Haha, I can't believe you just posted this. I haven't received my order yet but I am having a bit of trouble with them. I ordered the wheel and it shipped fine but I had to make a separate order for the stand. It's been in "processing" for the last week (the wheel shipped the next day) and I've tried to get in contact with them twice using their crappy form on their website and no one has got back to me. They've have charged me so they probably don't care too much.
I've had the misfortune of dealing with their customer service and for one thing their company is horribly structured to handle the volume of sales they are getting because of GT5. Their support is swamped/overworked and are sometimes quite incompetent.
1. Their support is located in Germany
2. They only have two english speaking CSR reps for NA
3. Hours of operations for the CSRs are based on German timezones
4. They have a NA warehouse, but that is located in the US
5. Call centres for the US warehouse direct you to an answering machine dealt with by German CSR people
My experience with them is an absolute nightmare. I ordered two wheels (for myself and my friend) and a stand from them back at the end of August (to try to beat the GT5 rush). They didn't even put the order through until headquarters processed my order 2 weeks later even though they had to charge me right away. They ship the order in 3 separate packages (because of size, fair enough) but only gave me one tracking number.
So I get the one of the wheels and a stand after a couple of weeks shipping time (1 month after I ordered), but they screwed up the order total with the unit price on the customs slip and I end up having to pay double the amount of GST on it. Plus on top of that, somehow Canada customs decided to hold my 2nd wheel for a month and my request for the last tracking number from their CSR took 3 weeks to get (English speaking ladies went on vacation) and that was only after leaving multiple emails and voice mails. All in all, 2+ months before getting everything in my order from the time I paid and when I received... Not as bad as some guys I've heard that waited 6 months.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Meelapo
FlameOn, any configuration tips for the wheel? Can I just plug it in and go? I'll have to find a Windows XP computer so I can add the new firmware (I have a Mac).
Build quality on this thing is top notch. Fanatec builds an amazing wheel though their support and shipping are crap. Just make sure you update the firmware from 911wheel.de (They do not update their fanatec page, this is direct from the engineers) before you start and re-cal your shifter before you start playing; Your shifter or wheel may not work correctly otherwise. You may also have to run some games in compatibility mode otherwise some games will think the wheel is a sixaxis (leading to funny things like the gas pedal mapped to look left/right, etc) I don't have experience with this thing on the PC though.
I'll be happy with GT5 when it shows up in my mailbox... Waited so many years for this
Last edited by FlameOn; 11-12-2010 at 12:28 PM.
Reason: Can't spell
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Update: It appears the catch is that the wheel is a POS. I wonder if you can return it for store credit.
That thing looks horrible. It's like something you would give a 5 year old to play with. I've seen wheels like this go for 29-39 on sale at FS... margin is probably 100% on this thing so, they get it for like $10 tops and will probably only refund you that amount if that.
I've had the misfortune of dealing with their customer service and for one thing their company is horribly structured to handle the volume...
Thanks for the reply FlameOn. Do you have the phone numbers you used to call them handy? I'd like to call them and ask them what the hell is happening with the stand. There is another stand (WheelstandPro) that I would buy if this thing can't get to me but it doesn't look as solid and the Rennsport.
Thankfully, my wheel has gone through customs and it's supposed to be delivered today (according to the Canada Post website). I just hope I don't have any technical issues with it.
Is wheel and shifter calibration done using a program in Windows or can I do that within a game? Like I said I have a Mac and from the reading I've done the firmware and any software seem to only function under Windows.
Back to GT5....looks like there's a bit of drama with the standard vs premium cars. Apparently you can only modify premium cars and the standard ones are as is.
Thanks for the reply FlameOn. Do you have the phone numbers you used to call them handy? I'd like to call them and ask them what the hell is happening with the stand. There is another stand (WheelstandPro) that I would buy if this thing can't get to me but it doesn't look as solid and the Rennsport.
You'll be quite happy with the wheel I think, my buddies who have the G27 love the Fanatec and how it feels. As for the contact number, its impossible to find on their website, but if you've managed to get them to reply to your emails its attached to some of their CSR sigs. 1-866-292-6226.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Meelapo
Is wheel and shifter calibration done using a program in Windows or can I do that within a game? Like I said I have a Mac and from the reading I've done the firmware and any software seem to only function under Windows.
The shifter calibration is done on the wheel itself. There's a button beside a 4 digit screen above the wheel that you hit for this. You may have to struggle with their manual for a bit to get this sorted out. It's still better than some electronics from China where the instructions are scribbled on a piece of toilet paper. Wheel does not need to be calibrated but you may want to set up how much force feedback and rotation are allowed depending on your driving preference... it can be set to 180/360/900 of rotation. Set to 900 if you want to look like an anime character when doing a sharp corner. You are right with the updates... firmware update needs to be done from a WinXP/7 based PC. You could probably skip the firmware update if you have no problems out of the box... There were a couple of quirky bugs in the earlier software revs mostly with the force feedback
Got the wheel set up and upgraded the firmware from 618 to the latest version (681). I'm really having a bit of difficulty in Forza 3 because the cars keep on spinning out. I think I might not be used to the wheel and I probably need to mess around with the settings to get them the way I like them. The only race I was doing decent in was the New York (Original) track with the Audio RS4. My time with the wheel was a 1:09.8 and with the controller it's 1:06.00. All the other tracks I can't finish.
I did pre-order NFS: Hot Pursuit so I'll have another game and then GT5 comes out later.
All in all the firmware upgrade went rather smoothly. I just created an XP partition in BootCamp and it worked like a charm. The only "issue" I have is after centering the wheel every time I turn it on and it calibrates itself it doesn't go to dead centre but a little of centre (tiny bit). It doesn't seem to make a difference though because when I put the wheel in dead centre the car seems to drive straight. I'm just happy I didn't run into all the issues that others were having.
Got the wheel set up and upgraded the firmware from 618 to the latest version (681). I'm really having a bit of difficulty in Forza 3 because the cars keep on spinning out. I think I might not be used to the wheel and I probably need to mess around with the settings to get them the way I like them. The only race I was doing decent in was the New York (Original) track with the Audio RS4. My time with the wheel was a 1:09.8 and with the controller it's 1:06.00. All the other tracks I can't finish.
I've learned from playing a ton of racing games that a force feedback wheel is more "for fun" than for setting best lap times.
Play with the steering degrees of rotation setting to see what is most comfortable for you. I think I used 180° only on FlameOn's wheel. 900° means that to get the full range of x-axis movement, you have to spin the wheel like 3 times.
Also, I'm not sure how well the sticky pad that comes with the stand is for holding the pedals on. I ended up strapping the pedals to FlameOn's stand with a belt - the kind that hold your pants up.
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I've learned from playing a ton of racing games that a force feedback wheel is more "for fun" than for setting best lap times.
I can see that but I still think there can be some improvement with lap times. I'm not super great to begin with anyways and I noticed when using the controller that when going around turns I would always have to correct my steering because it was hard to keep the stick in a stationary position throughout the bend.
One thing I noticed is that with my current set up (just using a TV tray I bought from Walmart and the pedals are sitting on the carpet) the pedals slide away from me preventing me from feathering the throttle around the turns. This is where I lost the most time between the two controller set ups. I don't care so much about times really I just want to be successful in the single player portion and, if my friends have the same racing games, it's fun to compare times.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hack&Lube
Play with the steering degrees of rotation setting to see what is most comfortable for you. I think I used 180° only on FlameOn's wheel. 900° means that to get the full range of x-axis movement, you have to spin the wheel like 3 times.
At first I thought that the 900° was the way to go but now I'm thinking that it might not be case.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hack&Lube
Also, I'm not sure how well the sticky pad that comes with the stand is for holding the pedals on. I ended up strapping the pedals to FlameOn's stand with a belt - the kind that hold your pants up.
After sorting out my order with Fanatec they are shipping my Rennsport stand today. My wheel came with a steel plate that can be attached to the bottom of the pedal weight to give it more weight. There is a pedal stopper attachment that you can purchase that you can screw onto the stand that prevents the pedals from moving but according to the Youtube video where the CEO Thomas (I think that's him) is describing this part he states that if you use the metal plate with the pedals it's not needed. If I do need something I'll just use Velcro. Speaking of which...
Anyone know where to buy rolls of Velcro in Calgary? I usually order it from Monoprice but if I can find it locally I'd rather get it here.
Also, some questions with regards to the wheel...
Is it supposed to make a noise while being turned? I'm guessing this is the belt that is making the noise but I'm not sure if it's supposed to be silent or not.
When the wheel is off I can turn it and there is very little resistance. When the wheel is on there is more resistance even with the dri setting to 5. Is the wheel supposed to have more resistance while on then when off?
Is it supposed to make a noise while being turned? I'm guessing this is the belt that is making the noise but I'm not sure if it's supposed to be silent or not.
When the wheel is off I can turn it and there is very little resistance. When the wheel is on there is more resistance even with the dri setting to 5. Is the wheel supposed to have more resistance while on then when off?
For your lap times, they're going to vary a lot until you get the hang of actually driving with the wheel.
As for resistance... its not going to have any resistance when its off... Just the FF motors kicking in when its on.
Do you know if this works without the pedals (ie, if you can accelerate/break through the wheel)? I'm considering getting one (although the GT3 version) but am not sure if my apartment can afford a full on set....so I was thinking of maybe just getting the wheel for now.
Do you know if this works without the pedals (ie, if you can accelerate/break through the wheel)? I'm considering getting one (although the GT3 version) but am not sure if my apartment can afford a full on set....so I was thinking of maybe just getting the wheel for now.
GT5 has profiles that allow for wheel only settings so that should work... Though I think it might be quite awkward to accelerate on one of the sholder or front facing buttons on the wheel... what happens when you need to start turning?
I'm so jealous of all the ppl that managed to get the game early with the collectors edition car and book. That thing looks amazing.
I heard some people broke street date in the states, also there was a whole shipment of GT5 stolen from a parked truck so some have been playing it for weeks.
I'm so jealous of all the ppl that managed to get the game early with the collectors edition car and book. That thing looks amazing.
I heard some people broke street date in the states, also there was a whole shipment of GT5 stolen from a parked truck so some have been playing it for weeks.
I had the Collector's Edition on pre-order but decided to cancel. Even though I am a huge GT5 fan and love cars I didn't think the $40 premium was worth it. Because Toys R Us is having a sale and I want to get Sly Cooper Collection I'll probably end up getting the game for $45.99 ((Sly @ $39.99 + GT5 @ $59.99) - $30 TRU discount) or have it pricematched at Best Buy or Futureshop.
I hope they have some DLC for this game because it sounds like some of the fancier cars aren't even premium cars (i.e. Bugatti Veyron) so they'll be GT4 calibre. With high profile cars like that not even premium cars and some completely missing (2010 cars, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Audio RS4, etc.) I'm wondering what they were actually doing for all these years. I guess I'll find out in a few days.
I finally got my stand shipped from Fanatec. I payed two weeks ago and earlier this week the order was still in "Processing". I contacted them and they said they didn't receive payment even though my Visa was charged and Paypal sent me a receipt. After getting that sorted out they "shipped" it a few days ago but USPS tracking says they've received the request however they haven't received the parcel. Fanatec says they've shipped it and USPS is busy right now and "is more concerned with shipping the order than with updating the tracking". I was under the impression that whenever a package was scanned it's tracking was updated and didn't require any additional effort on their part but what do I know. I just want it soon!!
Bah, just sucked it up and bough both the GT3 wheel and the stand. Can't believe i spent 500 bucks on this, but what the hell.
Btw, how realistic is the clutch on these things? Is it remotely close to driving a real car (ie, it stalls out if you don't do it right)? If it's not too bad, maybe my gf can practice driving a stick on this before she graduates to the real car, ha.
Bah, just sucked it up and bough both the GT3 wheel and the stand. Can't believe i spent 500 bucks on this, but what the hell.
Btw, how realistic is the clutch on these things? Is it remotely close to driving a real car (ie, it stalls out if you don't do it right)? If it's not too bad, maybe my gf can practice driving a stick on this before she graduates to the real car, ha.
Welcome to the club!
It really depends on how well the thing is implemented in the game. Games like GT are simulations so they will be very close to a real car and will stall when you shift/clutch incorrectly. It'll even take into account nuances of specific cars and how they shift sometimes... Arcade games like NFS for example are not very realistic and you just move the shifter around and it can be set to auto clutch for you.
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Bah, just sucked it up and bough both the GT3 wheel and the stand. Can't believe i spent 500 bucks on this, but what the hell.
Btw, how realistic is the clutch on these things? Is it remotely close to driving a real car (ie, it stalls out if you don't do it right)? If it's not too bad, maybe my gf can practice driving a stick on this before she graduates to the real car, ha.
I haven't tried the clutch but I do notice that the H-shifter is a bit loud and clunky. I haven't used it at all so maybe it takes some time to work it on. Fanatec is making a Clubsport Shifter that is quieter and a bit better. I think I might get those or the Clubsport pedals later on.
Last night my girlfriend took the wheel for a spin. Unfortunately I was using a Wal-Mart TV tray stand and she couldn't reach the pedals so I had to move the tray legs a part a bit so the pedals would fit between. Anyways, half way through the lap the tray snapped in half so now I don't have a stand! And to top it all of Fanatec emailed me on Friday saying that they think USPS has lost my order!!
I haven't tried the clutch but I do notice that the H-shifter is a bit loud and clunky. I haven't used it at all so maybe it takes some time to work it on. Fanatec is making a Clubsport Shifter that is quieter and a bit better. I think I might get those or the Clubsport pedals later on.
Last night my girlfriend took the wheel for a spin. Unfortunately I was using a Wal-Mart TV tray stand and she couldn't reach the pedals so I had to move the tray legs a part a bit so the pedals would fit between. Anyways, half way through the lap the tray snapped in half so now I don't have a stand! And to top it all of Fanatec emailed me on Friday saying that they think USPS has lost my order!!
Crappy luck with shipping these days for all of us... Do you have the tracking number for your stand? It's probably just stuck in customs or something. Canada customs has been really anal since the whole Yeman bomb scare thing.
I haven't tried the clutch but I do notice that the H-shifter is a bit loud and clunky. I haven't used it at all so maybe it takes some time to work it on. Fanatec is making a Clubsport Shifter that is quieter and a bit better. I think I might get those or the Clubsport pedals later on.
Last night my girlfriend took the wheel for a spin. Unfortunately I was using a Wal-Mart TV tray stand and she couldn't reach the pedals so I had to move the tray legs a part a bit so the pedals would fit between. Anyways, half way through the lap the tray snapped in half so now I don't have a stand! And to top it all of Fanatec emailed me on Friday saying that they think USPS has lost my order!!
From what I hear the Clubsport pedals are made really well, so hopefully any new clubsport shifter itself is an upgrade too. I haven't had a chance to feel anything, but if there is one thing that at least looks a little cheap, it's the shifters. It doesn't make much of a difference Im sure but if wish they had those shifters with the loose leather wrap.
Really looking forward to trying it all out! Can't wait to see the look on my gf's face when she comes home from work and there's a whole wheel/pedal/stand setup going. Good thing I just bought her an engagement ring, so I have some goodwill to spare.
