Hello!I was wondering if maybe some of you TrackIR, and or VoiceBuddy users could reply with your thoughts on these two products and how well they work for you with FS. I am very interested in purchasing the two of these product, I've read the reviews however I wanted to know what the common user's reaction to them were. Thanks for any input you may have on them!JohnnyKTUS

Johnny,I have posted extensively on TrackIR on this forum before and give it my highest endorsement (for what that is worth!). I was skeptical at first, having bought the 3D glasses and having not been impressed with those. I could not understand how you could still see the monitor when you turn your head and expected all sorts of neck strain, etc. Honestly, I probably would stop using MSFS if I couldn't use TrackIR with it. I never went back to Falcon 4 for that reason (although I understand someone has since made it work with TrackIR). It works flawlessly and greatly improves FS functionality as a VFR training device.One of the challenges I had starting my private pilot training after years of simming was getting accustomed to having my eyes outside the plane. Getting a yoke with a hat switch for the outside view helped but the yoke I had put the switch on the right, which required you to remove your hand from the throttle to look around for that critical turn from base to final. Flying a pattern in FS without TrackIR is actually much more difficult than flying one in a real plane. The instrument -infatuated heavy drivers don't care so much because ATC and the FMS have them well-aligned with the runway 10 miles out or more.Once you have TrackIR, you will forever be obsessed with virtual cockpits, the quality of which varies significantly. It is also helpful to have a large screen to be able to see the instruments. I actually use multiple monitors to display the 2D cockpit instruments on a panel (some of which are Project Magenta instruments) and have removed all the instruments from my VC just to keep it running smoothly on my modest system. Flying VFR, and even jets, is a pleasure now! Imagine driving your car with your head fixed in one of those halo things with blinders on. That is FS without TrackIR - amazing how accustomed we've become to that! Now I look around just as I would in a real plane. I practice patterns, aerobatics, instrument scans, and just enjoy the countryside. It takes maybe a few hours to get used to using your head as a mouse control but after that it becomes intuitive - no different from the learning curve involved in manipulating a mouse with your hand. I keep the sensitivity high so only small head movements are necessary - others might have different preferences. It seems to use almost no PC power so don't worry about it impacting FS. The only downside is the embarrassment caused by not removing the dot from your forehead afterwards!Honestly, Johnny, for me TrackIR is the single greatest addon I have ever made to flight sim - and I've spent thousands on my home cockpit. It negates the need for me to look at projection systems or external views on multiple monitors. It is as close to virtual reality as I am likely to afford in the next decade or so. Lots of people oohed and aahed when the mouse look feature was released here in the library some time ago (forgot the name) but I've never understood why these people don't take the huge technological leap to TrackIR.I have not tried Voice Buddy but have tried similar products - they just don't do much for me. The real need is for a somewhat realistic method of communicating with FS ATC. The menu system appears to be a necessary evil that is not overcome with this method. Instead of typing your responses, you simply end up saying "one", "four" etc. I know some people have developed complex scripts to make it seem more realistic but for me it doesn't add much. Hope that helps!David

Hi Johnny,I use a TrackIR2 device for head-activated panning in the VC mode, and I love it! It didnt' take much tweaking to get it working just the way I wanted, and I find it brings the realism in my 'simming to a whole new level. If you fly a lot from the virtual cockpit mode, then it'll help quite a bit. If you fly with 2D cockpits usually then you'll likely not get any use out of it. I've especially found it useful when flying patterns or making a particularly tough landing, because you can quickly and smoothly pan around using your head to get all the information you need. There's a new version of it out now called the TrackIR3, which supposedly has greater resolution, resulting in even smoother panning. But I've got no complaints in that department about my '2' version. By the way, I've attached a pic of my headphones with the little TrackIR adapter I fashioned from some coathangar wire and a couple of zip-ties. The reflective dot that is received by the TIR camera is stuck onto the end of this affair, and it works great. Just one idea for how you can set it up.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/75406.jpgthanks,

Hi Johnny, I purchased TrackIR 2 not too long ago. I was very impressed with the immersive effect it gives. One problem I ran into, and one reason I really haven't been using it all that much lately, is that when looking around in the virtual cockpit, things are "jittery" for lack of a better term. When looking down at your gauges, it seems that it takes several seconds for your view to stabilize, and you can then focus on the guages. Maybe I don't have it tweaked right or something, I dunno. Anyhow, it is really cool being able to look around the cockpit without messing with a hat switch.....My two cents.....TonyKMQI

Johnny,in principle I agree with what was said about how greatly TrackIR improves the siuational awareness especially when flying a pattern. Having said that I have it and I don't use it anymore. The reason is, I have a pretty complex home cockpit. Therefore I have to turn my head a lot outside the focus of the primary monitor. If you do this Track IR rotates the view all the time. You can stop it by simply enabling it with a hotkey but it still remains a distraction then. Also be aware that you need a system that produces pretty good framerates or the thing will become very jittery.However if you use only one monitor and keep your eyes on the screen it is fantastic.I also have to add that I have version 1 and I am not aware of the improvements that have been done meanwhile with the b

Johnny,As I have a rather extensive home cockpit, I can relate to Alex's viewpoint. I simply have a button on my yoke that I set to recenter the view. This is only necessary, though, if the TrackIR loses sight of the dot. As I have my TrackIR quite a ways away from my head, this doesn't happen very often. I have not seen the vibration that Tony mentions. One thing that can be an interesting test of hand-eye coordination is trying to manipulate a knob or switch in VC mode with the TrackIR on. You have to keep your head perfectly still while you manipulate the mouse and this can be tricky. Personally, I cover the dot with one hand, freezing TrackIR, while moving the mouse with my other hand. A cool feature would be if TrackIR would freeze anytime the mouse is being moved but I don't think that has been looked at.David

Thank you all for your prompt replies. I do pretty much only fly the VC, and my system produces awesome FR's so I am hoping that it will produce a smooth view. I just wanted to see what some of you all thought about your units. So again, thank you for replying!JohnnyKTUS

Hey David, Now that's a good idea, placing your finger over the dot(s)to freeze it, never thought of that...that's what I meant by the "jittering", you want the screen to be still when clicking a button on the panel, and it moves around on you....like I said before, other than that one thing, I love it....It's especially cool if you've got LOCKON-Modern air combat/CFS, etc, being able to track the bogey without using a hat switch/view button, is very advantageous...not to mention, more realistic. Also, TrackIR combined with Active Camera is kewwwl. Later...TonyKMQI

I just got TrackIR 3 standard the other day. It really transforms the experience. The first hour or so I used it, I wasn't sure what I thought- it took a while to get it tweaked, and I ended up with a headache. The next night when I fired it up, I found it must have "sunk in" overnight. I had no trouble using it, and found it very intuitive. It REALLY helps with situational awareness. Like the others said, clicking in the VC is a nightmare, so you should map a joystick button or something to stop it from tracking while you're clicking.I would definately recommend it.I tried Voice Buddy too by the way, but reviews on that are mixed. It is VERY cool being able to just say "Gear up", and have the gear go up, and have a verbal response. The voice commands, key commands, and responses are completely programmable. There are two negatives- One being the co-pilot is the MS computer voice- there are no .wav files, and no way to use them instead. This works great for customizing responses however, since the TTS engine just says whatever you type, although the voice is very artificial sounding. The other downside is that the checklists are not interactive. I don't know why they say they are. Once you call for a checklist, the computer voice reads off each item, seperated by about a second pause- not enough time to complete each item. It would be nice if you could confirm each item with a "check" command before moving to the next one. Even so, it definately adds a touch of realism when flying a heavy. After takeoff you can call "Gear up" then "Engage LNAV" then "Flaps 5" etc. For the price, as long as you have a good mic/headset already, the download version would probably be worth checking out. I think they should add more interactivity into it though.*One weird thing about Voice Buddy- every now and then, during periods of total silence- the "Voice Buddy" would shout out "I AM YOUR COPILOT!". Haha- as if I was ignoring her. I found this phrase could also be triggered by asking "Who are you?". Kind of funny.