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Author Topic: So I bought a thrustmaster tmx...  (Read 5052 times)

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Howard_Casto

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So I bought a thrustmaster tmx...
« on: July 10, 2019, 01:21:13 am »
I guess it's not newsworthy, unless you keep in mind how notoriously cheap I am.  Amazon had it marked down to $129, and I doubt I'll find it cheaper than that before the xbox one becomes obsolete.  The t300 is also on sale for 199, but I ultimately decided that I like the xbox racers better and of course I can also use it for the pc. 

Anyway, I've decided to rebuild my racing rig this summer and I figured it was time.  I'm already looking into hacking it.  The pedals that come with it kind of suck and it looks like they are just 10k pots with no circuitry so I might have a try at building my own..... either that or buy a rj12 splitter and make an add-on clutch pedal.  I've also got to print out the hub adapter to make the wheel removable so that my 360 degree optical wheel can be used. 

Do any of you know where I can find some info on the optional shifter?  I know it uses a hall effect sensor and the old version was usb only, but that's about it.  I built a homemade shifter and aside from needing to file down the gates for smoother travel I'm pretty satisfied with it.  It'd be nice if I could interface it to the wheel so that it'd work on the xbox. 

Yeah so that's it, but at least it's something racing related to talk about.  ;)  Do any of you guys have the tmx/tx wheel?  Any suggestions or tips?

isamu

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Re: So I bought a thrustmaster tmx...
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2019, 01:56:15 am »
Congrats on finally getting a new wheel  :cheers:

The TMX is a good wheel for the price, and you'll definitely enjoy it.

I look forward to the day you announce you bought a direct drive wheel  :burgerking:

MrThunderwing

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Re: So I bought a thrustmaster tmx...
« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2019, 01:11:06 pm »
Enjoy the new wheel dude.

Howard_Casto

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Re: So I bought a thrustmaster tmx...
« Reply #3 on: July 10, 2019, 09:07:41 pm »
I look forward to the day you announce you bought a direct drive wheel  :burgerking:

Thanks guys.  I'll now have two wheels, so I can keep one at my desk and use it for programming.... maybe I can finally finish the force feedback on fxt.  Still can't find much info on the shifter.... I'm beginning to wonder if even the new version is a usb add-on and the wheel is just acting as a hub. 

As for a ddw, it's just not in the cards right now.  Ignoring the expense for a second they need a super sturdy frame and I just don't have space for that.  Those guys that are doing that diy racing setup with an Arduino Leonardo though.... if they continue to develop that it might be possible to build a ddw system from the ground up and that would really make the whole deal more accessible financially speaking. 

Howard_Casto

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Re: So I bought a thrustmaster tmx...
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2019, 01:37:11 pm »
And this is why I'm always dragging my heels....
https://slickdeals.net/f/13216897-thrustmaster-tmx-pro-racing-wheel-thrustmaster-tmx-pro-racing-wheel-for-142-36?src=catpagev2_catnav_games

Just went on sale this morning... could have had the pro pedals for an extra 15 bucks. 


 :angry: :angry:

JDFan

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Re: So I bought a thrustmaster tmx...
« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2019, 01:47:03 pm »
And this is why I'm always dragging my heels....
https://slickdeals.net/f/13216897-thrustmaster-tmx-pro-racing-wheel-thrustmaster-tmx-pro-racing-wheel-for-142-36?src=catpagev2_catnav_games

Just went on sale this morning... could have had the pro pedals for an extra 15 bucks. 


 :angry: :angry:

You're still within the return window so could return it and rebuy ! ( though looks like it is already OOS ! )
« Last Edit: July 14, 2019, 01:49:07 pm by JDFan »

Howard_Casto

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Re: So I bought a thrustmaster tmx...
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2019, 01:55:16 pm »
Yeah they are gone now... it's just the principal  of the thing.  Looking closer, it appears that the better pedals still aren't the really good, stand-alone set so I'm not real upset.   I've got an old n64 pedal set (wheel is long gone) with these two massive sping-loaded pedals that look like they'd make more sense on a flight sim.  I'm thinking of taking one of those to use as a gas pedal and then reverse-mounting the included pedals for a more realistic layout. 

Heh, you can find anything on amazon.... here's a link:

https://www.amazon.com/InterAct-V3FX-Racing-Wheel-nintendo-64/dp/B00000K4R9

XSFDriver

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Re: So I bought a thrustmaster tmx...
« Reply #7 on: July 15, 2019, 02:55:54 am »
Hey Howard... there's always a chance that you'll need another wheel in the future... If you end up keeping the 1st one you bought, I'm sure you'll find a purpose for it somewhere  :dunno

...and hey, can you post some pic's of the shifter you put together... I'm curious... always good to see what people come up with  ;D

Cheers  :cheers:

Howard_Casto

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Re: So I bought a thrustmaster tmx...
« Reply #8 on: July 15, 2019, 12:47:41 pm »
Sure I'm going to do a post-mortem of my racing rig later this week.  It's nothing special though, just an old gravis joystick with a lamp rod screwed in where the grip normally goes. I wrote some custom Arduino software to convert the x/y axis to buttons for each position.   Works pretty well, but I'm sure one day that plastic bearing on the joystick is going to break.  I'm actually going to build another shifter now.  I saw how the th8a is constructed and I believe I can build something similar with hardware store parts.  I'll probably use pots and bungee cords instead of hall effect sensors and springs though. 

Howard_Casto

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Re: So I bought a thrustmaster tmx...
« Reply #9 on: July 16, 2019, 11:15:56 pm »
Wheel came in today.  Unfortunately my old wheel is bolted in position and it isn't easy to remove, so I don't have anything to test it on.  I did attach it to my desk long enough to upgrade the firmware and test it on outrun fxt.  To my relief the force feedback works just fine, so to any of you that can't get it running... no, it's probably not on my end.  ;)

I'm not sure that anyone is interested as the xbox isn't exactly a popular racing platform, but I'll give my initial thoughts.  Despite some negative reviews on the net, it seems like a really nice wheel thus far.  The wheel base and wheel itself are super sturdy.  Yes it's made out of plastic, but there's no creaking or cheap feeling to it.  The f1 style button arrangement is much appreciated.... I might actually use the buttons on this one as they are large and in reach.  The shifter paddles are nice and large and give a good click.  The d-pad is very small, but on a racing wheel I kind of want it to be.... something that has steered me away from thrustmasters in the past is how ugly the wheels typically are.  I don't want a ps3 controller molded onto the front thanks.  I think that the placement of everything is tasteful and a bit more practical compared to the Logitech trend of putting all the gamepad controls on the shifter.   As far as the force feedback is concerned, I will admit that it's a bit weak, but for the price point I didn't expect it to rip my arm off or anything.  The power supply is integrated into the wheel, with just a normal power cord for the base.  This is much appreciated... no power brick.  :)  To my surprise, the pedals that everyone complain about aren't terrible.  The size is really good and while the brake pedal is a bit soft, the gas feels like it should.  Unfortunately, the base that they are attached to is pretty terrible.  It's too light and too small and I don't see how anyone could use it without a hard mount.  I'm probably going to free them from their plastic prison at some point during the new build.  The clamp on the wheel is pretty awesome btw.... I might not even hard mount it. 

So yeah, I know that is a bit word thick for me, but I just wanted to record my thoughts for prosperity.  I might be pulling my hair out later on, who knows. 


I've finally cleared away enough space for a full-sized build, so I'll be making a new rig based upon the ricmotech plans:

https://www.ricmotech.com/RS500_DIY_Cockpit_Plans_for_Thrustmaster_p/rmt-rs500-diy.htm

I like these because the overall height is around 25 inches, which would slide right in front of the living room tv and be about the right height.  That means no more dealing with monitors or speakers unless I want to.  I might throw some transducers under the seat though. 

Anyway I'm starting from scratch again, so prepare for some dumb questions. 

Howard_Casto

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Re: So I bought a thrustmaster tmx...
« Reply #10 on: July 22, 2019, 05:46:25 pm »
Stripped my rig last night.... it's just a seat on a box with a board to hold the wheel atm.  Played my first round of Forza Horizon 3  today.  Wheel feels good.  There seems to be a little bit of slop in the wheel, but the avatar on screen is turning the wheel 1 to 1 as I am, so I think it's a software setting that needs tweaked.  It's certainly helping my racing ability though.... won my first race (other than the tutorial) after about a half an hour getting used to the wheel. 

My rig will have to be rebuilt from scratch.... it's too tall, the wheel is too far away ect…  Funny how just changing the wheel screws things up.