Track IR - who uses it?

[Paughco]

Guys: I'm thinking about getting TrackIR. Right now I'm using the "hat" on my Thrustmaster T.16000 stick to look around the cockpit of my T-6. I'm thinking that TrackIR would be helpful on approach, as I'd be able to quickly check the planned landing spot on the runway and then look out the front to see where I'm going, then back in the cockpit to check airspeed and such. Do most of you guys use TrackIR, or is it a waste of time and money?

Seeya
ATB

[Moggster]

I use TrackIR, I wouldn't go back to not using it.

[alan CXA651]

Hi.
I use trackIR5 package that gives me a backup of a TrackClip you wear on a peak cap or the main one TrackClipPro you fit on a headset consisting of 3 leds, and a mini tv type monitor sitting on top of my main monitor for both types of clip.
Setting up your own profile is fiddly , what i did was goto trackIR5 website forum and downloaded and installed "seth-flight , then adjusted my speed to 1.4 and smoothe to 30 , this i found suited me and gives me what appears to be a natural head movement.
When i first used it , i found it made me feel a bit nauseous after about ten minutes , and had to use F9 to pause it and use the hat switch for a while , but by increaseing the time used over a week or so , i then found i could use it constantly over long periods without any issues .
I use FSX+A on a win 7 system and find it ok , but i have seen some post where some have had issues on win10 with P3Dv4 , so you would have to find out yourself if you are useing this combo .
I personally would recommend it , cannot fly without it now , but remember to start trackIR5 before your sim , else your sim will not see it.
Regards alan.

[RotorWash]

Trackir for departure and arrival, ChasePlane for all phases of flight, ChasePlane best value for money

[Paul K]

I use the TrackIR camera, but with Track Hat's wireless clip. The latter is more durable than Track IR's rather delicate equivalent and, being rechargeable and cordless, is much more convenient. In a combat flight sim, Track IR is virtually essential. In a civilian flight sim, such as FSX or P3D, it's very useful, but not all the time. As RotorWash says above, for departure and arrival - otherwise it can be turned off.

For example, if you are doing circuits in a Cessna, Track IR really comes into its own. You can glance from instruments to the outside view instantly, keeping an eye on where the runway is, then back to monitor your airspeed and altitude. Not only is it more convenient than a hatswitch, it also adds another layer of immersion.

On the other hand, if you are in a Constellation, crossing the Atlantic on autopilot, there is less need for Track IR. It's more relaxing just to scan your instruments every few minutes with the hat switch - there's nothing to see out the window anyway.

All in all, I think Track IR is well worth having. By the way, if you wear spectacles, and they are varifocals like mine, be sure to buy yourself a cheap pair of single-vision ones, for use with Track IR. Because you have to move your head but still look at the screen, varifocals will have you looking through part of the lens that you're not supposed to, and your sight will become slighly blurred. Single vision specs elimintate that problem.

[Killratio]

I would seriously cosider this if I were you. I ditched TrackIR in favour of it a while back.

It has none of the backlight problems, centre wandering etc that have plagued TrackIR over the years (as I've said, I used TrackIR for years, not knocking it for it's time!)

http://www.edtracker.org.uk/index.php/1 ... o-released

[Oracle427]

Swear by TrackIR. I have been using it for as long as v3 has been around, 10+ years?

I do fly online a lot in IL2.

[Les Parson]

Are there any comments using Track IR w/ three monitors?

[mattgn]

TrackiR changed flight simming for me many years ago, and I'd highly recommend any kind of head tracking software.
Shop around a bit before taking the plunge, as there are other head tracking programs out there.

[dvm]

I have had a Track IR since the first model became available (16 years). I would not still be involved in simming if not for Track IR. Expensive but all the models I have owned have been very durable. Here is an example of how convenient it is: You are flying the downwind and are doing all the things one does adjusting speed and altitude etc and waiting to turn base, with track IR all you do is to turn your head a little and you can see where you are in relation to the end of the runway, in just an instant you know exactly where you are and are again looking strait ahead. Using the hat switch is unnatural and slow. Track IR, don't leave the ground without it.

[BrettT]

I have used Track IR pretty much since its beginning and have been very pleased with it. I would definitely still be using it if I didn't take the VR plunge. It is well worth the money. I had the track IR 4 with the metal reflective clip I wore on the brim of my hat

[Alfredson007]

I have had trackir5 for quite some time now. I have mixed feelings about it:

In FSX i never got used to it. There are many reasons for it. Most planes have "center" spot showing only top row of the instruments, so i need to tilt my head in order to see the gauges rather than just glance my eyes, or, if i calibrate the TIR by looking up, then i have no "dead zone". This can probably be solved by changing the center view position somehow. But the TIR for me feels pretty unrelaxing and unnatural in FSX and i really do not need it that much. So i've decided to ditch it in FSX for now.

In Digital Combat Simulator how ever, i love it. Was it dogfighting or flying aerobatics the TIR works beaaautifully. Love it. It also works great on AeroFly FS2 where i love to do some pattern work with the Cessna.

Anyway, in general, when flying GA planes it is very useful in pattern work but not much else, but for dogfights it is an essential tool.

[DC3]

I use it. No problems with it. Can't imagine flying without it.

[Blitzer]

TrackIR gets my vote too. Once you get used to it and get it set to suit you it feels very natural to look around in the flight sim environment, in fact it now feels very restrictive to fly without it. A few points that may help...

• When you first use it, it does feel weird and to be fair it seems quite common initially to not even like it.

• This seem a bit obvious (perhaps not)... but you effectively end up calibrating yourself to the TrackIR. What I mean is your head movement in the sim is exaggerated to that in the real world. This I think is the main reason it takes some getting used to and tweaking settings wise to your personal preferences.

• Once your level of head movement becomes natural, it becomes second nature how far you need to move your head and you quite simply find yourself looking at gauges, the runway when landing etc. With pin-point accuracy.

• Going back to the sim without TIR after a while feels a bit like looking at the real world through a letter box and really takes away the immersion TIR brings.

Hopes this helps.

[Krycekuk]

I have TrackIR5 running and wouldn't be without it in a number of sims. Just to add to what others have been saying. I found it slightly easier to handle in FSX/P3D by having the roll motion turned off. I also have a slight center "detent" set up so that when I am looking straight forward in my usual cockpit view sweet spot the view isn't moving slightly with my minor head movements. I think it pays to really experiment with the profiles until you get something that works very well in your program of choice and then be prepared to work on separate profiles for other sims. Also buttons for pause and re-centering that are easily accessible really help.

And as Paul has already highlighted, on long cruise flights it can be put in pause mode where you don't need to be looking around and the hat switch can be used to adjust the view as necessary. This method I found to be a lot less tiring and also reduces the nasty jarring effect if you suddenly look around your room for your charts or other items only to have your cockpit view wildly trying to follow your movements, pause is invaluable there.

Oddly enough I use it when playing Euro and American Truck simulator, I found it invaluable for looking left and right at road junctions when waiting to pull out, just like real life! Here I have another profile set up that clamps a lot of the vertical movement as that is less important.