The Robb Collections

What it Takes to Win 100 Per Cent of the Races in Forza Motorsports 4

October 18, 2022

#455

Gentle reader and fellow racer,

Way back in February, 2015, I had finally completed and won EVERY race within the EVENTS list. It took me a long time, a lot of learning and a lot of racing. I decided to write a series of articles about my completed quest.

According to the first article, my garage value was over 100 MILLION credits! SO, just how long did it take me to compete and complete? 322 hours, 41 minutes and 11 seconds!

Below are links to all the articles which includes photos of EVERY car, most of which have custom liveries. I miss being able to look through and buy artist's works and have them applied to my cars.

That was seven years ago. I have tried numerous racing games from many makers since then, but none satisfies like good old FM4. I also raced in Gran Turismo 5 in at PS3 back then, using my Marine Sergeant son-in-law's console, which was his idea. I did an article comparing them too.

Since then, I have bought two more Xbox 360 consoles and at least four sets of Microsoft's very good racing wheels and pedal sets. I have broken shift paddles and/or the microswitches they operate. I even broke the brake pedal once by stomping on it too hard! The latest, which happened just the other day, is the feedback motor broke inside my wheel! I was racing online at the time and had to quit because it was hard to control the car. Thank goodness for eBay!

Below are photos of my Racing Simulation Station. I used to have both a PS2 and Xbox 360, each with their respective wheel/pedal sets. But, with newer TVs the picture quality from the PS2 was lousy and it just wasn't as good as FM4.

The shirt is to hold a lumbar cushion in place. I had to make a leg extension since I am so tall and long legged. My wife bought me the racing chair which has speakers in the headrest (like a Pontiac Fiero) with a larger "subwoofer" beneath and built-in amplifier, which broke. This TV does not have audio-out so, I don't need it anyway.

HDTV is our old 42" model from the living room. Prior to it I was using a plasma set of the same size that was given to me. LG's LCD picture is much better and it weighs a LOT less!

My well-worn GEOX racing shoes. I left-foot brake and actually wore a hole in the left shoe of my Piloti driving shoes because the raised circles on the brake pedal have sharp edges. You can see the leg extension cushion I made. I also padded the armrests.

I designed and fabricated a collapsible wheel/pedal stand from square aluminum tubing and pine boards. I had to come up with brackets to keep from pulling the wheel into my lap. I get aggressive sometimes racing.

I've lost count of what wheel number this is. It's got some scratches on the top, but I got it for ten bucks via eBay. I can always replace the body with my previous wheel's.

By the way, I repaired one of the wheels, and wrote about that too. These wheels and pedals are actually quite good. I've been driving a long time and the feedback they give is very realistic.

Since completing all those races, I deleted everything and started over. Several times. I always kept my same gamer tag: Scotty Robb. So, with each reboot, I was able to keep all my purchased liveries and be able to redownload all the car sets.

I still am NOT an expert racer. I rarely can make a lap of Fujimi Kaido without hitting at least one guardrail. And, anyone who has raced me online has seen me mess up.

I have gotten more confident, though. I've been driving real cars (most equipped with MANUAL transmissions) for 49 years so far. As a result, I could NOT enjoy Forza Horizons. All those innocent drivers one has to miss while street racing. Not for me. I'm too law abiding!

I have learned to fully trust the car's abilities and the tire's grip and thus have making better lap times. Before the Leader Boards server was taken down, I was in the top 1% of almost every race. Max Morales, do NOT race him. He is the best. And he was THE leader on most leader boards. THE LEADER!

THIS go round, I am at level 153, but have yet to race any car higher than S Class. I also learned that in MOST cases, cars have higher top speeds with STOCK bodies (no added on spoilers). In some case, as much as fifteen miles-an-hour top speed is lost due to the downforce of front splitters and rear spoilers create. SOME cars do benefit from the addition of them, however, so far I have only seen one.

Here are some of the cars I enjoy. I have taken the 1950's Porsche 550 Spyder all the way to S Class, but without traction control (I prefer to race with all safety controls off) it is nearly uncontrollable.

By swapping in a much newer FWD VW twin-cam inline-four cylinder turbocharged engine, one can go really fast in this once-humble VW Karmann-Ghia. In reality, it would be very tricky to do such a swap.

Years ago, I took my youngest daughter to a VW dealership to look for a car. They had a couple R32 Golfs on the showroom floor. The salesman was trying to convince me to buy one ($40,000!) "as an investment." Did not happen. But I have a virtual one!

I drive a turbo Volvo wagon which has a five-cylinder engine and six-speed manual transmission. It is closest (both are P1 chassis) in performance to the C30, above.

All of the paint schemes (called "liveries") on these Volvo are based upon real Volvo race cars. Yes, they DID race two 850 Wagons in the BTCC.

This is one of my favorites. The Volvo T6 engine is very powerful stock. In racing form (and looking like Scotty McLaughlin's 2014 Australian V8 Supercars racer) it is a great racer.

And this is my 2005 V50 T5 Sport with M66. If I'd bought it new, it would be red. But, I bought it in 2014. Stock, it's top speed is 149 MPH! Volvo V50 T5 Technical Specs, Dimensions The other car is what I had been driving daily (except in the snow) for six years. It's an Italian-designed, built-in-Australia and powered by Mazda, 1990 Mercury (Ford in OZ) Capri XR2. It is one of several fun cars I have bought since the kids stopped moving back in, including an '87 Porsche.

By now, you may be thinking, "I thought this was going to teach me how to win in Forza!" And I am, beginning right now.

1st, Get a steering wheel and pedals. You don't drive real cars with a controller and your sure don't do so by flying like a drone behind and above your car!

2nd, Use cockpit view (inside the car) whenever possible. See above. In some "R" level real race cars the windshield is SO small, you cannot see enough of the track. Then tap that button once and it will be like you are a Go-Pro at the base of the windshield. 2a, USE your mirror, be on the lookout for AI cars or competitor's car trying to catch and pass you.

3rd, Practice. A lot. To do so, either go over to the right (when the sim is ready) and choose Hot Laps, OR, go to Upgrade and choose: Test Drive. On the former, you can also do quick races, but they are challenging and you might feel that you can never win. Practice. A lot.

4th, "It is more fun to go fast in a slow car, than slow in a fast car." IF possible, in any class, I almost always choose an older car. Rear-wheel-drive, if possible. They are easier to control that front-wheel-drive cars are. Most of the time.

5th, Modify cars carefully. Lotus cars founder, Colin Chapman famously said, "Add lightness." One CAN do that when modifying cars. First, add a whole roll cage to your car. Then remove all the weight. It's may to throw you up a class or two, depending upon your stock engine's power. But, your car will be stiffer and lighter. Less weight equals more power. Second, replace the stock wheels with the lightest ones you can. There are plenty to choose from. Each wheel you look at will show weight loss or gain. Then widen the tires as far as it will allow. Third, put on RACING: Brakes, suspension (lowered), anti-sway bars, flywheel, clutch, cooling system, transmission, differential (rear axle), engine intake filter and exhaust system. IF the car already is turbocharged, then add a racing intercooler. Don't do any more than that or it will put your car in a higher class than you are seeking. IF, you still have room, say you are at 322 and 400 is the top of that class, then choose Quick Upgrade. The program knows the right power modifications to make.

6th, Choose Manual Shifting. That's what the "flappy paddles" are for in front of the steering wheel. The right one is for shifting UP, the left one for shifting DOWN and to Reverse. You pull each towards you. It's much more fun and YOU control the car better. IF you are in one gear too long, the engine (and tachometer) will tell you so. PRACTICE this before racing.

Downshift (and reverse, once first is reached) on the left. Upshift on the right.

Take a good look at this racing map of the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife. See how the arrows show where your car should be for EVERY corner. It also shows what gear you should be in. I have hundreds of laps on the Nordschleife and when looking this over saw that in almost every case, I was in the correct gear for every corner.

So, there you go, "My young Padawan" learn from my experience and PRACTICE. Oh, one last thing turn REWIND OFF. One cannot rewind in life, so man (or woman) up! If you make a mistake, try and catch up, if not, restart the race. Remember, it's just for fun and skill building.

SONY and their Play Station Gran Turismo racing game series have had REAL race car drivers come out of their simulation series competitions. And it's not a good as Forza!

Keep the shiny side up and race safely. Thank you SO much for taking the time to read my blog. It is your comments, below, on on Facebook which make it worth my time to research and write these articles.

Scott Robb

October 18, 2022

#455

For more articles on simulation racing and building wheel/pedal stands and more, check click the link below.

The Robb Collections: INDEX TO Simulation Racing THE ROBB COLLECTIONS

UPDATE on Review of SKW Cables "Audiophile" at Bargain Prices? Amazon Exclusive SKW Cables

Updated October 20, 2022

#454

Gentle reader,

I have been into getting the best sound from my audio equipment for more than forty years now. I have bought and tried many things that are alleged to make your music sound better. Sometimes I thought that I heard some differences, but was it wishful thinking? If you have already read this article, thank you. Then slide on down to the RED words for my conclusions about these RCA interconnect cables.

There is the other room, my main 1990's Dynaco stereo system in what I call the "Listening Room/Museum". Also, a modest "Home Theater" in the living room and a stack of Yamaha 500U components right next to the PC I am writing this on. In both stereo systems, I have an OPPO DV-980H universal player. It plays all alternative digital music format discs: HDCD, SACD and DVD-Audio in addition to standard CDs and DVD-Video discs. I tried many brands of universal player and found the OPPO to be the best built, most compact and best sounding.

I have been using vintage NOS Radio Shack Gold RCA cables for some years now, first in the listening room, then in the stack here. But, they are a bit long and have to be coiled. I was looking for shorter ones on eBay and not finding what I'm looking for. So, off to Amazon I went.

NOTE: I have NO affiliation with Amazon SW-Tech or any other company. I am retired from working on electric subway cars for many decades, and writing this because it's what I do.

That being said, I saw some nice looking cables on Amazon from a heretofore unheard of company: SKW. Below are photos from their page of 1/2 meter RCA cables.

"Technical Specifications:

Stable transmission, 6N single crystal copper cable combined with a gold plated ending ensure audio video quality, reduce sound distortion.

Nylon braided make cable more durable, flexible, easy to plug into your audio device etc.

24k gold plated head anti-oxidation and damp, durable cable with OD 7mm.

Advantage:

Innovation and cutting-edge technology in this special Audio cable with silver micro conductors for over 14 years.

Great signal for great sound, while maneuvering the ends, sound is terrific without distortion/short.

Installation was easy and have a very elegance touch when it plug into the media.

Worth every penny, This one is very solid, aesthetically pleasing, and has great sound quality - definitely worth the extra few dollars if you value longevity.

Compatible:

Works great with HDTV, Home Theater Systems, Hi-Fi Amplifier, Soundbar, Turntable, Phono Preamp, Gaming Consoles, A/V Receiver audio equipment or any equipment with 2RCA(Left/Right) Port."

They look good, right? The 1/2 meter ones I purchased are just over $30 US which is very reasonable for cables so well constructed. Below are photos of the actual cables:

The bodies, for lack of a better word, one grasps when plugging or unplugging them are metal, coated as stated, but still all metal.

As you can see from the photos, they are "directional" as are many cables including the vintage Radio Shack cables (below) I have been using on and off for many years.

These also have built-on ferrite cores which are not often seen on RCA cables in my experience. Note, their bodies are also metal.

I have tried MANY different types and brands of interconnect, digital and speaker cables over lo these many years. IF any differences that I heard, they were minimal except when comparing cheap RCA cables and "good" ones.

This all started when my buddy, Bob Berne, a longtime reader of this blog, sent my other buddy, Bruce Woodrow and I, out of the blue, KITS to build Chinese "Tube Buffer" preamplifiers. More on this below these photos.

I bought a "completed" board via eBay from a US seller for fifteen dollars US. It did not come with the clear plastic case nor the 12 Volt AC/AC transformer required to power it. The KIT does not include the transformer either.

I have a small number of SACDs, HDCDs and DVD-Audio discs, all different versions with the same goal: To sound better than "Red Book" CDs. Thus, after trying many brands of "Universal Players" I chose OPPO DV-980H for both systems.

You can see here the size of the cables are not excessive, like the Radio Shack (and other audiophile cables) and seem to be within the Goldilocks Zone. Look that up, if you don't know what that means.

The Yamaha AX-500U has terminals marked: Accessory Send Receive. They had "U" shaped metal jumpers in them. I believe they are the same as some companies use to separate (or join) the preamplifier section from the power amplifier section of integrated amplifiers and receivers. I chose them to electrically insert the tube buffer.

The bottom of the stack shown. It also shows the speaker wires I am using. Both are Monster Cable brand. The "Navajo White" ones are flat, paintable cables and go to the BOSE 301 speakers suspended on HDTV adjustable mounts. The black ones are going to the Klipsch KG4 speakers. I use Nakamichi banana plugs exclusively in all three systems. Years of trial and error testing revealed that they are the best ones made.

Either of these will serve you very well. Like the RCA cables, what are normally plastic insulators on banana plugs, their silver bodies are metal! BEWARE! There is a reason I am showing you these.

Below, again from Amazon's pages are official SKW photos, are their speaker cables. First, do you know the difference between WIRES and CABLES?

Wires are singly insulated. Such as lamp cord. Each wire is insulated from the other and you. Cables have individually insulated wires WITHIN an additional outer insulator(s).

Look closely are these banana plugs. Then scroll up and look at the Nakamichi banana plugs. This design is inherently flawed. The expanded metal which grips the terminals is very thin. Some that I have used are loose enough to spin on the central shaft. I have not seen, nor tired these SKW cables. But, seeing a seam right behind the tip, makes me suspect that they too can spin.

Speaker cables (and other cables) are sometimes capable of receiving radio frequency interference (RF) which can be heard within the music. Also, 50 or 60 Hertz AC power can also be picked up by cables. NOTE the shielding in these cables, and the multiple insulation layers. Also note the two thicknesses of the actual wires within.

There is a theory that no one can prove, that some frequencies of sound, slower/lower ones like bass and higher ones like treble, prefer to travel different thicknesses of wiring.

Thanks to TMRAUDIO.COM for this image I found on the Internet just now. It is of a biamplified Monster Cable Z-Series speaker cable. It clearly shows the different thickness of the wires. The thinnest ones are almost hair fine. I tried countless speaker wires and cables before concluding that Monster Cable Z-Series speaker cables are the ones for me. NOTE: Monster Cable uses the SAME type of banana plugs are SKW does, I replaced all mine with Nakamichi banana plugs.

You can see them looping up and to the left in this image of the listening room components. Mine are long enough that I can wheel the rack out to get to things if I need to.

SO, you may be wondering, HOW do the SKW cables sound? They sound fine to me. I do not have "golden ears" so I do not have the ability to sound like a wine drinker explaining the various things they detect in certain wines.

SKW-Tech's RCA cables are well made, very reasonably prices, grip tightly and come in a variety of lengths for many needs and uses.

BOTTOM LINE: After listening to a variety of classical music through these for the last five days, I grabbed two Jazz SACD discs. Joe Jackson's Body and Soul Four Play's self titled debut album

As you can see by the sticker, this album is thirty years old. I bought it on cassette when it first came out, then on CD when I bought a player.

I have listened to these very SACDs right where I am sitting several times. Well, it may sound like audiophilishness, but, I clearly hear things I have not before. Instruments that were in the background are now louder and more "into the room" than I have ever heard them. Bass is tight, cymbals are crisp, it all sounds more LIVE. As is the band is in the room right in front of me. I can't believe the difference! I am literally shaking my head. Am I going to go out and buy every snake oil device being hawked to unwitting buyers? No, I've been doing this since 1976. BUT, I stand by what I just wrote: These SKW RCA cables DO sound better, and I can HEAR the difference!

Thank you for taking the time to read my humble blog. The fact that you and so many other do so, truly warms my heart.

Scott Robb

UPDATED October 20, 2022

#454

Below are some more images I found on Amazon's pages of SKW products: