A cheap h-shifter?

delanvital · August 30, 2009, 07:28:06 PM

I have finally replaced my malfunctioning DFP with a... DFP. I got a used one, very cheap, which works fine. I like the wheel and the G25 is too expensive for me atm. So, I still have no h-shifter... Any idea what to get? I have been looking for separate g25 shifters, but they are not sold near me, plus i dont know if they work separately...

obsolum · August 30, 2009, 07:43:36 PM

Your best choice would probably a SST Lightning shifter. They seem to be very good, but obviously that'll be too expensive for you. It is for me, too. I've been wanting to get one for ages now. I know Romus here of dMr has got one of these babies and he's very happy with it.

There's also the ACT Labs shifter, that's a bit less expensive but still not really cheap. I do think they look a lot better than the SST Lightning; the ACT Labs shifter has a more authentic look to it whereas the SST Lightning just looks like a stick with a knob on top of it. But for the ACT Labs shifter to work you'll need to buy one of their USB adapters with it, so that further increases the price. Plus they ship from the US so you'll have to add shipping costs as well.

Those are the only H-shifters in the "(semi-)affordable range" that I know of, actually. My G25 shifter needs replacing but it will be a while before I have the money for something else.

delankster · August 31, 2009, 12:58:05 PM

have a friend with the sst ligtning shifter and must say they are bloody good

as far as i know the g25 shifter can't be used alone as it plugs into the wheel, it might be posible to deplug it thou and stick a usb plub on it

delanvital · August 31, 2009, 01:10:25 PM

Quote from: obsolum;287950Your best choice would probably a SST Lightning shifter. They seem to be very good, but obviously that'll be too expensive for you. It is for me, too. I've been wanting to get one for ages now. I know Romus here of dMr has got one of these babies and he's very happy with it.

There's also the ACT Labs shifter, that's a bit less expensive but still not really cheap. I do think they look a lot better than the SST Lightning; the ACT Labs shifter has a more authentic look to it whereas the SST Lightning just looks like a stick with a knob on top of it. But for the ACT Labs shifter to work you'll need to buy one of their USB adapters with it, so that further increases the price. Plus they ship from the US so you'll have to add shipping costs as well.

Those are the only H-shifters in the "(semi-)affordable range" that I know of, actually. My G25 shifter needs replacing but it will be a while before I have the money for something else.

Hmm, 100 USD is a bit above my budget, at least at the moment... I was aiming at perhaps half of that, possibly used... hmm, time to keep an eye on ebay.co.uk

Quote from: delankster;287990have a friend with the sst ligtning shifter and must say they are bloody good

as far as i know the g25 shifter can't be used alone as it plugs into the wheel, it might be posible to deplug it thou and stick a usb plub on it

Does it plug in with one of those small, RJ-something type, phone cable thingies?

delankster · August 31, 2009, 01:56:42 PM

its looks like a male DB9 serial port on the shifter

so maybe this would work

Gnomie · August 31, 2009, 02:02:38 PM

Quote from: delanvital;287948I have been looking for separate g25 shifters, but they are not sold near me, plus i dont know if they work separately...

Apparently that doesn't work:

Quote from: Some dude at thewayiplayThe only way would be to sit the wheel on the floor somewhere unused as the wheel is required to get the shifter to work with the PC. The pedals can be attached without the wheel (Leo Bodnar has a product for direct USB connection) but the shifter can't.

.. which is exactly what I'm using now. (I have my defective G25 placed in a corner, and I only use the shifter.

delanvital · August 31, 2009, 03:04:32 PM

Quote from: Gnomie;287997.. which is exactly what I'm using now. (I have my defective G25 placed in a corner, and I only use the shifter.

That is what I do to get the extra set of paddles working (for a clutch), so I also have a spare wheel here... :sideways:

Hm, so the conclusion is that the converter cable above wouldn't work?

delanvital · August 31, 2009, 06:18:20 PM

Regarding G25: See post three

delankster · August 31, 2009, 07:02:39 PM

interesting

lovretta · September 02, 2009, 11:44:50 PM

Have you tought of this - FF Shifter

It's easy to "do", you just need to buy some forcefeedback joystick.

Or even an ordinary non-ff joystick would do the job, you just need to create some sort of mechanical position-plate for gears, maybe act labs like.

G25 shifter functions like this, it is just a simple joystick, just that every gear has its coordinates.