Time to get Serious!

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JerkinJohn

JerkinJohn

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JerkinJohn
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JerkinJohn1st
Hello everyone, I have been sim racing for about a year and a half now. I started with a make shift wheel stand and a pedal platform with a monitor stand and a common office chair. Then moved in with my (EX) girlfriend and was forced to use my desk as my rig which sucked but I didn't have the room to do anything else.

So after leaving her I now have the space and time to put something together for my first sim pod.

I am currently using the DFGT wheel and pedals but next week I am going to place an order to upgrade. I am torn between the G27 and the Fanatec Porsche 911 GT3 V2 with clubsport peddles and shifter.

The Fanatec route is more money but I read great things about the CS peddles and the belt driven FF. Although I have also read that the costumer service is horrible at Fanatec and the parts are not always available when ordering. Such as the shifter in the US.

The Logitech G27 all comes together for one and I am certain that using on my PC wont be a problem because my DFGT works flawlessly with the driver and profiler. But it seems there is no support for the G27 in GT5 which I enjoy playing from time to time. There might be a patch up coming for that issue however.

Any input on which setup to go with is appreciated!

So now I am coming up with a plan for my pod and ran to the junk yard today and scored a seat for $35 bucks. I am trying to do the pod so it's not to BIG or heavy where it would have to sit permanently. Luckily I am a Carpenter by trade so putting something together shouldn't be to tough on me. Plus after upgrading with the new wheel/pedal/shifter setup I don't want to spend to much more right now.

This is the bucket seat I grabbed today and will post progress pics as I get things together. Its in great shape and fully functional with recline and slider front to back. Not the color I was hopping for but it's in such great shape I'll take the good with the bad.

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JerkinJohn
So after leaving her I now have the space and time to put something together for my first sim pod.
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Firstly, glad to see you got your priorities straight. :D

JerkinJohn
But it seems there is no support for the G27 in GT5 which I enjoy playing from time to time. There might be a patch up coming for that issue however.
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No no no! G27 is not officially supported in GT5, but as a thousand people on this forum will attest, it works fine with GT5 straight out of the box, other than not being able to assign buttons. I'm using a DFGT, but thinking of upgrading. My understanding is the G27 works fine, and you can change settings for FF using the DFP settings in GT5. Plenty of support for this in the forums.

JerkinJohn
So now I am coming up with a plan for my pod and ran to the junk yard today and scored a seat for $35 bucks. I am trying to do the pod so it's not to BIG or heavy where it would have to sit permanently. Luckily I am a Carpenter by trade so putting something together shouldn't be to tough on me. Plus after upgrading with the new wheel/pedal/shifter setup I don't want to spend to much more right now.
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There are a bunch of great timber cockpit designs in this thread, so for a carpenter you should have no problem. Feel free to check out mine, I tried to simulate the approach used in a lot of metal frame cockpits, but using timber instead. Its easy to move around and looks like it was designed by HR Gieger!

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=165350
 
Thanks for your input rob! I was under the impression that people where having a great deal of trouble with the G27 with GT5. I really like the look of the Fanatec but keep reading one nightmare story after the next and when s#*t happens who are you going to call? Costumer support right?

So maybe the G27 is the way to go just for availability/support and a wheel that I know won't be old news in a year from now.

Fanatec has the GT2 now but of course pre orders won't be available until May! Sorry but I have waited long enough for a decent sim rig! lol...

Your cockpit dose look manufactured by a shop for sure! Great job! But I am hopping to build something similar to the OButto rig. Basically no center support for the wheel. I would like to move my legs freely under the wheel and monitor.

So first thing is first and that's to build a proper base for the seat. Then I will work from that. A surface to mount my wheel and monitor. A shifter mount and a nice peddle design so they are configured more like a real car.

I noticed a lot of guy's flip them up side down to achieve this affect. I am learning as I go obviously.

And yes I do have my priorities straight! lol... Funny to because one time I put her behind the wheel and she seemed to have loved it and had fun! God forbid I do the same! lol...
 
No worries! I would prefer not to have a center support, but I have to get the rig through a doorway when its not in use, and there aren't a lot of other options in that case. Its also not real practical to invert pedals on my rig.

As I say, I don't actually have a G27, so I'm not talking from experience, but reading the forums the only people I see talking about problems with the G27 are guys with Fanatecs :)

I love this design (PVC) https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=138156

If I didn't have to move it so much I'd probably try and do something along these lines.
 
Hey, Yes, the G27 works absolutley fine with GT5. Trust me, it's no better than the GT3 when it comes to compatibility. Also, the G27 shifter has the buttons on it which, although it sounds stupid, are really very useful. Overall, I would highly recommend the G27 for playing on GT5 based on Fanatec's patchy customer support, the waiting period and actually purchasing the wheel. Here in Australia, there is no retailers and therefore all purchases must be made from the website. This means that postage is honestly laughable as it costs the price of the wheel and pedals just to send it over here. The G27 can be bought almst anywhere and consequently is a much easier option. Hope this Helps :)
 
Had the DFGT, bought Carrera setup, went back to the DFGT, then got the G27 and never looked back. I only play GT5 on the PS3 currently as this is my first real sim and I'm love'n it.

I had great experience with Fanatec and my ordering and the one interaction I had with their support..... the setup was great as well - it just didn't have the feel I wanted...the g27 is perfection for my tastes!

That said, a patch for GT5 to allow configuration would be unreal......but I doubt it, would be sick if they snuck it in the patch due this month =)
 
The seat looks great. If you don't like the color then get you a good quality seat cover. One that will match the color scheme outcome of your rig. I just retired my DFGT and had no problems with it. I modded some paddles on the shifter buttons and they worked great. If you want pics and the thought process just let me know. I already have them DL'ed on my PC.

Whatever design you come up with just make sure it is rigid enough for massive strain and twist. Do not go with a center post idea, use a dual side by side bracing for the wheel platform. Don't get in a hurry and do it right.

If you are hesitant enough you may find a good deal on a T500RS in the near future. Just saying. The prices are dropping day by day. Good luck my friend and keep us posted. Vince.
 
Scans007
Had the DFGT, bought Carrera setup, went back to the DFGT, then got the G27 and never looked back.
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Im very intrested to know since you having these 3 wheels to use, would you consider the G27 a big upgrade from the DFGT? Obviously there's the separate H shifter and clutch pedal but the over all feel of the deadzone, FF ect... of the wheel is what I'm anxious to know.

I have read that since the Fanatec is a belt drivin FF wheel it does feel different than the geared Logitech wheels and doesn't give the same affect when riding over curbs or bumps.

I know with my DFGT i get a great sense of the road with it and if I ride up on a rather high curb I sure do feel it. That is a sensation I wouldn't want to loose with any wheel I decide to go with.
 
VINCE__
If you are hesitant enough you may find a good deal on a T500RS in the near future. Just saying. The prices are dropping day by day. Good luck my friend and keep us posted. Vince.
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To tell you the truth I am intersted very much in Thrustmasters new wheel although I do not like the paddle shifters being hard mounted to the steering colume. I prefer to have them fixed to the wheel it self. Just what I'm used to with the DFGT.

And honestly I am looking forward to getting a separate shifter and using a clutch. Most of my real life cars have been stick and it's a natural way of driving for me.

And as of right now I do not know of any driver support to use the T500RS on the PC which is where I do most of my sim racing. So until they have some PC support the wheel would be useless to me with the exception of GT5.

Simracing tonight.com commented that the T500RS had FF comparable to the FREX wheel. If that's true it is very tempting I must say. If I did go that route I would have to purchase a separate H shifter as well and with the hopes of going tri monitor setup I am starting to get into BIG bucks!!! lol...
 
I managed to get things going with the seat! The mounting holes where not square or level due to the way the seat mounted in the car it came from. I pitched the seat back a bit to give it a more sporty feel and it sits in the base nice and square. Tomorrow I will get started on the rest.

And I still haven't decided which wheel and pedal combo to go with yet! lol... Clubsport pedals with a GT3 V2 wheel and a SST Shifter is sounding good today! lol... I don't know I'll figure it out...


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Well I did the other half today. Got to let it sit until tomorrow when I can put it all together.

I will have the finish product pics tomorrow I would think. I tilted the wheel surface so the wheel sits on a more natural angle that I'm used to in my real car.

I made the pedal surface big enough so I can easily add CSP or the G27 pedals. Also I did do a shifter mount next to my seat but I removed temporarily until the stain drys. And it's easier to get though the door ways with it off and tomorrow I will be putting it where it goes in the house.

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I have been told that by using separate pedals with my DFGT would give me more bits of resolution which I am unfamiliar with what that means exactly. I am now thinking though to keep using my DFGT and purchasing the clubsport pedals from Fanatec and a SST shifter.

Instead of getting a new wheel. The 2 would run me about $400.00 without shipping.

Hmmm... what to do...lol
 
Seats looking good! What's your wheel stand plan??

More resolution basically means it will have more precise detection of how far down it's been pressed.

The DFGT is a very decent wheel, but I see it being a major weak link in the kind of setup you're thinking about with the SST shifter and CSP... For $300 (or under) the G27 gets you a shifter, much better pedals and a better wheel as well, although if you wanted to upgrade your pedals and shifter now and wheel later, I guess that that is a decent plan of action.

Myself, I have a G27 and like it alot, and I'm waiting for Fanatec's Clubsport Shifter before I make and upgrade plan.
 
Looking forward to seeing it. Also keep in mind that while the DFGT with the club sport pedals will be fine on pc, that setup won't work with gt5 on the ps3.
 
Well here is my brown pooper! lol... It's more like a piece of furniture than a true pod I think but I got a little nuts with trim and stain. Although it's very very comfortable and feels like I'm sitting in my real car! Which is a lincoln btw...lol

Anyhow I have some wire management and hardware upgrades to do yet but I wanted to get this thing rollin.

You will notice one of these pics is just a piece of plywood with 4 screws in it. That is my piece that slides right into position to except inverted pedals. The clubsports are in my cart over at Fanatec, I just haven't pulled the trigger yet.

A HUGE difference in something pretty major with this setup. 2 things actually.

First, my favorite sim to date and the one I use most often is the simbin series. race 07/STCC/GTR Evo ect.. I have always used 270 degrees of rotation but now that my arms are in a much more natural position and the wheel is at a better angle it feels like the full 900 degrees of rotation feels WAY more natural and realistic. Wasn't expecting that at all and am very pleased with that result.

Second is throttle and brake control. Grated the DFGT pedals stink I still have WAY more control now with my feet in a much more natural driving position. Surprised there to and loving it!!!

Still a work in progress on the setup though and will post back as I fine tune and upgrade some stuff.


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Looks great. Deceptively simple, but some nice details like the wheel and pedal angles. Just waiting for a shifter!
 
Thanks Rob, I was trying to achieve a few things with the rig. Comfort, Seating and foot position like I have in my real car and move ability. It's in 2 pieces so I can move it around the room when I want.

Yes I am waiting on logitechs site to have the G27 available. I have my 20% discount coupon and I'll get my shifter with that of course. I just placed my order for the Fanatec CS pedals which will be a nice addition to the rig and am all set up to mount them inverted.

I really want the SST shifter but with all these upgrades I'm getting up there in spending so that's gonna have to wait a bit. Plus once I do get the G27 I plan to mod the wheel with a real racing wheel so that's gonna cost me to.
 
ShylockHolmes
My Dual shock has 16 buttons and lotsa luck mapping those like you can freely do on the Fanatec .
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4 on top - L1, L2, R1, R2
6 on face X, O, Tri, Sq, Start, Select

...and if you REALLY wanna quibble, you can press in the analogs for L3 and R3... so at most 12.

I realize you're probably counting the D-Pad as four buttons, and both analog sticks as "buttons" but I didn't, just push buttons. I didn't count the D-Pad or Pedals on the G27 as buttons either.

6 on wheel
8 on shifter pad

And mapping them is another matter altogether.
 
Gunstar
4 on top - L1, L2, R1, R2
6 on face X, O, Tri, Sq, Start, Select

...and if you REALLY wanna quibble, you can press in the analogs for L3 and R3... so at most 12.

I realize you're probably counting the D-Pad as four buttons, and both analog sticks as "buttons" but I didn't, just push buttons. I didn't count the D-Pad or Pedals on the G27 as buttons either.

6 on wheel
8 on shifter pad

And mapping them is another matter altogether.
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You say tomato I say tomato, you say 10 buttons, I say 16, lol. All I know is that the face buttons on my G25 were rarely useful on the console and if they were the game usually mapped it for you which sucked. I never could figure out why Sony didn`t let you map them and yet you can on a fanatec with no affiliation which is kind of ironic.
 
ShylockHolmes
You say tomato I say tomato, you say 10 buttons, I say 16, lol. All I know is that the face buttons on my G25 were rarely useful on the console and if they were the game usually mapped it for you which sucked. I never could figure out why Sony didn`t let you map them and yet you can on a fanatec with no affiliation which is kind of ironic.
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The world may never know...

I DO know I'm of the rare camp who likes LESS buttons on the wheel itself... but I also appreciate that the buttons on the Fanatec wheels blend in but still provide lots of functionality. Therefore it doesn't annoy me too much that I can't use all the buttons on the wheel of the G27, but being able to map them would be nice, I admit.
 

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