paul my T500RS has less ventilation holes on top than I saw from the photos of earlier models (would have to really doublecheck this evening). Is it possible that Thrustmaster built new stock this summer (when there was a complete lack of stock of the GT model) with yet another new fan design, and that we are now purchasing models with this new design as part of the new stock flow which seems to have started up in the last month or so?



[[[[Edit]]]]]: I just visually inspected all vents on my T500RS. The vents are all the same as the pictures on the first post of this thread, however the top indeed no longer has vents for the fan.

http://content.hwigroup.net/images/products/xl/115767/5/thrustmaster_t500_rs.jpg if you look at that picture, you see that most of the holes on the top panel are closed except for a circle clearly where the fan is mounted. On mine, those holes are also closed, there is no ventilation through the top panel.

This got me wondering: given the GT6 E3 booth T500RS cockpits, perhaps this new design was first created to align with the lack of top-side ventilation there, and they kept it as the new standard?
 
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skazz
I finally slogged through pretty much the entire thread, it was very interesting reading the historical changes in the T500RS since early 2011.

On this subject: The wheel I got this week also had no v.? numbers on any of the boxes. The fan currently mostly makes an air flow noise although it's clearly not that awesome. It does however switch on and off quickly, so far no extended duration fan blowing long after I finished racing (then again I've only had 3-4 hours total on it so far).

But what I wanted to mention is that when the fan is running you can feel the air blowing past your fingertips very clearly. And I think that like Paul my T500RS has less ventilation holes on top than I saw from the photos of earlier models (would have to really doublecheck this evening). Is it possible that Thrustmaster built new stock this summer (when there was a complete lack of stock of the GT model) with yet another new fan design, and that we are now purchasing models with this new design as part of the new stock flow which seems to have started up in the last month or so?
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It's possible these are the same manufacturing run the GT6 T500s are gonna be. Since they most definitely made those couple minor changes. You're correct. These don't have version numbers printed on them. But Thrustmaster has been know to resticker things, so there was some speculation as to whether they just rebadged things. Which is why I decided to point these things out. Cause I don't think this was the case. These are newer manufactured wheels.

Even the crink in my belt disappeared after changing the wheel position and letting it sit overnight. My old V2 took a couple weeks to work the kink out. And I needed to flash the wheel to slightly readjust the center (since it affected that too). These don't strike me as being very old.
 
just played some GT6 and was shocked to find out

- seems the R1 and R2 do not work in menu, although they work fine for gear changes
- the "on the fly menu" is no longer there (menu where you could adjust brake balance, TC etc... during race)

shocking oversight since this is the official GT series wheel

hope this is patched ASAP

PS my wheel is a launch version, and think patched to v35 or something. didnt do last patches since those were the Ferrari GT rim compatibility
 
I've now gotten used to the fixed paddles, and now, I don't think that going back to the DS3 will even be possible.
 
lunarwolf
just played some GT6 and was shocked to find out

- seems the R1 and R2 do not work in menu, although they work fine for gear changes
- the "on the fly menu" is no longer there (menu where you could adjust brake balance, TC etc... during race)

shocking oversight since this is the official GT series wheel

hope this is patched ASAP

PS my wheel is a launch version, and think patched to v35 or something. didnt do last patches since those were the Ferrari GT rim compatibility
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I did install the GT rim patch (though not the newest patch). Still, L1/R1 doesn't work in the menus for me either.
 
So after a week of getting used to the GT rim I finally unpacked my 458 GTE rim.

A few thoughts, since there's been very little posted about it in this thread:
- I have quite large hands, and was a little concerned that I might have trouble with the dual sets of paddles, but it was fine. Zero issues, it's easy to use the rim-mounted ones without ever hitting or being hindered by the fixed ones. But it's perfectly possible for instance when on a long straight to use the fixed ones even with the GTE rim attached.
- after a few laps I noticed a light tick noise with some wheel movements. Upon inspection later the three load-bearing screws (which were so handily coloured coded in a picture earlier the thread) were not tight. I tightened them as much as I dared, and we'll see if they hold.
- the GTE rim buttons are excellent. I love the feel, they clearly feel a step up from the GT rim buttons.
- I weighed the two rims: GT rim is approx 1.1kg, GTE rim is approx 1.25kg. So despite being 2cm smaller diameter, those paddles end up adding 150g to the total weight.
- in operation I found the GTE rim to transmit the subtlest forces less effectively (although most testing was before I tightened the screws so I want some more time before being certain). The notchiness of the belt also seemed less easily felt. Other than that, forces were more than sufficient, and the GTE rim allows quicker movements and easier shifting for race cars where you really need to be moving through the gears while turning.

So in the end I agree with previous posts that the GT rim is for road cars, and the GTE rim is for race cars. I'm extremely happy with my T500RS, will probably use the GT rim more in Gran Turismo, but having the option and the variety is great.
 
Paul33993
Inspected things a little more closely and a couple of observations:

These aren't just rebadged version 1/2/etc. The pedals have the latest brake spring. Also, we all know they used to have the fan blowing down on top of the heatsink. Then they switched to blowing across the heatsink. Not only does this fan blow across the heatsink, but the little circular blow holes (where the original fan used to be) are completely closed up like the rest of the case. So they made a minor change to the top cover (probably cheaper to manufacture if they didn't have to punch those top holes in). Note, the holes to the left/right are obviously still there.



I would ask them to include it. This way you can present the receipt and say it was a gift from ____________.
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Paul,

Are you saying that the wheels Microcenter shipped on this deal were the newer ones in the blue rebadged box?
 
Coxis
Paul,

Are you saying that the wheels Microcenter shipped on this deal were the newer ones in the blue rebadged box?
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No. They were the GT5 branded box. I'm saying it's going to be very interesting to see if there is any difference with this and the new GT6 ones. And whether they were from similar production runs. Because insiders have said the GT6 has a couple minor differences to the interior. That's exactly what this wheel has. I've never seen a V5 wheel, but I'm fairly certain this GT5 wheel goes beyond any changes they made to that. So it'll be very interesting to see if there are any differences between this and the GT6 branded one.

EDIT: Of course I could be wrong and these changes were in fact made in later revisions. But considering how quickly my kink in the belt went away, I'm skeptical these were very old stock.
 
skazz
I finally slogged through pretty much the entire thread, it was very interesting reading the historical changes in the T500RS since early 2011.

On this subject: The wheel I got this week also had no v.? numbers on any of the boxes. The fan currently mostly makes an air flow noise although it's clearly not that awesome. It does however switch on and off quickly, so far no extended duration fan blowing long after I finished racing (then again I've only had 3-4 hours total on it so far).

But what I wanted to mention is that when the fan is running you can feel the air blowing past your fingertips very clearly. And I think that like Paul my T500RS has less ventilation holes on top than I saw from the photos of earlier models (would have to really doublecheck this evening). Is it possible that Thrustmaster built new stock this summer (when there was a complete lack of stock of the GT model) with yet another new fan design, and that we are now purchasing models with this new design as part of the new stock flow which seems to have started up in the last month or so?



[[[[Edit]]]]]: I just visually inspected all vents on my T500RS. The vents are all the same as the pictures on the first post of this thread, however the top indeed no longer has vents for the fan.

http://content.hwigroup.net/images/products/xl/115767/5/thrustmaster_t500_rs.jpg if you look at that picture, you see that most of the holes on the top panel are closed except for a circle clearly where the fan is mounted. On mine, those holes are also closed, there is no ventilation through the top panel.

This got me wondering: given the GT6 E3 booth T500RS cockpits, perhaps this new design was first created to align with the lack of top-side ventilation there, and they kept it as the new standard?
Click to expand...

I just checked my microcenter t500 and it does not have the circular hole for ventilation. It has no holes on the top, confirming what you've found so far. Not sure what version wheel we bought.

My own observations
1) The wheel is amazing, I had to lower the FFB because it was so strong.
2) I inverted my pedals, and installed the realistic break mod. Out of the box I did not really like the default pedal setup.
3) When I first start playing the unit is quiet, but after about 15 minutes it really kicks on and is quite loud in comparison to a g27. The first time I used it and the fan kicked on, the sound was quite nasty, almost like a rattling sound, but dissipated quickly. And has not happened again since.
 
Sorry to ask but I don't see a Thrustmaster TX thread or any talk about the wheel post release.

I would've thought at least one person would've bought the wheel and be posting details.
 
chromatic9
Sorry to ask but I don't see a Thrustmaster TX thread or any talk about the wheel post release.

I would've thought at least one person would've bought the wheel and be posting details.
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I guess GTPlanet members are less interested in the TX right now... ISR forums have a few comments on it: http://insidesimracing.tv/forums/to...458-italia-community-reviews-and-impressions/

I understood that the TX is using belts similar to Fanatec's clubsport, so comments about smoother but less powerful (presumably less abrupt) FFB due to no longer using the notched belt sound very logical.

From reading that site it looks like the PS3 isn't supported despite PC drivers: http://insidesimracing.tv/forums/to...-first-images-unboxing-vid/page-5#entry105336
 
skazz
I guess GTPlanet members are less interested in the TX right now... ISR forums have a few comments on it: http://insidesimracing.tv/forums/to...458-italia-community-reviews-and-impressions/

I understood that the TX is using belts similar to Fanatec's clubsport, so comments about smoother but less powerful (presumably less abrupt) FFB due to no longer using the notched belt sound very logical.

From reading that site it looks like the PS3 isn't supported despite PC drivers: http://insidesimracing.tv/forums/to...-first-images-unboxing-vid/page-5#entry105336
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The big thing is the brushless motor which is why it´s smoother primarily. But maybe they changed belt as well.
Curious how much torque it lost. The T500RS would benefit from more torque but for smaller rims yes it´s quite notchy but very smooth on my 350 mm rim
 
oqvist
The big thing is the brushless motor which is why it´s smoother primarily. But maybe they changed belt as well.
Curious how much torque it lost. The T500RS would benefit from more torque but for smaller rims yes it´s quite notchy but very smooth on my 350 mm rim
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Do you feel this way with the GTE rim too? Because I feel the GTE rim is most definitely less notchy than the GT rim. But the GTE rim also weights a little more than the GT rim. So this could be what deadens a little bit of that.

I ordered the DSD adapter last week, so I've got that sitting around. One of these days I'm going to order a 350mm wheel for it. There was a time when I was obsessed that I wanted it to weight less than the stock rims so I didn't lose sensitivity, but I've kind of swung around to thinking that a little extra weight is probably good for this.
 
I should have a TX in the next few days and will report back on some of the questions people have raised.

One thing I wanted to note as I keep reading comments regarding belts. The cogging that people feel on the T500 at times is due to the motor and has nothing to do with the belts. I think a "cogged" belt makes people associate the two. A system with that type of belt should not generate any cogging feeling due to the belt itself. If this were happening, it would mean the belt and pulleys are not meshing properly, in which case the belt would wear out anyhow. So, the motor causes cogging or lack of cogging, not the belts.
 
Supermoney47
The first time I used it and the fan kicked on, the sound was quite nasty, almost like a rattling sound, but dissipated quickly. And has not happened again since.
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That happens every time the fan kicks in in my wheel. It goes away after a minute though.
 
@mrbasher: Ah, right. Thank you for clarifying.

Reading the initial comments on the TX, it seems that the plastic rim and pedals are perfectly functional, but swapping in T500RS pedals and the 458GTE rim are a very valid option, effectively just keeping the wheel base in use for XBox One compatibility and/or for PC use of the new brushless motor design.
 
Paul33993
Do you feel this way with the GTE rim too? Because I feel the GTE rim is most definitely less notchy than the GT rim. But the GTE rim also weights a little more than the GT rim. So this could be what deadens a little bit of that.

I ordered the DSD adapter last week, so I've got that sitting around. One of these days I'm going to order a 350mm wheel for it. There was a time when I was obsessed that I wanted it to weight less than the stock rims so I didn't lose sensitivity, but I've kind of swung around to thinking that a little extra weight is probably good for this.
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I have the F1 integral rim. 270 mm in diameter I believe same as 458. And my 320 mm and 350 mm is not heavier then that one but I made sure to go by light rims. It´s not like it´s carbon fibre or anything silly but the 350 mm is just supposed to weight about 640 G on it´s own. Then it´s the DSD adapter that add some weight too.

It´s a bit hard to be accurate because I measure with Wii Fit but it´s about the same for the F1 wheel and my 320 mm when I measured that. And the 350 mm is hardly any more weight. It has the same base as the 320 mm rim but thinner grip which is maybe why it don´t appear to weight more.

I believe it´s mostly the diameter as the 350 mm is clearly more smooth then the 320 mm and F1 is not smooth whatsoever but it also depend on how solidly attached the wheel is. I noticed on the 320 mm I didn´t get a solid attachement I had to use prolonged allen keys and tighten like nuts to get the most out of the ffb even though I couldn´t really detect any loose fit. Maybe due to there being some dish on the wheels I got. Sure it´s a bit smoother but you loose some fidelity on the kerb effects for example.

But I think it´s good to stay with light rims for more lively ffb. With the F1 wheel I am seldom at max ffb but I have much less problem running 60 % in the profile with the 350 mm rim which gives me way more leverage.
 
guys, i have a GT3RS v2+ CSPv1 in a Rinoseat GTR (now Fanatec CSL) and I want to upgrade my wheel. As I'm a big Gran Turismo fan and I play mostly console (PS3 and soon PS4), I am currently looking at the T500RS, as it has that sexy F1 rim and I'd probably get the 458 GTE rim as well, but one thing is stopping me from pulling the trigger now: I believe Thrustmaster will release a brushless version of the T500RS, as I think it shares quite a lot of electronics/boards with the TX, and adaptation has the potential to be seamless. What do you guys think? Should I wait a bit more time to see what happens? I was hoping the new GT6 themed version would be brushless already, but I don't know if anyone has seen one of these new boxes out in retail...

cheers!
 
Could anyone point me to a good tutorial about taking apart the T500 pedals? I am officially out of my 2 year warranty and my brake pedal is spiking so I want to take them apart and clean the pots out.

edit: Anyone?
 
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wprpalmeida
guys, i have a GT3RS v2+ CSPv1 in a Rinoseat GTR (now Fanatec CSL) and I want to upgrade my wheel. As I'm a big Gran Turismo fan and I play mostly console (PS3 and soon PS4), I am currently looking at the T500RS, as it has that sexy F1 rim and I'd probably get the 458 GTE rim as well, but one thing is stopping me from pulling the trigger now: I believe Thrustmaster will release a brushless version of the T500RS, as I think it shares quite a lot of electronics/boards with the TX, and adaptation has the potential to be seamless. What do you guys think? Should I wait a bit more time to see what happens? I was hoping the new GT6 themed version would be brushless already, but I don't know if anyone has seen one of these new boxes out in retail...

cheers!
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On the Thrustmaster Facebook site they state that the GT6 branded T500RS has no internal changes.... But I don't think anyone has managed to buy a GT6 branded box yet, only GT5 branded boxes.

I decided that it was worth getting the proven T500RS (after all, we know what could break on the T500RS from this thread, the TX base is new and could have new weak spots), because I also suspect they will leave the wheel unchanged until GT7 now. I was playing GT5/Forza4 on a Fanatec GT2 / CSPv1 combo, so almost identical to yours. For me the T500RS is a big upgrade, I'm loving every minute of GT6 with it.
 
skazz
On the Thrustmaster Facebook site they state that the GT6 branded T500RS has no internal changes.... But I don't think anyone has managed to buy a GT6 branded box yet, only GT5 branded boxes.

I decided that it was worth getting the proven T500RS (after all, we know what could break on the T500RS from this thread, the TX base is new and could have new weak spots), because I also suspect they will leave the wheel unchanged until GT7 now. I was playing GT5/Forza4 on a Fanatec GT2 / CSPv1 combo, so almost identical to yours. For me the T500RS is a big upgrade, I'm loving every minute of GT6 with it.
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Yeah, apart from the Xbox compatibility, it was the same! I always thought the FFB was a but numb in GT5, but I knew it had to do with the game, as F1 & Dirt games were always good. I wanna see what the proprietary FFB software for the T500RS is like, and it sounds to be a very well-built piece of equipment. Idk about you guys, but the GT3RS feels kind of cheap to me.. not much, but I think my G25 unit was built better. The thing is that T500RSes in Brazil can cost up to 1500 USD, so i have to be REALLY sure of what I'm getting, and I have no way to test it before I do so :(
 
This is probably a dumb question but can you upgrade the firmware on the T500 for PS3 use by hooking it up to your computer via USB or is the firmware upgrade handled entirely through the PS3 and game? Is it basically plug and play for Gran Turismo 5/6 use?
 

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