Did anyone try the FFBeast Force Feedback Joystick?

[Celestiale]

As the title says I am interested in this new kit. Seems like the only competitor of the Rhino as a "garage-build" FFB joystick. Does anyone here have experience with this joystick and can say something about it? I am in the waiting list for both already, but don't know which one to take when it is actually my turn yet.

There is a guy in youtube who did a bunch of videos about it, f.ex. this one: 

 

[TomVR]

Don't know anything about how it performs, but the lack of an emergency E-stop switch is very concerning.

[Ranger89]

15 hours ago, TomVR said:

but the lack of an emergency E-stop switch is very concerning.

It should be pretty easy to add one yourself. Just put one in series with the either power supply mains or the DC output

[slaxor]

Yeah, I did and I do and FFBeast Controls are game changer! You may take a look here why:

 

On 3/30/2024 at 2:24 AM, TomVR said:

Don't know anything about how it performs, but the lack of an emergency E-stop switch is very concerning.

lol see my yellow emergency switch on the floor in the above video. Never used that though...

[Stellatny45]

Looks like the FFBeast would be a dust magnet. How do you adjust and service the belts?

Edited April 14, 2024 by Stellatny45

[zerO_crash]

On 3/29/2024 at 4:24 PM, TomVR said:

Don't know anything about how it performs, but the lack of an emergency E-stop switch is very concerning.

Carefull, it bites. In rare instances, it might rip an arm off. Every leap year, there is even a death caused by the immense force exertion, alas that of 'zilla. If I were you, I'd keep my distance...

 

As someone who has Brunner CLS-E ($1700) for over four years (pioneer) and CLS-E Mk.II pedals, shortly going to CLS-P ($10.000 excluding shipping and import tax -> $12.900 total expected), I still live with neither having any "emergency button". You'll live too!

 

To this day, I have absolutely no idea what that button has to do on a FFB-base. A motion platform, yes (potential illness, feeling unwell - having to dismount the platform quickly), but not individual equipment. There is no technical malfunction to worry about here. If I didn't know better, I'd have suspected those using VPforce of having a serious tactical advantage by being able to deploy countermeasures from the base... (a button is a button).

Edited May 6, 2024 by zerO_crash

[Hiob]

I don’t think the emergency button is a necessity for life and safety, but it is handy in case the base acts up. Driver sending nonsense for example or motors overheating or whatever. Simply cut it from the outlet power.

I wouldn’t be concerned if it wasn’t there, but it doesn’t hurt either.

[Aapje]

2 hours ago, zerO_crash said:

To this day, I have absolutely no idea what that button has to do on a FFB-base. A motion platform, yes (potential illness, feeling unwell - having to dismount the platform quickly), but not individual equipment. There is no technical malfunction to worry about here. If I didn't know better, I'd have suspected those using VPforce of having a serious tactical advantage by being able to deploy countermeasures from the base... (a button is a button)

It might be for those worried about uncontrolled equipment swinging around between their legs.

Then again, I have lived with that all my life and I survived so far.

[zerO_crash]

Yeah, still, I guess the protection lies in the software more than anything. Even in the rare instance that there could be a wrong signal sent to the base, making it move one way or another, it's enough the exit the mission/active environment.

 

Sure, it doesn't hurt to have a good old red button. It is, however, funny how the lack of it can trigger the sense of security. Let me put it this way; I wouldn't worry about it not being present.

 

The base looks solid, and specifications-wise, better than VPforce. For anyone considering VPforce, for some $100 extra, this is a solid upgrade

Edited May 6, 2024 by zerO_crash

[Hiob]

21 minutes ago, zerO_crash said:

Yeah, still, I guess the protection lies in the software more than anything.

Code can fail - aka „bug“. Not even rare. 

Also - most of us are guys. Who didn’t like to slam on a big red emergency button? 

[propeler]

In any case I develop my own controller with additional e-stop circuit. It will not be useless in any case