Any experiences with TrackHat?

[dc10boy]

Hi All, does anybody have any experiences with TrackHat? is it a viable option to TrackIR?
Any real pros or cons for either head tracker for FS?
Thanks
Stan

[manfredc3]

I remember that Frooglesim has a youtube video on it a while ago, and he was very positive.

I have actually been looking at getting the clip version.

[Mejborn]

Hi
I use trackhat and whilst not being perfect its one of these things that makes a before and after. Now, flying without seems flat and uninteresting. I use it for all kinds of flying from low/slow VFR to high/fast IFR
Make sure you dont have any strong lights behind you, then the camera gets confused.
I use the cap and am fine with that. Since I havent tryed trackIR i cannot compare. I'm in europe, so the price difference + higher shipping and 25% import tax (also of shipping!) that I had to add to TrackIR made my choice easy.

Btw. this was my first post here. :-)

[Naismith]

I have both, TrackHat and TrackIr. Both equally good, TrackHat has the edge for me as it is unaffected by background light sources. And I wish I had bought it later rather than sooner as mine is not wireless.

[vortex]

I remember that Frooglesim has a youtube video on it a while ago, and he was very positive.

I have actually been looking at getting the clip version.

Also take a look at the Delan Clip - http://www.delanengineering.com/shop/. It's stainless steel and looks well-made.

With regards to the Track Hat, why not make your own? I used a fishing hat which had an LED light in the peak. I disconnected the light but retained all of the wiring and the button switch that was also built into the peak. You can easily make a frame to mount the LEDs from modelling plasticard and just glue it to the peak. I mounted the smallest AAA battery box I could find on the back of the hat for a wireless setup. Not quite as elegant as the Track Hat but there's no movement in the top LED and the whole thing cost me about 25% of the price of the Track Hat.

[Tako_Kichi]

My wife and I both have Trackhats and I have also had a TIR4 and TIR5 in the past. All of them take some setting up as you have to tune the software to your environment in terms of sensitivity to background light. Once set up correctly they all work well. I bought our Trackhats as a kit with the cameras and we have been very happy with them but I have noticed that mine is more prone to losing it's centre point as I have a window and a door with a window in view behind me. It's a simple fix to cure the issue though as I have the on/off toggle for the camera bound to a keyboard key so when it loses track I turn the camera off for 2-3 seconds then turn it back on and the issue is fixed. The Trackhat software is very easy to use but it does take time and testing to fine tune it, patience is the key.

[dc10boy]

Thanks. much appreciated.

[Alan_A]

I use the TrackHat Clip Plus with TrackIR 5. Works perfectly, and it's much, much sturdier than the TrackIR hardware. Highly recommended.

[Naismith]

Yes I should have mentioned that too. The Trackhat hardware is tough as old boots made out of solid heavy plastic or Resin. Alas TrackIR is flimsier, my IR part which sits on the monitor has lost its base due to its fragility - nowadays it is Velcro'd in place. Also It does get very hot. No such issues with the TrackHat.