Couldnt get on with G29

[Rob Fandango]

Hi All,

36 year old guy from Essex here, wannabe Jason Plato...

Just joined as really want to start getting into sim racing and join what looks like a great community of enthusiasts.

Play via PC, been getting into it with keyboard but its terrible so decided to rush out and buy a G29 wheel. Ill be honest I didn't like it, it was obviously much better than the Keyboard but the Feedback was very unrealistic and the wheel felt small, kind of toy like.

I suppose that is what I should expect at that price point, but never the less it has been returned.

Could i get peoples advice what I should do, unfortunately i cant afford a 35K simulator lol, but I have a powerful PC and would like something to make the experience as realistic as possible.

Thanks in advance all.

 

[RasmusP]

Hi All,

36 year old guy from Essex here, wannabe Jason Plato...

Just joined as really want to start getting into sim racing and join what looks like a great community of enthusiasts.

Play via PC, been getting into it with keyboard but its terrible so decided to rush out and buy a G29 wheel. Ill be honest I didn't like it, it was obviously much better than the Keyboard but the Feedback was very unrealistic and the wheel felt small, kind of toy like.

I suppose that is what I should expect at that price point, but never the less it has been returned.

Could i get peoples advice what I should do, unfortunately i cant afford a 35K simulator lol, but I have a powerful PC and would like something to make the experience as realistic as possible.

Thanks in advance all.

Totally understandable!
I drove with a g27 for a few years (same ffb etc as the g29/g25/g920) and I never really liked it.
I had a thrustmaster as a kid which was belt driven and a lot smoother, quieter and tighter. Although only 180° and also fill plastic.

The logitech wheels are rattling, have a massive deadzone around the center and feel pretty cheap. Their rim is okay actually. Real racing wheels aren't much bigger!

Anyway I think you need a belt driven wheel and also a bigger rim.
Logitech rims are 27cm diameter.
Other rim sizes:
Thrustmaster:
T300rs: 28cm
Ts-pc formula rim: 28cm
Ts-pc Ferrari round rim: 32cm
T300 Ferrari 599xx rim: 30cm

Fanatec:
P1 rim: 30cm
Mclaren rim: 30cm
BMW & Porsche rim: 32cm
Formula rims: 26/27cm

Ffb wise there are:
T300/TX base: nice ffb but not that strong (a bit stronger than logitech), tight, not deadzone but not very quiet! Active fan that I personally find pretty annoying and a lot of plastic.
Good for the price though and if it lasts, it's great.

Ts-pc/xw base: a lot quieter, stronger, just a different level. Doesn't come with pedals and is much pricier but overall a good step to be happy for multiple years without missing anything.
The one I had for a week had coil whine and the rim made some squeaky noises so I sent it back. Still better than the fan and belt noises from the t300 though.

Fanatec:
Csl elite base (the old Xbox one with the wild front plate): same ffb level as the ts-pc. Similar strength but quieter and a bit less punchy. More settings but not as alive as the ts-pc.
If has a optical position sensor that likes to screw up. Doesn't cost much though and seems to be the only weak spot.
The cleaner, black csl elite base (ps4 and a very new Xbox one version) is basically the same but has better internals, way more metal than the ts-pc but still the optical position sensor.

Csw 2.5 base: full metal, really strong and punchy ffb. I bought it in January and am totally amazed and happy.
Bought the Xbox one bundle with p1 Alcantara rim and the 2 pedals.
No optical sensor, built to last!

The pedals though... Had to rma both pots of the pedals. Replacements are working fine though. First ones were spiking a lot after a few weeks.

Fanatec in general, apart from the csw base has a lot of small problems... The service in Europe at least seems to be top notch.
I got the pots sent over and had to send my broken pots back afterwards. Only took 2 days.
I also bought the mclaren rim which had missshifts after 5 days. Had to send it in and got a freshly fixed one within 72 hours.

I'm in Germany though like fanatec.

Overall if you got the money I would recommend buying a ts-pc or a csw 2.5.
Fanatec warranty doesn't move with a second owner so buy new or be prepared to pay for some replacement parts etc...

Free csl base only makes sense of you want to buy more fanatec stuff later on but don't have the money for the way better csw base.

The p1 rim and mclaren rim are made with lots of plastic. I'm happy with them but if you want something really solid better get a BMW or Porsche rim.
Or one of the hub + separate rim stuff.

Hope that helps for now

I would always spend a bit more for a ts-pc or csl/csw wheel if you are able to do so. Logitech is just not great and the t300 is a big step in the right direction but not really there...

 

[Rob Fandango]

Thanks for such a comprehensive response, awesome information.

So where is best to purchase the Fanatec stuff from? I am in the uk.

Also i currently am just using my desk with a 32 inch ROG curved monitor, should I be looking at a stand etc, or looking in the classifieds for a whole setup?

 

[RasmusP]

Thanks for such a comprehensive response, awesome information.

So where is best to purchase the Fanatec stuff from? I am in the uk.

Also i currently am just using my desk with a 32 inch ROG curved monitor, should I be looking at a stand etc, or looking in the classifieds for a whole setup?

You're welcome
Fanatec only sells online at their own homepage. It's kinda cool because if you need anything you directly get to the manufacturer but it also means that you can't just walk into the store and tell them to fix their crap asap...

About rig or no rig:
That's difficult. I personally have a glass desk that only lays on a stand so clamping the wheel onto it was a no-go.
I bought a Wheelstand V2 for my Logitech G27 and was very happy with it as I only have a small room for PC, work and simracing.
Now with the CSW 2.5 it's wobbling a lot and sometimes it wanders around under heavy ffb.

It all depends on what you want and how much space you have. I guess a more rigid wheelstand like the next level wheelstand or the GT omega with two struts left and right should be enough to handle the CSW.
The brake pedal on the 2-pedal csl elite is already pretty stiff, the loadcell stuff from Fanatec even stiffer. I have my wheelstand front against the wall and lock my office chair with folded papers that I put behind 2 of the wheels. It works

So when I wanna race I just place my wheelstand in front of my desk (wheelplate slightly above the edge of the desk and pedal beneath the desk), lock my office chair and drive.
But if you got the space a more rigid solution is always better.

If you want it as cheap as possible:
1. If you have a solid desk you can get the additional desk clamp and somehow get the pedals to stop moving.
2. If you want it on a wheelstand, grab the GT omega or Next Level stand.


Just a had a look at Fanatec and sadly the bundles are crap at the moment.. 20€ cheaper than buying separately ...

So the "cheap" recommendation would be:
- CSL Elite V1.1 Base
- BMW rim or mclaren rim (McLaren rim probably faulty and will need RMA at some point)
- 2-pedal csl elite or if you want a clutch pedal and a loadcell brake the 3-pedal set

Or the pricier bundle:
- CSW 2.5 base
- BMW or Porsche rim (or one of the Hub+Rim wheels)
- same pedals like above

Or Thrustmaster:
- TS-PC
- T3PA or T3PA-Pro (which can be mounted upside down for 40€ more and have a better feel).

The Fanatec stuff is a lot more expensive sadly.. The t3pa pedals are quite a step down from the Fanatecs but I think more reliable and the upside down mounting is pretty cool imo!

I can recommend the youtube channel "simracing garage" a lot. You'll find very in depth videos about the Fanatec bases, the TS-PC, the fanatec pedals etc.

 

[Rob Fandango]

So after much deliberation and a night sleeping on it I woke up this morning saying sod it, lets invest in a proper rig.

I logged on to Sim-Lab, I see the P1X and think, wow awesome, cant order though as Preorder only.

I then decide lets go Fanatec DD1, again can only Pre order.

I do some more research and think you know what, higher torque, possibly better reviews, ill go with Simucube, I log on to website and there is a Simucube 2, again Preorder...

I like so many others am a massive impulse buyer, I can buy nothing..... Not good!

 

[RasmusP]

Lol, that's a pita!
To be fair I doubt you'd need more torque than the csw 2.5 has to offer. I mostly tune down the dynamic range a little (high ingame gain and lower the ffb level on the base).
It has enough headroom to make weak ffb strong enough if a game hasn't got enough ffb output.

Sure a DD will be better higher more awesome etc etc but I doubt anybody needs it apart from replicating real forces for training like indy car.
But then you'll have other simulation software coming alongside it

 

[Rob Fandango]

Its the structure at the moment thats the issue more than the wheel as the P1X looks like the one to have but not available.
The only bit im questioning with the CSW is that I dont want to buy it if i am tempted to quickly update to Direct Drive anyway, that just feels pointless.
Maybe its a good thing I cant buy any of it as it gives me a chance to research and get the right bits first time.

 

[cirris]

You can buy the P1X immediately from demon-tweeks here with a 10 day dispatch, which is what I did. In terms of DD's I have a SC2 pro im about to put on order as well as a set of Heusinkveld Sprints. My goals may be different from yours, but my justification for the cost of all these "toys" are they are certainly cheaper than a project track car!

I'm going for realism and simulation rather than lap times though. If your after mainly getting faster a CSW2.5 will do you just fine. The iRacing champion dude used a G27 IIRC haha! Pedals imo are a much more worthy investment IMO if you're on a budget. Get a high quality set.

You'll need a rim, like a converted fanatec or something like this from SRC.

Lastly a seat for the rig. Cheapest would be to go to a junkyard and pick one out (Passenger side has less wear ) or you can splurge on a proper bucket seat.

Also check out the SFX100 thread for more to salivate over

EDIT: the sprints can also be purchased immediately from DT here and as for the SC2 I recommend here. Cheapest I could find even with international shipping for me at least (yank) iirc. Good luck!