Can we talk simulators?

This is mine.. G27 with some up grades to the pedals (Nixim2 springs http://www.nixim.com/index.php?pageid=brakemod )and a GT playseat. I usea 37" Vizio LCD. I use a PS3, but I am going to build a PC to use as well. I would like to be able to have thress screens.
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Monitor: 46" Samsung 1080p LED
Audio: Denon 7.1Ch home theatre
Pc: Alienware/Dell gaming rig
Seat: 2002 E46 M3 4 way electric/adjustable
Frame: custom lightweight steel frame, fully adjustable, large Casters to easily move around.
Wheel: Fanatec CSR Elite
Pedals": Fanatec Club Sport, modified to be hanging configuration
Shifter: Thrustmaster TH8 RS.
Software: iRacing & RaceOn series. Waiting for new GTR, new Rfactor, and Assetto Corsa.
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We have the Force Dynamics 401cr. It's their model that does 360 degree rotation. iRacing is the game of choice for the machine although a few others are installed. We have a little less forward and back movement than their youtube video but it's the little jolts and the 360 degree turning that really make it feel alive.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJoi-1g0IzI[/ame]
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I think the FD concept is pretty cool, but I remain unconvinced of the efficacy of motion platforms. The only reason I'm still interested in is because of my friends, GI and b-mak. GI is a trusted colleague in using simulators as viable and valuable training aids for real-world drivers. He says it works and I believe him. He uses CXC equipment.

I have most recently sampled a SimCraft unit at this year's PRI and for me, the motion component was VERY distracting. Too much lag, too much latency, exaggerated yaw component. I crashed more times in one ten-minute session driving a Star Mazda at Lime Rock than I have on my static platforms in FIVE YEARS! And Bruce MacInnes was watching!

I have sampled the two HUGE $660,000 Cruden Hexapods across the street from my training facility at VIR (which has several static platforms I've been using for more than ten years). The Cruden Hexapods made both Boris Said and I sick in the same week. Both of us, in about 10 minutes!

For training, I can't afford distractions...

Here's a few of my rigs.
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we need to get you on a CXC! you need a field trip to SoCal

 

Just an FYI everyone, Chas' place is AWESOME! Highly recommend that if anyone is in the LA area.

My friends found out that I went down there, and they were all extremely jealous!

 

I can vouch for CXC, their machines are amazingly made and they run really smoothly. It's so much fun!!

 

are the sims so good that you feel the bumps in the road that you know are on the real track? Are sims so good that different cars have different feel and reactions to different driving styles like a corvette vs. a 911?

 

yes.

you still have an open invitation to come to my shop and check them out...

 

Take Chas up on his offer. Expect there to be a learning curve.

Watching what is going on in my static sims, the car gets light over jumps or crests, I can gas it more and turn it more in compression (dips or pockets or uphill sections of track), every different car drives differently, slicks and R-compounds have to warm up before they stick (as do brakes), even the bias ply tire model is MADE for hooning!

When I am able to do 1:22.8 at Laguna Seca in Duncan't Lotus 79 (with my real-world client's settings on the sim car) and he is able to do 1:22.9 on his real-world data after we compare notes, it's good enough...

 

Yes, I did lots of prep for our VIR chump race in iRacing. We ran chumps in a stock 944 and I used the spec Miata in iRacing. I had run VIR North before but not the Grand course as they rarely have track days on Grand. The lap times in real life were not close but we had to run 200 treadwear street tires compared to I'm guessing r-comps simulated in iRacing. The cars handled very similarly and similar power/weight ratio so I could figure out the line, which curbs I could ride and which I couldn't, which bumps to avoid (there's a nice dip in hog pen if you stay tight) etc. Unfortunately we blew our motor so I didn't get as much daytime running as I wanted (took us 10 hours to swap motors) and as it was an endurance race I didn't push for lap time, especially at night. I was comfortably quickest on my team and I put a lot of that down to the prep in iRacing.

I did notice that due to a softer setup in our 944 that I could stay tighter in hog pen and hit some of the curbs harder without the car getting as unsettled, so if you really want to simulate your car and it's not in there, you will have to play with the setup of a similar car. This would (imo) take a few tries of comparing real to the sim. I may bring the setup to the track next time and set it up in one of the garages so I can jump out of the car and into iRacing to get the cars feeling the same, but if it's anything like the last race there will be no time...

 

That's why I have a pair of iRacing simulators here in my facility at VIR!

 

You're living the dream, my friend. I'll probably be there for the chump 10 hour in March, you'll have to let me check out your setup.

Hopefully I can get my 355 there sometime this coming year, but there's no good software to prep with. I've got a version of VIR in Race07 and a 355 challenge car, but it's not very good compared to iRacing - the track was ported from another game and has nowhere near the detail. My best bet is probably the FordGT in iRacing but it's lighter, has 160 more hp (with completely different power delivery) and slicks so not going to be close other than having a similar weight distribution. The only other game with VIR and a 355 in it is the Ferrari Trofeo Pirelli game but it's not very good, either.

 

Elliot Skeer (MX5 Cup driver for CJ Wilson) hadn't been to Road Atlanta, so he spent a few hours here prior to running the last race of the year on the PLM weekend. His fast lap in the sim was within a tenth of his qualifying time, using the setup his engineer gave him. so yeah, they're pretty accurate

PS he qualifed 2nd (behind his teammate and series Champion) and finished 3rd in race 1, 7th in race 2

I used the sim to learn a few tracks, Willow Springs out here before my first track day there and Road America before a Chump Car race; in both instances, first lap out in real life I felt like I already knew the track. which was helpful at RA, since the first time I got in the car was 1.5 hours into the race; I had never driven that car on track )

 

what did you use, software and hardware wise?

which car replicated a 355 Challenge car?

 

Here is a writeup I did on my home-brew driving simulator:
http://terracode.com/TerraSpeed/TerraSpeed_P1.html

This is the simulator after I added the G27 Pedal and shifter mod:
http://terracode.com/TerraSpeed/TS_Shifter_Pedal_Mod.html

The current setup has the Chili-Coke G27 MOMO racing steering wheel adapter and MOMO racing wheel. I've been planning on adding a basic motion table for it to sit on, but haven't had time to work on it.

How is iRacing compared to the console racing games/simulations.? I mainly use my steup with the PS3, but recently moved the rig out of the living room and into the computer room to use with my PC.

PC:
CPU: Xeon 1.66 x 2 processors and 4 cores each.
Memory: 12 GB RAM
Graphics: NVidia GeoForce GTX650 video card
Monitors: 28" LCD and 24" Playstation 3D LCD monitor

 

Can anyone help me find a XBOX capable steering wheel set up? I need it as an xmas gift.

was hoping to find a Fanatec. It is for a young man who will be saddend if it is not under the tree...so this is time sensitive.

thank you all...i hope you can help!!

pcb

 

never used one, but the Mad Catz wheel/pedal seems to be popular and it's in stock on amazon.

Or, if you're a Ferrari branded merchandise whore , thrust master makes a 458 replica wheel but to be honest it looks and feels kinda cheap.

 

Iracing is better than anything on the ps3. The only console Sim worth anything that I've tried is gt5 and it's got minor controller issues.

 

I am lucky enough to have a CXC at my disposal. I can say that I know I can show up to track I have never been on and focus on driving, not learning the track. It Is also an awesome teaching tool. I've taken people from an arcade driving style to a, wow I really get it mind set. As an instructor you can see everything, steering input, throttle input, breaking technique. It is amazing to see the progress that can be made and watch someone gain respect for what racers have to know.

 

Greeting all,

While most of us are not going to have the opportunity to race in real life, I have found that simulators can still offer a fantastic and realistic experience! Having been a life long Motor Sports and Ferrari fan I made the decision to purchase a rig called a Hyper Stimulator hoping to gain a glimpse of what it would be like to drive around the Nurburgring Nordschliefe or the Spa Francorchamps circuit.

Happy to report that not only did the hardware live up to my expectations but it actually exceeded them by a mile. The realism when your in the cockpit of an F1 racer trying to stay flat through Eu Rouge at Spa or having the bottle to run 130R at peak rpm at Suzuka is actually quite thrilling and certainly gets a sweat up! Add to that the fact that you can enter online races and leagues and you have a sure fire way to really enjoy your racing experience. When I was competing seriously online I can tell you that my heart rate on the start line watching the Christmas tree lights count down went through the roof, I am sure that the concentration and skill required would be replicated somewhat in real life racing!

On to the technical:-

Hyper Stimulator Extreme
Carbon fibre bucket (modelled from an F3 racer)
Aluminium sequential shift and paddles
Stainless steel Hyper pedal set
Shaker vibration amplification system
Logitech MOMO Force steering wheel
Samsung 32" LED

PC, Intel i7 2600K @ 4.4GHz
8GB GSkill DDR3 memony
nVidia GTX 590 dual GPU video card
Creative XFI Fatal1ty sound card
Windows 7 x64

Simulation software: rFactor, rFactor II, Ferrari Racing Legends, Ferrari Virtual Academy, GTR2


http://www.itg1.com/downloads/Hyper5.jpg
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Very nice setup. It looks really cool, which is nice when this "monster" sits in your living room or office. Wifes can be picky about things like this.

I built a similar sim for myself about ten years ago. It had both systems: PC and PS3 with a GT wheel, that connected to both.

These sims are very cool and perfect for a more modest budget. Personally I'd like to go the direction of a motion sim. By now there is a bunch of them out there on the market.

 

Been racing real open wheel F2000 cars for awhile and found some of the best sim wheels and pedals out there is from ECCI. The feel of their brake is just like the F2000 car where I can hammer my zone 1 braking with no mush, just solid. Their wheels (real Momo wheels) are something to behold with the best feel with their FF (for those who like this aspect), and aluminum shifters.

Been using ECCI for the last 10 years and it does not get better than this. Yea they are costly, but the real deal.

They also do custom work to meet your own specs as well. 6000 Portal