Which Fanatec DD are you buying and why?

[White Hawk]

I couldn’t see this type of post anywhere and as I’m undecided on a DD1 or the PS4 version for extra compatibility right now thought I’d put this up, forgive me if it’s already been done.

 

[super_gt]

There will certainly be a new QR:

Thanks for the great and honest review (as usual), Barry. It is an honour that you rated the force feedback quality of the DD2 at the level of the other new generation DDs out there and liked our package. Thank you very much
Your critisizm on the QR is well noted but I doubt that it has any effect on the ff quality as the flex is not in the rotational direction. And hey, have you ever wondered why we made the QR on the wheel base and even on all our latest steering wheels exchangeable? In case you can't wait you can also use the screw to get rid of any flex as well.

New QR coming soon! Looking forward to that, and the Porsche Cup wheel!!

I did not mention soon And given the history of delayed shipments I should better not announce any date anyway
Of course we are working on a proper solution which also does not require you to use an external cable like the QR suggested by Barry.

 

[White Hawk]

What indedd

Lol what? Sure it will effect the FFB. Having a vertical play like that will definitely make your lose some ffb details.

What indeed, if he’d held the shaft and rotated the wheel even with force and he’d had play then, that would absolutely be concerning, but he doesn’t, he twists the rim in a direction that the motor doesn’t deal with and at an amount no one does, so no, it will do absolutely nothing to the forces the base provides, it’s rather bizarre to say it would, if there’s no play in the direction of FFB the FFB will be fine.

Just checked my Formula V2 rim same as he used and it’s solid, clearly his parts are out of spec.

 

[White Hawk]

Would you look at that, just as I posted my last message too, lol.

As for a new QR, it’s certainly possible though I’m sure the majority are happier than Barry is with his, they have stated the possibility of it in the future maybe to allow third party rims to attach more directly and the manual shows how to remove the current one.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Marketing mic drop. Sorry but as a visual aid that is a doozy!

Barry also said it was competitive and he liked the software.

My point being we have no actual measurements or even relative perceptions side by side.

Does flex matter? In general, yes. However I doubt it is a huge difference or Barry wouldn't have called it competitive.

Either way I don't think arguing about whether it matters or not will amount to more than a baseless argument on either side.

 

[GEO147]

Yeah we all have play in the fanatec connections a little. But when using a v2.5 it's not so worrying due to lesser forces, but a dd with plat at any connection can't be good.
I believe Fanatec did their very best to accommodate their primary competitive edge that being the case of switching multiple high quality rims without wires, but they should have gone true wireless like simucube and left it up to the end user whether or not they wanted wireless solid or slightly flexy wired as it always has been.
Two connection choices would be needed for that to accommodate older rims and newer true wireless ones with a solid mount.
That's my opinion anyhow.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Keep in mind that Barry has been using a Leo Bodnar wheel for many years and a D-Box system and and and...

He is likely sensitive to a lot of things most people aren't because he's tried a dozen pedal systems and torn them apart bolt by bolt as well as every other component on his and most of our rigs.

Getting defensive about some Barry said only comes off as weak. You roll with it and move on.

 

[GEO147]

When you've spent so much on aluminium rigs, solid mounting systems for base, pedals etc, and forked it 1200 or 1500 euro on a DD base.

You want ZERO flex if any kind at the wheel. And Fanatec had to respond like that given what Barry showed in the video. No choice.

Would I still consider DD1/2, YES.

But not quite as sure now.

 

[Furnace Inferno]

What indedd



What indeed, if he’d held the shaft and rotated the wheel even with force and he’d had play then, that would absolutely be concerning, but he doesn’t, he twists the rim in a direction that the motor doesn’t deal with and at an amount no one does, so no, it will do absolutely nothing to the forces the base provides, it’s rather bizarre to say it would, if there’s no play in the direction of FFB the FFB will be fine.

Just checked my Formula V2 rim same as he used and it’s solid, clearly his parts are out of spec.

Nonsense, if you the wheel is freely spinning then that is true but your arms are perpendicular to the wheel on two points and are also not rigid which means the play will come into effect.

Whether or not you’ll notice it when your arms are shaking from the force is another thing.

The fact that from the very beginning they said there would be a proper QR update says they already knew full well it wasn’t as solid as the competition/best QR’s out there. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has compared because it is poor in comparison, I also wouldn’t use the screw after mine got stuck in the shaft after the crappy soft aluminium bolts the use on everything got permanently stuck!

It’s a great option for European DD users though hopefully with more options comes better game FFB in the future.

 

[White Hawk]

Keep in mind that Barry has been using Leo Bodnar wheel for many years and a D-Box system and and and...

He is likely sensitive to a lot of things most people aren't because he's tried a dozen pedal systems and torn them apart bolt by bolt as well as every other component on his and most of our rigs.

Getting defensive about some Barry said only comes off as weak. You roll with it and move on.

I think your confusing defensive with just simply caring about accuracy, and there’s nothing weak about getting to the truth including all the facts. Weakness would be not caring about those things regardless of what it’s about. I don’t care as much as you think about the wheel base or Barry’s views for that matter. Being true and accurate however I do care about, I simply can’t and don’t want to be so indifferent, doesn’t matter if it’s life or death or sim toys, it’s not the subject matter that concerns me. I’m starting to get the impression that some think Barry can do no wrong. Does he do a good job, sure, wouldn’t want him to stop making his videos, but it’s not the first time he’s over or understated things before.

He also didn’t align the clamp gaps to the gaps in the shaft as stated in the manual to ensure you do so when he put it back on and he didn’t know if the software would support Fanatec’s other hardware which Fanatec have said is the case.

 

[Mr Latte]

Idea:
If someone was to show a video of the wheel in action with it focused on the wheel rim and using a highspeed camera mode. That will highlight any wheel wobble during normal usage.

How long will it take for someone to come up with a solid mount solution like Barry suggested for those that want to use other rims and as an alternative to Fanatecs rim adapter. Or if the wobble is that big of immersion ruining factor?

Many people buying the DD1 or DD2 will have been upgrading from much lesser wheels, with much more flex and not necessarily having experience of other DD units with fully secured mechanisms.

Sure it may be a factor for some but this wheel seems to be delivering on the high expectations some people had hoped for.

 

[RCHeliguy]

In the end this is much ado about nothing. But we could go on and on and on forever about it. Ford vs. Chevy etc.. etc..

So far I've not owned one component for over 2 years. My gaming computer has been completely replaced, my original chassis, replaced, and all my controls, replaced, my VR system, replaced. The only think I've kept is my seat.

Like many of you I suspect, I'm hoping to do much better going forward. I like to think I've been buying stuff that I will keep, but I thought that when I was buying my first components.

So, enjoy what you've got and have fun and don't worry. Whatever you get, you probably won't have it nearly as long as you think you will.

I'm not married to any of my gear, and it took me a while to care even a little about getting a direct drive system, but even that is mostly for the wheel I ordered. Different things drive us. Hopefully after I get it I'll appreciate having a direct drive wheel more than I do now, because it still just looks like a lot of extra PITA to me. Hopefully I'll have that big grin moment and decide that it was actually worth it, but I have no expectations at this point. But that wheel for me is all drool.... The wheel looks like art to me. What's behind it.. meh.

 

[Furnace Inferno]

I think your confusing defensive with just simply caring about accuracy, and there’s nothing weak about getting to the truth including all the facts. Weakness would be not caring about those things regardless of what it’s about. I don’t care as much as you think about the wheel base or Barry’s views for that matter. Being true and accurate however I do care about, I simply can’t and don’t want to be so indifferent, doesn’t matter if it’s life or death or sim toys, it’s not the subject matter that concerns me. I’m starting to get the impression that some think Barry can do no wrong. Does he do a good job, sure, wouldn’t want him to stop making his videos, but it’s not the first time he’s over or understated things before.

He also didn’t align the clamp gaps to the gaps in the shaft as stated in the manual to ensure you do so when he put it back on and he didn’t know if the software would support Fanatec’s other hardware which Fanatec have said is the case.

It seems more like you feel Fanatec can do no wrong .

At the end of the day there are proper automotive QR’s which provide both a more solid mount and a true quick release of which I wouldn’t even include the Q1R as I hate the bike style lever. Anything which requires more action than a ring you pull on to pop the wheel off and just a simple push to get it back on is not a true QR IMO.

Anyway it’s neither here nor there, I’ll consider a Fanatec Podium when it’s a complete package, I hate this modular style stuff where you end up paying a lot more for what you wanted in the beginning. I’m waiting for true podium rims and a true podium QR before I assess whether to upgrade change wheels, until then I’ve got my sights set on the gs-5 .

 

[Zoof2]

Got Zero play in my DD2 QR with Mclaren Rim . Did use a silicone spray on rubber and a little grease on thread when it first arrived so maybe that helped get a solid connection and QR ring properly tightend .

 

[Michal Burisin]

There will certainly be a new QR:

I think he used the bolt in the video Thomas Jackermeier suggested using to get rid of the flex, but it seems it didn't help at all. Link here.

I'm definitely considering DD1/2, but I would be really mad to have that much play in the wheel, I think I have almost no flex on plastic Thrustmaster T-GT I have now But it might be some faulty piece out of spec...

I will wait for new quick release and see then what to choose. Also some GT Podium wheel would be nice to have as a product from Fanatec.

 

[RCHeliguy]

What's weird is that the comments are bipolar. There are a number of people who say they have no flex like what he showed, but there are others who said they did. Barry made a comment further on down that there appears to be some production variation.

I was surprised that out of the box his wheel was losing center and he had to tighten it up by hand. That would also point to a QC issue setting the torque of various set bolts.

So it's possible that everyone is right

 

[White Hawk]

It seems more like you feel Fanatec can do no wrong

If you actually think that you haven’t a clue, not a surprise. A lot of people have already commented on his video and the Facebook group that they don’t have the play he has, the only ones going “oh dear look at that, that’s terrible, I hate Fanatec so much”. Are the people that don’t have one, now that is biased fanboy behaviour.

Personally I’m far more critical of any hardware than you know, more than even Barry actually, and actually owning one there’s things I would change but the play simply isn’t there on my unit and looks like it isn’t on many others from what people who actually have them are saying.

But I guess it’s too difficult to accept that something was not right on Barry’s unit and most are fine, it must be every single one.

What's weird is that the comments are bipolar. There are a number of people who say they have no flex like what he showed, but there are others who said they did. Barry made a comment further on down that there appears to be some production variation.

I was surprised that out of the box his wheel was losing center and he had to tighten it up by hand. That would also point to a QC issue setting the torque of various set bolts.

So it's possible that everyone is right

The majority that actually own a DD are stating not only on his video but the Facebook group that they have no flex, just like mine, the majority who are saying negative stuff are those that don’t have one, that tends to be the case as the world is full of fools ready to jump on any morsel to feed their ingrained dislike for something without first hand experience. There’s a few that are saying they have some flex, I think Barry’s unfortunately was an extreme case as he was able to twist it with little force, mine just doesn’t budge if I do what he did.

 

[White Hawk]

One thing I have to wonder though, if this was a review unit Fanatec sent him directly, why didn’t they check it before sending it, of all the people to do that with.

Simucube had an issue he brought up with the QR connecting plate hole pattern interference and they are fixing that, sounds like Fanatec are working on things to and with a QR that allows third party rims with no cable it’s sounding like the future of the DD line will be good.

 

[RCHeliguy]

There were people in the comments who claimed to be DD2 owners and had various complaints, including flex.

You can ignore those or assume they are lying.

BTW there have been what look like warranty issues with at least a couple SC2 as well including overheating and loss of FFB.

Just saying that these are mass produced devices and sometimes things happen.

 

[Hiro Abe]

I seem to be one of the few here that after watching Barry's review, has me kind of leaning towards a DD rather than an SC2 which I had just about decided on (though, truth be told, I'm not close to pulling the trigger yet). Thanks to Barry's typical thorough break down, I liked what I saw. The flex some are getting in an uproar over doesn't bother me much. After watching the video, I checked on my CSW and I get slight up/down flex. I also really liked what I saw with FanaLabs. Easy to understand and has, imo, terrific promise for the released version.

I recently installed the Podium mag shifters on my Formula 1 v2 which really elevated what is already an impressive bit of kit. To just take it and pop it onto a DD without having to convert it to USB is really attractive to me.

My .02 cents.

 

[Furnace Inferno]

If you actually think that you haven’t a clue, not a surprise. A lot of people have already commented on his video and the Facebook group that they don’t have the play he has, the only ones going “oh dear look at that, that’s terrible, I hate Fanatec so much”. Are the people that don’t have one, now that is biased fanboy behaviour.

Personally I’m far more critical of any hardware than you know, more than even Barry actually, and actually owning one there’s things I would change but the play simply isn’t there on my unit and looks like it isn’t on many others from what people who actually have them are saying.

But I guess it’s too difficult to accept that something was not right on Barry’s unit and most are fine, it must be every single one.


The majority that actually own a DD are stating not only on his video but the Facebook group that they have no flex, just like mine, the majority who are saying negative stuff are those that don’t have one, that tends to be the case as the world is full of fools ready to jump on any morsel to feed their ingrained dislike for something without first hand experience. There’s a few that are saying they have some flex, I think Barry’s unfortunately was an extreme case as he was able to twist it with little force, mine just doesn’t budge if I do what he did.

Again though you are getting defensive over something you’ve bought, it is clear to see the flex is there and I had it on a CSW V2 I had previously. It’s not the wheel base which is at fault it is the QR and manufacturing tolerances because it’s a cheap QR rather than automotive grade.

I’ve not said anything bad about the wheelbase, why would I be looking to buy one if I thought it was crap?!

All I’m saying is the QR is a band aid for compatibility with previous CSW rims which I’m not interested in. I want the full fat Podium level gear to decide if it’s worth it as for me the CSW rims aren’t good enough, the buttons suck compared to knitter switches or higher grade buttons and feel cheap in comparison.

Those plastic button caps half of mine just cracked for no apparent reason and the plastic bump stop on the screw was loose and would rattle under certain conditions.

You should trust those of us who have tried better built equipment that it can and should be better. I’ll ask you though, if Fanatec didn’t already agree with that, why before release did they already say there would be an improved QR released in the future and that there would be better podium rims?