Derek Speare Designs | Official support Thread

[Brian Clancy]

This is the home for all questions about Dereks great products!

 

[Derek Speare]

Hi Gang,

Many thanks to Race Department for creating this subforum here! My intention is to ensure that all of my customers have a way to reach me outside of the iRacing world. Of course, my personal email is always the best, I also know that many of my customers are not iRacing members and need a means to discuss with me the various details of my components.

Thanks again to RD and Brian! Many thanks to my customers as well for their interest and enthusiasm in my components.

Derek Speare

 

[George Pilkington]

Hey Guys, thought you may be interested in my review so here it is...

Derek Spears Designs Pro Sequential Bent Rod GT Knob Shifter
The shifter arrived from Derek, in a jiffy bag through the post, just in time to be mounted to my SimXperience 3dof Motion Simulator prior to taking the simulator to the Autosport Show in January.
The shifter looked great and had a very solid action to it. The other good bit of news was that it slipped into the UK without being stopped in customs and hence no VAT… Nice one!
I looked at the mounting possibilities on the shifter and the motion rig. I decided to use the G27 shifter mount on the simulator and drilled two new holes in the side to take the side mounting bolts on the shifter itself. An easy 5 minutes with a tape measure and pillar drill later and the shifter was securely mounted to the simulator. On the proper side, the left! I plugged the shifter into the USB on the simulator pc and we were good to go.
Derek says it’s ‘Plug & Play’ and that’s what it is. I plugged it in and played. No Worries!
I then fired up the rig and iRacing’s Radical to thrash around Olton Park. After a few minutes with the calibration on the radical I was ready to drive out of the pits.
Engage clutch, pull back on the shifter leaver and a sound ‘Clunk’ was heard and felt as 1st gear was selected. Ease up the clutch and off I went… As usual, ‘Black flag’ for speeding in the pits… (Fortunately, slightly better than stalling while trying to leave the garage…)So I set up the pit limiter and off we went again.
This was the first time using a clutch and a sequential shifter for sim racing. I would say it took me about 3 laps to get used to the clutch and only about 3 shifts to appreciate the DSD Pro Shifter!
The action is perfect, pull back to shift up, push away to shift down. You pull back to the stop, thegear is selected and then let the stick drift off your fingers with a gratifying thud as it goes home.
Downshifting is just as nice. Clutch goes in with a simultaneous push away on the shifter and you’re done. Combine this with a bit of heel and toe action and soon your feeling like ‘His Stiggness’ as you go faster and faster through the gears and around the track.
The laps go one after another; very soon I am running out of gas. Wow, is that the time? A tank full went just shifting…
Nothing since my SimXperience Motion Rig has added so much feel and immersion to my sim racing as the shifter has. It’s strange really, as it just shifts the gears, BUT that alone seems to make a huge difference to the simulation experience.
The unit itself appears to be pretty bullet proof. At the Autosport Show, where we were demonstrating the Simulator between 9am and 6 pm, we estimate that we did over 5000 gear shifts in one day. The shifter performed perfectly during this extensive test, feeling just the same at the start of the day as it did at the end. Now weeks and many shifts later its still feeling just the same. This unit will last a very long time.
During the show we went to the Radical Stand and got Alex Brundle, son of Martin (F1 commentary) to come and set up the Radical for us. (He is a Radical test Pilot) Alex drove 20+ laps around Brands Hatch Indy in the SR8 while fine tuning the set up for us. He told us he enjoyed the simulator immensely and thought that the DSD Shifter was quote “Perfect!”
Every one who drove the simulator liked the shifter
Every simulator that we sold over the event was ordered with the DSD shifter.
If you are looking for something to add to your race set up, that works, is reliable and immerses you more, then you have just found it.
There is now a new rule in my Simulator. We only use paddles on the Williams and HPD.
In everything else, we run the Derek Speare Designs Pro Sequential Bent Rod GT Knob Shifter.
Don’t go racing without one

I cant work out how to put up a still or two of my rig and the shifter... sorry.
Best regards

George

 

[Derek Speare]

Hi George - I'm happy to do it and am pleased the shifter is doing exactly what it's intended to do

 

[itrdc5]

Nice writeup. Don't post a still or two. Upload a video to youtube

 

[Derek Speare]

Here's a video one of my customers shot of his Pro Sequential in action.

 

[Kevin Cordice]

Look good Mr Speare

 

[EIF]

Do want

 

[Hampus Andersson]

So the guy is as tight lipped as one can be (can´t blame him really) but i thought i´d make a thread here to give them some more exposure.

If you have any questions then read this, that is all you will get out of Derek for now

When? When I have them ready;
How much? Less than you think;
Type of brake? Fluid hydraulic, Measurement Specialties Ratiometric Pressure Transducer;
Throttle and Clutch? Hall sensors;
Controller board? My 6 channel, 36 button 12 bit controller board (4096 steps of resolution)
How will you get a set? More on that when I have it, but let's just say some of you may be able to figure it out

Looks like Clubsports? Sort of - Thomas has a fabulous set of pedal which inspired me, and I love my Clubbies;

If you write me, I will send you to this thread (iracing thread)

So to the pictures!

First picture seems to be one of the more later versions so some picture below might have parts in different places or simply are missing parts so you know.

If you are like me, sitting with a pair of Clubsport pedals and is looking for the next level then i´m sure this will be in your sights.

Can´t wait to see these bad boys finished. I´m gonna go broke over the next years i feel
Need a cockpit and pedals

 

[Paul Mullins]

Sadly, I think Fanatec are going to have more to say about these pedals than we'd like since they are very very similar in design..

That said, I think they look awesome and the "Fluid hydraulic, Measurement Specialties Ratiometric Pressure Transducer" certainly sounds nice and sure to impress your mates

 

[Tom Moreno]

That said, I think they look awesome and the "Fluid hydraulic, Measurement Specialties Ratiometric Pressure Transducer" certainly sounds nice and sure to impress your mates

If they're in to sim-racing! If they're anything like my mates though there will be no end to the p*ss that will be taken!!!

 

[Chronus]

Sadly, I think Fanatec are going to have more to say about these pedals than we'd like since they are very very similar in design..

I hope not. They may look similar, maybe that alone will not cause Derek any trouble. Fanatec and Logitech are probably looking more into circuitry and software than design or visual configuration.

I really hope not, we need more guys like Leo and Derek producing good components or full gear. Thumbs up for both.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

He won´t have any problems with fanatec, that´s nonsense.

And if you think hydralic brake, 4000 steps of resolution and hall sensors are for showing off to your mates then i suggest buying a sidewinder wheel with pots instead as you clearly have not understood why it´s on the pedals.

 

[EIF]

I've been looking at Derek's site for a while and it all looks high quality. I'd definitely be interested in a set of these pedals (and one of his seq shifters too)

 

[Hampus Andersson]

this sequential is sick looking. Like something you would find in a GT1 Corvette or similar.
http://www.**********************/0_0_0_0_250_333_csupload_40047964.jpg?u=4274747088

 

[EIF]

Yeah that's the one, looks tough as nails. A sequential shifter would be a luxery on my part but I feel these pedals are absolutely essential . . getting a bit tired of my G27 pedals now lol

 

[Kjell Eilertsen]

He won´t have any problems with fanatec, that´s nonsense.

And if you think hydralic brake, 4000 steps of resolution and hall sensors are for showing off to your mates then i suggest buying a sidewinder wheel with pots instead as you clearly have not understood why it´s on the pedals.

Why be rude about it? He merely pointed out a worry he has and that the insanely long name sounds "impressive", no need to discredit his need or no need for the product on such a comment.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Yeah that's the one, looks tough as nails. A sequential shifter would be a luxery on my part but I feel these pedals are absolutely essential . . getting a bit tired of my G27 pedals now lol

I think the biggest thing that will be noticable is the amount of steps, i´m not sure but what the the G25 pedals have? 256? 512? steps of resolution. CSP´s are 512 i believe.
Must be a different world having 4000 steps!
Add a longer throw and you can modulate the pedals in a much more exact way.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Why be rude about it?

I´m terribly sorry if i offended anyone, especially you.

 

[Kjell Eilertsen]

You didn't offend me, I just think this forum could do with a little nicer tone, especially after the pCars banned thread debacle ><
Now those pedals do look impressive. I'll be getting some Fanatecs first but if I ever feel like upgrading these will for sure be on my list!