PT-1 Pedal Set - Discussion

Discussion in 'Hardware Building/Buying/Usage Advice' started by GTFREAK, Nov 18, 2013.

  1. GTFREAK

    GTFREAK Registered

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    We are beginning the purge process right now.

    Those of you that still want the pedals and are on the list, you have 7 days to reply to the email.

    If you did not get the email, check your spam folders. If you still cannot find the email, and you are on the list, just give me your first and last name, and I will make sure you keep your spot.
     
  2. GTFREAK

    GTFREAK Registered

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    Hey guys,

    I just wanted to make a statement regarding the waiting list and this mass email...


    Some of you have replied to our mass email even though your name and email address is NOT on the waiting list. In order for me to help you, you need to be opted in to the waiting list, and your email needs to be valid. We have had around 8 or 9 people that replied to our mas email, but they are not on the list.

    If you opted in with a different name or email address, I need to know what they are in order to keep you on the list.

    Thanks!
     
  3. GTFREAK

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    Hey guys,

    Our waiting list has now been purged. 130 people remain on the waiting list as of right now. Now's a good time to check your spot, as it probably went down by quite a bit.

    Cheers!
     
  4. GTFREAK

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    Hey guys,

    In this video, I go over the small changes we're making to future batches of pedals. As mentioned previously, these changes are mainly quality improvements, and will not affect functionality. Enjoy!

     
  5. GTFREAK

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    Hey guys,

    Just so all of you are aware, we've decided to change circuit boards. This decision in no way reflects the functionality or performance of the DSD circuit board we've been using since batch #1. The DSD board has served us well, and has been flawless in every way imaginable.

    This decision was based solely on costs. While we are able to continue to do business, recently we've been discussing (internally) ways that we can save money. Our product isn't going to continue to sell forever, and we don't have any other products in the pipeline just yet to help offset the costs.

    The circuit board we've chosen is the Bodnar board. More specifically, the BU0836-LC. This is a very well known circuit board, and has served the DIY community for a number of years. Recently, they began offering bulk discounts, and we've been able to take advantage of that.

    This does bring up a couple of important issues.

    One, this board does not come with a sensitivity adjustment. This isn't a deal breaker, as our pedals have the ability to manually adjust the load cell's position in order to tweak sensitivity (I'll be doing a video on this). You can also tweak the numbers within DIView as well.

    And two, we don't currently have calibration instructions for this circuit board on our website. This will be rectified before batch #5 goes on sale. The calibration is quite a bit different. For example, if you decide to adjust the angle of your pedals, you may need to physically adjust the potentiometer in order to utilize it's working range. The Bodnar board has a feature called "zoom". Essentially, this allows you to use less of the potentiometers range of motion while maintaining the resolution. I'll be going over this in detail in the video. In fact, I may just video the entire calibration process to make things easier.

    If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
     
  6. GTFREAK

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    Hey guys,

    We will be starting assembly on batch #5 next week. Assembly usually takes about 2 weeks, but we'll continue to keep you updated, as always ;-)
     
  7. GTFREAK

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    Hey guys,

    Batch #5 will be released on June 13th. We wanted to release it a bit earlier, but we're taking some time to make sure things go smoothly during the testing phase, which should begin shortly. We're using the Bodnar board, and it's something we'd like to test thoroughly so that we can give accurate calibration instructions. We'll be making a video of these calibration instructions to make things easier.

    As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to let me know ;-)

    [​IMG]
     
  8. GTFREAK

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    Hey guys,

    It looks like I'm going to have to delay the batch #5 calibration video by at least a few days. We should have it ready by the time these pedals are in your hands, but I need a little more time to implement a feature that we thought wouldn't be available to you.

    The Bodnar board does not come with a sensitivity knob. This presented a problem for us, as the physical load cell adjustments on the brake itself offered only minor tweaks to the overall sensitivity.

    The DSD board was perfect in this regard, as it offered a way to adjust the sensitivity of the load cell by just turning the knob.

    As we were wiring up the pedal sets to the circuit boards, we quickly realized that without the sensitivity knob, the load cell was a bit too sensitive. By that I mean, you could press on the brake pedal, and it would reach it's maximum threshold just a little too quickly - even with the minor physical tweaks (which I will go over in the calibration video).

    We've managed to solve this issue by installing our own sensitivity adjustment knob inline between the load cell and circuit board.

    We've already purchased the potentiometers and knobs that we need, so it's just a matter of installing them. This may take a couple of days to complete, and may delay delivery of the pedals by a few days (at most). And, as I said above, this will also delay the calibration video, as I need to have the sensitivity knobs installed in order to give you correct instructions.

    I do apologize for any inconvenience this causes, but we'd like to ensure that you guys get the best product we can possibly offer. I will keep you guys updated on the progress as best I can. It's going to be a busy week, but I'll do my best to keep you informed.
     
  9. GTFREAK

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    Hey guys,

    The calibration video is now live. Please make sure that you visit our calibration page in order to watch the video. There are some additional instructions which can be very helpful.

    You can watch the video here - http://protosimtech.com/en/Manual

    Enjoy!!
     
  10. GTFREAK

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    Hey guys,

    Batch #6 will be released on September 5th!

    As you know, we'll be taking a small break after batch #6 is released in order to get our new, larger CNC machine up and running. Once the machine is running, we'll start on batch 7 immediately.

    Also, just so that you are aware, we've decided to make one minor change to the pedal sets moving forward. We're no longer going to be making our own custom washers for the pedals. These washers, when compared to regular stainless steel washers, cost more than twice as much to produce. Therefore, we'll be using stainless steel washers going forward. The aesthetic difference is minimal, and functionality is exactly the same.

    And finally, there's one more item I'd like to discuss.

    We're going to be placing a set of our pedals on eBay. There are two reasons for doing this. One, it allows you to purchase a set of our pedals early if you happen to have a rather high number of the waiting list. And two, it will give us a little bit of extra income, which will help us to improve the shop over time.

    There will be no "buy now" option on this auction. Therefore, the pedals will go to the highest bidder ;-)


    View attachment 20681
     
  11. GTFREAK

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    Hey guys,

    How would all of you feel if I abolished the waiting list, and just released the pedals for everyone to buy all at once?

    Here's the problem...

    As it is now, we don't have a deposit system, and a deposit system has it's advantages and disadvantages. With each new release, less and less customers are rushing to purchase their set. As it stands, we still have eight customers that have yet to complete their purchases. To put it another way, we have eight sets still waiting to sell. This doesn't necessarily mean that we don't have eight customers ready to buy them, it's just that the waiting list is making it difficult for customers that DO want to buy them.

    Eventually, the list will move forward, and all 40 sets will be sold. With that said, we'd like to simplify this process, if possible. We'd really like to just place the pedal sets on the original order page, and let customers buy them without going through the hassle of joining the list.

    This could potentially lead to another mad rush to order them all at once, but we've already sold quite a bit of these, and we feel that the "mad rush" is more or less over. Therefore, removing the waiting list just makes more sense.

    What do you guys think?
     
  12. GTFREAK

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    Hey guys,

    I just made an announcement on our website. Head over to our home page for details on this new deposit system and how it will work.

    http://www.protosimtech.com
     
  13. cosimo

    cosimo Registered

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    Quick question. Is it possible to fit the PST1 pedals in an obutto revolution cockpit pedal plate? I am concerned with fastening the pedal plate to the cockpit frame, to avoid pedals moving around.
     
  14. GTFREAK

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    Our beta tester uses the oZone, and it fits on that rig. I believe we have a few customers with Revolutions, so it should fit.

    Just to make sure, though, the dimensions for our mounting plate are 13.5 inches wide by around 18 inches deep including heel plate. It's also 3/4" thick. We also include all necessary hardware to mount the pedals to the mounting plate and for the mounting plate to your rig.
     
  15. cosimo

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    Thanks!
     

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