Archives – June, 2008
The Wheel Stand Pro is a wheel mount for steering wheels. Specificially, it’s major advantage is it’s ability to fold away when done.
The wheelstandpro is a godsend for me. Back in the day when I use to play race sims on my PC with a 14″ CRT, I would attach my wheel on my desk and get everything set up just right and then after I was done I really didn’t want to play anymore. It was a hassle to hook up the wires, clamp everything down fire up the game, etc.
In order to not go through this hassle all the time I needed my wheel mounted to something all the time. I want to be able to move the whole unit out of the living room when I’m done. I looked at lots of solutions on the net. Some very nice looking cockpits and others made hilarious contraptions. I never thought an ironing board could be used as a wheel mount lol. I didn’t want to be that ghetto so I made my own.
This was my old wheel setup. I made it out of a chair frame and a piece of wood. I worked very well but I felt it was too low and not adjustable.
I’ve always dreamed about getting my own racing cockpit like the ones from PlaySeat. But who has the room for it? Not only that, it’ll always be there in my living room. When I was young and single, it would be perfect. Now that I have a room-mate (my girlfriend), I know she’s not gonna like it. Just like how I wouldn’t want a sewing machine table in the living room.
The perfect compromise is a wheel mount that folds away. The Wheel Stand Pro is what I need. Although a bit pricey considering the fact a PlaySeat is just like $70 more. With my WSP, it disappears when I’m done and I can set it back up in a couple of minutes.
Included in package:
wheel stand
shifter mount (a $30 piece of metal lol)
2x hex keys
wrench
2x zip ties
wedges for shifter clamp
instruction sheet
The WSP is shipped directly from Poland for $199CAN. In 3 business days, I received it. Pretty fast eh? I didn’t have to pay any local Canadian taxes but I was lucky 
The unit itself is pretty much assembled. You just have to mount this plate that holds the shifter and bolt on your wheel. I suggest you zip tie the shifter mount to the stand before attempting to put your wheel on. It was hard trying to clamp the wheel onto 2 pieces of metal while they are moving…. you’ll see.
The WSP comes with 2 wedgy type of things for your shifter cause the mount plate is too thin for the shifter clamps. They don’t work very well since they keep on falling off. Get a piece of wood to give the shifter something to clamp too.
Upon first inspection you’d think that it’s very wobbly. Not so, the thing is very well made. There is some side-to-side movement but it’s minimal for a stand like this. It’s not as solid as a full racing cockpit but pretty stable nonetheless. I had the base on carpet and it didn’t move an inch. However, my pedals did fall off the rails one time ’cause I was heel-toe’n too hard.
To prevent the G25 pedals from falling off, I zip tied it to the rails. Find yourself some M6 screws and screw them into the 4 holes on the bottom of the pedal base. Then use zip ties to fasten them to the rails. It doesn’t move an inch after this slight modification.
I had to really lock it down the clamps so it wouldn’t tilt forward or swivel on me when I was doing some serious driving. Even when I tightened it up, it still moved if I really pushed on it. But only if I tried. The clamps are super hard to unclamp once you lock them down. You pretty much have to be superman.
After mounting the wheel I decided the tidy up the cables a bit. The WSP comes with 2 zip ties. It’s not enough I’m afraid but I had tons at home so it didn’t matter. I’m a neat freak when it comes to cable management. I bought some wire tubing from the dollar store so I can put all 3 wires in it. (see pics below)
For those with a Logitech G25 wheel. Skip getting the G25 version of the stand and buy the normal $169 Logitech model. All that extra $30 gets you is a piece of metal that the shifter mounts to. You can probably find a piece of wood that does the same job for way less and does a better job. The metal shifter plate it comes with is too thin and I had to put a piece of 3/4″ wood to make it fit snug any ways.
I usually use the WSP with my AK Rocker 100. However, it’s quite comfy to use on my sofa too. I just like sitting close to the TV so I usually use my rocker.
If your significant other won’t let you buy a race seat/cockpit, this is a good compromise. Until I get a bigger place where I have my own room for a full racing setup, this will have to do. Other than the minor issues I’ve come across, it’s not a bad stand to have. It’s the perfect addition to my PS3. Playing games like F1 Championship and GT5 is a much better experience.
Update:
Puck mod – I noticed how when the WSP was folded, it would press down on the brake pedal. I decided to use half a puck to use as a stopper
PVC pipe mod:
The whole steering wheel has a tendancy to pivot downward when you’re not gentle. I added a piece of PVC pipe, to use as a stopper. Cut about 1.5-2″ and put it just below the main base which lets you adjust the angle of the wheel.
June 19, 2008
Never heard of Vizio? Me either ’til I started to do some research. They were the #1 LCD seller in the US in 2007. Selling mostly in Walmart and Costco chains. I was a bit skeptical about buying one but my fears were laid to rest when I saw one in person next to some Sharps and Samsungs. I was also assured by with Costco’s good warranty policy. I saw them at Circuit City. The one I was at had them properly calibrated and I can see that the Sharps and Samsungs were a bit better looking. A bit…. Sure wasn’t $700 better though.
I was planning on getting a Sharp Aquos 42″ or Samsung but the extra $700 on these models really turned me off. And forget about Sony, since their panels are made by Samsung or Sharp, why am I paying the middle man for quality? With the money I saved, I could’ve gotten a PS3 and a 360.
I like to get value from my money. I’m not a lemming that will buy things because they are a certain brand. Frankly my no-name shoes lasts just as long and are as comfortable as some of the Nikes I use to own. Companies like Vizio who make quality products with good value will eventually become brand name like LG, Samsung or Sony. No one would dare think about buying a Samsung 20 years ago. But since they didn’t produce crap, they ended up getting a good reputation. And Vizio is set to do that with their line of TV’s.
My local Costco only had the 42″ model. I did see 46″/47″/52″ models in the US Costco’s. I would’ve gotten my hands on a 47″ for sure. But 42″ is a nice size. Not too big and not too small as Goldilock’s would say.
It has a lot of features like PIP, split screen, that you would pay extra for. Although it states that you can’t have 1920×1080 via VGA, you can however connect your PC through HDMI and get the 1080p glory. I do that with my Macbook and get a massive desktop.
In order to truly appreciate a 1080p TV, you need content to match it. I got myself a PS3 and a few Bluray discs. 3D animation like Cars, Monsters Inc., Toy Story etc. on Bluray is amazing… Regular live action films on the other hand aren’t as stellar. I mean they look good but they have problems since you can see the “film grain”. Since Bluray captures so much detail they even capture the grain that is on film. And when it gets compressed, I see artifacts all over the place. Surprisingly sometimes, the director will put in film grain intentionally to either give it that “look” or to hide flaws. For example, they would put grain in so CGI objects would blend in with live action scenes.
I’ve used the Vizio my racing setup. It plays GT5: Prologue in 1080p. An amazing game that looks super realistic. If you’ve got a next gen gaming system like the PS3 or Xbox 360 and no LCD, you are missing out on a lot of detail.
Standard definition TV signals (from cable) look watchable on an LCD. Granted your basically taking a 640×480 image and blowing it up to 1920×1080. So it’s good enough. I don’t spend a lot of time watching TV. I usually use it with my PS3.
Specs from Vizio’s site:
42″ diagonal / 16:9 wide screen aspect ratio.
Full High Definition 1920 X 1080 resolution.
Compatible input formats: 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i.
Supports high definition gaming systems.
Brilliant picture quality with over 16 Million colors.
Amazing 1500:1 contrast ratio.
Backlit Remote Control
Built-in digital HDTV & standard TV combined tuner.
Wall mounting capable; less than 4″ deep without stand.
2X HDMI inputs for optimal digital connectivity.
Superior viewing from any angle.
Wall Mounting Specifications:
Hole Pattern 200mm x 600mm
Screw Size M8
Screw Length 25mm
Screw Pitch 1.25
Specification
Size: 42-in*
*Viewable: 42.02-in
Tuner: Integrated NTSC/ATSC/QAM HDTV Tuner
Supported TV Formats
1080p, 1080i, 720p, 720i, 480p, 480i
Native Panel Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Supported PC Resolutions
1920 x 1080, 1366 x 768, 1024 x 768, 800 x 600
Specification
Panel Type: 42″ Diagonal*, 16:9 Wide Screen, Color TFT Active Matrix LCD
Panel Specifications: Anti-Static and hard coated surface
Pixel/Dot Pitch: 0.485mm (H) x 0.485mm (V)
Display Compatibility: Full HDTV (1080p)
Signal Compatibility: 480i (SDTV), 480P (EDTV), 720P (HDTV), 1080i (HDTV), 1080p (Full HDTV)
Response Time: 8 ms (typical)
Colors: 8 bit 16.77 Million colors
Brightness: 500 cd/m2 (typical)
Contrast Ratio: 1500:1 (typical)
Viewable Angle: >178 degrees (horizontal and vertical)
Inputs
RF (F Connector for internal tuner): 1
HDMI with HDCP: 2
Analog Stereo Audio for HDMI Inputs: 1
Component YPbPr plus Stereo Audio: 2
Composite Video: 2
S-Video plus Stereo Audio: 1
Computer RGB plus Stereo Audio: 1
Service Port:
Outputs
Analog Audio out (RCA): 1
5.1 SPDIF Digital Optical Audio: 1
Headphone (Stereo Mini-Jack): 0
Additional Information
Picture-in-Picture (PIP)
Picture-outside-Picture (POP)
Closed Caption (CC)
V-Chip
3D Comb Filter
Zoom
Freeze
3:2 or 2:2 Reverse Pull-down
ATSC with 8VSB & QAM demodulation
ATSC with MPEG-2 decoding
NTSC Video decoding via RF: Yes, thru Antenna, Cable, or Satellite
NTSC Video decoding via Video: Yes, thru CVBS, S-Video, or Component
Progressive Scan Video: Yes, thru Component YPbPr, VGA or HDMI
HDTV: Yes, thru HDMI or Component YPbPr
Computer: 640×480, 800×600, 1024×768 thru VGA or 640×480 thru HDMI
Sound enhancement: Yes, Virtual Surround
Color Temperature: 6500K (standard), 5400K and 9300K
Color Fine Tuning: Independent Red, Green and Blue
Audio: Built-in 10W x 2
Lamp (LCD) / Panel (PDP) Life: 50000 hours
Power: IEC Connector for direct power line connection
Voltage Range100 ~ 240 Vac at 50/60 Hz
Power Consumption: 286W average
Removable Base
Weight
Gross:60.7 lbs
Net: 48.5 lbs
Dimensions
Carton:
With Stand: 40.5″ W x 28.5″ H x 9.7″ D
Without Stand: 40.5″ W x 27.3″ H x 3.9″ D
Without Stand and Speakers:
Certifications: CSA, FCC Class B
June 12, 2008
I’m a racing fan and when I first saw this chair I said I had to have it. I didn’t know it at the time but this would be the catalyst that would start the journey for a full racing setup. Eventually I would get a PS3, LCD TV, and Logitech G25 steering wheel.
For the sweet price of $79US, one can be had at Circuit City. I drove down to Washington one Friday night just to pick up the chair. It was worth the trip. I loaded the chair onto my tiny hatchback. It fit perfectly.
There are basically 3 pieces, as I recall, to assemble. It’s super easy. You slip on the cover and you’re done. There are skins you can buy for the chair, I ordered a blue one for myself when I get bored of the red or when it’s getting washed. It’s made of molded plastic and since I’m not too heavy, I assume it should last me a while.
It’s a very comfortable chair to sit in. I can recline back or tilt forward. It compliments my racing setup at home very well. I sit in it to watch movies, play video games, or type on my macbook. Everyone who has used the chair says it’s comfortable. I’ve taken naps in it too. It’s that comfy.
This chair is coined “toe crusher” or “finger smasher” in my house since it will do just that! Don’t put your toes or fingers anywhere near the rocker, cause if you rock over them, it hurts big time. More if you weight a ton.
The AK Rocker 100 is the 21st century’s version of Grandma’s rocking chair. I would be proud to rock in this when I’m old and gray.
June 12, 2008
