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#4171395 - 09/21/15 10:39 AM Head Tracking on the Cheap  
Joined: Oct 2010
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Fevriul Offline
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Fevriul  Offline
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Just thought I would post this here, for those people who don't have the funds or don't want to lay out the funds for TrackIR, and don't feel they have the ability to build their own head tracking equipment.

I order this off eBay

eBay Diy Headtracking hardware

£24 I use it with Opentrack works like a charm I can use it with both eLite Dangerous and DCS, still have to customise the input values in opentrack, so that my head movements, so that I don't have to move my head so much to get a movement in the games, but yeah its working well.

Inline advert (2nd and 3rd post)

#4171396 - 09/21/15 10:44 AM Re: Head Tracking on the Cheap [Re: Fevriul]  
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 25,138
RSColonel_131st Offline
Lifer
RSColonel_131st  Offline
Lifer

Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 25,138
Vienna, 2nd rock left.
Modified PS3 camera... easy to recognize, interesting.

#4171426 - 09/21/15 12:16 PM Re: Head Tracking on the Cheap [Re: Fevriul]  
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Fevriul Offline
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Fevriul  Offline
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I tried to do it myself before, camera mod went ok, but soldering was my weak point, once you start using head tracking, its bloody hard to stop smile

#4171567 - 09/21/15 04:18 PM Re: Head Tracking on the Cheap [Re: Fevriul]  
Joined: Jan 2001
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RSColonel_131st Offline
Lifer
RSColonel_131st  Offline
Lifer

Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 25,138
Vienna, 2nd rock left.
TIR is pricey, but it seems to last forever. Unless you're really short on cash or maybe just want to try it out... go for the full deal wink I use my TIR4 with the passive clip, to me that's the biggest advantage over the active "freetrack" solutions requiring a cable to my head for the LED power.

#4171609 - 09/21/15 05:53 PM Re: Head Tracking on the Cheap [Re: Fevriul]  
Joined: Feb 2002
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Mark Aisthorpe Offline
Crazy Courier
Mark Aisthorpe  Offline
Crazy Courier
Senior Member

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London UK
http://www.trackhat.org/

I bought there track clip recently to use with my TiR3 and it works great.

They also sell it with a modded PS3 cam too for those without TiR.


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#4171862 - 09/22/15 09:54 AM Re: Head Tracking on the Cheap [Re: Fevriul]  
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Fevriul Offline
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Fevriul  Offline
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Not bad, I use the clip with a bull dog clip to secure it to my headphones works great. The trackhat looks nice, but of course with my oversized frankstein head, would be like the hulk wearing a beanie! lol

#4171985 - 09/22/15 02:03 PM Re: Head Tracking on the Cheap [Re: Fevriul]  
Joined: Feb 2000
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Jedi Master Offline
Entil'zha
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Entil'zha
Sierra Hotel

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Posts: 49,716
Space Coast, USA
I bought my TIR4 right around release, it was the December of the year it came out. Still have it, still works flawlessly, using the passive clip on a cap, no desire to replace it. Yeah it was over $150 when I got it, but over time it's now become what, $25/year?




The Jedi Master


The anteater is wearing the bagel because he's a reindeer princess. -- my 4 yr old daughter
#4171993 - 09/22/15 02:11 PM Re: Head Tracking on the Cheap [Re: Fevriul]  
Joined: Jun 2005
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- Ice Offline
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- Ice  Offline
Veteran

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Philippines / North East UK
It's even cheaper if you do a $$/hr. calculation. biggrin


- Ice
#4172139 - 09/22/15 07:44 PM Re: Head Tracking on the Cheap [Re: Fevriul]  
Joined: Feb 2000
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Jedi Master Offline
Entil'zha
Jedi Master  Offline
Entil'zha
Sierra Hotel

Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 49,716
Space Coast, USA
Yes, considering the number of games I've had that used or use it still. It's like buying a good mouse or keyboard, sure a nice one seems pricey compared to some offerings, but think about how much you use it.



The Jedi Master


The anteater is wearing the bagel because he's a reindeer princess. -- my 4 yr old daughter
#4172145 - 09/22/15 08:04 PM Re: Head Tracking on the Cheap [Re: Fevriul]  
Joined: Jan 2001
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RSColonel_131st Offline
Lifer
RSColonel_131st  Offline
Lifer

Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 25,138
Vienna, 2nd rock left.
The irony for me is I bought it when I still played multiple flight sims, and these days it's used for exactly *one* race sim. But without it I feel like someone put my head in a vice.

#4172380 - 09/23/15 02:16 PM Re: Head Tracking on the Cheap [Re: Fevriul]  
Joined: Feb 2000
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Jedi Master Offline
Entil'zha
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Entil'zha
Sierra Hotel

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Space Coast, USA
I admit I use it less than I used to as well. I never was able to get comfortable with it in racing sims or Arma, only flight sims, and I just don't fly nearly as much as I did when I first got it.

That said, it's long paid for and I've gotten my value out of it.

The REAL issue would be if it ever broke...I don't know if I could justify buying a new TIR5 to myself anymore, honestly, but I can't fly without it, so it could kick me right out of flying.



The Jedi Master


The anteater is wearing the bagel because he's a reindeer princess. -- my 4 yr old daughter
#4172491 - 09/23/15 06:36 PM Re: Head Tracking on the Cheap [Re: Fevriul]  
Joined: Jun 2005
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- Ice Offline
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- Ice  Offline
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Philippines / North East UK
Has anyone heard of TIR breaking? I'm seeing people sell their TIR 3 on eBay and on some forums!!
The track clip is poorly designed and THAT breaks, but is easily fixed or the user can resort to using the reflective clips.

Because of TIR, I've been able to successfully transition from purely A-G roles to being more confident with dogfighting and A-A roles.


- Ice
#4173179 - 09/25/15 01:01 PM Re: Head Tracking on the Cheap [Re: Fevriul]  
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 49,716
Jedi Master Offline
Entil'zha
Jedi Master  Offline
Entil'zha
Sierra Hotel

Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 49,716
Space Coast, USA
My main concern would be the mount that holds it atop my monitor, attached via a tiny ball joint to the main sensor. That is a thin connector. Fortunately, I just moved and it survived and I'm not planning on moving again for at least a decade, so it should be safe.

That said, even solid state components can fail for no apparent reason. It's random, but it does happen.



The Jedi Master


The anteater is wearing the bagel because he's a reindeer princess. -- my 4 yr old daughter
#4173321 - 09/25/15 05:24 PM Re: Head Tracking on the Cheap [Re: Fevriul]  
Joined: Jun 2005
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- Ice Offline
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- Ice  Offline
Veteran

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Philippines / North East UK
The mount? Is this a TIR4? Coz the 5 is connected to the stand via a magnet....
Having said that, once the camera is in place, there should be no reason to move it so no worries of breaking. The track clip pro however....


- Ice
#4223680 - 01/31/16 03:29 PM Re: Head Tracking on the Cheap [Re: Fevriul]  
Joined: Oct 2010
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Fevriul Offline
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Fevriul  Offline
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Junior Member

Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 47
Just to bring this thread back from the dead, the cheap version I bought worked ok, but the amount of hassle trying to get it to work with the trackir protocol put me off using it. Put simply you need native support in teh game and unless your using trackir it is a lot of hassle unless you get lucky .


So I tried again with edtracker www.edtracker.co.uk , which works on using magnetic fields and is only 3DOF. £45 for a small box, and £1.99 from ebay for some velcro tape to stick it to the top of my headset. Edtracker is native supported in Elite dangerous and I just followed a short youtube video on how to set it up and it worked fine. Would love to use it in DCS but that required using opentrack which again the associated phaff.


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