FreeTrack Forum

Hi all, I had a few questions before committing to a certain configuration. I was wondering what the difference is between the "Y" configuration that I commonly see on the side of headphones (here) and the "hat brim" configuration, with one on each side of a hat brim and one in the center. Any advantages/disadvantages to either? I plan on using headphones powered by USB (already verified that the circuit works on a breadboard, now I just need to put it together on headphones).

How did that guy that I linked to get the PCB with the traces? That's pretty slick.

Well there are not differences when it comes to functionality but there is a few differences when it comes to comfort.

First of all, if you have limited number of leds you might want to start with a clip model because unlike hat, clip is easier to attach to headphones those  allowing you to play at night and chating with mates on Team Speak without waking up everyone in the house.
The drawback of this solution is that you are always attached to Computer with USB or with battery holder with a cable (Unless you put your battery holder on top of the headphones but its not really convenient it might also disrupt your weight balance or make your headphones fall of the head or change their position slightly with every move) and if you have cable from phones + cable from freetrack + mouse cable + joystick cable all on your table it starting to look like a snake pit or you starting to look like a cyborg.
Also if it headphones it must be a clip because putting phones over a cap is not the most comfortable solution.

Now the cap.
There is something always in the filed of view (Cap Brim) which can be quite annoying at first if you have compulsive disorders   but you will get use to it eventually.
The best thing about cap is that you can hide all the cables under the fabric of the brim and in the fold on the inside side of the cap (which give you no visible wires on the inside or outside at all times) plus you can attach battery holder on the rear part of the hat (straps with velcro thing you use to adjust size) or on top of the hat which gives you a lot of freedom and there is no danger of you swiping anything from your table with cables when you go somewhere and forget to leave the hat.

So cap is a more comfortable solution but makes you chose freetrack or phones.
When clip take away some of your freedom of movement and overall comfort and forces you to use phones all the time.
Also if you have two sets (clip and cap) you use interchangeably then you have to remember to chose appropriate model every time in freetrack because if you have clip but chose cap in freetrack it wont track correctly.