TrackIR vs FreeTrack

[Jammer28 0]

I ordered TrackIR Pro4 and received it a couple of days ago. Up until then I had been using FreeTrack. I knew about TrackIR but wasn’t sure if I wanted or needed to plunk down $130 (at the time) for something I could make for around $30. FreeTrack worked great in FSX but I don’t fly it anymore since getting hooked on OFF. With FreeTrack in OFF I only got 2DOF, pitch and yaw. Better than a hat switch but still lacking. Prior to this I used padlock to follow an EA. Padlock is smooth and you never loose track but you can easily loose focus and stall or worse, auger in. The other factor is immersion. This has been mentioned from time to time in posts. Boy is it true. Having TrackIR or FreeTrack really gets you into the fight. The fact that you CAN loose the EA makes the dogfights very intense. The difference between TrackIR and FreeTrack is that with FreeTrack you always stay centered. When you line up for a shot it’s always straight ahead. With the extra 3DOF (total of 5DOF) you get from TrackIR, depending on how your looking, your shots can be off. This sounds like it can be frustrating but it actually adds more immersion.

 

In building a FreeTrack you can choose between a USB hookup or battery. I chose the battery. If you don’t make the USB correctly you can fry your motherboard. I was trained in electronics and know how to read schematics, but I was not about to gamble my PC on someone else’s home diagram. The battery route was safe. When I tried FreeTrack the first time it was extremely unstable. I found that you had to tweak the setting a lot to make it stable. A while back my FreeTrack was acting erratic and unstable again. I thought here we go again, tweak, tweak, tweak. Very frustrating because nothing worked, until I remembered the battery. Yep, weak battery. Sigh.

 

 

Since TrackIR 5 has come out the price of 4Pro has dropped to $100. I bought one and I don’t regret it. It worked better than FreeTrack right out the box. Its WAY smoother and I haven’t even tweaked it to my liking yet. Awesome.

Also, no battery required.

At the risk of sounding like a commercial, if you can afford TrackIR, buy it!

 

I just hope I don’t forget I have the cap on and go outside like Uncle Al. (I still get a chuckle thinking about that)

[Tripe & Flaming Onions 0]

G'day Jammer 28.

 

Glad to hear about TrackIR as I just ordered a 4 yesterday.

 

All reports I have heard from people who use them have been overwhelmingly +ve.

 

So... just waiting on BHaH and TrackIR4 and I'm good to go.

 

Can't wait (feel like a kid waiting for Xmas and I'm 47 years old!!! )

 

Cheers,

 

T&FO.

[Rooster89 0]

I just ordered mine yesterday too. Good thing too, my hat switch is just about worn out. Cant wait. Its gonna be a whole new experience.

 

-Rooster

[+malibu43 142]

I've been using Free Track for over a year now, and aside from the initial profile tweaking that was required, I've found to be amazing for sim emersion.

 

And, FWIW, free track supports 6 DOF, so you can (and will) be off axis sometimes if you move around too much...

[Barkhorn1x 14]

Ordering my 4 in about two weeks - Birthday coming.

Edited May 18, 2009 by Barkhorn1x

[Jammer28 0]

I've been using Free Track for over a year now, and aside from the initial profile tweaking that was required, I've found to be amazing for sim emersion.

 

And, FWIW, free track supports 6 DOF, so you can (and will) be off axis sometimes if you move around too much...

 

 

Hello malibu,

 

I did indeed get 6DOF in FSX. But in OFF I was only getting 2DOF, pitch and yaw. OFF supports 5DOF. Are you able to get all 5? Maybe I didn’t have mine setup properly? I don’t know, but in FSX I didn’t need to do anything special. If you can get all 5DOF in OFF please let me know how. I will probably give my FreeTrack to a friend and if it can get all 5 then I would like to know how to do it.

It wasn’t my intension to pan FreeTrack. It’s not bad; it’s just that I found TrackIR to be superior.

 

Jammer

[Offwatch 0]

I have had the TrackIR 4 for over a year and loved it, the LED pro clip works better then the hat clip if there is any other light in the room.

 

Ordered the TrackIR 5 when it came out, its even better smoother and more natural. I didn't realize how MUCH better the TrackIR 5 was until I went back to the TrackIR 4.