Fanatec Announcements: CSW V2 Reviews Out

  • Thread starter Crispy
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I'll be messing with belts some more soon enough. Have a few belt mods in place already along with the orange aluminum sides changed into "gull wing" side doors that flip open (how cool is that?) for tweaks and adjustments.

I've been running larger motors in my CSR-E for a bit. I'm netting between 2 and 3 times the stock at-the-motor torque depending on my PSU settings. Taking it slow as there are various things to try out and side effects to address.

At the rim, the maximum stock FFB force is around 12 pounds. Now? Lots more.
 
So I got the really coggy feeling the other day. I emailed Fanatec and they are sending me new motors (they gave me instructions on how to replace). Guessing they are coming from Germany?

Anyone know if I can just buy the motors myself? I think I read about this earlier in the thread and will do some searching soon.
 
Stan, what are you doing to increase voltage at the motors? Are you just replacing the
OE power supply with something else? And which non-stock motors are you using? Got a link to a datasheet? I'm curious what voltage you're running them at. I have got a start on my Buhler install, (they are mounted to the motor bracket and the Fanatec pulleys are installed). but haven't put them in yet. I'm debating whether or not I need to do the water cooling, since the CSW has 2 cooling fans instead of 1.
 
HouseChampion
So I got the really coggy feeling the other day. I emailed Fanatec and they are sending me new motors (they gave me instructions on how to replace). Guessing they are coming from Germany?

Anyone know if I can just buy the motors myself? I think I read about this earlier in the thread and will do some searching soon.
Click to expand...

how long ago did you get ya CSW/Elite mate
 
in aus? as I got CSW as well in November though a US league I race with hasn't missed a beat. but they were fine sending new motors (eg warranty) to AU even though they wernt on sale here?
 
that's cool then as I mines an import tell ya what though the postage for Base, GT wheel & Clubsport V2s was the killer $260+ from US.....
 
Has anyone had to return anything for repair to Fanatec recently? How long did it all take? I was given an RMA number from support, returned my CSW base to them - which they should have received by the end of last week - and since then have heard nothing. Sent them an email asking about the repair status (and the status of the shipping refund that I sent them a copy of the receipt for over a week ago) yesterday morning but have had no reply so far.

So much for the Premium Service Pack. :-(
 
marky5244
Has anyone had to return anything for repair to Fanatec recently? How long did it all take? I was given an RMA number from support, returned my CSW base to them - which they should have received by the end of last week - and since then have heard nothing. Sent them an email asking about the repair status (and the status of the shipping refund that I sent them a copy of the receipt for over a week ago) yesterday morning but have had no reply so far.

So much for the Premium Service Pack. :-(
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I had to return my CSW for repair it took 4 days to get to them and they did the repair in under 2 days as promised and sent it back.
I was givien a prepaid UPS shipping label and usually they give tracking info both ways. I Didn't get the tracking info as usual and emailed them a 3 days after I got notice it was due for leaving the warehouse. It arrived that day before the email with the tracking info.
But I was ignored to the rest of my issues in the email I sent concerning my Elite and that was two weeks ago now
 
I'll say one thing, I am far happier with the performance of the CSW than I was with the Elite. I have the F1 rim and boy does it feel awesome and much better than my Elites did. It even feels stronger(maybe I actually got a good pair of motors this time?) I really like being able to adjust the force setting in addition to the spring and damper from the Elite.
 
eKretz
Stan, what are you doing to increase voltage at the motors? Are you just replacing the
OE power supply with something else? And which non-stock motors are you using? Got a link to a datasheet? I'm curious what voltage you're running them at. I have got a start on my Buhler install, (they are mounted to the motor bracket and the Fanatec pulleys are installed). but haven't put them in yet. I'm debating whether or not I need to do the water cooling, since the CSW has 2 cooling fans instead of 1.
Click to expand...

I'm using an adjustable power supply with independent current and voltage adjustments. Some motor driver circuit mods. Variable lightning and thunder haha. That way I can set whatever I'd like and read the actual delivered voltage and current live on the PSU's LED display. A fixed supply can certainly be used once I finalize my settings.

For motors I am using four Fana-Mabuchis or two custom wound 775s or other inexpensive to moderate priced lumps I have laying around. I have the motors driving bearing mounted belt-tension-adjustable drive pulleys. That way the motors can simply produce torque without side load complications. Copper coil water cooling along with Peltier in some of my variations. And some air cooling variations using large surface area heat sinks coupled to the metal chassis components so that they too act as heat sinks.

I'd like to have the unpowered wheel wind up with about ⅓ the drag or friction of stock. This will certainly help the driver feel subtleties more easily. It will also slightly help heat factors since Fanatec compensates for drive friction by using some of the motor's output to provide a power steering effect if you will. That drag is measured during the startup cycle when the wheel is powered on. So lesser inherent friction would then need less motor force cancellation. Hence heat and output benefits.
 
RacerXX
I'm using an adjustable power supply with independent current and voltage adjustments. Some motor driver circuit mods. Variable lightning and thunder haha. That way I can set whatever I'd like and read the actual delivered voltage and current live on the PSU's LED display. A fixed supply can certainly be used once I finalize my settings.

For motors I am using four Fana-Mabuchis or two custom wound 775s or other inexpensive to moderate priced lumps I have laying around. I have the motors driving bearing mounted belt-tension-adjustable drive pulleys. That way the motors can simply produce torque without side load complications. Copper coil water cooling along with Peltier in some of my variations. And some air cooling variations using large surface area heat sinks coupled to the metal chassis components so that they too act as heat sinks.

I'd like to have the unpowered wheel wind up with about ⅓ the drag or friction of stock. This will certainly help the driver feel subtleties more easily. It will also slightly help heat factors since Fanatec compensates for drive friction by using some of the motor's output to provide a power steering effect if you will. That drag is measured during the startup cycle when the wheel is powered on. So lesser inherent friction would then need less motor force cancellation. Hence heat and output benefits.
Click to expand...

I mean no disrespect in asking this. I hope you do not mind?

Can you please post pictures of the mods you have stated above? I would like to see what you have done: 775 motors, copper coils and peltier cooling, bearing supported shafts

I hope you can do this and not violate your NDA with Fanatec.

Thank you! :D Look forward to pictures of the modifications
 
In your trials Stan, have you found straight water cooling (sans Peltier) to be more effective than motor-mounted heat sinks? I am curious as to how you plan on reducing drive friction; that is something I am interested in as well. I'd also be extremely interested in seeing some photos. Any tips on improvement to motor circuit reliability?

Also, what would you say in your opinion is the area that needs the most improvement?
 
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I kid Thomas...

oo0Y9d4.jpg
 
ViaContra
I mean no disrespect in asking this. I hope you do not mind?

Can you please post pictures of the mods you have stated above? I would like to see what you have done: 775 motors, copper coils and peltier cooling, bearing supported shafts

I hope you can do this and not violate your NDA with Fanatec.

Thank you! :D Look forward to pictures of the modifications
Click to expand...

I'm thinking about setting up a little blog on hobby mods such as this one. May take me some time though, not in any hurry.
 
This is a very interesting developpement, but those wheel mod might be better located in a dedicated thread as they are not fanatec announcements
Just a thougth. Not telling anyone what do. It will be facinating to follow just like Pilmat brake project.
 
eKretz
In your trials Stan, have you found straight water cooling (sans Peltier) to be more effective than motor-mounted heat sinks? I am curious as to how you plan on reducing drive friction; that is something I am interested in as well. I'd also be extremely interested in seeing some photos. Any tips on improvement to motor circuit reliability?

Also, what would you say in your opinion is the area that needs the most improvement?
Click to expand...

Well it all depends on settings and output levels. I'm playing around with many options at the moment and all of them have little gotchas, surprises, and side effects. I'd like to have very little drive drag/friction to help subjective feel along with much higher than typical enthusiast market levels of FFB torque. You can easily add lotsa torque but wind up hurting subtlety due to friction and inertial factors. You can have very low drive friction but then lose high FFB levels and slop. I want both sensitivity and high FFB levels.

I have not finalized things like cooling since I load in different drives. I'm a fan (pun) of air cooling whenever possible due to simplicity and because air cooled 911s are so awesome haha. Using more of the Elites metal structure can help out there but I'd need more finalization of my approach first.

There are all sorts of things you can try out if you are into hobby mods in sim land. For instance one of the twin pulley frames I've made uses a pivoting triangular yoke to inherently balance the torque transmission capability of each pulley. In each drive direction, one of the pulleys sees less belt tension and wrap than the other hence can slip a bit. You can balance that out with the yoke or a limited slip mod or a neat motor mod I'm playing around with.

In the case of the latter I use retimed brushes such that one direction of travel is more efficient than the other…kind of like how internal combustion engines need timing advance. That one will require lots of testing and trials but is cool because you can then make the drive work the high belt tension motor harder and the low belt tension motor lesser to correspond to pulley to belt traction levels inherently. You just time one motor for CW and the other CCW, get it? Works in each direction.

I bring up all these side points as I am having fun sorting some of them out. I have not had my Elite wheel for very long (late January) and so I do some mods and drive it for awhile. Make more changes, etc.

In your case if you have finalized on the B motors, then try some water cooling. Lotta room on the LHS of the CSW/Elite base for related WC bits if you want to place them there. Straight water cooling can get you to ambient or close. Peltier can get you below ambient if one found that advantageous.
 
Cote Dazur
This is a very interesting developpement, but those wheel mod might be better located in a dedicated thread as they are not fanatec announcements
Just a thougth. Not telling anyone what do. It will be facinating to follow just like Pilmat brake project.
Click to expand...

Yeah, agree. I saw some related thinking in here so I joined in. I'm looking into a blog which might be the way to go.
 
I receive a replacement CSR Elite USA today. The left pulley is media blasted. But the thin belt is a two rib one (not a 3 ribs belt seen in a recent Clubsport Wheel). LCD screen seems brighter. Motors look different but can not be sure.
 
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Quick lob-in here

Posted page 321, June 21, 2012

K_Soze
I have a CSR Elite since last week. I use my G25 pedals until I have some clubsport pedals.
Click to expand...

Posted today

K_Soze
I receive a replacement CSR Elite USA today. The left pulley is media blasted. But the thin belt is a two rib one (seen in a Clubsport Wheel). LCD screen seems brighter. Motors look different but can not be sure.
Click to expand...

Something went wrong at month 7 or 8? A king hit or just slow crawl?

Virtual grog on me back o’bourke mates if the odds are not right…me thinks the other ones wheel who likes Monte Carlo could be next.
 
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The wheel was suddenly became coggy and sent brutal FFB effects (not sure about why) . It was heaven with rFactor2 (really feeling the same details than when driving a Cruden) and the day after I was not able to successfully reach any apex. Have a try with FM4 a the wheel gives me back the joy to drive.

Wife out of house this evening, I know what I will do :)

Edit : rFactor2 feels nice again
 
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I'm scrolling through the last few pages but no words on the CSL seat... Any experience?

Because:
fanateccsl.jpg


Going to unpack it monday :dopey:
 
Carlos
I'm scrolling through the last few pages but no words on the CSL seat... Any experience?

Because:
fanateccsl.jpg


Going to unpack it monday :dopey:
Click to expand...

If everything goes as planned, I am publishing the big overview tomorrow.

Thank you in advance if you stop by in the thread and give your opinion 👍

Congratulations on the purchase BTW!
 
Whoever pointed out about the fanatec wheels getting weaker has ruined my wheel. I didn't think they did at all until after seeing that and then paying more attention to it.

Mine does get much weaker after about 15 minutes or so, and it's driving me crazy now. the jolts from bumps and curbs is much, much weaker, and the weight of the wheel gets much lighter. It's like using a completely different wheel, and sucks.

I imagine I have an original CSW. Have they changed anything lately with it that helps the cooling? If so I'm going to see about sending it in to get updates done to it. I kind of use to think it was just tires starting to wear and the car sliding more, but last night I put on fresh tires and it was still doing it.

If I would have to guess it's probably at least a 50% loss of power on the wheel, it is way to big of a swing in power. There should be no loss at all with a wheel this expensive. I can't believe I didn't notice this before. I guess I was just to got up in the race to pay that mush attention.
 
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Sorry! I know what you mean, though. I try to stay away from AVSforums because of the stuff they always seem to find about problems with TV's, lol. If I don't know about it, I won't have the niggling urge to replace it, heh.

On another note, does your wheel have 2 cooling fans? My Elites didn't, but my new CSW does. I'm sure this helps, I do notice a bit less weakening with the CSW than with the Elites. Also, try a couple different firmwares, I noticed that that made some difference in how much weaker it got as well. Another thing you might want to look into is getting some motors from the "new" batch, that could be a possible factor as well, if yours are from the "bad" batch. (Still wondering if this really exists).
 
bevo
Whoever pointed out about the fanatec wheels getting weaker has ruined my wheel. I didn't think they did at all until after seeing that and then paying more attention to it.

Mine does get much weaker after about 15 minutes or so, and it's driving me crazy now. .
Click to expand...

Bevo, what firmware version are you running in your CSW?
 

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