Plans for a office/gaming chair HOTAS chair mount

Sandro,

We need an Elite: Hardware forum.

Hey guys! I built a HOTAS mount for my office chair out of wood. I did it impromptu with a mental plan that was always changing, so I don't have any measurements at the moment. Below you'll find a crude drawing of what it looks like now. Don't laugh. I'm not an artist. x.x

SqcXD

SqcXD

SqcXD
8BNJSUc.jpg
SqcXD

It works really well and was simple to put together. All you need is a saw, drill, sand paper, files, wood glue, screws, and some extra hardware to mount it to the bottom of the chair. And if your HOTAS doesn't have mount holes, then some industrial strength velcro to affix the HOTAS to the mount. I got the idea from a video I watched where a guy used steel and steel pipes and fittings. I thought that was a bit much and went with wood instead.

I'm planning to remake the HOTAS mount to make it look nicer and with a finish, and I'll record the process and post the plans. But only if people are interested.

Right now it just holds a T16000 stick and throttle assembly, but they're not movable. I'm planning on putting them on rails so you can move them forward and backwards, and in and out. I'm not sure how to handle height yet. Maybe I'll use some type of tension spring system. I also planned to have them fold down into a protective box when not in use, but as I said, I had the plans in my head and it didn't quite turn out that way. lol

I also plan to implement a keyboard arm that places the keyboard in front of you and between the HOTAS, and easy to move out of the way when not in use.. The current mount doesn't have one, so I keep a wireless keyboard in my lap. It keeps falling. x.x There is a mouse platform, however, to the right of the stick that feels like the perfect place for it.

To make it more elite, I plan to add foot rests and mounts for touch panels to the forward left and right of the HOTAS. I just wish FD would allow us to render panels (system, communication, role, and navigation) on external hardware. That would be so cool! Are you hearing me Sammarco?!

I could experiment with creating holograms, but that might be a bit much. lol

I don't plan to have monitor mounts on this thing. Monitors are kinda heavy and would have to have support on the floor. Plus it might get a little unwieldy when you try to move them out of the way. Unless I motorize the whole thing... Nah!

So, what do you think? Would you guys want to see something like this built and have the plans to build it yourself?
 
Nice; mine is meant to be permanent, but out of the way, though. Sliding the HOTAS in and out and forward and backwards will help with that. And folding them into the storage compartment below will protect them from accidental "Oops!" lol

And Sandro, we still need an Elite: Hardware section!!!
 
I had an issue with the wires and connections when connecting my HOTAS to my chair. I found it to be clumsy and a hazard. My wife nearly brought my entire PC down moving my chair to do some cleaning. I stick to mounting my controls to my desk now. I have no pictures, as my 'cockpit' is a cluttered mess, and is nothing special. But, consider my warning as you move forward.
 
You mean like this one? ;)

Where did that come from?! lol

As for the wires, I velcroed a router in the storage box and have a long USB extension going to the front of the computer. I'm also planning to wrap that single wire in a slit, cable managing tube so that things don't get tangled. The USB extension cable has enough length that I can pull the chair into the middle of the room and the cable managing tube will prevent things from getting messy. If only the had a wireless HOTAS... lol

You mean like this one? ;)

Actually, that's not Elite: Hardware. That's off-topic hardware.
 
Precisely. All hardware topics are technically "off-topic" as they aren't strictly about the game itself.

Hardware is definitely not hardware. There is hardware, and then there is hardware specific to Elite. For example, making a commander's chair is specific to Elite, but discussing whether or not the new nVidia drivers will affect VR is not Elite specific.
 
Would like to see the final result of your work. Always dreamed to have a chair with some platforms for HOTAS. I just got my gaming chair which is the comfiest and good looking gaming chair I had. I checked on the internet for some HOTAS mounts ideas. But I don't want to ruin my chair. If someone could suggest some mounts to fix HOTAS, which will be sturdy and won't affect the aesthetic of the chair, I would be grateful for any hint.
 
Last edited:
You can make a really comfortable gaming chair out of a decent car seat that you can get from a scrap yard for not a lot. I have a Recaro orthopoedic seat that's completely adjustable regarding fit and lumbar support. I made a very simple wooden base that tool about 15 minutes using 18mm chipboard. It's the most comfortable seat i've ever sat in and I can sit in it all day with no discomfort at all. I've been using it for three years. It would be easy to fit mounts for joysticks to thesides of the chipboard base. It doesn't have wheels, but they'd be easy enough to fit with ones robbed from a shopping trolly or defunkt office chair. When I move into my new house shortly, I'm going to have a dedicated gaming area, so much more room to fit the joystick mounts and wheels, etc.
seat.jpg


Leather here for £60:
 
Last edited:
Built myself one out of an old Ikea chair not long ago. Recovered, Recushioned and Hotas firmly attached with LX tape.
Stick and Thruster are now in a much more comfortable & ergonomic position.

Never going back to the couch and control pad (y)


ED Pilot Chair.png
 
Back
Top Bottom