Obsessive hobbies....
- Thread starter RCHeliGuy
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Dave, that looks like a solid rig with an SFX-100 motion system.
I can't seem to stop working on my rig. Since last time I've inverted my pedals, under-mounted the foot plate transducers and suspended the plate using Sorbothane on the edges, with it pinned solid in the front center giving me stereo separation. Currently using a Behringer NX4-6000 to drive the transducers. It has some serious kick
Most recently I fabricated a custom aluminum mount for my trackball, moved the sequential shifter and hand brake further outboard.
I also made a mount plate for my h pattern shifter.
I've recently ordered a 3D printer and I'm planning to design blanks for silicone molds first and then get a metal kiln to sand cast aluminum also from 3D molds. Not sure what I'll come up with, but looking forward to trying that out.
I've got my eye on a new motion system that was just released. It's bulky and they recommend a 220V x 30A circuit to drive it.
Definitely overkill, but my wife has approved of it as soon as we get a larger home with dedicated space for it.
I can't seem to stop working on my rig. Since last time I've inverted my pedals, under-mounted the foot plate transducers and suspended the plate using Sorbothane on the edges, with it pinned solid in the front center giving me stereo separation. Currently using a Behringer NX4-6000 to drive the transducers. It has some serious kick
Most recently I fabricated a custom aluminum mount for my trackball, moved the sequential shifter and hand brake further outboard.
I also made a mount plate for my h pattern shifter.
I've recently ordered a 3D printer and I'm planning to design blanks for silicone molds first and then get a metal kiln to sand cast aluminum also from 3D molds. Not sure what I'll come up with, but looking forward to trying that out.
I've got my eye on a new motion system that was just released. It's bulky and they recommend a 220V x 30A circuit to drive it.
Definitely overkill, but my wife has approved of it as soon as we get a larger home with dedicated space for it.
Mark, as usual, you leave me dumbfounded when I see the level of detail and thought that goes into that sim rig. A work of art, for sure. Bravo
And wow, that motion system is exactly what would fit in the deep bay in my garage (it's a nose-to-tail bay, 2 cars deep), as there is already a 220/30A feed there from when the wife had a kiln for ceramics.
At around $25 to $30K, cheaper to own/operate than the WRX I currently use for track events.
But man, they are worse than Porsche with all the expensive options.
https://motionsystems.eu/product/simulators/qs-s25/
Still, that is now on the bucket list.
LOL and we thought audio was $$$ !
To be fair I'm actually very happy with my system now and have no additional modifications planned. But that is how this goes. I'm fine and one morning I wake up and think, Hmm.... I have an idea on how I can improve things. Then I stop racing until I work my way though whatever I come up with.
I'm also pretty happy with my home. We just finished a full kitchen remodel Christmas before last, have put in hard wood flooring on two levels, had the deck rebuilt with full synthetics and it is guaranteed for life, had a screen room put in underneath it, bumped our master closet out taking over a complete bedroom, replaced both HVAC systems with very quiet and efficient systems, got a tankless water heater, and our roof was just replaced. I've just thought of half a dozen other large improvements we've made, but I'll stop there. We've taken it as far as we can and it works really well for us. Sadly everything we look at for our next home is a chunk more expensive and we would still have work to do to make what we've seen what we want. <sigh> Maybe we just need to build something that is exactly what we want that would include 70A 240 service to the garage for eventual electric cars
Mark, as usual, you leave me dumbfounded when I see the level of detail and thought that goes into that sim rig. A work of art, for sure. Bravo
And wow, that motion system is exactly what would fit in the deep bay in my garage (it's a nose-to-tail bay, 2 cars deep), as there is already a 220/30A feed there from when the wife had a kiln for ceramics.
At around $25 to $30K, cheaper to own/operate than the WRX I currently use for track events.
But man, they are worse than Porsche with all the expensive options.
Still, that is now on the bucket list.
Thanks! I wouldn't be getting many of the options they have listed. I would take what I have except the seat mover and bolt it straight to the deck. I would look at the wheels and feet they have for it. Those might be worth it. The shipping from Poland might be the largest extra expense, but I don't know what the import tax would be on something that size.
I dont do racing sims too much on my PC, but I have messed around with Project Cars on my VR system. Ive got the HTC Vive and and racing seat with wheel. It is pretty crazy how real it seems. You can even turn around and look at the backseat of the car. It did give me some motion sickness, but I am very prone to it. I selected a Porsche 911r to drive, and I have a 911 turbo in real life. It felt a lot like my car driving it. To make it seem even more real, I put on my racing helmet when I was driving. Pretty darn cool. I race mine around for fun on a track for a couple of weekends each year. You might want to check to see what programs allow you to race in VR.
The VR out now is even better than mine. I think this one is probably the best out now
https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/index
The VR out now is even better than mine. I think this one is probably the best out now
https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/index
I'm running a Valve Index and run VR exclusively for my simming.
It took me a week of driving 20-30 minutes a day to get my VR legs and get over the nausea.
However since I got the seat mover for my rig, I've noticed that people with no VR experience are not having any issues with nausea.
The motion makes a huge difference in making your brain think that you are moving so there is no disconnect.
It took me a week of driving 20-30 minutes a day to get my VR legs and get over the nausea.
However since I got the seat mover for my rig, I've noticed that people with no VR experience are not having any issues with nausea.
The motion makes a huge difference in making your brain think that you are moving so there is no disconnect.
Wow, I bet that seat mover helps. Thats what was bothering me i think. I didnt even know that those exist for the home.
How does that integrate with VR? I guess the game must have data that the mover uses. Is it pretty accurate? Does it simulate bumps too, like when your tires run over the curbs? That must be amazing.
Which game(s) do you use for vr driving? I've only used Project Cars and it made me really sick. I've got a seat and wheel, and that seat mover intrigues me. If it took care of most of the sickness that would be a game changer.
Have a link for the seat mover device you use? Is the whole thing easily movable, because id need to move it out of the way for roomscale on other games.
Got some questions. Is there a good wireless setup yet for the Valve Index, or are you still using wired? I've read the wireless is still buggy. Did you own the original HTC Vive like mine? How does the new Valve compare? Also wondering what you think of the headphones that come with the Index. My Vive came with the same type of headphone on the headset but they didn't sound that great. I went with some Sennheisers hooked up to my sound card for better sound.
Here is one of my other Obsessive Hobbies. My best friend and I have done every mod to it except for the EVO Suspension, Regear, and the Powder Coating. We added everything to it in my garage from rims and tires, to the fenders and roll cage. And I do my best to break it in half every time I take it off road. LOL
Wireless Vive being worked on still it seems.
https://uploadvr.com/valve-wireless-vr-2020/
There is one out for the Vive, never tried it though. Its the one I heard there were some bugs with.
https://uploadvr.com/valve-wireless-vr-2020/
There is one out for the Vive, never tried it though. Its the one I heard there were some bugs with.
There are three things giving you sensation, motion, tactile and Force feedback.
I'm using an NLRv3 seat mover and it gives you the sensation of surge, roll and hitting curbs.
I'm also using a Berhringer NX4-6000 to drive 4 transducers on my rig. They help me to feel road texture, bumps, engine rpm, transmission thunk, and the front or rear wheels sliding. Currently I'm using Aura Pros, but I just go a ButtKicker Concert picture below that I'm going to mount to my seat.
The way it all works together is quite impressive.
When I start the engine I feel the engine start and it dropping into a lumpy idle. Then as I give it throttle the engine smooths out and I don't feel it again until near redline. If I press the throttle hard the seat will move backward. When I upshift the seat will lurch a bit to simulate the car going out of gear and then back into gear. There is a thunk when there is a gear shift with the paddle shifter or sequential shifter. When using the H pattern shifter and clutch pedal there is no thunk. When I hit the brakes the seat tilts forward and going around corners or fast side to side shift will roll the seat. You will feel rumble strips with tactile. You can also feel the road texture.
A seat mover has a pivot point that should be centered under you and in VR it works well because your head acts like a natural gimbal. The motion plus tactile really sells the idea that you are in a moving car to your brain. It is very well integrated.
The Sims I tend to use are iRacing and Dirt Rally 2.0. I also have PC2, Dirt Rally 1.0 and AC, Assetto Corsa Competizione, and Kart Kraft, but they get very little use.
iRacing is a subscription based solution that is all about racing with real people. They have over 100,000 active members and have races at 5 different license levels and many categories kicking off every 30 minutes. You start out in Rookies and work you way up to D, C, B, A. They start out with short 12 minute "fixed" races. It's not as cheap as buying a PC2. You have a subscription AND you have to buy the laser scanned tracks and cars. You get some with your subscription.
Dirt Rally 2.0 is a hoot. I love the Rally B cars. They are insane! Going airborne on the Rally tracks in Finland is a treat with motion. These are mostly time trials against the clock, but the terrain is very challenging and you learn how to drift and use a hand brake to break the rear wheels free for hairpin turns etc..
The combination of realistic controls, VR, motion and tactile is very immersive.
The seat mover I'm using is this. Next Level Racing Motion Platform V3 | Next Level Racing
My rig is on retractable casters so I can roll it into the corner of my media room when it isn't in use.
The seat mover bolts to the frame and then I bolt seat brackets to the seat mover.
There is no reason to worry about wireless for a sim. The Index's off ear speakers sound great.
Right now the best sim headset is about to be the HP Reverb G2. Preorders now, actually ship date is supposed to be October.
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Hadn't even heard of the HP device. I wonder why Valve worked with them. Is Valve not going to put out another headset on their own? $600 is a good price, looks like thats just a headset. Looks like it doesn't need the light houses on the wall? Thats nice if it's true and tracks as good as the Vive. Seems there aren't any controllers that come with it and you can use Valve or Htc with it?
There is a picture on their site where it talks about gaming, and the players are wearing back packs. Looks like those are batteries. Since I play a lot of room scale games like The Walking Dead, that would be awesome to be wireless.
https://www8.hp.com/us/en/vr/reverb-g2-vr-headset.html
There is a picture on their site where it talks about gaming, and the players are wearing back packs. Looks like those are batteries. Since I play a lot of room scale games like The Walking Dead, that would be awesome to be wireless.
https://www8.hp.com/us/en/vr/reverb-g2-vr-headset.html
The HP Reverb G2 comes with hand controllers and uses inside/out tracking so there are no light houses.
The only downside is that the hand tracking isn't quite as precise, but it should be good enough for most things.
I made a seat mount for my BK-CT.
I think it came out pretty nicely.
Also added just a cooling fan directly to the rig. I was using a remote controlled fan that I sat on top of my entertainment system. This is closer but pretty quiet compared to the other fan and doesn't require any extra setup time. This is just my initial working prototype. I think I'll 3D print something a bit prettier, but first I need to finish building my 3D printer.
It has a fan speed adjustment knob that I mounted in my button box.
The only downside is that the hand tracking isn't quite as precise, but it should be good enough for most things.
I made a seat mount for my BK-CT.
I think it came out pretty nicely.
Also added just a cooling fan directly to the rig. I was using a remote controlled fan that I sat on top of my entertainment system. This is closer but pretty quiet compared to the other fan and doesn't require any extra setup time. This is just my initial working prototype. I think I'll 3D print something a bit prettier, but first I need to finish building my 3D printer.
It has a fan speed adjustment knob that I mounted in my button box.
Wow, you should be professionally engineering that stuff for a commercial company! If there was a bigger market for this stuff you could start your own company.
What I am wondering about, how does all that hardware get a signal of information on what to do? Is all of that already coded into the simulator/games? I know it works for the vibration on my steering wheel, but the data is there for all of the other equipment you have like the butt kicker and the seat mover?
What I am wondering about, how does all that hardware get a signal of information on what to do? Is all of that already coded into the simulator/games? I know it works for the vibration on my steering wheel, but the data is there for all of the other equipment you have like the butt kicker and the seat mover?
Ive got a buddy that got into fixing up old pinball machines. He has a whole bunch now and has them in bars where he makes some income. $1500 a month or so before any expenses I think. So he is able to make money and have fun with his hobby at the same time.
Right now he is working on getting a place to cut him some gears.
Right now he is working on getting a place to cut him some gears.
Super nice evolution of the gaming rig, love the new transducer addition. Great job Mark.
Every time I read this thread I get tempted to go big on a Sim setup, but I struggle to find the time to play with the toys I already have.
Spent several hours today messing with the Smyth Realizer A16 (Atmos over headphones box), and still have more to do.
I fully expect the Smyth tech (or very similar) to show up in future VR systems. It works quite well if you map out your own impulse response and headphone EQ. But right now, that's a very, very complicated process.
I'll also be creating a mapping of my HT to upload to the Realizer exchange someday. That way those of you with Realizers can 'hear' my room.
Every time I read this thread I get tempted to go big on a Sim setup, but I struggle to find the time to play with the toys I already have.
Spent several hours today messing with the Smyth Realizer A16 (Atmos over headphones box), and still have more to do.
I fully expect the Smyth tech (or very similar) to show up in future VR systems. It works quite well if you map out your own impulse response and headphone EQ. But right now, that's a very, very complicated process.
I'll also be creating a mapping of my HT to upload to the Realizer exchange someday. That way those of you with Realizers can 'hear' my room.
I am already a self-employed engineer, but this stuff is almost all in the labor of love category. Every now and then I come up with an idea and people from the Racing Sim forums ask me if I might put something into production.
Below is a wheel hangar compatible with the Simucube 2 quick release system. I made a couple for myself and people wanted them so I made a run of 100 parts. This doesn't amount to chump change, but I just enjoy doing something like this once in a while.
BTW some of my customers have 5 or more steering wheels and these matter because they don't want to hang a wheel by the leather, or Ancaltara. This holds the wheels solidly and importantly face out so they look better.
I haven't put this in production yet, but I had a bunch of people get excited when I made this wireless mouse mount for my rig. This mouse is very popular in the sim community and I got a very strong reaction from it, but haven't put it into production.
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There is a LOT of telemetry data shared by all major sim software packages well beyond force feed back.
There are a few pieces of software that allow you to configure the tactile response of your rig to drive transducers. Some people have piles of them. I'm only using 4 transducers right now.
I used to use SimVibe, but SimHub has surpassed it and allows for very detailed configuration of tactile response. You can dial in the frequency, and a pile of other settings to things like engine rpm, bumps, traction loss, speed, gear shift, etc.. etc...
https://www.simhubdash.com/
Below are my left and right front front end transducers. There is another mounted to the shift gear.
Pretty cool! A good way to simulate the real thing. I need to get brave and try my setup again, but am afraid of the motion sickness. I dont game on it enough to justify spending that much on the movement hardware. Right now I just have a generic seat I purchased from Microcenter and a Logitech wheel.
I do have my 911 turbo I can track, if this covid-19 crap ever dissipates enough. Im scheduled to go in October. I go in Class C, could go B or higher if I didnt wimp out on the track. Im still timid in taking those turns so fast. Doing it on the PC is one thing, doing it in real life is a whole other thing!
I do have my 911 turbo I can track, if this covid-19 crap ever dissipates enough. Im scheduled to go in October. I go in Class C, could go B or higher if I didnt wimp out on the track. Im still timid in taking those turns so fast. Doing it on the PC is one thing, doing it in real life is a whole other thing!
