ProtoSimTech PT2 pedal set discussion

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Hey everyone,

I have a serious question I'd like to ask all of you. I have made a straw poll in order to gauge the response to this question. If you like, you are welcome to comment and give me some feedback, as well as cast your vote.

Would you still purchase the PT2 pedal set if it did not include any sort of clutch mechanism (progressive feeling)? The clutch would just include a harder spring, and the price of the pedal set would remain $399.

Here's the link to the poll - https://www.strawpoll.me/16311821
 
I've come to a very important decision. I have to raise the price of the PT2.

I've been saying this from the very beginning - there are no easy answers. With that said, I had a long talk with my father this evening, and we both came to the same conclusion. It's time to raise the price. I know this may come as a bit of a surprise to some of you, and for some, this places the PT2 just out of reach in terms of cost. For that, I am truly sorry. I hope you know how much I didn't want to have to do this.

I didn't get into this business to make money, but the amount of stress that I have had to deal with over the last few years has taken it's toll on my health, and I can't live like this. So, it's time to make some changes.

I'm not sure if any of you are aware of this, but the price of aluminum has been increasing rapidly as of late. I hadn't taken a good look at our aluminum costs this year, but our price for the amount of aluminum we use on a per batch basis will increase by over $1000. Unfortunately, we have to make up that cost somewhere. We can't just eat it. Believe me, I wish we could, but we can't. I'd give anything to stay at $399, but at that price, we're almost giving them away.

So....

We have decided that from this point forward (starting with the next batch), the PT2 will cost $479. While I wait for all of you to start breathing again, I'd like to add that we're also lowering the cost of our mounting plate from $89 to $75, and lowering the cost of our CT2 pedal faces from $39 to $35 to help compensate (at least a little) for the increased cost of the pedal set itself. I know it isn't much, but I wanted to give you something in return. We felt that the $80 increase was a good compromise between what we had discussed previously (my father and I), and what the community was willing to pay (at least some of you). We can always lower the price later if we feel it's a bit too steep, but for now, $479 feels like a great starting point.

Moving forward -

I wanted to do a video about this, but I might as well mention it now. Starting with batch #4 (the next batch), we are going to be using a new circuit board from Leo Bodnar. We've been discussing this with the Bodnar team for a few months, and we're excited to be using a newer board that will have more resolution, and the added benefit of EMI protection built into the board itself. This board has only two analog connections and a load cell connection. It does not include any extra analog connections for things like button boxes, or other inputs, which helps simplify things on our end.

In the past, we've used a potentiometer adjustment knob on top of the circuit board box for a sort of "on-the-fly" brake pedal sensitivity adjustment. With this newer board, this will not be possible, so we are removing the adjustment knob entirely. The new board will allow you to make brake pedal sensitivity adjustments using a firmware flash utility and a program to help dial in the sensitivity. I've been using this utility for awhile now. It's simple to use, and the adjustments happen in real time. I will have all of the instructions on how to use this new setup on our website before we sell batch #4.

In conclusion -

Well, that's just about everything I wanted to mention. Again, I know this may come as a shock to some of you. I'm hoping to have a lot of support for this decision, but I will certainly understand if you decide the pedals just aren't worth the extra cost. I hope you will believe me when I say that I did everything in my power to keep the price low. I just hope that the increased cost will help alleviate some of the stress I've been dealing with lately. I suppose I'll find out soon enough.

I know I'm going to get some public backlash for raising the price, but if it allows me to find a bit of peace (even a little), it's worth it in the end.

I'd like to thank all of you for supporting me all these years, and I hope that I can continue to be a part of this fantastic community for a very long time.

Thanks,

Chris


P.S. - I will post the new pricing models in a few days.
 
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ProtoSimTech
I've come to a very important decision. I have to raise the price of the PT2.

I've been saying this from the very beginning - there are no easy answers. With that said, I had a long talk with my father this evening, and we both came to the same conclusion. It's time to raise the price. I know this may come as a bit of a surprise to some of you, and for some, this places the PT2 just out of reach in terms of cost. For that, I am truly sorry. I hope you know how much I didn't want to have to do this.

I didn't get into this business to make money, but the amount of stress that I have had to deal with over the last few years has taken it's toll on my health, and I can't live like this. So, it's time to make some changes.

I'm not sure if any of you are aware of this, but the price of aluminum has been increasing rapidly as of late. I hadn't taken a good look at our aluminum costs this year, but our price for the amount of aluminum we use on a per batch basis will increase by over $1000. Unfortunately, we have to make up that cost somewhere. We can't just eat it. Believe me, I wish we could, but we can't. I'd give anything to stay at $399, but at that price, we're almost giving them away.

So....

We have decided that from this point forward (starting with the next batch), the PT2 will cost $479. While I wait for all of you to start breathing again, I'd like to add that we're also lowering the cost of our mounting plate from $89 to $75, and lowering the cost of our CT2 pedal faces from $39 to $35 to help compensate (at least a little) for the increased cost of the pedal set itself. I know it isn't much, but I wanted to give you something in return. We felt that the $80 increase was a good compromise between what we had discussed previously (my father and I), and what the community was willing to pay (at least some of you). We can always lower the price later if we feel it's a bit too steep, but for now, $479 feels like a great starting point.

Moving forward -

I wanted to do a video about this, but I might as well mention it now. Starting with batch #4 (the next batch), we are going to be using a new circuit board from Leo Bodnar. We've been discussing this with the Bodnar team for a few months, and we're excited to be using a newer board that will have more resolution, and the added benefit of EMI protection built into the board itself. This board has only two analog connections and a load cell connection. It does not include any extra analog connections for things like button boxes, or other inputs, which helps simplify things on our end.

In the past, we've used a potentiometer adjustment knob on top of the circuit board box for a sort of "on-the-fly" brake pedal sensitivity adjustment. With this newer board, this will not be possible, so we are removing the adjustment knob entirely. The new board will allow you to make brake pedal sensitivity adjustments using a firmware flash utility and a program to help dial in the sensitivity. I've been using this utility for awhile now. It's simple to use, and the adjustments happen in real time. I will have all of the instructions on how to use this new setup on our website before we sell batch #4.

In conclusion -

Well, that's just about everything I wanted to mention. Again, I know this may come as a shock to some of you. I'm hoping to have a lot of support for this decision, but I will certainly understand if you decide the pedals just aren't worth the extra cost. I hope you will believe me when I say that I did everything in my power to keep the price low. I just hope that the increased cost will help alleviate some of the stress I've been dealing with lately. I suppose I'll find out soon enough.

I know I'm going to get some public backlash for raising the price, but if it allows me to find a bit of peace (even a little), it's worth it in the end.

I'd like to thank all of you for supporting me all these years, and I hope that I can continue to be a part of this fantastic community for a very long time.

Thanks,

Chris


P.S. - I will post the new pricing models in a few days.
Click to expand...
The pricing on them was and still is great for what you are getting. If you could mass produce them I don’t think people would have been buying much else in their price range, they are worth at least $500 when you compare to the wider market.

Some people I’m sure will be disappointed but your time and effort is worth more than nothing and people should appreciate and respect that.

All the best for the future 👍.
 
F Inferno
The pricing on them was and still is great for what you are getting. If you could mass produce them I don’t think people would have been buying much else in their price range, they are worth at least $500 when you compare to the wider market.

Some people I’m sure will be disappointed but your time and effort is worth more than nothing and people should appreciate and respect that.

All the best for the future 👍.
Click to expand...

Thanks!
 
Hey guys,

Well, this is a little embarrassing....


We seem to have sent out some of the mounting plate hardware bags without four, very necessary, bolts (if you want to use the heel rest).

Therefore, if you purchased the mounting plate from us, please check to be sure you have all of the following items inside this hardware bag -

12 x T-slot nuts - these are used to mount the pedals to the mounting plate

12 x 25mm bolts - these are used in conjunction with the above nuts to mount the pedals

6 x 40mm bolts - these are for mounting the plate onto your rig, if needed

4 x 20mm bolts - these are used to mount the heel rest to the mounting plate

34 x washers

6 - lock nuts - these are for mounting the plate to your rig, if needed

2 x metal plates

I have highlighted the missing bolts (M6 x 20mm bolts x 4). We aren't sure how many of these bags went out without these bolts, so we would like to ask you whether or not you need us to send these bolts to you, or if it would be easier for you to purchase these bolts from your local hardware store. They should be very inexpensive, but that's really not the point.

It's up to me to make sure that every pedal set goes out of here with everything you are going to need, and it seems like we screwed up this time.

If you have been affected by this, please send me an email, and we can work out what would work best for you. I'm willing to do whatever you prefer ;-)
 
somebodysb2
Is it possible to purchase just the throttle and brake pedals as more price conscious option?
Click to expand...


Unfortunately, that's not going to be an option anytime soon. We found that most people do want to use a clutch, so if we were to offer a 2-pedal set, we would still have to produce clutch pedals for every set in each batch. This means that we're still spending the same amount of money on materials and labor to produce all three pedals for every set in each batch. Why? Well, what if everyone in a batch were to purchase the 3-pedal version? I still have to purchase all the materials for, produce, and assemble, each pedal in every batch, just in case no one buys the 2-pedal version. Therefore, it ends up costing me the same with each batch. The bottom line is, I would end up losing money.

I know that isn't exactly the greatest explanation, and I probably could have worded it a bit better, so I apologize if that doesn't make much sense. I'd like to be able to offer as many choices as possible, but believe me when I tell you that the price is about as low as our pedal sets are ever going to get. We were barely breaking even at $399. Trust me, I would love to be able to sell more of these things. I feel it's important to offer something of quality at a decent price, as it helps bring in more potential sim racers to the community ;-)
 
Hi @ProtoSimTech,

I have the PT-1s. I continue to have blowouts on the red dampers. You've even been kind enough to mail me spares even recently. Excellent customer service after the sale, for sure.

But I am interested in purchasing some Yellow Dampers. Can I purchase an add-on kit of these?
 
crowhop
Hi @ProtoSimTech,

I have the PT-1s. I continue to have blowouts on the red dampers. You've even been kind enough to mail me spares even recently. Excellent customer service after the sale, for sure.

But I am interested in purchasing some Yellow Dampers. Can I purchase an add-on kit of these?
Click to expand...

Hey, get in touch with me through email, and I'll see what i can do. I think I should have a few extras after this next batch is done, but if you need them sooner, we can work something out ;-)
 
Hey guys, I'm happy to announce that Batch #4 will be released on Thursday, December 13th! 1PM EST

We're sending out emails right now, so if you haven't received an email yet, just be patient. There is a limit on the amount of emails we can send in a 24 hour period ;-)
 
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I have a problem with my Batch #3 PT2 pedals.

After not using my brand new Windows 10 system for several, months I go through the arduous process of updating Windows and iRacing.

Once in iRacing, I notice my pedals no longer work.

Further investigation in Device Manager reveals the following error under the Universal Serial Bus controllers area:

Unknown USB device (Invalid Configuration Descriptor)

When I uninstall the device and restart, the same errors appear and Windows returns a "USB device not recognized. The last USB device you connected malfunctioned and Windows does not recognize it." error.

I have not moved or touched anything on this system so I am baffled as to what is going on here.

Do these Leo Bodber BU0836-LC boards malfunction often?

Any help here is greatly appreciated.
 
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Update -

I have performed the following troubleshooting steps:

1. Uninstalled the device in error in Device Manager followed by a reboot. Error returns. Unplugging and plugging back in, same issue.

2. Disabled sleep on USB devices in Power settings.

3. Opened the black box up and visually checked all the wires.

4. Tested on another system. Same problem.

The error I still repeatedly receive on both Windows 10 systems is;

Unknown USB device (Invalid Configuration Descriptor


I can only ascertain this is a problem with the BU0836-LC board.

What are my options at this point?

Is there any warranty?

These Batch 3 pedals shipped on 9/7/2018.
 
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Hi,

Will be there another batches?
Is mount plate worth the price?
Are CT2 pedal faces worth the price? Should I order 2 sets, or one should be enough?

Will STL files be released for CT2 pedal faces and mounting plates after last batch? (I understand they will nto be avalable in the future to buy)

I never had computer wheel, but had to much problems with police for over-speeding, revoked driving license and tickets total were more than decent sim rig...so it's probably the best time to start build something.
Was even close to buying used T500RS for cheap few days ago, but it's pretty old, doesn't support linux, no load cell, and I couldn't buy ProtoSimTech pedals then.
So because my funds are pretty limited I think I will buy Protosimtech PT2 for now and hope that in next two years I will be able to afford:
Simagic DD wheel ($500 for base with wheel, not sure about reliability and software support)
Fanatec ClubSport Shifter (It's much more better than TH8A IMHO)
Thrustmaster Sparco mod TSS (I'm not a drifter, and probably it will be mainly assembled vertically[as in standard car] to help my wife(and kids) practice to drive a car with shifter[as we usually have them in Poland).
I am open for suggestions(via open discussions and priv messages) and offers for used stuff inside Europe Union(no import TAX)

It may sound strange that I want to start with pedals, but with limited funds I'm not able to acquire decent set now, and while other stuff can be bought in future ProtosimTech will not be manufactured in future (if they ever be, would like to know that, because otherwise I will start from Simagic wheel).

I'm not even sure that ProtoSimTech PT2 is best choice for me, becaue Fanatec hardware can be easily bought in Europe Union without excessive import fees, toll, etc, while PT2 with mounting plate, CT2 and shipping base price is $2860 and with all import fees it can cost even over $3500, but it depends on mood of board officers...
While I personally think that PT2 is downgrade from PT1 and Clubsport V3 Inverted, because of pots instead of HAL sensors(reliability).
While Clubsport V3 got HAL sensors, hydraulic dumpers and vibration motors, I prefer Protosimtech because I could probably easily add those stuff later(couldn't find anybody doing that), but more important for me is that Fanatec uses many proprietary components, so it can be hard*and pricy) to repair, while parts for ProtoSimtech can be easily bought in open market.

What do you think about that?
 
UPDATE: Production on batch #7 is still in progress. We were hoping to have this batch done by the beginning of December, but that is looking unlikely. It’s getting very close to the holidays, and trying to rush and get a batch out before Christmas is stress I just don’t need in my life right now. The batch is almost ready, but I’ve made the decision to halt production and spend time with my family. On December 26th, I will announce the release date for this batch. I hope that you will accept my apologies for these delays.

I just wanted to post this here, as well as our website's home page.
 
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