Fanatec Wheel has Arrived!

More support for the theory, thanks Lou! Meanwhile I have already heard back from Fanatec. They said they are going to send me a new 'main-pcb'. They say it will fix my issues and is quite easy to replace.

Doing a internet search for 'main-pcb' comes back with pictures of a circuit board. Through the window on the Elite I see one board on the back, where everything plugs in. I am actually pretty excited about this -- if all these pieces fall together right, I may have my voicechat issues and my wheel freeze issues disappear by replacing this part. Regardless, +1 to Fanatec support for such a quick turn-around. I am quite pleased.

Beef, I second what Lou said. That Value pack is an incredible deal. Seems that most folks out there have the CSR wheel, as evident in forums and when browsing game settings on f-wheel.com. I enjoy my Elite but the cost has me so damn paranoid about it all the time. This freezing issue alone has been quite upsetting. The Elite pedals have been amazing, though. DO IT. MAKE IT HAPPEN.

beefsupreme42 wrote:I'm seriously thinking about getting the fanatec wheel with horizon coming out soon, it seems like the perfect game to start using the weel with. right now it seems like it will come down to how much I have to spend. Any recommendations for what I should get?

Beef, I just bought mine & thought I'd share what I found. First, I'd highly recommend the rennsport stand, well worth the $130 if you can spare it. I decided I'd be fine w/ the regular CSR pedals per Lou's opinion. So then I was between the CSR & the 911GT2. I went w/ the GT2 so I might be a little biased towards it, but this is pretty much a neutral comparison:

CSR
- Pros

• Price - Wheel & pedals = $250
  
• Responsiveness - Lighter weight materials in the rim make it quicker/more responsive (better for LMP cars)

- Cons

• Cheap feeling - the lighter weight materials mean the rim is a little plastic"y" for some people
  
• Wear & tear - The rubber'y" bit where your hands go can start to peel up where it meets the plastic"y" bit that runs across the top of the rim

911GT2
- Pros

• Superior materials/ Build quality - Rim is covered w/ the exact same alcantra leather Porsche uses on the GT2!!!
  
• Appearance - I personally think the GT2 wheel looks way better

- Cons

• Price - Compared to the CSR value pack, its an extra $80 (Basically, you have to buy the pedals instead of them being included)
  
• Heavier feel - I look at this as a pro since I wanted a solid feel which is better for road cars (F-S class), but some prefer the lighter feel of the CSR for R3+ class

Basically, the CSR is cheaper & feels lighter... the GT2 feels more solid & is a little pricier. Hope this helps! Anyone, feel free to interject!

Also, on the headphones... I agree w/ Lou

I have the turtle beach x-31. It's wireless game audio but requires a cord to the controller for chat & does NOT work w/ the wheel. Any headset that's completely wireless should work, like the microsoft wireless or the turtle beach xp-300($170).

Fraid is correct... the standard CSR does feel plasticy, but it's solid and does not feel cheap.... He is also correct in that the soft touch (not really rubber) materials in the grip area will peel slightly, but I've had my wheel for over 6 months and everything is still intact....

There is one other thing to consider with the Porsche wheel versus the CSR. The Porsche GT2 wheel is based on the CSR (not the elite) and with the standard pedals, you are at the price of the CSR Value Pack XL (the one with the elite pedals and shifters).... A big plus to the Porsche wheel is that you chan change out the paddles for the Carbon fiber Club-Sport ones.

Honestly, you cannot go wrong with any of the FANATEC products... Get the one that speaks to you, and you will be fine...

On the Rensport Stand, GET IT.... I love mine and just finished firmly securing the pedals to the base with heavy duty locking velcro... Next step is to drill and mount with bolts.... I'm now using mine at my desk in my home office... MUCH better than a table clamp and it WELL worth the $130...

I would spend some time on f-wheel.com to help gauge which direction you want to go. Comb the forums and read through the Game Settings pages. For example, if you intend on playing a lot of GT5 (or PS3 games in general), I'd maybe lean towards the GT2 as there seems to be a larger Porsche wheel community for PS3 titles. Conversely, if you will be spending more time on your Xbox playing Forza titles, you may appreciate the CSR community feedback.

In the end, Fanatec makes cool shit, period. Having any FFB wheel will be a joy. I didn't realize how significant the switch would be for me but now I can't imagine going back.

It's cool to know we have a GT2 wheel in our club! Thems some good looking wheels.

I haven't used the stand but I'd trust these guys who say it's a must-have. Since I setup my rig at my computer desk, I bought the desk clamp. I have great things to say about that as an option, as it's easy to install and solid as a rock.

thanks for the tips guys. its a tough decision for me, but I think I am leaning a little toward the GT2 wheel. It doesn't sound like there are very many race oriented cars in horizon, so the heavier feel may be a benefit. In the end, though, I think it will come down to price for me. I would definitely like to get the stand, so maybe I will just try to fix the peeling issue that may come with the CSR with a little duct tape if i means saving me some money.

Just a quick question - Is there a paddle shift option available for either of them? This would definitely be something that I would like to have, so it may cast the deciding vote

Yes, both are paddle shift and the newest firmware has an auto pitch option. And the GT2 can swap in carbon fiber paddles! (sold seperately for extra $ of course)

Yeah... Both have paddle shifters (come included)... You don't need to get the shifter set (and honestly they are a novelty)....

For $250 you can get the CSR Wheel and the CSR Pedals...

For $330 you can get the GT2 wheel and the CSR Pedals

For $360 you can get the CSR Wheel, CSR Elite Pedals and the shifter set

For $500 you can get the GT2 Wheel, Clubsport V2 Pedals, carbon paddles, RF Dongle (PS3 and PC) and the Porsche Shifter Set...

Add $130 you can get get the Rensport stand (HIGHLY recommended)

The AutoClutch (ACL) feature ROCKS for the paddles too....

ok so the paddle shifters are included in all of the packages you listed?

Yes.

Also, this.

I do disagree with Lou on one thing, and that's that I enjoy my stick shift. It's cheap and imperfect, but I have fun with it. I try to use it when I'm driving a car that doesn't have a "flappy paddle gearbox".

Speaking of, the new Petite Lemans challenge with the Vipers. Y'all try it in cockpit view? He's using a stick shift. Wouldn't they have paddles in a car like that?

THIS JUST IN: Another 30 minutes of play with no freezing (and no mic plugged in).

I had a break-through with my wheel last night!!!

Somewhere on the forza forums I read that you should reduce all the in-game deadzone settings to their minimum. Did that 1st thing and kinda forgot about it. It made my throttle and brake pedals so sensitive they were basically on or off switches. I'm sure it was screwing up other stuff as well. After I reset to default (& then lowered the steering deadzone about 75%) I entered a whole new world!!! Man this thing is awesome!

FraidKn0t wrote:I had a break-through with my wheel last night!!!

Somewhere on the forza forums I read that you should reduce all the in-game deadzone settings to their minimum. Did that 1st thing and kinda forgot about it. It made my throttle and brake pedals so sensitive they were basically on or off switches. I'm sure it was screwing up other stuff as well. After I reset to default (& then lowered the steering deadzone about 75%) I entered a whole new world!!! Man this thing is awesome!

Nice....

For the record, we do have a thread here somewhere discussing the optimal settings...

BiggLou55 wrote:For the record, we do have a thread here somewhere discussing the optimal settings...

If only I knew where it was!

At first I was trying settings all over the place to figure out what worked for me. Completely forgot that I had messed with the in game stuff though. When I get home I'll post up my exact settings to give any newcomers something to try.

Try looking here!

https://u2sc.forumotion.co.uk/t160-fanatec-csr-and-csr-elite-help-thread

ok thanks guys, I just need 1 more thing: a link to the website because whenever I try to get to fanatec's website from google or the address bar, I can't get on...

The Site! http://www.fanatec.de/

The Store! http://www.fanatec.de/webshop/new_usa/index.php

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/vgm/3202628424.html is this a good deal?

Yes it is Low...

Huh. I received my new mainboard from Fanatec, and...well that's all I received. No tools or documentation at all. Through the window I can tell that this "new" board is the same make as the one currently in there. I am curious to see if things improve upon changing it out, but I can't say that I'm optimistic. I'm also quite hesitant to just start taking my wheel apart...

Has anyone used the pedal inversion kit?

Fanatec and I have settled on them giving me store credit equal to the value that I paid for MS Wireless headset since their headset jack is garbage. I don't know what to spend it on though.

I've wanted to get it, but just haven't yet... Looks cool though... Not really sure it's worth the cash though...

What about putting it towards the Rensport Stand?

Thought about that too, but for now my desk setup is working for everyone. I have my own room for it, don't have to drag it out and put it back, and it's quite stable. The only drag is the monitor size which is a nonissue once the car is moving.

The desk mount is rock solid. You just need, you know, a desk. That's sort of unusual for an Xbox setup but I happened to stumble into it.

I'm actually thinking of selling mine...

--- 1. I've been playing upstairs in the bedroom a lot lately and the rig is downstairs.
--- 2. I'd really like to have the cash to buy an AR-15 before O-bah-mah re-instates the assault weapons ban (I think he will at least try to do so this term)

I just haven't found myself using it very much (put maybe 4 hrs on it total). And I can always buy another one when the next generation of wheels come out for xbox 720.

If they go for the weapons ban, then it's a fail... It was pretty clear what the voters want, and it's not a weapons ban.... Beside... The ban only really affects those that abide by the law...

Fingers crossed!