UKGPL Season 38 (Spring 2021) Mixed Open Wheel - Vallelunga - May 11

[dave curtis]

From the product page: http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=97&products_id=188   then product downloads.
There is firmware update so the device will also support the later G29/G920 shifter,  as well as the configuration utility.
However, looks to be for Windows.

For example for my current shifter, waggling around in each gear (it DID look a lot cleaner previously):

[dave curtis]

Anyway, thanks for the track!
It did have a good flow & was fairly smooth going.  I enjoyed the time I was able to circulate.

Cheers,
Dave.

[fpolicardi]

From my replay it seems that David and Paul freezed at the same time at 6'33" of race.
All the others that didn't finish had engine failure or crashed.
I don't understand if Axel retired for engine failure or for other reasons after the contact with Alain at Cimini. Alain too leaved after have waited for Axel rejoin.
If you did so in a real race you would be fired by your boss  

[Leo Menegucci]

Didn't expect to be up front with the F2 cars. Guess I enjoyed the flow of the track.

Was nice racing with against Alain at the early laps and with Tom (so fast  ) at the end.

Few laps from the end I realized was gonna run out of fuel and slowed a bit but wasn't enough. Did a quick splash and go securing the last spot on the podium 

[Christian Dauger]

I did not expect such a good place for my 3rd race here, although, I once again benefited from a few output track / disconnection.
The race was intense and a fight first with Doni then with Fulvio. Doni will take 4th place after a collision with Fulvio and the fight to keep 5th place will last until the end. I did not see the 36 laps pass ...
I still have to try the F1 67 and 65 and I will be ready for next season ...


In in-game chat, what do the writing letters / numbers correspond to?

[bagrupp]

Sorry Bastian, I tried to pass you cleanly and you tried to let me pass but the server decided we were to close and sent you off. I didn't feel any contact, but saw you off track after I went by. My replay doesn't show any contact, but the server still determined we were to close. The racing was close and fun with several people, but very hard to pass. Overall, I like this track very much. Thanks for the track, the race and UKGPL for hosting this event.

See you next race,

Tom

in my replay you begin to slide unnaturaly, some kind of lag. dissapointing yes.

[EvilClive]

I was one of those who cooked his engine on lap 3?, probably caused by a couple of dodgy upshifts/downshifts in the early laps.

Getting 2nd when you want 4th, or 1st when you wanted 3rd, uncovers a rev range that the engine designers had not anticipated and appears to stress too many components 
Which leads onto the exchange between Pete and Dave, re the Bodnar cable and the configuring software. Thanks for the info guys, I have ordered a cable and hope that I can "correct" the H pattern a little so that I avoid too many random gearchanges ( and explosions in the crankcase).

[Doni Yourth]

I suppose that anytime you grid up in P13 and come away just one place shy of a podium can't be consider as anything but a sterling day.  Indeed, it was. 

Some fine battles with Christian and Fulvio along the way certainly spiced up the run and each in his turn hounded me mercilessly for many a lap.  If it weren't for a late-race collision between these very two, I would not have had that tasty P4 finish.

Of course, many others fell to misfortune in the earlier laps as spins, crashes ,engine blowups and sadly, some discos eliminated quite a few ahead of me.  In fact, I made no legitimate pass at all; just rose through the ranks from good luck alone.

My only stumble along the way was a very odd slip on Lap 22 when it felt for all the world like my steering had failed when I proceeded to brake and set up for Semaforo.  The car just didn't seem to respond and it took a moment to get the handle on it.  That's all was needed for both Fulvio and Christian to put me back two places.  I'll just put it down to a little slide under braking and it didn't recur.

Great job by my ADC amigo and sparring partner for the last 15 years, Tom Johnson, to score a fine P2 and take the FTD honours.  Well done, TJ!

[Pete Bennett]

I've rebuilt my G27 shifter and no improvement. I think it's time for the graveyard. Still, it's lasted 10 years. Just ordered a Logitech G Driving Force replacement. It's all the budget can stretch to. In the meantime, I'm having to use paddles. YUCK!

[EvilClive]

Bodnar cables arrived today, very impressed as they threatened 5-7 days for Royal Mail delivery. Just girding my loins to go and re wire the rig  .I will report back on my findings.

I am aware that my ( second) Logitech shifter has had a hard, short life and this cable change might be a temporary bodge and will not sort all of my concerns, I wonder if anyone has any opinions on the Thrustmaster TH8A shifter? I am assuming that it would work via USB with my current G25 which is due for upgrade replacement this year, probably for a Thrustmaster wheel or similar?

[EvilClive]

OK.
New cable for shifter and new cable for pedals from BODNAR. I should say here that this is all on Win10.

Cables installed ...no probs just need to tidy up excess lengths with some cable ties.
Software/Calibration ....done just followed the online instructions.

Jump into GPL and had to re-configure the CONTROLS calibration for the new axis assignments under OPTIONS.

Then I hit a small problem.
I had the pedals working OK but no gear shift.?.?.? Tried a RESTART of PC but no good.
Dug into the GPLSHIFT patch and found my way to the  .ini file. It took a while to understand exactly what the various SHIFT options were and how to change them.

I had to edit the default shift detection from "Auto" to "#2USB", basically to detect a non standard shifter input and everything worked OK.

Tried a few laps and my initial impressions are that pedal responses are slightly smoother, probably as a result of the higher pulse no's?? and the shifter "feels" the same ( loose and floppy as before which was to be expected ) but the gears did find themselves a little easier. I still think that I will need to upgrade the Shifter and the wheel some time this year.

EDIT>
I have just tried a few more laps and discovered that I have lost the Pribluda display? All appears to be in order within the GPL.ini file and with Prib.ini, but nothing showing on screen. Any suggestions guys?

[Phil Thornton]

....if anyone has any opinions on the Thrustmaster TH8A shifter?

Yes I have one. Excellent shifter, much better than my old G25.

I bought the shifter on its own first and gradually moved over to Thrustmaster as the G25 pedals, and finally the G25 wheel, eventually wore out.

A complete set of wheel, pedals and shifter is a lot of money to spend on one go.

[EvilClive]

After my success with the Bodnar cable installation, word must have got back to Mr Bill Gates and he kindly sent an automatic update for Win10 that announced it's presence as I shut down last night.

This morning after Microsoft has worked it's nocturnal magic I can no longer access GPL !!???!!    .

I can access GEM and select the mod and driver, but when I hit the green button to launch GPL there is a momentary black screen before it returns to GEM.
I tried a direct launch of GPL from the GPL.exe in the SIERRA folder and the result is the same, I get dumped back into Windows Explorer ( or whatever it is called these days!).
I have walked away from the rig in disgust and will go back and give it a try when my blood pressure has dropped, but it looks like yet another fresh install of GPL  .  Fortunately I have a working copy ( well it did work when I saved it!!) on my external hard disk from the last time that this happened, so I should be able to take a copy of my latest track/setups/seasons folders and drop them into a new install.
It does seem that many of my GPL woes are closely associated with a Win10 update.

[dave curtis]

I can access GEM and select the mod and driver, but when I hit the green button to launch GPL there is a momentary black screen before it returns to GEM.

Just a guess, but possibly a corrupt track.ini?  In the tracks folder, order by modified date & maybe check the most recent one.
(I've seen that on a server when trying to host;  GEM+ loads, but iGOR does not appear to start at all).

Otherwise, maybe try renaming your GEM.INI  & get it re-built  (you may have a couple of them laying around in different locations, so probably the last modified one is a good bet).

[Cookie]

I really do not understand this W10 masochism...

(c:/users/Public/Documents/GEM+/gem.ini)

Never run the original gpl.exe
- it seems to be blocked by W10 or your AV - so GEM+ can't build the mod.exe -> gplc67.exe