ERacer's DFP setup

[ERacer]

This racing setup consists of the following items:

Wheel: Logitech DFPro
Cockpit: Redlinesims (redlinesims.com)
Monitor: Samsung 50" DLP HDTV
Audio: Yamaha HTR 6.1-Channel Digital Home Theater Receiver
Seat: AK Racer Gaming Chair
Special Effects: ButtKicker LFE with Amplifier
Accessories: Vox Flip-Up Motorcycle Helmet, Fly Racing Lite Race Gloves, Adidas Mat Hog Shoes

As you will see from the pictures, the monitor stands a little less than 6' from my eyes which makes for a very immersive experience. The Yamaha sound system and ButtKicker (attached to the platform and positioned under the chair) provide all the remaining sensory effects for a great driving simulation. The helmet, gloves and shoes, well, I had gone this far, might as well go all the way!

 

[ERacer]

Moderator; pls remove this post (#2). My apologies for double-posting.

 

[ERacer]

http://img501.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cockpit1tz7.jpg

 

[Gonz013]

Very nice, I'm jealous.

...the helmet's over-doing it though.

...unless you are 'special' and you need to wear it wherever you go. If this is the case, I apologize unreservedly.

 

[CAMikaze]

Any idea as to a price list of some of the items you have in your setup? Namely, the Cockpit and if possible the website for the maker of said item.

 

[ERacer]

Hey CAMikaze,

The cockpit can be found at redlinesims.com although when I last spoke with them about a month ago they said their site was being reconstructed. I can PM you with their contact info if you like. I bought the cockpit for around $600. Expensive, but also very sturdy and adjustable (the wheel platform and foot pedals slide to adjust and can then be tightened) and the cockpit folds in half for easy storage.

ERacer

 

[ERacer]

Very nice, I'm jealous.

...the helmet's over-doing it though.

...unless you are 'special' and you need to wear it wherever you go. If this is the case, I apologize unreservedly.

No need to apologize Gonz013. I think the only person that thinks I'm 'special' is my dear mother Everyone else thinks I'm a fool

ERacer

 

[fideles1986]

nice, i have a TV almost the same as yours. 👍

 

[ERacer]

nice, i have a TV almost the same as yours. 👍

Thanks fideles! I was torn between Sony and Samsung. Did some research and it turns out Samsung's picture has great color depth at a lower cost. So, I went a bit bigger than planned with the 50" but glad I did. 👍

 

[ZOOSO]

ERacer .. 👍 .. though the helmut is over the top .. planning on a similar set-up .. but it'll have to wait for GT5 .. everything in Australia costs about twice as much

 

[ERacer]

ERacer .. 👍 .. though the helmut is over the top .. planning on a similar set-up .. but it'll have to wait for GT5 .. everything in Australia costs about twice as much

Thanks Delfino! I did go way beyond what I had intended to do, but I kinda felt like it was either "all or nothing" - and "all" seemed like so much fun.

ERacer

 

[Alfaholic]

Nothing wrong with going large . If it makes the experience more immersive then go for it!

Actually, a full face helmet effect might be a good marketing idea for motor racing biased VR goggles if they ever take off in the gaming world. 💡

 

[ERacer]

Nothing wrong with going large . If it makes the experience more immersive then go for it!

Actually, a full face helmet effect might be a good marketing idea for motor racing biased VR goggles if they ever take off in the gaming world. 💡

Thanks Alfaholic!

A recent article on CNN.com revealed that a company has developed a flexible TV screen, currently the size of a cell phone screen display. Imagine the possibilities when the technology allows for production of massive flexible screens. Not only would movie theaters, for example, have surround sound, but also surround imagery - the action on your right, sight & sound, would actually be viewed and heard to your right. The application of this new technology for Virtual Reality (VR) gaming would certainly make wearing a helmet a better solution than a flat screen monitor or TV. Awesome! 👍

 

[DustDriver]

And also add the sixaxis technology to the helmet.
The view wouldn't be narrow anymore, because you can turn you're head in the direction where you want to look.
Now how cool is that?

 

[Alfaholic]

That is cool! Flight sims and first person shooters would both benefit hugely from that technology too.

 

[waxer]

Eracer, question about the tactile feedback. Ive got a clark synthesis silver im putting in my setup. The frame is all steel pipe and keeklamps(copied off someone else, i think on here) My brothers doing the same but his was wood and he has noticed a big drop in vibration/feedback. Do you think isolaling the feet with rubber would increase it or perhaps put rubber under the seat (mounted on wood) where it connects to the frame. In his case hes using a 25w aura so getting as much as possible out of it is important.

 

[ERacer]

Eracer, question about the tactile feedback. Ive got a clark synthesis silver im putting in my setup. The frame is all steel pipe and keeklamps(copied off someone else, i think on here) My brothers doing the same but his was wood and he has noticed a big drop in vibration/feedback. Do you think isolaling the feet with rubber would increase it or perhaps put rubber under the seat (mounted on wood) where it connects to the frame. In his case hes using a 25w aura so getting as much as possible out of it is important.

waxer, I wish I could be of some help to you, however I'm not familiar with the clark synthesis silver nor how it may interact with different materials, wood or metal. The instructions I have for the ButtKicker strongly recommends that the rubber padding/stoppers (which is included in their kit) are used under the structure to isolate it from the floor. Also, this may sound obvious, but for any shaker to work properly it must be able to move the structure to which it is attached. In other words, if your rig is too ridgid and does not allow for any shaking movement - guess what? Right, you won't feel a whole lotta shakin goin on. I would try placing the stoppers under your setup and in contact with the floor. Let me know how things turn out. 👍

ERacer

 

[SimRaceDriver]

ERacer -

Nice setup! You're the first person I've seen with a cockpit from Redline Sims!
Can you tell me how easy it is for you to get in/out of it, as it looks like it's a tight fit!

Also, where is the 'buttkicker' actually positioned at, as I can't quite tell from the pics?
I'm assuming it's under the seat and somehow mounted to the wood base you have the cockpit attached to? If so, how much feedback are you getting, (a lot or a little) seeing as the amount of feedback is based on how much the buttkicker vibrates the wood frame, which in turn vibrates/moves the cockpit?

I'm still trying to figure out how I could take advantage of a buttkicker myself on my own cockpit (See sig for pics) but am not sure if/how I could take full use of it.



Thanks,


SimRaceDriver

 

[ERacer]

Thanks SimRaceDriver! Nice to meet a fellow immersive simracer. 👍

I've viewed and admired your setup before, particularly your gas/break pedals. Very nice. I've read good things about those. How easy is it to connect them with the PS2?

The Redlinesims cockpit could be a tight fit around the leg area for some folks, but plenty of room for anybody's upper body. I'm a fairly average build at 5'11" and 185lbs and have no problems getting in or out with just enough width for my legs. The wheel platform slides back quite a bit to allow for easy entry/exit and the foot pedals slide the length of the front half, so plenty of room for any adjustments. However, the front half of the cockpit could use a few more inches in width, but just to make room for the larger G25 pedals which include a clutch pedal. The DFP pedals fit perfectly. I heard Redlinesims is working on a front-end design which will be wide enough to fit the G25 pedals. But part of the immersive experience is that I kinda like the tight, closed in feeling. I imagine the cockpit of, say a F1 car would be tight as well and even the C-class and LeMans Prototype cars don't look that roomy either. And you're right, the ButtKicker LFE is located inside the wooden platform, attached to the plywood sheet directly under the seat. The subwoofer is on the floor directly behind the cockpit and so are two of the speakers. My pics are not very helpful in illustrating where everything is located. The vibration/feedback from the ButtKicker is more than enough even at 60-70% power. The key is to elevate the platform off the floor using the rubber stoppers, or pads, provided in the kit. This will allow the supports, in my case wooden 2x4's, between the stoppers enough room to bend or vibrate. In your setup, I would recommend using the ButtKicker gamer which includes a clamp for attaching it to a metal bar, for example. The gamer is smaller than the LFE so you may want to get two gamers. Each is about 1/2 the price of the LFE. Two gamers will also allow you to better pinpoint your feedback zones on your setup as opposed to having just one large output zone. I would also give them a call to find out what different types of attachments they have in stock.

Good luck, great racing, and let me know how it goes. 👍

ERacer

 

[SimRaceDriver]

ERacer-

Thanks for the great feedback! Really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions in detail!

The ECCI pedals (Trackstar 6000) are a direct replacement for the DFP Pedals, so there's no 'connection issues' in that regard.

After further reviewing your own pics and trying to determine 'how' I'd go about hooking up a Buttkicker on my race frame, I've decided to just hold off on going that route, seing as I'm actually going to sell my race frame pro and pick up a "Racecraft Polecat" from a company called "Nixim" over in the UK...as it's got everything that I want AND need (TV Mount/Shifter Plate/Speaker Stands/Etc.) already built into it, and thus I don't have to 'jerry rig' anything, as I've had to do with the race frame pro.

As to 'when' that's going to happen...I don't really know (LOL!) but after I heard about Nixim releasing there new, updated models late last year, while over at the RSC forums, and seeing their early sketches, I knew instantly that's what I wanted!

In any case, thanks again for the reply and the info!


SRD:

 

[ERacer]

Good luck with the new setup SRD!

I like those types of cockpits as well, however, it seems so many of them have the monitor positioned too high up. If you think about "real life" sight lines, then you would be looking straight ahead and slightly downwards when driving. Just another thing to think about when looking at these different setups.

Let me know how it goes 👍

ERacer

 

[SimRaceDriver]

I know what you mean...on my current setup, I've got the TV as low as I can take it, without the DFP (when mounted) not getting in the way of my view..but this is definitely something I'll keep in mind when I move foward with upgrading my race setup!


Thanks for the feedback BTW!


SRD

 

[chollo9]

Moving my screen lower was one of the best "mods" that I've made. It's about five inches lower, and three inches closer than before, and when I return to a track I haven't been to in awhile, sometimes I don't really recognize the first section! But once my brain makes the adjustment, it's way better and my times and control are much improved! Unfortunately, it's still a pretty crappy TV, but that will change . . ..

 

[ERacer]

chollo -

I was thinking we should try to line up some commercial endorsements to help pay for all our stuff, like the top simracers in Asia do.

 

[SimRaceDriver]

chollo -

I was thinking we should try to line up some commercial endorsements to help pay for all our stuff, like the top simracers in Asia do.

Sounds like a great idea, but 'how' to go about that?

This would be ideal if there were actual online races that 'paid out money', as that would help increase the awareness for all those companies (Frex, Redline Sims, ECCI, Etc.,Etc.,) who make such 3rd party add-on products, but right now, I don't know of any that take place on a regular basis.

On a side note, I've recently been pursuing an online biz for the last few months and while somewhat successful, I'd love to try and find a way to incorporate a way to generate some $$$ through the use of GT4 and/or GT5 when released.

If anyone has any ideas on how such an idea could be incorporated, much the way some guy took his love of Madden NFL and started his own biz off of it here: http://www.maddentips.com, hit me via PM and let's discuss it in more detail!

Thks-

SRD:

 

[ERacer]

Sounds like a great idea, but 'how' to go about that?

This would be ideal if there were actual online races that 'paid out money', as that would help increase the awareness for all those companies (Frex, Redline Sims, ECCI, Etc.,Etc.,) who make such 3rd party add-on products, but right now, I don't know of any that take place on a regular basis.

On a side note, I've recently been pursuing an online biz for the last few months and while somewhat successful, I'd love to try and find a way to incorporate a way to generate some $$$ through the use of GT4 and/or GT5 when released.

If anyone has any ideas on how such an idea could be incorporated, much the way some guy took his love of Madden NFL and started his own biz off of it here: http://www.maddentips.com, hit me via PM and let's discuss it in more detail!

Thks-

SRD:

In the Long Race Series forum I read that companies like Sony and Samsung pay top Asian sim-racers up to quarter million dollars to race in their organized race series.

And the Madden thing looks very interesting. Something comparable to this for GT would be to publish a "how-to" for each track and car, such as the best line to take for each car and track, or pit strategies for each car and track. Or perhaps a guide on how to complete the game the fastest way (although I think that may have been published here already).

The ability to earn an income off of GT is definitely happening. I just need to think about this some more. Good stuff SRD 👍 I'll keep in touch.

ERacer

 

[SimRaceDriver]

In the Long Race Series forum I read that companies like Sony and Samsung pay top Asian sim-racers up to quarter million dollars to race in their organized race series...

Wow! Really? That's something to definitely look into! You wouldn't have any kind of link/URL to any type of news article or confirmation on this do you by chance?

The ability to earn an income off of GT is definitely happening. I just need to think about this some more. Good stuff SRD 👍 I'll keep in touch.
ERacer

Please do! I'd love to hear what ideas you'd be able to come up with! I thought about writing up some 'tech' articles and trying to compose a "GT4 Drivers Guide", but with all the information that others have already put together and uploaded here to GTP, I think that would just be that not a lot of folks would want...that is unless they were totally committed to trying to find exactly what they were looking for and don't mind wasting time trying to find it! ;-)

Cheers,


SRD:

 

[Kurei]

Oh man, im so envious of your TV, 50 inch's of Gran Turismo right in front of you, i would love to have that in my room, only problem is making room for it, lol

BTW, where'd you get those gloves ?

 

[ERacer]

Oh man, im so envious of your TV, 50 inch's of Gran Turismo right in front of you, i would love to have that in my room, only problem is making room for it, lol

BTW, where'd you get those gloves ?

Thanks Kurei! The 50" takes getting used to. Driving some of the cars, especially the older classics, may initially make you a bit motion sick as they tend to sway more when stopping and starting. But it doesn't last long.

The gloves? Got them at Amazon for about $20 (Lite Race Gloves by Fly Racing). Very thin, breathable and comfortable.

Good luck, and good racing 👍

ERacer

 

[CAMikaze]

The gloves? Got them at Amazon for about $20 (Lite Race Gloves by Fly Racing). Very thin, breathable and comfortable.

Just went over to Fly Racing's website(www.flyracing.com) and had a look @ the gloves that you were talking about. Those gloves look pretty good. Even in blue. Now if I can only figure out the correct size for it so that it can fit on my hand. I take L or XL, but their size chart is in numbers. For the time being, I'll settle for a pair of gloves I was able to buy from The Home Depot. It's not too thick, but it's soft and has padding on the palms.