Buying advice please - Next Level v3 Motion Platform

[MarkR]

I'm looking for some advice and thoughts of other owners or people with good knowledge of the product, please.

I always said I'd buy myself a motion simulator if I could afford one and had the room available. Well, that day may have arrived. I'm impressed by what I've seen of the Next Level v3 Motion Platform

This seems to meet all my criteria:

+ Limited space requirements, I don't have room for a huge sim rig but this seems compact enough to work.
+ Works with Oculus Rift VR, that fixed head position setting solution is impressive
+ Great support and regular updates from the developers
+ Available in the UK
+ Works with my current Thrustmaster wheel and accessories.
+ Sub £3k for the full setup, I'm not a pro racer I'm not looking for a practice simulator this is just for fun so the cost/fun balance has to be right.

So help me do the man maths! Is it worth it?

Is there another similar product I should also look at? It would need to be reasonably compact, work with VR, available in the UK without too much hassle and in the same £3-5K price range.

Is there anywhere I can try one or even better several of the systems in the UK?

 

[Mascot]

Playseat planted on NLV3 video ----->

That's bonkers! Shows the strength of the bugger though, handling all that extra offset mass without bursting into flames. Not sure converting a seat mover into a full motion setup is necessarily a good idea, but kudos to this chap's plums for attempting it..!

 

[anton_Chez]

I've had a minor issue with mine, as have a few other users around here. Nothing that a Teamviewer session did not fix along with a little self repair (cleaning sensor), talked through by the manufacturer. Nothing I needed to send the unit back for, or have much downtime apart from waiting for time zones to match up and be able to work with the company during work hours.

I would suggest that 20% reduction is a fair chunk of the profit the reseller would be looking to make, therefore, they would most likely want little liability in the long term given they don't stand to make much apart from their money back on the cost of holding the unit.

 

[Steve D]

Same as @AntoN_CheZ . Had a level calibration issue caused by a dirty optical sensor which was caused by some over-spray getting inside the unit when I was lubricating. (Lesson learnt) Took a few minutes to resolve. Apart from that, all good after 9 months.

 

[daveystewart28]

Good to know that Next Level are monitoring this thread. Hello chaps!

I think it's this Polish manufacturer here https://motionsystems.eu/product/motion-platforms/hs-203/ that actually builds the platform for NLR. I was trying to find out more info about the Playseat Motion since Playseat weren't much help at all.

 

[David Martinez]

Hi guys,
1 month ago I bought the NLRV3, it works very well, but I wonder if what I put in the video is normal.

Can you confirm it? Thank you !!

 

[anton_Chez]

Yes motionsystems.eu developed the product and Next Level are sort of the reseller. I have had dealings with a very nice gentleman at motionsystems and have been thrilled with the level of patience and customer service provided. Given that that job was assinged to the reseller, they really did go out of their way to lend me multiple hands.

 

[anton_Chez]

@David Martinez You mean the movement in the arm? There is a slight bit of movement when the platform is not in use. But you shouldn't really feel it when sitting in it with it powered off or with it maked 'parked' in the software.

I can drive without the platform on, and not feel anything moving when I am pressing on the brakes. Maybe a TINY bit, but when I am racing I don't notice. I don't run with it off much anymore unless the title does not support motion.

 

[BrainsBush]

Hi guys,
1 month ago I bought the NLRV3, it works very well, but I wonder if what I put in the video is normal.

Can you confirm it? Thank you !!

Hi David,

Like Anton wrote. I can also move my seat about 0,5cm also when turned off. It looks very similar to what you shared with us. I think it is ok (but I'm not an engineer nor an NLRv3 expert, just a happy user)

 

[David Martinez]

Thank you for your answers @AntoN_CheZ and @BrainsBush

Effectively when I'm sitting or with the base moving, it does not feel. It's only when it's off.
I'm happy to hear from you that it's normal.
I will continue here to learn from you

I feel my English, I am Spanish and I am using the google translator

 

[daveystewart28]

Could be the setup but it looks as though it’s not reacting at all to smaller bumps and only big swings. Surely also that is all wrong on the centre of mass?!

Personally I wouldn’t put the whole rig on something not designed for it with a large lever point that greatly increases actual applied load and whoever that is falsely thinks it can hold 150kg when it’s actually 130kg.

That's bonkers! Shows the strength of the bugger though, handling all that extra offset mass without bursting into flames. Not sure converting a seat mover into a full motion setup is necessarily a good idea, but kudos to this chap's plums for attempting it..!

I sent the link to the guy at the manufacturers and asked for his thoughts. He said “it will break eventually, it is not designed for this”
But I guess it’s testament to it’s quality that it was still going strong 3 months later. I wonder if it’s still alive now? ;-)

 

[daveystewart28]

Yes motionsystems.eu developed the product and Next Level are sort of the reseller. I have had dealings with a very nice gentleman at motionsystems and have been thrilled with the level of patience and customer service provided. Given that that job was assinged to the reseller, they really did go out of their way to lend me multiple hands.

Yeah, they answered my questions straight away and have been so helpful, they could teach the resellers a thing or two about customer service. Neither Playseatstore nor NLR have replied to my emails as yet but Motionsystems.eu got right back to me with great info and no particular benefit to them. Just really helpful. Some of their higher end products look the absolute mutts nuts. Lottery win territory for me though.

 

[HoiHman]

Drama with my NLMv3,

After being in email contact with Next Level for a couple of days back and forward, i was told to send the unit to their warehouse in the UK.

It should have been repaired after 4-5 day, but upon inquiry i found out that after arrival in the UK, they have send the unit to Poland and it's still in transit.

I really don't understand why they didn't let me ship it to Poland in the first place.

Next Level Racing have been real responsive and kind with their emails, but i'm really unhappy with the situation.

It's been more than 2,5 weeks since my unit broke down and it's hasn't even arrived at the repair center yet. Upon arrival it still needs to be repaired and shipped back to me ( hopefully NOT through their warehouse in the UK)

The way things are going it's a total of 4-5 weeks expected downtime, which is way too much in my opinion.

 

[anton_Chez]

Sorry to hear that, Hoi. It sucks when stuff breaks down, especially when it's an intergral part of your setup. I had the same deal with SimLab. Great service and understanding through the emails, but the overall end result left a little to be desired. They have a great range of products and I hope for peoples sake going forward that they have sorted through that now.

My only advice is if you have other things that need attention, do them now! I have recently started racing in leagues and that would be the worst, missing race meets. It's one thing to just want to drive when you feel like it, it's another when other people rely on you to show up. Once you get the taste for it you kind of don't want it to stop.

Fingers crossed over here for you.

 

[HoiHman]

I working on the Rig non stop Anton, yesterday i made some brackets with the same height as the NLMv3. So this weekend i will be racing again, with only simvibe and the GS-4. Will take some getting used to, but still more feedback than the average rig.

I love my NLMv3, but if i had to make a choice between the GS-4 and the NLMv3. The GS-4 wins

Apparently, if your unit breaks down in Europe, standard procedure is to send the unit to the UK. There it will be inspected and if needed send to the manufacturer in Poland. Which happened in my case.

Upon browsing on the Iracing forum, i read about 3 cases in which the lower left arm broke.
So i'm guessing that's what happened with my NLMv3 too. Including my failure this makes it 4 times, that the lower left arm broke that we know so far.

I hope motionsystems.eu have made some improvements in that area.

This weekend i'm gonna enjoy motionless racing and probably spend some time improving the various simvibe profiles.

Something else....

Bit off-topic but still close the NLMv3, check this beefed-up version of the NLMv3 available at Motionsystems EU

https://motionsystems.eu/product/motion-platforms/ps-2rm-150/

 

[Furnace Inferno]

That price and extra 35kg in weight though!

Imagine trying to lift that sucker into the rig .

 

[Mascot]

Bit off-topic but still close the NLMv3, check this beefed-up version of the NLMv3 available at Motionsystems EU

https://motionsystems.eu/product/motion-platforms/ps-2rm-150/

Applications: Racing and flights simulators, VR, healthcare equipment

 

[Furnace Inferno]

Like this maybe?

 

[BrainsBush]

Yep Mascot. You can use motion platform for e.g. patients who need to be craddled up and down to keep the blood circulation going. My wife works with people who cannot move themselves anymore and a nurse besides a bed to wobble a bed for a couple of hours is too expensive and not 2018 anymore (but a motion platform doesn't talk to a patient...never mind).

@HoiHman : Out of curiosity: was the left arm completely broken and was it loose/detached from the arm? How did you noticed it it was broken?

 

[HoiHman]

Yep Mascot. You can use motion platform for e.g. patients who need to be craddled up and down to keep the blood circulation going. My wife works with people who cannot move themselves anymore and a nurse besides a bed to wobble a bed for a couple of hours is too expensive and not 2018 anymore (but a motion platform doesn't talk to a patient...never mind).

@HoiHman : Out of curiosity: was the left arm completely broken and was it loose/detached from the arm? How did you noticed it it was broken?

I haven't open up the unit so i'm not 100% sure, but after seeing 3 other cases in which all the left lower arm broke and the fact that my unit couldn't be repaired in the UK, i'm suspecting the left arm has broken to.

 

[BrainsBush]

Hopefully it will be repared soon and also rapid logistics afterwards.