Review Prosimu T1000 5DOF - first impressions.

Having posted the kit photos a few days ago, last night I finished the mechanical build and software installation, and had my first drive/flights with the new rig. Lots of fine-tuning to do, but my first impressions are very good indeed.

The T1000 5DOF is a big piece of kit. It's well designed, and although fairly time-consuming to assemble, everything has been thought through and feels high-quality/built to last. There's a bit too much bounce in the HOTAS supports for my liking, and there's no left-hand drive option (I'm in the UK), but otherwise it's a really solid rig with a nice finish and very little flex.

I was a bit put off in the past by the noise of the SCN actuators, but the new PRS 200mm actuators are incredibly quiet - much more like D-Box in sound level. They are not cheap, for sure (though a lot less than D-Box), but they claim 2G and 280 mm/s, and having tried things out, I believe that. I'm also using new versions of the driver cards... I'll let Patrick announce the differences in due course, but let's just say they work extremely well.

D-Box make a lot of their ability to transmit road surface to the driver, and the Prosimu/SimTools combo doesn't really do that at the moment. However I know Patrick is trying to find a software-based solution, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

It's not a cheap rig by any stretch of the imagination, but most of the cost is the actuators, and while I'm fortunate to have some financial resources to invest, I definitely don't have the time to invest in a DIY project, so it worked for me.

I don't have a real comparison point, e.g. with a 3DOF system, other than my old Zero DOF desk-based wheel and pedals, but I love it, and in VR in particular, the additional immersion is amazing. I'm a happy simmer!

Happy to answer any questions you guys might have.

Thank you, noorbeast - very interesting indeed! Will read properly later...

I'd say 99% of people feel the same way about their first rig regardless of what it is because they have no comparison points.

I'm also considering to buy the ProSimu P5MP, this is the one you have right?

I plan to use my existing rig - PlaySeat Sensation Pro and the entire assembly weighs 60kg. I weigh around 80kg, so the platform should be able to move around 150kg. Is this too much?

This is from the prosimu shop: This page: http://www.prosimu-shop.com/en/75-t1000.html

Max weight per actuator : 200 kg [at 280mm/s and 2G! guaranteed]
Average weight for extended service life: 100 kg
Maximum weight supported: 600kg [reduced lifetime, acceleration and speed not guaranteed]

You should be well inside the weight limitations. If your rig is fairly well balanced each actuator would have to deal with about 40 kgs of weight in a 4 actuator setup. If you are going to use the prosimu base the upper part of it weighs a bit as well, but should be no problem.

I just bought the PRS200 actuators and attached them to my aluminium profile rig.
They work really well.

Would love to see some photos

I'll try to do some later.

Here you go. I use a Rift HMD, so the screen is just for editing, but mounted for convenience.
Gear levers can be moved aside in order to use flight controls.
There is a fair bit of weight in the rig but the actuators deal with it effortlessly.

Here is another from a different perspective.
It is a very small room, so difficult to get a good angle.

Very nice @kparkin !! You've even made your own rig that accommodates the rear traction loss. That's cool! How do traction loss feel with the actuator that far back? On the Prosimu rig the scn6 actuator is placed about near the hip when seated.

Thanks. I find that traction loss is a very difficult thing to get right, I'm hoping the next version of Simtools will simplify it.
I can feel it reasonably well but can't get it to be snappy enough, without a lot of creep.
The pivot point for the traction loss is roughly under the pedal footplate so the radius is probably less than the Prosimu rig.

Doesn't Prosimu provide any road vibrationa and surface feel?

I believe simtools do not provide road vibrations and surface feel for actuators or other motors. For that you need to use the gamevibe application in simtools with transducers. It is my understanding, but please correct me if I'm wrong.