Another Fanatec wheel arrives!

  • Thread starter Thread starter jonboy1066
  • 3,981 comments
  • 478,519 views
... But the rFactor Plugin won't work for me, don't worry about it if it wont work for you.

Telemetry data works fine with rFactor...Instead i still got problems with calibrating the wheel,with d-pad left button and,with GT Prologue,i can use a maximum value of 7 for the force-feedback(game options),if i use an higher value the force-feedback gots serious issues....
 
what process did you go through to get it to work? do you have vista 64 bit? i mean where the wheel shows your gear/ speed, or how you can set up the wheel/pedal to vibrate when tires lock. those sort of things.
 
I don't get it. Fanatec's new wheels are considered to be one of the best wheels on the market today, and yet everybody seems to have problems with the wheel and the CSP. :odd:

I bought a pedal box (speed7) from BRD In 2004 and I never had any problem with these pedals. The only thing I had to do, was recalibrating the pedals from time to time.
 
what process did you go through to get it to work? do you have vista 64 bit? i mean where the wheel shows your gear/ speed, or how you can set up the wheel/pedal to vibrate when tires lock. those sort of things.

I use XP 32 bit. To make it work i copied the plugin dll (this file is in the driver folder,in 091 driver folder) to Plugins folder in rFactor....And yes,the wheel shows gear or speed,and the brake pedal vibrates.
 
Last edited:
DFP only 180 or 900?

In arcade racers 210 can often be way to much for the responsive steering. Since they are built for going lock to lock with no loss in traction. A gamepad never has more then 180 and for many arcade racers you want to mimic the gamepad as much as possible.

Weird, I thought I had replied to this...

Anyway, arcade racers have always used 270 degrees as default for years. I've never come across a game that would actually benifit from less steering ratio, although I can understand your logic.



;)
 
My Microcraps sidewinder and Logitech Momo Black both are 270 degree models. I've only played GR, GTL, GTR2, and GRID, but I've never had any problems with steering angle? At least, nothing that wasn't fixed in the car setup by going to a max (~23 degree) steering box angle.
 
What do you mean? 180 degrees is max for an analogue stick. You can´t go pass 180 degrees. Well you could but then you would have to instead of moving the stick left to right to move it around at it´s extents but haven´t run any racing game that supports that.
 
I'm talking wheels, not gamesticks.

001-8.jpg
 
I understood that I forgot to use the quote function :) I was commenting on Delphic Reasons reply.

Analogue sticks do not move 180 degrees from lock to lock. The effective range ends up being that, but the actual range of motion is much less, or you'd have to have a specially designed controller to allow for such movement.



;)
 
Analogue sticks do not move 180 degrees from lock to lock. The effective range ends up being that, but the actual range of motion is much less, or you'd have to have a specially designed controller to allow for such movement.

;)


Right.

180° would mean that the analog stick was able to move until it was laying completely horizontal.

protractor.gif


Look at what 180° actually is, and go move the analog stick on your controller. In truth you are only getting about 40° of movement either direction on the stick giving it an overall of 80°.
 
Analogue sticks do not move 180 degrees from lock to lock. The effective range ends up being that, but the actual range of motion is much less, or you'd have to have a specially designed controller to allow for such movement.



;)

Well doesn´t really matter that proof my point even more doesn´t it :)
 
Well doesn´t really matter that proof my point even more doesn´t it :)

As I said before, I completely understand your logic. However, I have never found that to be the case. Anything less than 270 is very difficult to utilize (for me personally) as the range of FFB effects, is effectively less as well, negating a lot of the reason I use a wheel (more feeling). Also, all of these arcade titles utilize a 270 degree ratio as default (is there an echgo in here?:dopey:), and thus they program the game to work effectively at that ratio. I've never had any problem moving from lock to lock, with a 270 wheel, any slower than I can with a controller. You have to throw the wheel around a bit (as in a real car), but it's not really that difficult.

Again, I stress, this is just my personal experience.



;)
 
I see. The arcade racers I have run outrun, sega rally revo, midnight club LA, ridge racer 6 all seem to like really really low steering lock. When I had the G25 I run it at 70 on Revo. Otherwise it just get so unresponsive. I can´t be as fast going lock to lock with a 180 degree wheel versus just twitching the thumb :) Most of these are get the tail out and use throttle as brake racers.
 
I see. The arcade racers I have run outrun, sega rally revo, midnight club LA, ridge racer 6 all seem to like really really low steering lock. When I had the G25 I run it at 70 on Revo. Otherwise it just get so unresponsive. I can´t be as fast going lock to lock with a 180 degree wheel versus just twitching the thumb :) Most of these are get the tail out and use throttle as brake racers.

I've never played REVO, but Midnight Club works flawlessly with 270 degrees. I was actually shocked at how well it did work. However, I certainly understand utilizing a smaller ratio for quicker lock to lock movement.

I just find it so unnatural, at such a low ratio, I may as well just use a controller.

BTW, regarding my cockpit build...

Can someone give me a few measurments (I didn't see them listed anywhere).

Regarding the CSP's...

I need to know where the pedals begin in relationship to the base (I have the base measurements), so I can work that into my cockpit base (basing my seating position/pedal placement, wheel height, etc... off a Porsche 911 (993)). In other words, from the front of the base, how far back are the base of the pedals themselves, and maybe a rough estimate as to the stock angle of the pedals (20/30/40 degrees?). Does that make sense?

Regarding the wheel...

I need to know where the center of the wheel is in relationship to the base (again, I have the base measurements). This will allow me to set the wheel height (wheel tray on my cockpit), without waiting to take delivery of the wheel. So, from the bottom of the base up to the center of the wheel is what I'm needing.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.



;)
 
Without sounding obtrusive I think thats taking things too far....
Im unsrue this direction will bring you worthwhile improvements

The real Porsche car will allow you to adjust the seat (like any car) to a suitable position you feel comfortable with. IIRC your using a rather standard/cheapish seat which although not bad maybe aint much better than the Obutto anyways and isnt going to be at the same height and angle or offer the level of comfort as a real Porsche so why all the sillyness or importance it seems with the positioning of pedals and wheel?

The point im making is even if you had the same angles and similar measurements as the real car thats not to say that for YOU and with YOUR SEAT that those will be the optimium for YOUR complete comfort.

Fom a simulator point of view which you may be using a lot and at times for several hours at a time. Surely the importance is YOUR comfort and not to mimick a real car with toy pedals and wheel.

Personally id recommend that you try various adjustments in positions with the wheel, pedals and height till you find a combination that feels good. Well thats what i will be doing as I want whats best for me but not just what some real car has, no thats being silly. Certainly perhaps mimicing what the real car has may help you in the proper direction but to copy 1:1 im not convinced its the best thing to do nor will it make you really any better/faster.

The other aspect of importance surely for a simulator after initial comfort is the immersion. Upgrading to a real competitive racing seat pays big dividends to your overall impression when racing. Ive had Playseat/Game Racer/GamePod and now an ongoing d.i.y solution with a "Cobra Sebring Pro" FIA approved seat. I can tell you from this experience of various racing frames that the comfort of the seat with the wheel is one of the most important and will give you the most return in satisfaction, not if your pedals are inverted or indeed 5mm more to the left or 4 degrees closer angle.

Proper Racing Seat:
Well it gave me a feeling or sense of raceyness compared to a Playseat or other race frame or with a standard bucket seat. If your more comfortable you can stay more relaxed and more focused if your being this serious about your gaming. Consider budgeting for a much improved seat not only will you gain from the feeling of being more in a racing car with the snugness of a figure holding competitive seat feel but also the benifits of its comfort over several hours too. Furthermore along the lines of immersion adding a buttkicker and triple 24" screens is what most seem to be deeming as a high level of sim satisfaction for fixed frame designs. Look at any of the top racing cockpits they all have good racing seats, why is that, but they dont all have inverted pedals or indeed Porsche or other real car settings?

Of course you will continue to do what you want but im questioning if its necessary or indeed going to be your best option.
 
Last edited:
I was quite amazed how well it worked for that too once I got it working. I do preferr 210 because it make me go faster. Mostly crash less often dodging traffic or taking these split second decisions you have to all the time. I agree it fun to yank the wheel back and fourth. But MC: LA is so challenging already with the gamepad, quite freaking hard often so I went for the interim solution. The feel of the wheel and better rumble effects and the pedals and most important the H-shifter makes the wheel more fun despite the unrealistic steering response.

Sometimes I cheat and go by gamepad for those near impossible races where you have to navigate through tons of traffic.
I bought the Saleen S7 which give me some grief so will probably go back to my wheel again lol. Best racing game on the PS 3 so far definiatly :)

As for cockpit I agree with Latte. You have the perfect chance to customize so it feels perfect for your body. With real cars you have more considerations to take in place so the ergonomics are seldom perfect. I sit much much better in my nixim cockpit then in any real car I have driven. Seating position doesn´t differ that much it´s just everything is exactly where they should be for me.
 
As for cockpit I agree with Latte. You have the perfect chance to customize so it feels perfect for your body. With real cars you have more considerations to take in place so the ergonomics are seldom perfect. I sit much much better in my nixim cockpit then in any real car I have driven. Seating position doesn´t differ that much it´s just everything is exactly where they should be for me.

I know what you're saying, as far as production cars.

But if you EVER get the chance to sit an in open wheel car, do so. I could sleep in the dang things. Many years back, Mario Andretti got to sit in the 1993 or 1994 UTA (Univ. Tex. Arlington) FSAE car, and said it was more comfortable than any other car he'd ever sat in. But really, all open wheel cars are ergonomically comfortable.

I've sat in NASCAR Cup and truck show cars and a C5R showcar- I was by far disappointed in the ergo of all 3.
 
Can somebody clarify this for me:

I just picked up my GT3 RS wheel & CS pedals. All very impressive looking & feeling. However, as I feared, I had no luck downloading the drivers on my friends PC. Is it definitely necessary to download these in order for the wheel & pedals to work with GT5P? Also, has any one managed to attach their wheel & pedals to the Playseat Evo?

Thank you!
 
F1s aren´t.... you shouldn´t have your butt below your feet and it´s pretty damn tight for someone who is 187 cm :).

As for RS wheel for consoles there is no driver download from Fanatecs side. You may have to update the console of course.
 
Without sounding obtrusive I think thats taking things too far....
Im unsrue this direction will bring you worthwhile improvements

Not to make your entire post redundant..... but...

First off, I understand where you're coming from. However, there are a few things you need to know.

This is not my first cockpit (it will be my fourth). I have also owned and operated 2 purpose built rallycross vehicles, and one competition drift vehicle (RIP). Furthermore, my best friend (Dentist) owns a 911 Carrera (993), a Hummer (yuck!), and a Ferrari 360 (in white!), so I have had quite a lot of seat time in all of the above (although I have never driven the Hummer:crazy:)

The real Porsche car will allow you to adjust the seat (like any car) to a suitable position you feel comfortable with. IIRC your using a rather standard/cheapish seat which although not bad maybe aint much better than the Obutto anyways and isnt going to be at the same height and angle or offer the level of comfort as a real Porsche so why all the sillyness or importance it seems with the positioning of pedals and wheel?

My seat is fully adjustable as in a real car (as is the steering angle and pedal tray). The seat is not cheap (and is SCCA approved) and took me almost a year to find, and is indescribably better than my Obutto seat. It also is at the same angle as the porsche seat (hence taking measurements of the aforementioned 993), and in all honesty is quite a bit more comfortable than the porsche seat, which I find a bit hard for my liking.

The point im making is even if you had the same angles and similar measurements as the real car thats not to say that for YOU and with YOUR SEAT that those will be the optimium for YOUR complete comfort.

Considering I have been driving his (Alex) 993 for a few years, and fell in love with the driving position (which isn't that great for him, since he is a short lad), I'm positive this is the way I want to go. I didn't just choose porsche measurements because I bought a Fanatec Porsche 911 wheel. I chose the measurements because I am comfortable for hours in said car (Road trip '07), and it just so happens to be a Porsche, so that's just the cherry on top.

Certainly perhaps mimicing what the real car has may help you in the proper direction but to copy 1:1 im not convinced its the best thing to do nor will it make you really any better/faster.

You're assuming I'm copying everything 1:1. There are quite a few things I am changing (like the shifter position).

The other aspect of importance surely for a simulator after initial comfort is the immersion. Upgrading to a real competitive racing seat pays big dividends to your overall impression when racing.

Which is why I bought one for this cockpit. I actually have two different seats (the non pictured seat is a Sparco Fighter), I have set it up so I can easily change seats depending on my mood.

Furthermore along the lines of immersion adding a buttkicker and triple 24" screens is what most seem to be deeming as a high level of sim satisfaction for fixed frame designs.

I have three 22" LCD's and TH2G, and am waiting on delivery of my Buttkicker (which should be here already)

So, in closing, I am not some Porsche fanboy who likes the idea of being in a fake porsche. I took measurements from 20 or so cars before I decided the Porsche offered the best ergonomics for me personally.

So.....

Can someone please just give me the measurements, preferably without a lengthy diatribe (just poking fun at ya, Latte). I would really appreciate it. Regardless of how I set up my seat/pedals/wheel, I still need the measurements. I'm at a standstill until I get these numbers, and I'm dying to finish this thing (it's taking much longer than expected due to unforeseen circumstances)




;)
 
Glad you made all that clear, however i wasnt trying to be patronising in what i said/suggested.

Wouldnt some of that information of been well placed in your own thread, it would let people understand your background of sims or cars in general. So far your project doesnt give the impression its from someone with the background/experience or disposable income you may have.
Apologies if i was wrong regards your seat as the seat you shown looks awfully like ones on auction sites from china (fake leather/vinyl) that are about £90-£130 in the UK. Surely a man of your driving pro stature should be at least considering a $1000 seat, hell get a good Recaro. Some of us are mere mortals with a hobby and normal lifestyles and dont get to drive real Porsches or need to have our hobby racing frames with near identical dimensions measurements, so actually that is mimicing the real thing why do you say otherwise, oh yeah wow the shifter. Point is i think your being a bit OTT but if thats what you want hell go for it.

I still think the best way for anyone building a frame is just design your rig to allow various adjustments, forward,back,up,down on the areas you so require then when its built its only a matter of adjusting all these and locking tight the required positions or enabling them to be selected from several.

If this is your 4th rig then by now you should be pretty much a pro at building one, hell your gonna be about the best person here i reckon with all your car experience too. In saying that so far what you have wont come close to my own (oh thats me poking fun at you now) Me personally i say its allow for the adjustments in the design before final building and then with lots of testing and trials determine exactly what feels best then lock it all down to be able to offer this positioning.

Oh and no harm to your dentist friend, but with that selection of cars i bet hes smiling...

Good luck with the project.
 
Last edited:
Not to take away from your in-depth discussion of setting up the perfect cockpit set-up, but I just started using my new Playseat Evo, & I have to say it does make a big difference to the immersion factor. There's just something about climbing into the seat & settling into the driving position, that feels right. :) (I did find I had to add a lumbar support to make it feel comfortable however.) I particularly like it with F1CE, because the driving position, while obviously not as extreme as a real F1 cockpit, makes it feel a lot more like you are in the actual cockpit than just sitting in a chair.

I'm enjoying it so much with the G25 - it's very impressive how compatible the Playseat is with the G25 - I'm loath to take it apart to set it up with the GT3 RS wheel, but I'll give it a try later this week.
 
Not to take away from your in-depth discussion of setting up the perfect cockpit set-up, but I just started using my new Playseat Evo, & I have to say it does make a big difference to the immersion factor. There's just something about climbing into the seat & settling into the driving position, that feels right. :) (I did find I had to add a lumbar support to make it feel comfortable however.) I particularly like it with F1CE, because the driving position, while obviously not as extreme as a real F1 cockpit, makes it feel a lot more like you are in the actual cockpit than just sitting in a chair.

I'm enjoying it so much with the G25 - it's very impressive how compatible the Playseat is with the G25 - I'm loath to take it apart to set it up with the GT3 RS wheel, but I'll give it a try later this week.


Playseats are actually one of the most versatile on the market for their adjustments, if anything copying their adaptablity is a great basis for any diy frame as some here have done. True like you say their seats arnt the most comfortable (creak) but your right being in a proper driving position adds loads to the immersion.
Youll find perhaps in the future changing your seat and adding a buttkicker would do wonders. Id recommend hard mounting the GT3RS, it doesnt lock as well with its clamp system.
 
My Buttkicker Gamr amp passed away a few weeks ago. :(

I'm trying to find an amp that I can use with it instead of the amp it came with.
 
F1s aren´t.... you shouldn´t have your butt below your feet and it´s pretty damn tight for someone who is 187 cm :).

Actually, you would think it's 5 different kinds of uncomfotable to have your butt below your ankles, but it's actually not that bad. The trick is having a steep seat back...I think FSAE mandates no lower than 15 degrees. The seat pan is about 3" below the footbox I believe. The foot box is right where the nosecone says SAE. The pedal box has a 8" movement range, and FSAE requires it to fit 2 stage-persons at competition: a 5'3" (160cm) female and 6'5" (195 cm) male.

I wish i had a frame view, I'll have my buddy send me some of the 2009 frame without the skin.



IMG_9795.jpg
 
Evolution is very nice with the G25 stock... With it´s light force feedback and easy to press pedals it´s stable enough... However it´s borderline... The wheel plate even tightened like a mad man once in a while would fall down. Others had to solder theirs.

And as for the seat as soon as I installed the nixim brake mod the chair, the aluminium profile and not the least the pedal base budged quite a bit. If you know you aren´t going to upgrade from a G25 it´s a superb bang for the buck solution that doesn´t cost an arm and a leg though. Good adjustments though worthless shifter adapter. The middle bar is mildly annoying but it´s the right compromise for the extra stability and adjustability.

Wonder how it would hold up for the RS... You may be pretty much forced to use the drift mode on it then it shouldn´t cause to much trouble if you wield the wheel plate anyway. With the worthless shifter adapter it´s a big plus here for the RS being able to mount the shifters to the wheel :).

But well now we are discussing other things than the wheel. Does that mean your wheels work as great as mine do. I don´t even notice the small quirks like the noisy fan anymore so I am 95 % happy. I still would like firmer paddle buttons and the ISI curb ffb effects bug fixed.
 
Glad you made all that clear, however i wasnt trying to be patronising in what i said/suggested.

I'm not suggesting you were.

Wouldnt some of that information of been well placed in your own thread, it would let people understand your background of sims or cars in general. So far your project doesnt give the impression its from someone with the background/experience or disposable income you may have.

With all due respect, I have been here for years, and posted in many different threads my history. I don't like to blow my own horn. If people are interested, or if it comes into question, I explain my history, as I have done here. That should be enough, frankly.

Apologies if i was wrong regards your seat as the seat you shown looks awfully like ones on auction sites from china (fake leather/vinyl) that are about £90-£130 in the UK. Surely a man of your driving pro stature should be at least considering a $1000 seat, hell get a good Recaro. .

It's certainly not a China seat, although I can see why you would think such. It's actually been recovered by Katskins (real leather), although I'm not entirely sure what the make of the seat is (owner was unsure as he was also not the original owner), though, I am sure about the comfort and support (most importantly). Furthermore, as I said, I also have a Sparco Fighter seat that will probably be utilized when we have tournaments at my house (two cockpits are being built simaltaneously, one with a Recaro (old roommates seat). Eventually I would like to get a nice memory foam racing seat (higher end Sparco/Bride/Cobra/etc..) for that extra comfort.

Some of us are mere mortals with a hobby and normal lifestyles and dont get to drive real Porsches or need to have our hobby racing frames with near identical dimensions measurements, so actually that is mimicing the real thing why do you say otherwise, oh yeah wow the shifter. Point is i think your being a bit OTT but if thats what you want hell go for it

Mere mortals? I work at Best Western as a Manager. You probably make more money than I do. Yes, I have a good friend who is a dentist, and as such HE can afford such lavish toys. To be honest, I'm not sure where this tone of yours is coming from. I give one example of something I'm changing in regards to the dimensions, and again, you assume that is that. I am making quite a bit of changes actually, but I don't feel obligated to list all of them just to make you feel at ease with my cokpit design choices.

I still think the best way for anyone building a frame is just design your rig to allow various adjustments, forward,back,up,down on the areas you so require then when its built its only a matter of adjusting all these and locking tight the required positions or enabling them to be selected from several.

The cockpit is fully adjustable. Furthermore, your satatement about the best rigs not being made to real car dimensions is frankly a bit under researched. Some of the most notable home made cockpits are made to actual car specifications. One notable example (and there are many more) below was made to exact S2000 dimensions:

http://forums.finalgear.com/entertainment/my-new-racing-cockpit-g25-27792/

Mine is much more adjustable, but I'm still getting flack because I'm using a real car to get the basic dimensions. Although, I have no doubt some of you will change your tone when you see the final product.

If this is your 4th rig then by now you should be pretty much a pro at building one, hell your gonna be about the best person here i reckon with all your car experience too. In saying that so far what you have wont come close to my own (oh thats me poking fun at you now) Me personally i say its allow for the adjustments in the design before final building and then with lots of testing and trials determine exactly what feels best then lock it all down to be able to offer this positioning.

I didn't say this is my fourth home built cockpit. I said it is my 4th cockpit. This will be my first home built rig. Furthermore, as I keep saying over and over, it is fully adjustable. Mostly, so many different (sized) people can enjoy these rigs. I wouldn't build a cockpit any other way.

Oh and no harm to your dentist friend, but with that selection of cars i bet hes smiling...

Like a 5 year old with an ice cream cone. I am suitably jealous. His 360 Modena is gorgeous, and he has yet to let me open her up.
 
Last edited:
Back