Captain Buddha

If you had access to a high-end, full-motion racing simulator would you be interested in using it for race training, coaching, learning new tracks, playtime, etc? What would you be willing to pay per hour? Reason I ask: thinking of buying one of these for my own use and then offering it on an hourly rental basis to interested racers, race teams, etc. It would most likely be based in our office building near DFW Airport in Texas.

http://www.simcraft.com/modules/cont...dex.php?id=260

http://www.cxcsimulations.com/purchase/north_america/

fmcokc

yes, would be very interested.

I'm in OKC and have a team of drivers that I think could greatly benefit from sim time. Ross Bentley has a new program out that talks about the benefits of training on the newer high end sims. Sounds good.

Let me know what your thoughts are.

Captain Buddha

Appreciate the reply. I am demoing sims in my quest. Once we have pulled the trigger I will let you know. Still trying to figure out pricing. I know of a somewhat local shop that charges $150/hr (no coaching, just the machine) and then another $100/hr on top of that for pro coaching.

StreetSpeed

Funny you ask - I was at a full motion sim for 2 hours yesterday. Name of the place is Crimson Simulation in Norwalk, CT. I was his first paying customer. He has 6 rigs - 1 full motion sim and 5 stationary ones. The 5 stationary ones have 3 monitors, Sparco race seat, Fanatec wheel and Heuskeveld pedals. Pedals felt like real pedals, and wheel felt very good. Price was $34 an hour. Full motion sim was $68 an hour, and worth every penny of the upcharge. I instantly went 2 seconds faster on the motion sim due to the realism. Wheel setup alone is $6000 and it's the same setup they use in the F1 simulators. The whole rig is $60,000.

Anyway, I can absolutely see the value in a nice sim setup for race training, learning new tracks, and practicing race craft. After visiting his place I will probably be building my own 3 screen setup with a Fanatec hardware, but I'd still get on the full motion sim when possible to take advantage of the extra realism.

Edit: Also, he builds and sells these rigs for customers as well. Dude really knows his stuff. PM me if you want his info.

Captain Buddha

StreetSpeed - very cool! The full motion sims we are looking at are ~$65K. I'll absolutely take his contact info - found his Facebook page, neat stuff!

camaro_zach

I run a company that uses the same EXACT hardware and software that CXC uses. It is the simxperience software/hardware. However I do not charge 83k for a 3 screen monitor simulator.

www.simgear.com

If youd like to ask me anything please email me off the site and id be happy to reach out to you for a one on one. I can put any hardware you want on the simulators (fanatec, ecci, HPP pedals, DSD etc) And my simulators are top notch.

The main allure to mine is that they are completely mobile. There are wheels inside the unit and all the monitors fold up in a way that makes the machine under 29" and rolls right through any doorway!

WICKEDFRC

.....and I thought my 40" monitor with force-feedback steering wheel playing GT-R Evolution on the PC was a SIM.

Would love to see this $68,000 set up!!

camaro_zach

https://www.facebook.com/simgearsimulators/

Captain Buddha

Zach, thank you for the PM.

fatbillybob

How does FMS (full motion sim) differ from the fancy home Iracing setups? I talk to people who are all about Iracing. They say Iracing has laser scanned the real tracks they run to capture all the bumps ripped up asphalt etc to put into the simulation. Also they say using the 3 screens as part of the cockpit build is out and the 3d occulus glasses are in. These glasses make it seamless like in your car when you turn to check traffic etc... They run water cooled home computers with big processing capability and servos to do full motion. Their setups are way less than 60k but much more involved than a kid with a motion feedback steering wheel and an xbox. Anyone knowledgeable in that?

Captain Buddha

billybob - I'm no expert on this but the full motion sims are used by pro race teams down to amateurs like me, and they do/can run iracing as well as rfactor2, etc.

So, just demoed the CXC sim today at Texas Autosports, wow, very cool! Talking/demoing with Moses opened up my eyes to more possibilities than we originally thought - i.e. - setting up a simcenter, coaching, etc? Maybe....flying to ATL this Saturday to demo the Simcraft. Decisions, decisions! I've spent almost 3 hours tonight on the phone with the head honchos at both CXC and Simcraft...my head is starting to go into a spin...literally! LOL

Zach has also sent me some really cool info on his setup to review.

KRPTONT

I would for sure also. Doubt there would be anything in Illinois though. LOL

Captain Buddha

HrtGuy - fortunately there are direct flights pretty much every hour or more from ORD to DFW, we are 5 minutes from the door - we will pick you up in your choice of a C7 or a 1 ton crew cab 4x4 diesel pickup (this is Texas after all! LOL!). Fly down for the day, spend a few hours on the sim, we show you some Texas hospitality and we put you back on the plane for a nice flight back home. Easy peasy. Also - if you want to apply what you have learned on the track there are two tracks within an hour.

Hi Volts Z06

What software does he use? Is it iRacing? If not.....what tracks does he offer?

RC000E

I have been developing a stationary cockpit system, that can be upgraded with a more affordable motion system versus the current dbox standard. Dbox systems, with minimal motion, cost over 13k to the builder, which then need to be marked up. I have access to a system, that I've worked with someone developing, that cuts that cost in half. In addition, we've streamlined our fabrication process to reduce unit cost. Each setup can be sold static, then upgraded later.

A recent guy we sold to was driving in the Super Trofeo series last season. He bought a full motion setup (one of our prototypes) for just under 28k. He used Iracing to practice for 2 months (never drove the car, or at the his first track which would be Laguna Seca). At his first outing he took a podium. Simulation definitely works.

If you're looking for a setup you can rent, or expand on, let me know...we may be able to work out a deal on some units.

Captain Buddha

Just got done demoing the Simcraft Apex 3GTC+....WOW!!!!! It is very realistic, it replicates the gut feeling of weighting and unweighting, banking at Daytona, etc. When I was done with my session I felt like I just got out of my race car, had adrenaline dump, etc. I really like it!

jcsperson

I don't know anything about racing simulators, but I remember getting out of the 360° flight simulators while I was in the Navy and being drenched in sweat. There's nothing quite like a multi-bogey ACM environment, ECM and SAM alarms, a total hydraulic failure then an IFR carrier approach to get the adrenaline flowing, even in a simulator.

StreetSpeed

He has iRacing and a commercial license, so he has all tracks and all cars. I also believe he as Asseta Corsa (sp?) but I know nothing about that simulator.

Captain Buddha

Rfactor2 has literally every track out there. Iracing is limited but growing from what I can tell. We will have both of these.

Captain Buddha

Just ordered the full motion Simcraft APEX3 GTC+ today! Decided to "keep my life simple" (LOL!!) and just use it for personal use. I'll let folks demo it on future Cigars n Racecars nights once it is delivered/installed, having a few custom mods done. It's gonna ROCK!!