Need Help From Fanatec For a Good Cause
I recently had the pleasure of joining an amazing iRacing league a couple months ago. My first race with this league was a special one because it focused on a league member that suffers from Cerebral Palsy. Aaron has very limited use of his legs and because of that he uses a special wheel with hand control that was on it's last leg, no pun intended. The league organized a charity race with a GoFundMe,
https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-aaron-grosskopf-sim-fund
to raise money for Aaron to help him purchase a new wheel and controls. It was a great success. Rookie NASCAR Cup Driver Quinn Houff joined in and made a substantial donation to help with the cause. Enough money was raised to equip Aaron with new equipment to get him back in iRacing and doing what he really enjoys.
Unfortunately, due to the overwhelming influx of interest in Fanatec and their backlog of support it has been very difficult to try and get Aaron the equipment he needs. It's not so much the waiting for stuff to become back in stock but more the fact we don't know for sure what would be the setup for him as far as bases, wheels, and shifters. He did order a couple things and got them only to find out they were not compatible with each other. I was hoping that someone with Fanatec could reach out and help us order the correct equipment he needs to avoid anymore further downtime he is away from one of the few things he is able to really enjoy.
Also, if any forum members have some insight in to what the best approach to setting all this up I would appreciate it.
Thanks All.
Comments
The PAM have analog paddles you can use for throttle and brake: https://fanatec.com/us-en/shifters-others/podium-advanced-paddle-module
This works best with the podium hub.
Both of those are included with some wheels, such as: https://fanatec.com/us-en/steering-wheels/podium-steering-wheel-r300
That can be combined with any base with some caveats.
The CSW 2.5 base says it is available now: https://fanatec.com/us-en/racing-wheels-wheel-bases/wheel-bases/clubsport-wheel-base-v2.5
Some things to note, this would require the use of the PC software for tuning with additional buttons. Drivers are in beta. Not sure if all games support using the paddles as throttle and brake. But, this should be enough to get him racing.
I recently bought a R300 Podium with the V2.5 wheel base for the exact same reason, that is to use the paddle module for throttle and brakes, as described in the options.
I'm pretty sure either noone at Fanatec actually used this option for an extent of time, because the spring force for the handles is such that your ring finger ant pinky on the throttle hand are going to be pretty sore after 2 days of driving.
It will maybe be better with a Formula V2 wheel, but on the roundish R300 the paddles were in such an awkward position that holding the steering wheel in for instance Kartkraft was unrealistic. I used to kart 125cc, and my handles that I had made were a lot more practical.
So after those 2 days I dove into the shed and made myself some handles. Steel first, because easy, and used them for a week.
They did the trick mostly, but for the violent movements this wheelbase can produce, and the fact that the paddles alr only held by 2 M3 screws, I set out to make them from aluminium. These are now 30g each, and do the trick nicely. The handles bump exactly against the steering wheel on full throttle/break, so there is no excessive force on the mechanism. A piece of inner tire takes care of the bump to the steering wheel.
I understand not everybody can do what I do (I'm sure there are those that can do a lot better), or has the resources to make similar items, so I'm testing my design to make a 3D printed version that everybody with a 3D printer can produce. That needs to be strong enough to use, using PLA. Noted, this design will only be garanteed t work for the R300 wheel. I have no measurements for other wheel heights to assure full throttle/brake movement. The handles must (almost) bump the wheel to not cause force on the hinch mechanism of the paddle module.
I really hope Fanatec, with all their beautifull production skills, can take this simple design and make a paddle conversion kit for their steering wheels that support the Podium paddle module, so people with a disability can use these fine products more or less like able body people can.
Thanks so much for the detailed responses. I think the issue was that he didn't have the V2.5 wheel base and the paddles were not compatible. I think he is going with the route of the Podium F1 bundle. This bundle should have everything he needs. Or he may go with the CS2.5 and R300 setup like you David. Thanks for the awesome pics of your mod too. That looks like it helps a lot with fatigue and ease of use.