Fanatec CSR Shifter or Thrustmaster TH8 RS shifter?

I'm thinking about changing my Logitech G27 for a Fanatec ClubSport set. I've some doubts about which shifter to buy:
Those are my preferred options:

• Fanatec CSR Shifter
  
• Thrustmaster TH8 RS shifter
  

I've heard great things about the prototype of the Fanatec ClubSport shifter, but I don't know when it will be put in production, so I'll have to wait for this, eventually.

Did anyone try/own them? what do you think about it?

Da quello che si dice in giro TH8 RS....

per esperienza personale qualunque cosa compri metti in conto un periodo di adattamento...

Csr shifter is double the price of the porsche set, and there is only luber to reduce noise and aluminum which makes it heavy and by shifting with sequential you can shift up and itll bounce back and shift down, i use csr h shifter and porsche sequential shifter

I CRS Shifter sono compatibili solo coi volanti Fanatec

Compatibility:
All Porsche wheels
CSR wheel
CSR Elite and Clubsport wheel in combination with an optional mount like ClubSport table clamp or shifter adapter for RennSport wheel Stand

e come estetica fanno veramente pena, come funzionalità non l'ho provato

il Thrustmaster ritengo sia una buona scelta è ben fatto sia come materiali che come estetica
come dice Luca serve un periodo di apprendimento, perchè è facile sbagliare marcia o bisticciare coi selettori
ma dopo va alla grande in più ricorda il cambio della GVB

mario gilles wrote: in più ricorda il cambio della GVB

ok, mi hai convinto!

I highly recomend the thurstmaster TH8RS, its a great improvement over the G25/G27 shifter...

I bought it because i could not wait for the new Fanatec prototype and the CSR shifter dont have the high qualitity and feeling....

It works like a charm with my CSW base and BMW M3 GT2 rim and Club Sport Pedals V2, and now i enjoy it so much..



Some words in spanish:

El secuencial, va muy bien, el tema de tener que quitar los tornillos para cambiar el plate es la unica pega que tiene para mi..y bueno que al ser magnetico no hay click al subir o bajar marcha (lo cual hace que hagas el movimiento hasta el final del recorrido para asegurarte que ha cogido el subir o bajar marcha..(echo de menos el click)

Aunque como todo es mejor probarlo si puedes..pero por el precio que tiene no he visto ninguna opción mejor...
El tacto es ajustable con un tornillo que lleva, que deja ajustarlo desde blando hasta duro como una roca y da la sensacion de cambio real sobre todo al usarlo en H, al ser la primera parte dura y luego termina de entrar la marcha sola...

Best regards Clock.

Thanks for your suggestions guys. Really valuable. I decided to go for the TH8RS as all of you suggested.
I'll try to find it in a shop in the next days.
Tonight I also ordered the Fanatec Club Sport ( ClubSport Wheel Base, Formula rim, ClubSport Table Clamp V2, ClubSport Pedals V2).

Just as I did in the past when I changed my g25 for the g27, I'll write my comments about the new wheel comparing it with the one I'm currenly using (g27).


How long does it usually take to deliver the Fanatec products? I'm super excited to try it out!!!

Andrea Lojelo wrote:Thanks for your suggestions guys. Really valuable. I decided to go for the TH8RS as all of you suggested.
I'll try to find it in a shop in the next days.
Tonight I also ordered the Fanatec Club Sport ( ClubSport Wheel Base, Formula rim, ClubSport Table Clamp V2, ClubSport Pedals V2).

Just as I did in the past when I changed my g25 for the g27, I'll write my comments about the new wheel comparing it with the one I'm currenly using (g27).


How long does it usually take to deliver the Fanatec products? I'm super excited to try it out!!!

it is so quick to deliver, i think 3 or 4 days after fanatec said that he delivered...

Andrea if you like to play with shifter H, you made a mistake, because is so much better and will give you so much more fun the BMW M3 GT2 rim, the F1 rim will not work well with cars with 720 and 900º of steering, and more if you have to take out you right hand to shifter when returning on the wheel you will have some problems...

The F1 rim is only for people that play only with formula cars with very close steering or dont hesitate to use shifter H, and play with unrealistic steering (240º to 400º) on cars that needs to be played on 720º or 900º, with that f1 rim maybe will be quicker but the enjoy will be so low...

I put here my first impresion that i wrote on another website (now i dont have time to translate, sorry are in spanish but with online translator you will understand perfectly)..



Bueno primeras impresiones..

CSW:

CSW, tacto fantastico (se nota la alcantara y la espercie de espuma interior, que dan un tacto muy agradable y firme), cuando lo cojes te das cuenta realmente de lo grande que es, mis pulgares solo llegan a los primeros botones y no es que tenga las manos pequeñas..

una vez todo conectado, tienes 2 opciones usar los drivers de fanatec o usar los del G25/g27 (modo ps3, aunque la pega es que tienes que desinstalar el driver de fanatec ya que si no no entra en modo ps3)

Lo primero que notas es que el tacto es de lujo y que el volante pesa de verdad, cuesta un poco moverlo y al hacer contravolantes se nota lo grande que es y cuesta adaptarse, todos los movimientos son muy suaves aunque me falta configurarlo como toca, por ejemplo los ffb sutiles, algunos pianos muy suaves que notaba una ligera vibracion con el G25, con el CSW han desaparecido (puede ser debido al peso del rim o falta de fuerza o que patinen las correas en movimientos tan cortos y suaves) (esto tambien me paso con el T500rs que prove de un amigo, hay efectos ffb que no se notan). A lo mejor soy un nostalgico pero yo quiero los ffb brutales y directos que da mi G25 (el ruido que hace me da igual).
Despues de unas cuantas vueltas y desesperarme por ser 2 segundos mas lento, notas que tiene una precision increible el volante, pero que cuesta moverlo por el rim tan grande y el peso de este, pero se disfruta mucho. (todavia estoy mirando de jugar con el setup de opciones del ffb haber si consigo dejarlo a mi gusto).

Bueno ya podemos proseguir, ya he conseguido solucionar los problemas del ffb (aunque no es tan fuerte como yo pensaba, debido al peso del rim parece menos fuerte de lo que es y tambien puede ser por tener aqui 36º, que hace mucha calor)..

Bueno jugando con el tuning (setup del volante) ya tengo un control muy preciso y suave de todo lo que ocurre en los simuladores, es una gozada aunque para los que vengan del G25 necesitan un tiempo de adaptación ya que el feedback es totalmente distinto..Despues de esta adaptación se empieza a disfrutar de una manera increible notando el force feedback sin golpes, con lo cual te deja margen para tomar medidas de una manera mas precisa.

El volante es grande de narices, con los pulgares solo llego a los botones mas proximos y los sticks, para lo demas debo sacar la mano del volante, y hacer contravolantes es genial, ya que el peso y lo grande que es hace que disfrutes mucho (aunque me han salido algunas ampollas en las manos entre el dedo indice y el gordo de los roces del volante, ya que hay que hacer fuerza para moverloooooo).

FANALEDS, son una pasada, una vez instalado el programa para el LFS, que indique la velocidad, las marchas y las revoluciones en el volante te deja alucinado, algunas veces me he quedado embobado mirando el volante sin cambiar viendo como parpadean las luces, ademas tiene un monton de cosas para configurar las luces a tu gusto, si llevas limitador velocidad activado el display parpadea, etc...

Pro: tacto increible, force feedback progresivo, sutil y suave.
Cons: force feedback (con rim BMW m3 GT2) le falta algo de chicha para este rim, para los que gusten de ff muy potente no lo encontraran aqui, se comenta que con el rim F1 se nota mas fuerte (ya que pesa la mitad el rim)..


TH8 rs:
es conectar instalar y listo para usar, luego segun juego te pide configurar ...Tacto increible me ha gustado mucho el shifter (ahora si que me parece de juguete el del G25), movimientos muy buenos entre marchas y tacto muy agradable (primera parte dura y luego al entrar la marcha es blando) tacto real, ademas se puede ajustar..
Lo unico que no me convence es la septima marcha y la marcha atras, ya que eso provoca que entre 5º y 6º no puedas llevar la palanca apoyada en la banda, lo cual provoca inseguridad en estar marchas al ir cambiando...y que algunas veces incluso choques un poco y no entren bien las marchas..

Pros: tacto muy bueno, deslizamiento entre marchas genial muy recomendable.
Cons: podria tener plaquita para anular 7º y marcha atras, asi quedarse con 6 marchas de siempre. El recorrido de la palanca para race es un pelin larga, una palanca 1 o 2 cm mas corta, generaria una accion mas rapida de cambio..


Bueno estoy en el trabajo y no tengo tiempo de escribir mas, seguire con mas impresiones pronto...
Si hay algo que querais saber me lo preguntais..


Unas fotillos que si no, no vale nada...

Nice setup Xavi!
One question, I thought I read somewhere that you are new to NKpro, is that right ?
I own the smaller brother of the CSW, and I thought of changing to the new CSW, but I cant imagine to drive faster with the wheel, just maybe in Formula cars with the Formula rim. Did you own another wheel before ?

Not totally right, i have Netkar pro since a little more than a year now i think so..
Yes i had a G25 for 4 or 5 years and still is working fine but now i like so much more the CSW..
i run so many years with LFS maybe 10 years, and since a year ago i run Netkar pro, and now these days i'm trying Rfactor 2 too while waiting for Assetto Corsa...

Guys, what do you use to map keys to some wheel button? For example I would like to map the TAB key to a button or the sentence "Hi/Ciao" to an other. This was very simple on the Logitech profiler, but Fanatec doesn't provide anything like that. Do you use any other program?
I found these alternatives, but before installing a new tool, I would like to ask you your advice.

Any other useful program? I tried Fanaled, but doesn't seems to work with nk. Is there any way to have the display/leds working in nk?
Same goes for the brake vibration. How can I enable it?

you can use program called JoyToKey ( i did not use now).. and is the last one on your link...

Fanaleds could not work with Netkarpro because as you know the information the game sent out is null, is the same as standar motec software or similar could not get the data to work fine..



Fanaleds are great on Rfactor 2, display and rpm leds work so great, and the feeling on the brake pedal that rumble when block wheels is stunning great...



Waiting for your first impresions on the wheel...

Thanks for the quick response. I tried JoyToKey, but I didn't like it much, to be honest. I'll check something else as well.
I'll definitely write something about it in the coming days. I want to be sure that I have all set correcly and tuned to my liking before.
One thing is for sure: both wheel and shifter require some time to get familiar with. At the beginning I couldn't do a lap without spinnnig or missing gears... I was easily 2-3 seconds slower at Mugello with 500 Abarth comparing to my previous laps with the G27. Now I'm finally getting there, keeping consitent laps at about +0.5 s from my PB on the other wheel. For sure having this new set tomorrow will not help me at all.

It's a pity that neighter netKar PRO nor iRacing is optimized for this wheel (although on iR at least the fanaleds works).
Funny enough I found a nice surprise on the most unexpected place:I was genuinely shocked by the feedback of the Fanatec Club Sport in F1 2012. It's a pretty commercial game, obviously, but the way the fanatec wheel and pedals react to it is truly shocking. I guess their ff code is somehow tweacked to use specific effects of the wheel/pedal, and it's done beautifully. I'm really looking forward to try it (again...for sure with huge improvements) on Assetto Corsa.

You can tell that netKar PRO is optimized for Logitech, instead. In some cases you feel some effects with the g27 that seem to disapper with the Fanatec. Also the fact that the rotation angle of the virtual wheel is automatically set in nk for different cars with the g27. I had to do it manually for the CSW (luckily with a preset is very easy).

Anyway, after the first minutes in which I was completely lost, and depressed about my poor performances, I'm finally getting used to it, and I'm starting to appreciate its caracteristics. Tomorrow the real test on an official event. Finger crossed.

The thing with the rotation angle...
you should be able to do it with the fanatec wheel, too.

Its just a Software thing as you can see here: https://i.servimg.com/u/f35/17/75/86/45/10-10-10.jpg
I have it on 400 because I like it more to change it on the wheel.

The thing with the ABS and the Pedals connected via USB not through the wheel.
The Problem is, the Vibration only works by pressure applied, but as you know, with less downforce (less speed) breakes lock earlier, and if you have the ABS on 90 (90% preassure), you think brakes lock, even if your on 320km/h in the KS2, but thats not true...

In fanaleds, you can activate the ABS Vibration, the real one, works only in some supported games, for example iracing, thats the real deal, but not working with nkpro.
And because you have 1024 (then 256) bit(?) I would reccomend you to connect it via usb, so i have.

Theres a nice tool called GlovePIE
http://www.netkarcentral.com/wiki/tutorials/item/166-glovepie-fanatec-scripts

Vincent Buccarello wrote:The thing with the rotation angle...
you should be able to do it with the fanatec wheel, too.

Its just a Software thing as you can see here: https://i.servimg.com/u/f35/17/75/86/45/10-10-10.jpg
I have it on 400 because I like it more to change it on the wheel.

that's the point. with logitech wheel you set it there at the real maximum rotation (900) and then nk adjust it automatically at 900 for Gallardo, Abarth, Vintage , Vintage GT, and 400 degree for the formulas.



Thanks for the GroviePie link. I'll give it a try.