Best channel hands down when it comes to sim racing. Goes over every little details and scenarios. You can just tell how much time goes into making these videos. Not to mention his got almost bob ross type of relaxed voice that will just make you feel like you are meditating lol. Keep up the good work and i can almost guarantee sim racing will be different without what you do for us. Hope I can race w you in the future.
if you get this, which you should if you have a limited wallet or space, buy the chair link, it's a little accessory that links any chair with wheels with the wheel stand
Barry, You are a life saver. I am just getting into sim racing a newbie I guess, No, not even a newbie as I have no equipment yet, more like an embryo. LOL. You have saved me from chasing my tail and asking (but not getting any) advice on where to start. I was looking at all these high price rigs, wheel hubs, pedals, and than I saw this video and made everything clear for me. Thanks so much! And for that I plan on buying a t-shirt from you. Thanks again. Joe Lister
I am really happy I ran across this. My Omega Apex arrives Monday and not only was this a very informative video it will also help me put it together properly. I'd prefer to grab a full cockpit but I live in a small apartment. One thing I intend to do is instead of the rubber pads is get some good quality locking casters in their place so I can just roll it out of the way after disconnecting the power supply and USB cable of my Logitech G920. I don't so much play racing games as much as ATS and ETS2.
i bought an old Subaru seat from my local scrapyard for £25, and just bolted it down to 4 square pieces of 2x4 wood. It doesn't move or wabble at all and is a better (and cheaper) alternative to a desk chair as far as sim racing is concerned.
Thank you Barry for the video, assembled this for my pedals and wheel earlier today. Shifter is coming soon! Just hoping if anyone reads this and buys this, the screws come randomly tossed in the bag. You gotta look at each one and rely on the instructions the best you can to judge which screws are which measurement. Will help make assembly twice as faster!
I just got into Sim Racing last year and your channel is the first I go to for Sim gear reviews. I really love the fact that you don't just review high end gear, you cover all price points and various cockpits, again not just high end full motion rigs but all types for all budgets. Also like raloP commented below I too can't wait to watch your review of the dd1 and dd22
New to sim racing but just wanted to say thank you for all the extremely detailed testing/explanations you do. You helped me decide a t248 and this stand are perfect for me as a beginner to get a reasonable experience without spending thousands to see if i want to invest more down the line 👍
The GT Omega Apex is on sale for Prime Day right now at $119.99 which led me to your incredible review which then led me to hit the complete purchase button. Thank you.
@@MichaelSuperbacker I watched reviews for both (by the same reviewer) and I honestly think it just comes down to preference. The differences are marginal and is solely up to you. You cannot go wrong with either because both are fully upgradeable. By that I mean you can order a classic rear frame ($89.95) + a rs6 seat ($219.95) to get a full cockpit (albeit still more expensive than purchasing the ART Cockpit fully assembled ($399 on the GT Omega site). I just went for the Apex because I didn't mind the $25 price difference. 99% sure there isn't a noticeable difference in performance between the Apex and Classic so if youre on a somewhat budget, you should be 100% fine with the Classic!
This was the best review I have ever seen! Your skills at teaching and putting together a good review/ setup is top notch. Thank you for waking the time Barry!
Barry - great review as per norm. I can always count on you spending pretty much the same amount of time and effort on a $150 unit or one that is well beyond my simming budget and that seems to be very rare in today's bait-click / soundbite websphere. To solve the chronic seat drifting away from the pedals syndrome I picked up a set of locking casters for my office chair. I found a set made by Alvin for $15 online. Depending on your physical weight you may only need to install 1-2 not all 5 that come with the order. I presently am using only 1 on a short pile carpet and it works for my 160 lb weight. As an even more economical solution - in another life as a drummer I used to keep a simple rope in my gig bag that I would use to connect my drum throne (seat) to the bass drum if I was playing a gig with a "house set" of drums (not mine) and that had hardwood floors or similar to prevent the bass drum from "walking away" from my seated position. Wish I could take credit for the rope idea but alas it has been handed down for generations in the drumming community.
Thanks for the review Barry! I just got mine in the mail today after watching your video a few weeks ago. Showing the material thicknesses and your super in-depth analysis went a long way to help me make my decision, and I am very happy with my purchase.
I just purchased one. It fits my current needs, and is upgradeable to a full cockpit when I have the extra funds. And more affordable than some upgradeable wheel stands. Its not the extruded aluminum I really want, but I can afford this now and hopefully upgrade in the future if I get further into this hobby.
Thank God. I bought the Apex in a Black Friday sale panic-buy before I watched Barrys review. I was so scared watching this video that he was gonna say it was crap. This is my first step into SIM Racing. Grabbed the G29 on offer too. Counting the days to getting my hands on them all. We're renovating our house so when we're all set up, I'll invest in the seat base add-on and racing seat. Really hoping the new setup gives new life to Dirt 2.0, Snowrunner, Project Cars 2 etc.
can't wait for your Fanatec DD review. wheel stands are meant to be an affordable alternative to a full rig and as such they are not built to the same standard. If you are a DIY type person you can mod most wheel stands and make them better. Would love to hear your thoughts on the playseat challenge. Thank you far all of your hard work Barry.
Recently discovered that a ratchet strap will keep the chair in place, and allow easy adjustment for initial setup. No need to use door stops, weighty boxes and putting the wheel base against your monitor stand/desk. The strap keeps the chair and the stand tethered together, and its pretty darn solid. Good enough for stiff loadcell pedals.
GT does sell a frame alone or a frame with seat for this. Unfortunately with seat it's twice as much as this LOL. Rear frame alone, $114.95 With seat, $404.90
Just got mine today, just waiting on the hard-mount adapter for my Thrustmaster TMX. I can confirm, it's solid AF. They also include different feet in my purchase, same adjustable metal feet, but a ribbed rubber coating underneath. Puts up great resistance on carpet, i can barely budge it. Even pulling on the base it barely slides, and if you apply any downward pressure at all, it'll just stick like glue. Going to see how it performs once I got everything installed and can stamp on my pedals in anger, but so far the first impressions are very positive.
@@psistorm04 Thanks for the answer but i did not understand. Do i have to buy the Ricmotech mod to mount the wheel or not? I know that with the mod you can hard mount it, but otherwise can you not mount it with the clamp?
@@georgeapostolo3865 No, the clamps won't fit around the horizontal beam where the mounting plate sits on, believe me, I tried, since I had to wait on said adapter when I first bought it. So yeah, you will 100% require the ricmotech adapter
I bought a amazon return TS PC racer wheel for $300 from a local business after watching your tear down review. So much nicer than the $10 craigslist Driving Force I got ages ago. Really happy except its in a home office and awkward bolted to a desk. Was looking at stands online and liked this one. Searched youtube and you turned up again, even with the same wheel lol. Anyway, you certainly proved the stand was stable with all that heel toeing. I'm convinced... Cheers :)
Just got this rig(along with Fanatec CSL Elite bundle with loadcell pedal) for my new PC, am a complete noob to sim racing so this is invaluable stuff. Some small advice: you might want to mention in the title that you cover the assembly of the stand, as I was looking around for Omega Apex assembly advice on RUclips and skipped your video as it seemed to just be a review.
@@tonspike It's good. The GT Omega is very sturdy, no loose parts. Relatively easy to put together. I like the little things: the fact that they've included four or five separate, decent quality velcro cable-holders so that the wires from the wheel and pedal setup can be fixed to the stand. It weighs a shit-ton, as you'd expect. Re. the CSL Elite, plus the pedals and loadcell setup: being honest I've never owned a beginner wheel, I went straight to the CSL rather than try the t150/t300 thrustmasters or the g29s, which seem to be the most common first steps. So I can't compare the CSL to any of the lower tier wheels. What I can tell you is that it does everything I want it to, the wheel is smooth and has 1080 degree rotation, it's highly calibratable too - if, say, you're into drifting like I am and you want a shorter turning range so that you're not constantly throwing the wheel from one extreme to another that's as easy as two button clicks and an adjustment of the turning range away. Five separate customisable presets. And for a newcomer like me it is unbelievably violent. The fanatec downloadable setup for the PC has a 'test functions' thing, and when you choose 'test ffb' it was like a scene from the exorcist, it scared the shit out of me. The wheel just jerked about like no peripheral I've ever used before. The amount of torque in the thing is alarming. I'm still a bit antsy about setting it at full ffb. So if you're planning on playing it anywhere near full ffb then you really need a stand like the GT Omega because clamping it to your desk won't be good enough. Re. the pedals? They look a bit dull and ugly - black rubber rather than the nice shiny steel of some of the thrustmaster ones, but they do the job very well. There's very little resistance though, aside from the load cell pedal(sold separately), which you need if you're going to be using the clutch. And it's all a lot more expensive than a Thrustmaster setup. At least double. But the pedals work excellently, and even though they're a bit nasty looking they don't feel cheap when you're using them. The load cell pedal works on a different principle from the default brake pedal: it measures pressure on the pedal, rather than travel distance of the pedal, so instead of pushing it down a certain distance, you have to push it down with a certain force. Apparently this is much better than the default because your muscle memory remembers different amounts of muscle force much more easily and precisely than different amounts of pedal distance. As with the wheel, it's surprising how much force is built up in this thing. I needed to halve its default setting before the amount of force for full braking was really comfortably within my grasp. Before that it required ridiculous pressure.Again though calibrating that was just a case of pressing a couple of buttons and toggling a guage, all of it happening in the lcd display on the wheel. One slight niggle is that no matter how many times I go back into Assetto Corsa on my PC it unfailingly forgets to recognise the CSL and I have to go to controls and reset it. This happens sometimes just when I change tracks in the same play session. I don't know if it's an issue with the game or the wheel(AC is a real pain in terms of UI) but it's annoying to have to keep randomly changing things in the hope that it'll recognise the wheel this time. It happens in AC Competizione as well though. Dirt Rally 2 has no problem with it, although for some reason it tanks the frame-rate when I set it on 4k. Switch it to 1440p and the framerate's fine. I don't get this issue when I'm just using controller. It's not an easy setup in terms of downloading drivers, getting games to recognise it; that would be my biggest complaint so far. I imagine that Logitech and Thrustmaster are much more user friendly. But if I set it up anyone can, and Fanatec has its own interface on PC that you can download. tl;dr: it's really good. I'd say go for it. Fanatec have pretty high demand so it'll come when it comes but it was only a few weeks for me.
@@thesprawl2361 Wow, thank you for such an in-depth review! You've helped ease my worries. I've grown up using cheaper wheel options (last I owned was a T150) and having driven real race cars the cheap stuff doesn't cut it anymore. I'm between the GT Omega Apex stand and the Next Level Racing GTLite--I don't need the full cockpit experience necessarily but am more so interested in something that can fold away relatively tightly.
@@tonspike You're welcome. I think you really can't get anything better for the price point. I don't need the full cockpit either. I'm not going to be thrashing about that hard that I need it. And the GT Omega is really secure and grips to the floor. It's in front of me as I type and I tried moving it with my foot, pushing as hard as I can. It wouldn't budge. Rock solid.
I bought the thrustmaster t300rs gt and this stand 2 months ago. I love it. For my first setup I enjoy it fully. Yes I want to eventually upgrade but I always want to upgrade. It's sturdy, dosent shake at all plus I don't have much room and it folds up without taking anything off for easy storage. So glad I did my research like I said I love this thing. On carpet it doesn't slide for me at least.
@@zoranlovric9871 I tried to use it in my lazy boy lol. That didn't work and no i haven't used it on my couch but because of the angle it wouldn't work. Any desk or kitchen chair works just fine.
@@zoranlovric9871angle and seating depth both play a factor but you can angle the pedals more up and probably make it work like I said I only tried it on my lazy boy and that was not working at all. I've been just happy and fine with my chair from my dinning room.
Great Review. Thank you. I have been a flight simmer for years actually made my control stand for it out of PVC and works great. I am just getting into Racing/ driving sims and Have Been researching for good Wheel stands. I really like your video as I WILL be using a desk chair similar to yours with it. I will just make a small modification add on to set the chair wheels inside a bracket attached to it to help with the moving of the chair and the stand. I Have just actually ordered the GT OMEGA APEX you just reviewed. The Current price is about $ 124..95 US DOLLARS and should have it in about 7 days according to Omega. I will be attaching a G920 with shifter and [pedals to it. Again Thank You for a actual review of it as most just say how they like or dislike something and never actually do a complete review like you have.
Thank you so so much for this. I actually happen to have almost identical pieces of kit arriving tomorrow, the same stand, the same pedals but the wheel base is the TS-XW(in essence identical to the one shown here). This has given me the peace of mind needed to put everything together confidently. It appears that I will need some additional hardware as the nuts and washers are provided but not the bolts(a bit annoying). Thanks a lot.
Thanks for this review Barry. I found it very useful i have to down size. I lost the space i use for my sim rig in a divorce. This little stand may be what i use for a while. Thanks SRG!
I use two 6 foot lengths of webbing and some sliders. Lash the arms of my chair to the desk. Keeps the chair from moving front to back, and also spinning.
I have the Rseat Wheel stand, and let me tell you that thing is a beast. I want to put an OSW in there and I'm sure I can hold it with no problem. Great video Mr. B!
67BlackFastback I’m glad I read this comment. I been looking for like a nice racing seat and making a bracket by if they are making one then I’m just gonna wait. I’m so excited now
Any word on when it'll be available? I just ordered one of these stands and have a perfect bucket seat that I'd like to attach/detach easily. Especially if its a budget add on.
Watched this video before ordering, was out of stock/on preorder. Watched this WHILE ordering it, and now watching it again because it arrives tomorrow and i'm too pumped. Probably going to watch it tomorrow when it arrives so I know how to set it up properly lol.
Thanks for the review Barry, although I was sort of hoping you were going to throw the Bodnar on there to see if it could handle it :D. I think we all know it wouldn't work but I often see questions from people about putting a DD wheel on a "rig" that isn't stable. It'd be interesting to see how something like this would handle the weight and power.
I have this stand. It is sturdy ass hell. I think it might do better than you think. It doesn't shake or move at all with my thrustmaster t300rs gt. I know DD is no joke but this stand is legit. All metal no plastic except for like 2 spacers where the pedals part to the stand slide.
I find if you use a pair of adjustable webbing straps from the stand to the seat arms fixes any movement between the stan and the seat. I have used them for years between my seat and desk.
So I haven't seen the whole video yet, but I'm marveling at your ability to sit on your knees, on a piece of cardboard over concrete, and not wear knee pads. I'd be done for awhile after that position.
Are you planning on reviewing the full setup for this as well - add on seat frame for example? Might also be worth looking at the V2 shifter mount which is shorter and looks a lot stiffer as well as the classic mount which looks more like a road car type position. Great review as always.
i've got one of those. It's really stable. That thing wont move while steering, i guarantee you that... But it does have one important drawback... the periferals position. See. there'sre really only 2 places you can mount a shifter and handbrake: -The side plate, and right next to the wheel. Next to the wheel is a good enough place for the handbrake ONLY IF it actually fits. Most wont. i use the th8a in that position as the handbrake, and gets the job done well enough. The side plate has a fixed height, and if you screw in a shifter there, it could very well be low enough so that your elbow rubs the armrest of your chair every time you go reach it. Just look how close his arm was to the armrest in the video.... be aware of that. If you use a clamp thou, you can add in some pieces of wood of smth to raise the height of the shifter. Apart from that, this mount is great for the price.
I just recently bought this and as with most things, companies look to cut corners wherever possible. For example the rubber feet I got are just 45mm (1.7”) so the footprint has reduced dramatically and so has the grip. Overall it’s OK for $150 stand. Just bummed that mine did not include the large diameter feet with what appears to be superior grips.
Nice review! I'm looking at this as well as I'm just getting into Sim Racing now. I was thinking of the issue with the chair and sim rig moving around. What about locking the two together with a sturdy strap like a come-along. just wrap the strap around a couple of the chairs pedestal feet and then tie or hook onto the bottom crossbar of the wheel stand at two locations. That way if you push on the stand, the chair nor the stand will move because they are now one unit. What do think? Cheers!
I have found your channel not long ago and i really like the way you explain everything and the level of detail of your reviews. I'm looking for one of this wheel stands, what do you think over the one from Next Level 2.0? I've seen you've reviewed both and i'm not sure which one to go for. Thank you!
Hello Would you please look into a F GT lite from nx level racing? Need a foldable cockpit with more a F1 seating position and your reviews are 2nd to none 🙏
Hey Barry, thanks for this review as I've been looking at this exact stand as a solution to mounting a wheel/pedal set for sim racing at my desk. Was just curious on your thoughts as far as how it might hold up to mounting the new Fanatec DD1 wheel base, even if it meant having to run the direct drive motor at lower torque settings. Thanks!
The wheelbase plate has Fanatec mounting holes. So no problem getting it mounted. I would have to try it myself to give any feedback. Not sure how the Apex mount would react to the added weight. Even if you turn the DD1 torque levels down.
With the Podium Racing Wheel F1 set on its way soon, I would also be interested to see how/if this could handle the added weight/torque of such a setup
I got the Apex version about 6 months ago now, and I have no complaints. The reason I got the apex over the regular is because the apex has more adjustment than the regular. I’d recommend the apex due to the low difference in cost.
I just can't get over the fact, of how F-ing professional this guy is..
Former DJ
Barry is obviously James May's long lost American brother…
He reminds me of the late great Bob Ross.
Captain fast
This is probably the bloke who tried to empty May's bank accounts
Best channel hands down when it comes to sim racing. Goes over every little details and scenarios. You can just tell how much time goes into making these videos. Not to mention his got almost bob ross type of relaxed voice that will just make you feel like you are meditating lol.
Keep up the good work and i can almost guarantee sim racing will be different without what you do for us. Hope I can race w you in the future.
the bob ross of the sim racing world. lets just put this happy little wheel stand over here and try it out.
Thanks so much Barry for also looking at gear for us common folk. I appreciate it and love your show.
if you get this, which you should if you have a limited wallet or space, buy the chair link, it's a little accessory that links any chair with wheels with the wheel stand
Hey I have the same stand. Do you have a link to that? Can't seem to find on their site
im sure i speak for a lot of use when i say we eagerly await your dd1 and or dd2 reviews
And hopefully on PS4 as well as PC.
Barry, You are a life saver. I am just getting into sim racing a newbie I guess, No, not even a newbie as I have no equipment yet, more like an embryo. LOL. You have saved me from chasing my tail and asking (but not getting any) advice on where to start. I was looking at all these high price rigs, wheel hubs, pedals, and than I saw this video and made everything clear for me. Thanks so much! And for that I plan on buying a t-shirt from you. Thanks again.
Joe Lister
I will use this video for ASMR... it's both soothing and entertaining
I am really happy I ran across this. My Omega Apex arrives Monday and not only was this a very informative video it will also help me put it together properly. I'd prefer to grab a full cockpit but I live in a small apartment. One thing I intend to do is instead of the rubber pads is get some good quality locking casters in their place so I can just roll it out of the way after disconnecting the power supply and USB cable of my Logitech G920. I don't so much play racing games as much as ATS and ETS2.
How's your wheel stand working out?
i bought an old Subaru seat from my local scrapyard for £25, and just bolted it down to 4 square pieces of 2x4 wood.
It doesn't move or wabble at all and is a better (and cheaper) alternative to a desk chair as far as sim racing is concerned.
I did the same with a junkyard Honda seat. I kept it on the rails so fully adjustable. Also interesting furniture
THIS is how you do a review. Barry, you are a godsend for all of us.
This is better than watching cable television.
Thank you Barry for the video, assembled this for my pedals and wheel earlier today. Shifter is coming soon!
Just hoping if anyone reads this and buys this, the screws come randomly tossed in the bag. You gotta look at each one and rely on the instructions the best you can to judge which screws are which measurement.
Will help make assembly twice as faster!
I just got into Sim Racing last year and your channel is the first I go to for Sim gear reviews. I really love the fact that you don't just review high end gear, you cover all price points and various cockpits, again not just high end full motion rigs but all types for all budgets. Also like raloP commented below I too can't wait to watch your review of the dd1 and dd22
This is a real review.
Thank you, that's what i looked for.
New to sim racing but just wanted to say thank you for all the extremely detailed testing/explanations you do.
You helped me decide a t248 and this stand are perfect for me as a beginner to get a reasonable experience without spending thousands to see if i want to invest more down the line 👍
The GT Omega Apex is on sale for Prime Day right now at $119.99 which led me to your incredible review which then led me to hit the complete purchase button. Thank you.
Animal should I buy the apex for $119 or the regular for $95? I’m trying to figure out is it worth the $25 difference.
@@MichaelSuperbacker I watched reviews for both (by the same reviewer) and I honestly think it just comes down to preference. The differences are marginal and is solely up to you. You cannot go wrong with either because both are fully upgradeable.
By that I mean you can order a classic rear frame ($89.95) + a rs6 seat ($219.95) to get a full cockpit (albeit still more expensive than purchasing the ART Cockpit fully assembled ($399 on the GT Omega site).
I just went for the Apex because I didn't mind the $25 price difference. 99% sure there isn't a noticeable difference in performance between the Apex and Classic so if youre on a somewhat budget, you should be 100% fine with the Classic!
This was the best review I have ever seen! Your skills at teaching and putting together a good review/ setup is top notch. Thank you for waking the time Barry!
20:30 great technique!
Barry - great review as per norm. I can always count on you spending pretty much the same amount of time and effort on a $150 unit or one that is well beyond my simming budget and that seems to be very rare in today's bait-click / soundbite websphere.
To solve the chronic seat drifting away from the pedals syndrome I picked up a set of locking casters for my office chair. I found a set made by Alvin for $15 online. Depending on your physical weight you may only need to install 1-2 not all 5 that come with the order. I presently am using only 1 on a short pile carpet and it works for my 160 lb weight. As an even more economical solution - in another life as a drummer I used to keep a simple rope in my gig bag that I would use to connect my drum throne (seat) to the bass drum if I was playing a gig with a "house set" of drums (not mine) and that had hardwood floors or similar to prevent the bass drum from "walking away" from my seated position. Wish I could take credit for the rope idea but alas it has been handed down for generations in the drumming community.
Thanks for the review Barry! I just got mine in the mail today after watching your video a few weeks ago. Showing the material thicknesses and your super in-depth analysis went a long way to help me make my decision, and I am very happy with my purchase.
I just purchased one. It fits my current needs, and is upgradeable to a full cockpit when I have the extra funds. And more affordable than some upgradeable wheel stands. Its not the extruded aluminum I really want, but I can afford this now and hopefully upgrade in the future if I get further into this hobby.
Thank God.
I bought the Apex in a Black Friday sale panic-buy before I watched Barrys review. I was so scared watching this video that he was gonna say it was crap.
This is my first step into SIM Racing. Grabbed the G29 on offer too. Counting the days to getting my hands on them all.
We're renovating our house so when we're all set up, I'll invest in the seat base add-on and racing seat.
Really hoping the new setup gives new life to Dirt 2.0, Snowrunner, Project Cars 2 etc.
I just bought the G923
Thank you for showing how you set up everything. Very helpful
Thanks from Italy for your reviews Barry, you are a reference in this field.
He's like a fast James May, great review!
can't wait for your Fanatec DD review. wheel stands are meant to be an affordable alternative to a full rig and as such they are not built to the same standard. If you are a DIY type person you can mod most wheel stands and make them better. Would love to hear your thoughts on the playseat challenge. Thank you far all of your hard work Barry.
No need to mod this stand. I got one. It's legit compared to the other ones I've done research on that shake and are flimsy this is not.
@@13jasonkm Hi Jason, can this stand handle a DD1 wheel base?
I've got the same question as Chris. Considering a DD1 but would need a foldable wheel stand because of space
The Bob Ross of sim racing builds. :)
Recently discovered that a ratchet strap will keep the chair in place, and allow easy adjustment for initial setup. No need to use door stops, weighty boxes and putting the wheel base against your monitor stand/desk. The strap keeps the chair and the stand tethered together, and its pretty darn solid. Good enough for stiff loadcell pedals.
GT does sell a frame alone or a frame with seat for this. Unfortunately with seat it's twice as much as this LOL.
Rear frame alone, $114.95
With seat, $404.90
He is like the American James May expert when it comes to Sim Racing! Good driver too!
Just got mine today, just waiting on the hard-mount adapter for my Thrustmaster TMX. I can confirm, it's solid AF.
They also include different feet in my purchase, same adjustable metal feet, but a ribbed rubber coating underneath. Puts up great resistance on carpet, i can barely budge it. Even pulling on the base it barely slides, and if you apply any downward pressure at all, it'll just stick like glue. Going to see how it performs once I got everything installed and can stamp on my pedals in anger, but so far the first impressions are very positive.
How would it work on a hardwood floor? Are the feet sticky enough for that or would you need some non-slip mat underneath?
Can you mount the TMX to this stand without the Ricmotech mod or it is necessary?
@@georgeapostolo3865 its absolutely necessary but a good connection
@@psistorm04 Thanks for the answer but i did not understand. Do i have to buy the Ricmotech mod to mount the wheel or not? I know that with the mod you can hard mount it, but otherwise can you not mount it with the clamp?
@@georgeapostolo3865 No, the clamps won't fit around the horizontal beam where the mounting plate sits on, believe me, I tried, since I had to wait on said adapter when I first bought it.
So yeah, you will 100% require the ricmotech adapter
Das beste Video, das ich je zu GT Omega gesehen habe. Danke!
I bought a amazon return TS PC racer wheel for $300 from a local business after watching your tear down review. So much nicer than the $10 craigslist Driving Force I got ages ago. Really happy except its in a home office and awkward bolted to a desk. Was looking at stands online and liked this one. Searched youtube and you turned up again, even with the same wheel lol.
Anyway, you certainly proved the stand was stable with all that heel toeing. I'm convinced... Cheers :)
Damn, I shoulda bought the Apex instead of the regular Omega. Thanks for the review.
Man I gotta say, you have the best documentary narrator voice with a hint of robot computer voice.
Just got this rig(along with Fanatec CSL Elite bundle with loadcell pedal) for my new PC, am a complete noob to sim racing so this is invaluable stuff. Some small advice: you might want to mention in the title that you cover the assembly of the stand, as I was looking around for Omega Apex assembly advice on RUclips and skipped your video as it seemed to just be a review.
I'm looking into this exact setup. How have you liked it so far?
@@tonspike It's good. The GT Omega is very sturdy, no loose parts. Relatively easy to put together. I like the little things: the fact that they've included four or five separate, decent quality velcro cable-holders so that the wires from the wheel and pedal setup can be fixed to the stand. It weighs a shit-ton, as you'd expect.
Re. the CSL Elite, plus the pedals and loadcell setup: being honest I've never owned a beginner wheel, I went straight to the CSL rather than try the t150/t300 thrustmasters or the g29s, which seem to be the most common first steps. So I can't compare the CSL to any of the lower tier wheels.
What I can tell you is that it does everything I want it to, the wheel is smooth and has 1080 degree rotation, it's highly calibratable too - if, say, you're into drifting like I am and you want a shorter turning range so that you're not constantly throwing the wheel from one extreme to another that's as easy as two button clicks and an adjustment of the turning range away. Five separate customisable presets. And for a newcomer like me it is unbelievably violent. The fanatec downloadable setup for the PC has a 'test functions' thing, and when you choose 'test ffb' it was like a scene from the exorcist, it scared the shit out of me. The wheel just jerked about like no peripheral I've ever used before. The amount of torque in the thing is alarming. I'm still a bit antsy about setting it at full ffb. So if you're planning on playing it anywhere near full ffb then you really need a stand like the GT Omega because clamping it to your desk won't be good enough.
Re. the pedals? They look a bit dull and ugly - black rubber rather than the nice shiny steel of some of the thrustmaster ones, but they do the job very well. There's very little resistance though, aside from the load cell pedal(sold separately), which you need if you're going to be using the clutch. And it's all a lot more expensive than a Thrustmaster setup. At least double. But the pedals work excellently, and even though they're a bit nasty looking they don't feel cheap when you're using them.
The load cell pedal works on a different principle from the default brake pedal: it measures pressure on the pedal, rather than travel distance of the pedal, so instead of pushing it down a certain distance, you have to push it down with a certain force. Apparently this is much better than the default because your muscle memory remembers different amounts of muscle force much more easily and precisely than different amounts of pedal distance. As with the wheel, it's surprising how much force is built up in this thing. I needed to halve its default setting before the amount of force for full braking was really comfortably within my grasp. Before that it required ridiculous pressure.Again though calibrating that was just a case of pressing a couple of buttons and toggling a guage, all of it happening in the lcd display on the wheel.
One slight niggle is that no matter how many times I go back into Assetto Corsa on my PC it unfailingly forgets to recognise the CSL and I have to go to controls and reset it. This happens sometimes just when I change tracks in the same play session. I don't know if it's an issue with the game or the wheel(AC is a real pain in terms of UI) but it's annoying to have to keep randomly changing things in the hope that it'll recognise the wheel this time. It happens in AC Competizione as well though.
Dirt Rally 2 has no problem with it, although for some reason it tanks the frame-rate when I set it on 4k. Switch it to 1440p and the framerate's fine. I don't get this issue when I'm just using controller.
It's not an easy setup in terms of downloading drivers, getting games to recognise it; that would be my biggest complaint so far. I imagine that Logitech and Thrustmaster are much more user friendly. But if I set it up anyone can, and Fanatec has its own interface on PC that you can download.
tl;dr: it's really good. I'd say go for it. Fanatec have pretty high demand so it'll come when it comes but it was only a few weeks for me.
@@thesprawl2361 Wow, thank you for such an in-depth review! You've helped ease my worries. I've grown up using cheaper wheel options (last I owned was a T150) and having driven real race cars the cheap stuff doesn't cut it anymore. I'm between the GT Omega Apex stand and the Next Level Racing GTLite--I don't need the full cockpit experience necessarily but am more so interested in something that can fold away relatively tightly.
@@tonspike You're welcome. I think you really can't get anything better for the price point.
I don't need the full cockpit either. I'm not going to be thrashing about that hard that I need it. And the GT Omega is really secure and grips to the floor. It's in front of me as I type and I tried moving it with my foot, pushing as hard as I can. It wouldn't budge. Rock solid.
I bought the thrustmaster t300rs gt and this stand 2 months ago. I love it. For my first setup I enjoy it fully. Yes I want to eventually upgrade but I always want to upgrade. It's sturdy, dosent shake at all plus I don't have much room and it folds up without taking anything off for easy storage. So glad I did my research like I said I love this thing. On carpet it doesn't slide for me at least.
Does it work while sitting on a couch? It seems the angle is to steep while couches are pretty low.
@@zoranlovric9871 I tried to use it in my lazy boy lol. That didn't work and no i haven't used it on my couch but because of the angle it wouldn't work. Any desk or kitchen chair works just fine.
Is it because of couch height or the depth of the seating area?
@@zoranlovric9871angle and seating depth both play a factor but you can angle the pedals more up and probably make it work like I said I only tried it on my lazy boy and that was not working at all. I've been just happy and fine with my chair from my dinning room.
Great Review. Thank you. I have been a flight simmer for years actually made my control stand for it out of PVC and works great. I am just getting into Racing/ driving sims and Have Been researching for good Wheel stands. I really like your video as I WILL be using a desk chair similar to yours with it. I will just make a small modification add on to set the chair wheels inside a bracket attached to it to help with the moving of the chair and the stand. I Have just actually ordered the GT OMEGA APEX you just reviewed.
The Current price is about $ 124..95 US DOLLARS and should have it in about 7 days according to Omega. I will be attaching a G920 with shifter and [pedals to it.
Again Thank You for a actual review of it as most just say how they like or dislike something and never actually do a complete review like you have.
Dude awesome quality video. Also, audio is 10/10.
Excellent explanation of everything involved. Much appreciated for all of the help !!!!!!
Thank you so so much for this. I actually happen to have almost identical pieces of kit arriving tomorrow, the same stand, the same pedals but the wheel base is the TS-XW(in essence identical to the one shown here). This has given me the peace of mind needed to put everything together confidently. It appears that I will need some additional hardware as the nuts and washers are provided but not the bolts(a bit annoying). Thanks a lot.
Thanks for this review Barry. I found it very useful i have to down size. I lost the space i use for my sim rig in a divorce. This little stand may be what i use for a while. Thanks SRG!
Fantastic comprehensive review.👍
And driving !😉
Locking casters are a good fix for the desk chair
I use two 6 foot lengths of webbing and some sliders. Lash the arms of my chair to the desk. Keeps the chair from moving front to back, and also spinning.
Bro you jus earned a sub you are actually the best guy ever
I have the Rseat Wheel stand, and let me tell you that thing is a beast. I want to put an OSW in there and I'm sure I can hold it with no problem. Great video Mr. B!
I love this stand. They told me they're coming out with seat attachment "mid year".
67BlackFastback I’m glad I read this comment. I been looking for like a nice racing seat and making a bracket by if they are making one then I’m just gonna wait. I’m so excited now
Any word on when it'll be available? I just ordered one of these stands and have a perfect bucket seat that I'd like to attach/detach easily. Especially if its a budget add on.
Watched this video before ordering, was out of stock/on preorder. Watched this WHILE ordering it, and now watching it again because it arrives tomorrow and i'm too pumped. Probably going to watch it tomorrow when it arrives so I know how to set it up properly lol.
Thank you for the great review of this wheel stand I bought one of these, as this will be the best for my use.
thats the best review of a wheelstand ever. great job ^^
Looking forward to your fanatec podium and simucube 2 reviews!
this guy is gamersnexus of sim racing
Thanks for the review Barry, although I was sort of hoping you were going to throw the Bodnar on there to see if it could handle it :D. I think we all know it wouldn't work but I often see questions from people about putting a DD wheel on a "rig" that isn't stable. It'd be interesting to see how something like this would handle the weight and power.
the bodnar will probably spin this whole thing like a propeller lol
I have this stand. It is sturdy ass hell. I think it might do better than you think. It doesn't shake or move at all with my thrustmaster t300rs gt. I know DD is no joke but this stand is legit. All metal no plastic except for like 2 spacers where the pedals part to the stand slide.
I find if you use a pair of adjustable webbing straps from the stand to the seat arms fixes any movement between the stan and the seat. I have used them for years between my seat and desk.
Good idea.
Awesome wheelstand, especially if you have litle space or room for gaming on the home 👍 TOP rewie as always Barry 🍻
Great review! I went with this stand and am very satisfied with its construction and robustness.
Mine came in today. Thanks Barry!!!
The best review I've ever seen!
I liked it. Great voice too.
a review for the playseat challenge would be greatly appreciated.
So I haven't seen the whole video yet, but I'm marveling at your ability to sit on your knees, on a piece of cardboard over concrete, and not wear knee pads. I'd be done for awhile after that position.
Thanks for that perfect Review
I have this stand and use it with my CSL Elite. It’s rock solid and built like a tank.
i swear this guys voice is like a director or someone like a professional
Great video dude, real professional 👌👌👌
What a great review. Thank you for the info.
I have 1 of these and they are great for the money you pay. Best wheel stand by a margin.
I'd love to see you do the GT Omega Art chassis. Great job with this review and thank you for all of your detailed work.
Well, I do have a basic pro cockpit on order with the RS9 seat. Should be here soon.
Thanks Barry , your a wealth of knowledge
0 dislikes.... Your content is fantastic!
Are you planning on reviewing the full setup for this as well - add on seat frame for example? Might also be worth looking at the V2 shifter mount which is shorter and looks a lot stiffer as well as the classic mount which looks more like a road car type position. Great review as always.
This doesn’t have v2 shifter mount the wheel stand classic does
Damn dude you can shift!
Wow! ~48 minutes to review a wheel stand. Take note RUclips "reviewers"! This is how it's done.
Great review as always
Thanks Barry
Thanks. Help me to decide which one I will buy to start this old dream to get a SIM racing for myself.
i've got one of those.
It's really stable. That thing wont move while steering, i guarantee you that...
But it does have one important drawback... the periferals position.
See. there'sre really only 2 places you can mount a shifter and handbrake:
-The side plate, and right next to the wheel.
Next to the wheel is a good enough place for the handbrake ONLY IF it actually fits. Most wont.
i use the th8a in that position as the handbrake, and gets the job done well enough.
The side plate has a fixed height, and if you screw in a shifter there, it could very well be low enough so that your elbow rubs the armrest of your chair every time you go reach it.
Just look how close his arm was to the armrest in the video.... be aware of that.
If you use a clamp thou, you can add in some pieces of wood of smth to raise the height of the shifter.
Apart from that, this mount is great for the price.
I am the point I click like before starting the video :)
Barrys voice belongs on radio
Brevity is a valuable trait in a RUclips video
James May you promised me it would all fold flat, Liar !!!
I’m Kidding 🤣
I just recently bought this and as with most things, companies look to cut corners wherever possible.
For example the rubber feet I got are just 45mm (1.7”) so the footprint has reduced dramatically and so has the grip. Overall it’s OK for $150 stand. Just bummed that mine did not include the large diameter feet with what appears to be superior grips.
They did upgrade the shifter mount tho, it's way more sturdy now.
I have to put a couple of peices of wood in between my tv and my wheel stand works a treat
Fantastic tutorial. 😎👍
Nice review! I'm looking at this as well as I'm just getting into Sim Racing now. I was thinking of the issue with the chair and sim rig moving around. What about locking the two together with a sturdy strap like a come-along. just wrap the strap around a couple of the chairs pedestal feet and then tie or hook onto the bottom crossbar of the wheel stand at two locations. That way if you push on the stand, the chair nor the stand will move because they are now one unit. What do think? Cheers!
Hi... What kind of chair would you recommend with this particular stand? Thank you and I really enjoy your thorough and enjoyable reviews!
Now I'm only focused on what you have under that towel. :)
Hopefully it's a Fanatec DD or Simucube 2.
Thanks.
Looks like a high quality piece, however i doubt it can be used if one is seated very low.
Are you kidding me!!! Talk about the voice for radio!!! And... he forgot the small cooling fan to simulate the wind.
I have found your channel not long ago and i really like the way you explain everything and the level of detail of your reviews.
I'm looking for one of this wheel stands, what do you think over the one from Next Level 2.0? I've seen you've reviewed both and i'm not sure which one to go for.
Thank you!
Nice review thanks...would have liked to see you folding it up at the end with the wheel and pedals still on
That is demostrated in the "Final Thoughts" segment.
Great video.
is the Apex stand sturdy enough for the upcoming CSL DD (with standard power supply)?
There are videos of people using the DD1 podium wheelbase at 8nm and it can handle it. It seems to be able to handle up to around 10nm.
26:21 "I'm yanking on it, pretty good here" Gasp, pant gasp. yuk yuk blaargh
Finnbar Saunders
The Jerry Springer of rig reviews
Hello
Would you please look into a F GT lite from nx level racing? Need a foldable cockpit with more a F1 seating position and your reviews are 2nd to none 🙏
Hey Barry, thanks for this review as I've been looking at this exact stand as a solution to mounting a wheel/pedal set for sim racing at my desk. Was just curious on your thoughts as far as how it might hold up to mounting the new Fanatec DD1 wheel base, even if it meant having to run the direct drive motor at lower torque settings. Thanks!
The wheelbase plate has Fanatec mounting holes. So no problem getting it mounted. I would have to try it myself to give any feedback. Not sure how the Apex mount would react to the added weight. Even if you turn the DD1 torque levels down.
With the Podium Racing Wheel F1 set on its way soon, I would also be interested to see how/if this could handle the added weight/torque of such a setup
Should I buy the Apex version or the regular version?
I got the Apex version about 6 months ago now, and I have no complaints. The reason I got the apex over the regular is because the apex has more adjustment than the regular. I’d recommend the apex due to the low difference in cost.
I also have the g923 and can confirm it works great.
Do you think this stand could be used with a Fanatec CSL dd?
Thank you!!