iRacing catch-all

MisterStatic wrote:

I haven't watched it yet, but they usually do an OK job of presenting product: SRT Steering Wheel Buyer's Guide

It's about f-ing time they put up a new video. More Jessica please!

Edit: That wasn't one of their better videos, imho. They touch on each wheel, but they're better at the in-depth stuff. I mean, they spent 50 minutes on GT5 and that was just the first part of their review.

Yeah, not the best video. But, damn doesn't Jessica look especially hot in this one? She did something with her hair, make-up finally that just works. I still have no idea why a hotty like that is doing a simracing show, but I'm not complaining. Her voice grates on me however.

MisterStatic wrote:

Yeah, not the best video. But, damn doesn't Jessica look especially hot in this one? She did something with her hair, make-up finally that just works. I still have no idea why a hotty like that is doing a simracing show, but I'm not complaining. Her voice grates on me however.

Her voice is a bit squeeky, but really not that bad, IMO. I've heard a lot worse, and she looks good enough that you can forgive the voice She sports quite a rack too.

My DFGT wheel/pedals get here today, I'm excited to try them out.

Yes, the fact she is in a c*ck-pit with a Thrust-master helps:). But, it may border on porn.

Hey, check this out ... the kid that won the Daytona 500 on Sunday, 20 year old Trevor Bayne, had his first Daytona driving experience in iRacing!

Pretty cool story, and maybe a nice boon for iRacing.

Jeff-66 wrote:

My DFGT wheel/pedals get here today, I'm excited to try them out.

So what's the word?

MisterStatic wrote:
Jeff-66 wrote:

My DFGT wheel/pedals get here today, I'm excited to try them out.

So what's the word?

Just had a session with them. First of all, it took a while to figure out Logi's crazy-ass software. I was trying to get the advanced properties (as seen in the iRacing beginner's guide). I have a Logi G15 keyboard, and it uses Logitech Gaming Software 7.0. The DFGT came with "Logitech Gaming Software" 5.06. So i think, ok I already have LGS 7.0, so I should be good. Well, the software didn't detect my wheel. Long story short, Logi requires you to use two different versions of software that goes by the exact same name. The 7.0 version only supports the G15. The 5.1 version gave me wheel support. It was nuts.

Anyway, got that sorted, and the wheel setup in iRacing, calibrated, etc. It feels fantastic. I started out slow as crud, as I adjusted to the wheel and having force feedback.

Been running laps at Lime Rock in the MX5 Cup, and after 20 mins got down from 1:09 to 1:03.710. Not exactly ready for prime time, but I'm really getting the feel for it, and it's wonderful. I even decided to use the stick shifter that comes on the DFGT, and I really like it.

It's a whole new ball game now

Jeff-66 wrote:
MisterStatic wrote:
Jeff-66 wrote:

My DFGT wheel/pedals get here today, I'm excited to try them out.

So what's the word?

Just had a session with them. First of all, it took a while to figure out Logi's crazy-ass software. I was trying to get the advanced properties (as seen in the iRacing beginner's guide). I have a Logi G15 keyboard, and it uses Logitech Gaming Software 7.0. The DFGT came with "Logitech Gaming Software" 5.06. So i think, ok I already have LGS 7.0, so I should be good. Well, the software didn't detect my wheel. Long story short, Logi requires you to use two different versions of software that goes by the exact same name. The 7.0 version only supports the G15. The 5.1 version gave me wheel support. It was nuts.

Anyway, got that sorted, and the wheel setup in iRacing, calibrated, etc. It feels fantastic. I started out slow as crud, as I adjusted to the wheel and having force feedback.

Been running laps at Lime Rock in the MX5 Cup, and after 20 mins got down from 1:09 to 1:03.710. Not exactly ready for prime time, but I'm really getting the feel for it, and it's wonderful. I even decided to use the stick shifter that comes on the DFGT, and I really like it.

It's a whole new ball game now :)

Excellent.

Jeff-66 wrote:

I'm making some decent progress. I'm hardly world class, or even ready for prime-time, but ...

at Laguna Seca in the MX5 Cup, I've gone from 2:00, to 1:55, to 1:51, and last night did a 1:49.8

at Lime Rock in the MX5 Roadster, I've gone from 1:05.xx to 1:03.xx, to 1:02.009, still a ways to go there, but making progress.
...
That Vette is OMG awesome. An absolute beast.
IMAGE(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/ziffel66/chevrolet_racing_corvette_c6r_1.jpg)

That is great progress considering how little time you have spent with it.

The Vette is a beast, completely out of my capabilities right now.

I'm making some decent progress. I'm hardly world class, or even ready for prime-time, but ...

at Laguna Seca in the MX5 Cup, I've gone from 2:00, to 1:55, to 1:51, and last night did a 1:49.8

at Lime Rock in the MX5 Roadster, I've gone from 1:05.xx to 1:03.xx, to 1:02.009, still a ways to go there, but making progress.

I had my $10 coupon, and wanted some new stuff, but figured might as well buy 6 items to get the 20% bulk discount, so I got:

Tracks:
Silverstone
Zandvoort
Daytona

Cars:
Skip Barber
Chevy Impala SS Class A NASCAR
Corvette C6

Love them all. That Vette is OMG awesome. An absolute beast.
IMAGE(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/ziffel66/chevrolet_racing_corvette_c6r_1-1.jpg)

MisterStatic wrote:

That is great progress considering how little time you have spent with it.

Thanks. My buddy & I both ran our first official race tonight, MX5's at Laguna. We were in a mid-split, and a 1350 strength of field, and we didn't qualify and started near the rear. We both gained spots, and and I went from 11th to finish 7th (everyone finished the race, no dropouts), and he finished 8th. He's actually faster than me, but laid back on the opening to be conservative and let people crash etc, but no one did, heh.

What pissed me off is that I ran 100% clean, zero incidents, until the very last lap, and near the end of that, I put two tires off the road for a sec. Then I got an incident AFTER the race was finished for going off the road Lesson learned. My buddy had zero incidents, and we both gained 16 and 17 pts in safety rating, so I was proud of that. I had a 1:48.9 fast lap which I was also pleased with (for now).

The Vette is a beast, completely out of my capabilities right now.

Yep. I only got it for fun, I doubt I'll ever be good enough to compete in it. But I wanted a beast to toy around with in testing. It gives me a thrill to drive it. Awesome engine sounds! The freakin' thing is like NASA put wheels on a rocket.

This game sounds fascinating. Too much in the deep end of the pool for me, but I love the fact that stuff like this exists.

MrDeVil909 wrote:

This game sounds fascinating. Too much in the deep end of the pool for me, but I love the fact that stuff like this exists.

2 weeks in, I can say that the sim is outstanding. My buddy Rich & I have been practicing a lot and racing some, and doing some time trials and such. The cars and physics are incredible.

As an update, I've got my safety rating up to 3.50, though still in the rookie class. I could possibly hit D class today, or tomorrow. I've been running mostly clean laps in competition, and in my last race I went all 20 laps incident free (hard to do!), but made a quick jump off the line before the race and got black flagged for that. I'm still making dumb mistakes, but I'm learning.

MisterStatic, you might be interested to know that I ordered the Fanatec Clubsport pedals I got email confirmation from Fanatec that they were in stock, and she said they'll ship from the California warehouse. Hope to have them by next week. The Driving Force GT wheel is excellent, but the pedals leave a lot to be desired.

Jeff-66 wrote:

MisterStatic, you might be interested to know that I ordered the Fanatec Clubsport pedals I got email confirmation from Fanatec that they were in stock, and she said they'll ship from the California warehouse. Hope to have them by next week. The Driving Force GT wheel is excellent, but the pedals leave a lot to be desired.

Excellent. Those will drop your (already good) times a further 1-2 seconds I bet. Like I said before, pedals are far more important than the wheel for speed in a realistic sim...especially the brake. The ClubSport brake has the "on the fly" adjustment for the potentiometer. It took me a while to find the sweet spot in iRacing, and I only adjust it slightly now between vehicle types.

By the way, I am so busy with thesis research I am finding little time to play. But, hopefully I can join you guys one of these nights.

I'm going to GDC on Friday (research:-)). I am hoping to see some racing stuff there, but I doubt it. I think iRacing should start making a presence at these events.

Also, the other night I ended up in a practice session with 3 professional (real-world) drivers. Not NASCAR or ALMS guys, but I knew their names from events I have attended here at Laguna Seca. Pretty cool. Needless to say, their times were significantly better than mine:-)

Last thing, if you want to see that same beast of a Corvette for real, go to Sebring 17-19 March. I cannot recommend it enough. And, it won't cost you nearly as much as Daytona.

MisterStatic wrote:

Excellent. Those will drop your (already good) times a further 1-2 seconds I bet. Like I said before, pedals are far more important than the wheel for speed in a realistic sim...especially the brake. The ClubSport brake has the "on the fly" adjustment for the potentiometer. It took me a while to find the sweet spot in iRacing, and I only adjust it slightly now between vehicle types.

Okay, I'm torn. I can't decide whether or not to get the Driving Force GT or the G27. I wouldn't mind getting a Fanatec or the T500, but the cost is a bit too high. The DFGT was originally what I was going to get based on price/performance, but I knew the pedals were going to be crap. That said, I don't really think I can justify the money for the Clubsport pedals right now in addition to the cost of a wheel. So that's why I'm leaning the G27 (and I like that it's quieter than the DFGT).

Am I better off get the DFGT and buying pedals later or getting the G27 and using the better pedals it has (though they don't compare to the Clubsport) and maybe upgrading those pedals later?

garion333 wrote:
MisterStatic wrote:

Excellent. Those will drop your (already good) times a further 1-2 seconds I bet. Like I said before, pedals are far more important than the wheel for speed in a realistic sim...especially the brake. The ClubSport brake has the "on the fly" adjustment for the potentiometer. It took me a while to find the sweet spot in iRacing, and I only adjust it slightly now between vehicle types.

Okay, I'm torn. I can't decide whether or not to get the Driving Force GT or the G27. I wouldn't mind getting a Fanatec or the T500, but the cost is a bit too high. The DFGT was originally what I was going to get based on price/performance, but I knew the pedals were going to be crap. That said, I don't really think I can justify the money for the Clubsport pedals right now in addition to the cost of a wheel. So that's why I'm leaning the G27 (and I like that it's quieter than the DFGT).

Am I better off get the DFGT and buying pedals later or getting the G27 and using the better pedals it has (though they don't compare to the Clubsport) and maybe upgrading those pedals later?

I haven't tried the G27's pedals, so I can't speak for those, but I'm happy with the setup I'm going to end up with. I know the CSP's are going to rock my socks, because I know Static is a high-end equipment kind of guy, and that's what he uses and highly recommends, and he's tried a bunch of them, including I believe, the G27's.

Thing with my situation is that I got damn lucky on the DFGT purchase, and only paid $119 shipped for a new one. I was apprehensive about the price and all from an ebayer, but it's been flawless so far. The pedals though, are indeed cheap. So bottom line is my setup won't end up costing that much more than the G27, and I'll have essentially the same wheel, and top-notch pedals.

Garion, are you going to be involved in iRacing? I hope you do, it would be nice to have more Goodjers -- maybe with enough of us we can run some private hosted sessions.

MisterStatic wrote:
Jeff-66 wrote:

MisterStatic, you might be interested to know that I ordered the Fanatec Clubsport pedals I got email confirmation from Fanatec that they were in stock, and she said they'll ship from the California warehouse. Hope to have them by next week. The Driving Force GT wheel is excellent, but the pedals leave a lot to be desired.

Excellent. Those will drop your (already good) times a further 1-2 seconds I bet. Like I said before, pedals are far more important than the wheel for speed in a realistic sim...especially the brake. The ClubSport brake has the "on the fly" adjustment for the potentiometer. It took me a while to find the sweet spot in iRacing, and I only adjust it slightly now between vehicle types.

That's great to hear. do you need Fanatec's CSP tuning kit, or can it be done without it?

By the way, I am so busy with thesis research I am finding little time to play. But, hopefully I can join you guys one of these nights.

Let me know when you're free. I wouldn't mind running a hosted session that we can have some private fun in, and if it's on the weekend my buddy will join us.

Also, the other night I ended up in a practice session with 3 professional (real-world) drivers. Not NASCAR or ALMS guys, but I knew their names from events I have attended here at Laguna Seca. Pretty cool. Needless to say, their times were significantly better than mine:-)

That is very cool. Last night I did a spectator session with some guys running the Vette C6, and damn was that awesome. I used the roll-bar cam to ride along with them, and they were very good.

Last thing, if you want to see that same beast of a Corvette for real, go to Sebring 17-19 March. I cannot recommend it enough. And, it won't cost you nearly as much as Daytona.

You've got me tempted. I didn't know those Vettes would be there I think I would faint seeing them in person, haha. I'm in love with that Vette C6.

Oh, and good news. A few hours after purchasing the CSP's, Fanatec sent me a shipping notice, and said to expect them within a week

MisterStatic wrote:

I'm going to GDC on Friday (research:-)). I am hoping to see some racing stuff there, but I doubt it. I think iRacing should start making a presence at these events.

You will be amazed. Last time I was there (A couple years ago), they had a driving sim set up in a complete (sans real engine, of course) F1 car. Not that it moved around-- it was clearly a gimmick and for what I still am not sure, but it was cool to sit in an F1 car and play a racing sim. There was also a full hydraulic rig from S3 Graphics running an F1 sim on 3 40" monitors. I got the third best time on their course for that week, after their Pro driver consultant and lead designer, respectively! That was a lot of fun.

They also had DBox rigs set up and linked all playing that GT5 preview that came out a few years ago.

I just hope that the next GDC I can get to, these guys ill be there.

Jeff-66 wrote:

Garion, are you going to be involved in iRacing? I hope you do, it would be nice to have more Goodjers -- maybe with enough of us we can run some private hosted sessions.

Want a wheel first. Right now I'm still racing around on console (Hot Pursuit and Shift) and want to feel like I'm done with those before Shift 2 hits. Then when I get bored with that I'll move onto the real stuff. I'm in a more visceral mood of late. Probably something to do with winter.

garion333 wrote:
Jeff-66 wrote:

Garion, are you going to be involved in iRacing? I hope you do, it would be nice to have more Goodjers -- maybe with enough of us we can run some private hosted sessions.

Want a wheel first. Right now I'm still racing around on console (Hot Pursuit and Shift) and want to feel like I'm done with those before Shift 2 hits. Then when I get bored with that I'll move onto the real stuff. I'm in a more visceral mood of late. Probably something to do with winter.

Dude, there isn't much more "visceral" than a C6 in iRacing.

WipEout wrote:
MisterStatic wrote:

I'm going to GDC on Friday (research:-)). I am hoping to see some racing stuff there, but I doubt it. I think iRacing should start making a presence at these events.

You will be amazed. Last time I was there (A couple years ago), they had a driving sim set up in a complete (sans real engine, of course) F1 car. Not that it moved around-- it was clearly a gimmick and for what I still am not sure, but it was cool to sit in an F1 car and play a racing sim. There was also a full hydraulic rig from S3 Graphics running an F1 sim on 3 40" monitors. I got the third best time on their course for that week, after their Pro driver consultant and lead designer, respectively! That was a lot of fun.

They also had DBox rigs set up and linked all playing that GT5 preview that came out a few years ago.

I just hope that the next GDC I can get to, these guys ill be there.

Great news, thanks.

Jeff-66 wrote:

I know Static is a high-end equipment kind of guy

That is funny because really I am medium-end. Check out FREX or ECCI for high end:-)

Jeff-66 wrote:

That's great to hear. do you need Fanatec's CSP tuning kit, or can it be done without it?

Done without it.

Jeff-66 wrote:

Let me know when you're free. I wouldn't mind running a hosted session that we can have some private fun in, and if it's on the weekend my buddy will join us.

Great, I think we would be okay with a pub practice session, but a private race might be cool.

Jeff-66 wrote:

Last night I did a spectator session with some guys running the Vette C6, and damn was that awesome. I used the roll-bar cam to ride along with them, and they were very good.

I haven't done much spectating. I need to try that out.

Jeff-66 wrote:

You've got me tempted. I didn't know those Vettes would be there I think I would faint seeing them in person, haha. I'm in love with that Vette C6.

Do it. The other cool thing about ALMS is a completely open paddock to the general public. You get to meet all the drivers and chat. They work on the car right in front of you between sessions. The cars literally bump the sides of your legs as they drive out of the paddock to the track. I spent almost 20 minutes at the track talking to Chris Dyson one day about different track strategies between sessions. A couple of the guys were putting my 3 year old boy in the cockpits and taking pics. ALMS is very cool.

Jeff-66 wrote:

Oh, and good news. A few hours after purchasing the CSP's, Fanatec sent me a shipping notice, and said to expect them within a week :)

Great news. You should get them within a week. It is crazy how they are so responsive with their CS pedals but trying to get a good, working wheel is ridiculous.

MisterStatic wrote:
Jeff-66 wrote:

I know Static is a high-end equipment kind of guy

That is funny because really I am medium-end. Check out FREX or ECCI for high end:-)

Spending as much money on a sim setup as on a real car isn't high end, it's insane.

MisterStatic wrote:

Dude, there isn't much more "visceral" than a C6 in iRacing.

Perhaps I should've said easy and visceral.

garion333 wrote:
MisterStatic wrote:

Excellent. Those will drop your (already good) times a further 1-2 seconds I bet. Like I said before, pedals are far more important than the wheel for speed in a realistic sim...especially the brake. The ClubSport brake has the "on the fly" adjustment for the potentiometer. It took me a while to find the sweet spot in iRacing, and I only adjust it slightly now between vehicle types.

Okay, I'm torn. I can't decide whether or not to get the Driving Force GT or the G27. I wouldn't mind getting a Fanatec or the T500, but the cost is a bit too high. The DFGT was originally what I was going to get based on price/performance, but I knew the pedals were going to be crap. That said, I don't really think I can justify the money for the Clubsport pedals right now in addition to the cost of a wheel. So that's why I'm leaning the G27 (and I like that it's quieter than the DFGT).

Am I better off get the DFGT and buying pedals later or getting the G27 and using the better pedals it has (though they don't compare to the Clubsport) and maybe upgrading those pedals later?

Sorry for these multiple posts. It is just easier to break them up.

The difference in the G27 and DFGT wheel is somewhat significant. The gear system used in the G27 provides a less jerky experience and there is less issue with the mechanical dead space that exists in Logitech wheels (causes a back and forth in some sims when driving straights). Also the G27, has a better feel with the leather and slightly larger size. But, the DFGT is more than sufficient.

The G27 pedals are certainly better than the DFGT pedals, much better. But, the G27 pedals still pale in comparison to the ClubSport pedals. The main issue is the brake pedal. If you think about how a brake pedal works in real cars, you can see why this is so difficult to simulate correctly. Also, think about how much you use break feedback when driving your own car. If you don't have the right brake feel, it makes it very hard to optimize times in a real sims; your turn entries get all screwed up. CSPs offer a much better brake feel. Still, you have to go with much higher end and much pricier units to get closer to the real thing.

So, if you plan on sticking with simmish games like Shift, get a G27 and you will be very happy. If you plan on moving to more realistic sims like iRacing, or Simbin sims, get a DFGT and upgrade your pedals to the ClubSports like Jeff did. Later on, you can get a higher end Fanatec wheel separately (or maybe even something better that isn't out yet)if you decide it is your thing.

I personally started with the original DFGT, moved to the G25, then the G27. Now I have a T500 with Fanatec ClubSport pedals and a Lightning SST shifter. I also run three screen surround. I couldn't be happier with the new set up (except for the lack of a real cockpit). The point is that there is no reason to start big until you realize it is something you want to do in your free time. I mean, we do have to justify all this ridiculous money spent on hobbies, right?

Edit: I should add: If you are racing on consoles, the ClubSports only work with Fanatec wheels. If you are on a PC, you can mix and match. The DFGT and G27 both work with PS3 and PC but not X360 (before someone posts something about that new-fangled converter, it doesn't really work as well as they say).

Jeff-66 wrote:

As an update, I've got my safety rating up to 3.50, though still in the rookie class. I could possibly hit D class today, or tomorrow. I've been running mostly clean laps in competition, and in my last race I went all 20 laps incident free (hard to do!)

That's amazing! I can't even do 20 laps in test mode without crashing. I'm still to nervous to enter a race though. I'm hoping to get the Fanatec Clubsport package this year(It says May 2011 for the wheel on the website), my G25 is starting to get pretty old. It would also be nice to have a wheel+pedals work for all 3 systems.

speeddokken wrote:
Jeff-66 wrote:

As an update, I've got my safety rating up to 3.50, though still in the rookie class. I could possibly hit D class today, or tomorrow. I've been running mostly clean laps in competition, and in my last race I went all 20 laps incident free (hard to do!)

That's amazing! I can't even do 20 laps in test mode without crashing. I'm still to nervous to enter a race though. I'm hoping to get the Fanatec Clubsport package this year(It says May 2011 for the wheel on the website), my G25 is starting to get pretty old. It would also be nice to have a wheel+pedals work for all 3 systems.

If you want to feel some of the excitement of racing, with none of the risk, try ghost racing. You go to events, then spectator sessions, and select one you're qualified for (and have the content), then choose to view it. Once viewing, you can join the race. You will be invisible to the other drivers, though you will see them normally. You can't cause any problems because they will just pass thru you. As far as the real racers are concerned, you aren't there on the track with them. It's a great way to get acquainted with how races go, and though you could simply pass thru cars, it's a good way to practice avoiding contact.

Sometimes I think Darin hates people.

MisterStatic wrote:
Jeff-66 wrote:

I know Static is a high-end equipment kind of guy

That is funny because really I am medium-end. Check out FREX or ECCI for high end:-)

I drive with an ECCI - they're TOTALLY worth the $$.

Why does everyone get into this stuff just as I leave. If this thing catches on, I'll re-up my subscription. I'm a B-Licensed racer, but would love to practice / race with y'all... if enough people are doin' it.

Nyxs Optare wrote:

I drive with an ECCI - they're TOTALLY worth the $$.

Why does everyone get into this stuff just as I leave. If this thing catches on, I'll re-up my subscription. I'm a B-Licensed racer, but would love to practice / race with y'all... if enough people are doin' it.

If I had spent that kind of jack on a wheel, I would have a lifetime sub just on principle. Why would you ever leave?

Way to guilt me back into it. I've re-upped for another 3 months. If you want to look me up, my real name is: Shane Johnson - Texas group.