Podium peripherals UPDATE: Products are now available for pre-order

Thomas Jackermeier

I would like to give you an update about various Podium related topics:

Podium KillSwitch

This product is available from today in all territories for immediate shipment.

We are also working on a new firmware which allows to decide if you just want to turn off the force feedback or to turn off the complete unit.

Podium Mounting Brackets

This product will be available in the first half of July. We made a last minute change to make it more compatible to 80/20 cockpits and not just the RennSport Cockpit.

Podium Hub

We will show and explain this product on the 28th of may and will put it on pre-order. The exact delivery date will be announced as well but you can expect a launch in August/September.

Podium Software (Final name still pending)

The software has still some major problems and is simply not ready yet but you can expect at least a good beta version in May so you can try it out.

If you have further questions, please let me know.

UPDATE

We just put on a few more goodies online on our website. Besides the Podium hub we also have new products available.

Podium Wheel Rim R300

This is the perfect allrounder. With a diameter of 300 mm it is perfectly balanced for any GT racing series and the automotive grade leather and aluminum is on a different level.

ClubSport Button Clusters

This is a set of button units which you might know from the ClubSport Universal hub. In fact they are identical so if you have one of those you can either use them to install an additional button cluster on your ClubSport Universal Hub or to the Podium hub. With a set of Button Clusters and the Advanced Paddle Module you have a total of 10 buttons and 2 analg axis available. If you need more you can get one of the upcoming button and display modules which will fit between the wheel rim and the Podium or ClubSport hub. 

Podium and ClubSport Steering wheel R300

These are pre-configured packages for you. It is the beginning of our modular steering wheel system.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b2NezyL4Z8

Thierry Coelho

Good news ! I would like to know if in a near future we will have in the Podium range some replicas of IRL steering wheels ? The famous LMP1 Porsche 919H and the McLaren MCL 34 for the passionate of LMP1 and F1 will be great for me These 2 wheels have LCD screens, coupled with buttons of superior quality than those of current wheels, which would be in perfect harmony with the Podium name, wheels of excellence
The current F1 wheels do not stand out enough for my taste of the CSW range, APM will be compatible for the CSW, so nothing makes them "exceptional", the quality of some buttons are to be reviewed to be perfect and small ergo on F1 wheels at the top of the handles are painful for long sessions: / including with gloves, IRL steering wheels have smoother handles and I think more suitable for all types of hands.

On Facebook there is a rumor about a QR that would make compatible steering wheels DIY or from other manufacturers, is this true or fake news ?
And please don't call the Podium software Control Center Thank you and sorry for my English

Jean Guy Gelinas

Do you plan an update to the RennSport Cockpit 2 ?

A keyboard attachment to this cockpit like other have would be very handy.

Manuel Tingaud

Podium hub... What the crocodile is that ? Any plan on producing a support to incline the DD base... I mean one dedicated to the Podium series.

Kai-Uwe Schweitzer

Hi Thomas, is the yprice for the Killswitch is a late April Joke?? Sincerly yours, K. Schweitzer

Florian Licht

Hi Thomas, Is there any update/news about the Porsche Rim/new Buttonbox you have previewed a few months ago, or is this the Podium Hub?

Thanks in advance

Marc Meier

Sorry dude, the Price is a BIG F...ING JOKE !!!!

#FANATAC@MEGALOMANIA

Steven Wright

Have to admit, the price of the kill switch is way over the top for what it is.

I got one with my DD2, but now way is it worth that price, it feels like a cheap plastic toy in comparison to the rest of the equipment.  Just have any old switch (i.e the one on the wall socket) to turn off the power.  Will do the same job, currently.

Matthew Vandegenachte

Is there any point of buying the podium brackets to my rennsport v2 when I already have the original mounting plate? Dont think the upgrade are worth 250€?

Dominic Brennan

Florian Licht said:

Hi Thomas, Is there any update/news about the Porsche Rim/new Buttonbox you have previewed a few months ago, or is this the Podium Hub?

Thanks in advance

The Podium Hub is the gold coloured piece that wheels, button plates, and shifters will attach to. It was shown as part of the new Porsche wheel at the SimRacing Expo last year.

Bjørn Henning Rørvik said:

Is there any point of buying the podium brackets to my rennsport v2 when I already have the original mounting plate? Dont think the upgrade are worth 250€?

The side mounts are stronger than the original mounting plate and more suitable for the Podium systems. Plus, side mounting gives you better leg clearance than bottom mounting.

Marc-Antoine Thibault

Thanks for transparency

Marc-Antoine Thibault

Would be nice to comment on the new QR. Bmw rim and xbox universal hub to be compatible with the new QR ?

Florian Licht

Thank you for the answer, so there is no Podium Porsche Wheel in sight in the near future?

Dominic Brennan said:

Florian Licht said:

Hi Thomas, Is there any update/news about the Porsche Rim/new Buttonbox you have previewed a few months ago, or is this the Podium Hub?

Thanks in advance

The Podium Hub is the gold coloured piece that wheels, button plates, and shifters will attach to. It was shown as part of the new Porsche wheel at the SimRacing Expo last year.

Bjørn Henning Rørvik said:

Is there any point of buying the podium brackets to my rennsport v2 when I already have the original mounting plate? Dont think the upgrade are worth 250€?

The side mounts are stronger than the original mounting plate and more suitable for the Podium systems. Plus, side mounting gives you better leg clearance than bottom mounting.

Josh Oskam

I was planning to buy the kill switch when it finally arrived. And now it's available, but the price is insane. $149.90 in Australia (plus postage on top)!

Yikes. That's really crazy for something that's nothing more than two simple switches, a plastic box and a $2 rj12 cable.  :-O

There's a very similar switch available on eBay for $11.90 delivered (or about half that if you but it from an eBay seller in China).

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/AC-660V-10A-Big-Red-Sign-Emergency-Stop-Push-Button-Actuator-Switch-Weatherproof/192741461986?epid=16026529828&hash=item2ce0494fe2:g:PO8AAOSwpYxb~j8d&frcectupt=true

Come on Fanatec, if you want to tempt us to buy accessories, they should be vaguely reasonable in price! 

------------------

EDIT: And if you want a nice stainless steel button, you can replace the whole switch for one like this for just another $11.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/AC-220V-5A-19mm-Red-Mushroom-Cap-Emergency-Stop-Push-Button-Switch-1NO-1NC/152946872239?_trkparms=aid=222007&algo=SIM.MBE&ao=2&asc=20161027085944&meid=ef307cf4fb214b0cace2354ec26917b2&pid=100623&rk=4&rkt=6&sd=132539927309&itm=152946872239&_trksid=p2047675.c100623.m-1

Joel Barsotti

That's not really fair to them.

They have to source those components, buy them in somewhat limited quantities. Design a unique PCB to work with their RJ12 wiring standard, design and have fabbed a custom housing due to the custom board, package them up in something better than a ziploc bag, and then have manuals and tech support for it.

That stuff isn't free.

Gerald N

Joel Barsotti said:

That's not really fair to them.

They have to source those components, buy them in somewhat limited quantities. Design a unique PCB to work with their RJ12 wiring standard, design and have fabbed a custom housing due to the custom board, package them up in something better than a ziploc bag, and then have manuals and tech support for it.

That stuff isn't free.

Don't forget overhead, liability insurance, transport, profit, reinvesting in future product and development etc.  How the hell do you guys think they pay for development of new products?  All people see is look at this a part for $11. People just don't get it, it's a little saddening.  

If they give this stuff away for free, people would still complain.

Sorry for the rant, I can comment it out if people feel it inappropriate... 

Robert Thompsett

Also > you need to know what the pin outs on the RJ12 are and I bet these are not commonly available.

But yes I agree these accessory prices are insane considering it really is a necessity for safety.  It is a bit like buying a car and only having the handbrake (e-brake) fitted from the manufacture.  You are then charged extraordinary amounts to have foot brakes fitted at a later date.

I did once run my own business so I do appreciate the overheads and liabilities that one incurs but even so, taking the Michael is never received well by the consumer. 

Josh Oskam

Joel Barsotti said:

That's not really fair to them.

They have to source those components, buy them in somewhat limited quantities. Design a unique PCB to work with their RJ12 wiring standard, design and have fabbed a custom housing due to the custom board, package them up in something better than a ziploc bag, and then have manuals and tech support for it.

That stuff isn't free.

Sorry, but what a load of rubbish Joel. What's unfair about it?

I'd say there's a fair chance the kill switches Fanatec are selling probably come from the very same factory in China as the eBay ones. There's probably one factory there that makes almost every type available anywhere in the world. And all Fanatec's other stuff is manufactured in China too.

And I'll bet there's nothing particularly unique about the PCB either. In fact, it may not eve have one. It's just two switches connect to an RJ12 connector (which is common and available off the shelf at any electronic parts store) after all. In fact, if we knew which pins to connect to the wires to, it would be easy to make one yourself for about $20. (BTW, I have a background in electronics and technology, so I'm not just talking through my  :@) . This is a VERY simple device.)

Anyway, just to be clear, I don't expect Fanatec to sell their kill switches for $12, but $150AU is just crazy talk.

And finally, I will also point out that I'm very happy with my DD1 and Clubsport V2 wheel, but I would feel utterly exploited if I paid that much just for the kill switch.

Coskun Ozdemir

Hi I don't think that external kill switches will support fanatec software. My guess is there will be a separate software for the kill switch.

Josh Oskam

Given that the wheel bases that are already shipped with the kill switch don't have separate software, I don't know why you'd think that. The code for its functioning would just be part of the standard firmware/driver package I expect.

Anyway, I'm not promoting the idea that people try to make their own. Getting it wrong would be a good way to potentially cook the circuitry inside your nice new Podium wheel base.

Janne Saari

So only Podium Hub? What about Porche rim or button plate? 

Could we expect having them packaged or just need to order them in separate pieces. Would like to apply voucher to that order but for my understanding it can only be applied to 1 item

Sami Töykkälä

edit: Since they are adding force kill for killswitch, price is very fair.

Daniel Haynes

It is certainly very expensive... if you simply wanted to completely kill power then just buy a standard kill switch and wire in the power supply plug into it so it sits between the power supply and wall socket... dont use the RJ11 plugs. 

Simple solution for a $12 kill switch if you only want to completely cut power and not just ffb. 

To be fair to fanatec there unit is not just a simple power cut, and being able to just turn off ffb would be better obviously if you actually want a safety 'kill switch'.

I on the other hand would probably only ever be using it as an easy way to turn the wheel off completely when im not using it, so when my dd1 f1 wheel arrives i will most likly just be having a on/off switch mounted on my rig instead. 100Euro for that seems a little steep. would rather put cash into another wheel. 

I honestly cant see that a safety switch is necessary to be honest... no matter what anyone says 20nm is NOT going to break your arm! lol

Timothy Dalton

you could easily tear a thumb out of its socket.

Ben Mansill

Yep. This is the ultimate in Fanatec extortion bs. Chinese factory switches that are exactly the same but cost a tenth of this. It's the ultimate statement that Fanatec only cares about your wallet and how much they can rip out of it.

It's an astonishing bit of pricing madness that won't help their reputation.

And I hate myself for buying one. They've lost perspective with this one.

I hope somehow Fanatec gets its act together.

That said, this obvious lunacy is probably what led to almost all of their ridiculously good products and that there's so many of them. Like, 20 wheels when any other company would have like four. 

With this Fanatec has validated criticism of its pricing it has copped over the years, and that we used to defend. 

Kevin Lowe

So with the Podium Hub wrapping up development soon, what's next? Pedals, I hope?

Gerald N

For god's sake, I see people spending 500-800 for real race seats for a sim rig that will never leave the save haven of the inside of house, button boxes with key start ignitions and people complain about $100?  I just don't get it.  Some one already suggested, get a power strip and put that by your feet, done deal and tada cheap. 

If I did not have the DD2 i would still buy it. For convenience and appearance.  

Marc-Antoine Thibault

Thierry Coelho said:

Good news ! I would like to know if in a near future we will have in the Podium range some replicas of IRL steering wheels ? The famous LMP1 Porsche 919H and the McLaren MCL 34 for the passionate of LMP1 and F1 will be great for me These 2 wheels have LCD screens, coupled with buttons of superior quality than those of current wheels, which would be in perfect harmony with the Podium name, wheels of excellence
The current F1 wheels do not stand out enough for my taste of the CSW range, APM will be compatible for the CSW, so nothing makes them "exceptional", the quality of some buttons are to be reviewed to be perfect and small ergo on F1 wheels at the top of the handles are painful for long sessions: / including with gloves, IRL steering wheels have smoother handles and I think more suitable for all types of hands.

On Facebook there is a rumor about a QR that would make compatible steering wheels DIY or from other manufacturers, is this true or fake news ?
And please don't call the Podium software Control Center Thank you and sorry for my English

OH YEAH BOY. Mclaren replica is the best in my opinion looks nicer than my baby ferrari or mercedes. redbull one is good too. I would also like a production car steering wheel. like a golf gti wheel or something like that when I drive road cars. So exited for podium wheels. Hope they are all replica. Exited for the podium QR too, but hope it is compatibe with xbox one hub and bmw wheel

and yes using the Podium hub you could attach a replica ferrari wheel for example (but need a cable)

Sami Töykkälä

Gerald Noguerra said:

For god's I see people spending 500-800 for real race seats for a sim rig that will never leave the save haven of the inside of house, button boxes with key start ignitions and people complain about $100?  I just don't get it.  Some one already suggested, get a power strip and put that by your feet, done deal and tada cheap. 

If I did not have the DD2 i would still buy it. For convenience and appearance.  

Yep. I spend 100€ in 2 weeks for smoking, so 100€ for small gadget what probably last very long is CHEAP.

Hauke Grotheer

Wow. I was hoping the kill switch would be around 30 €. 50 € (including shipping) would have been my limit. This is crazy.

Marc-Antoine Thibault

Idea for podium wheel production cars