Hardware & Technical Post your simpits!

Viking84 · Jul 5, 2018

I presume I'm not the only one mad enough to build a home cockpit for myself - lets get a thread going with all the different sim-pits around! Basic requirement to count as a sim-pit is some form of mounting for your input devices. Less than that and I'm afraid it still just counts as a desk

To start things off here is my setup, with the following specs:

Left hand Virpil MT-50 grip
Brunner CLS-E base
2 x Saitek Throttle quadrants
MFG Crosswind pedals
Custom Button Box
Monstertech Sim-Rig (+ customisations)
BMW M-Sport seat
Philips 40" 4k 60hz - BDM4037UW
Oculus Rift

Zak Gordon · Jul 5, 2018

http://www.zx81stuff.org.uk/zx81/tape/FlightSimulation/inlays/.Cover.jpg

That was about as 'enthusiast' as i could take it

I had considered building a wooden 'box' to sit my ZX81 and tv screen in, to increase the realism, but i was only young at the time and not then a carpenter.

It did get me into 'Solo Flight' and 'F15 Strike Eagle' a little later on (Atari 800), and culminated with probably 'Gunship 2000' for me on the Amiga.

That was enough for me

Caramel Clown · Jul 5, 2018

Bunch of show off incoming!...Don't mind me, I'm just jealous

Viking84 · Jul 5, 2018

Caramel Clown said:
Bunch of show off incoming!...Don't mind me, I'm just jealous

A nice mix of showing off and seeking some comfort that I'm not the only nerd who's gone to extreme lengths to create my home cockpit

Flimley · Jul 5, 2018

Here we go....

I like lights.

Flimley

Viking84 · Jul 5, 2018

Nice! Even the chair looks custom?

Flimley · Jul 5, 2018

Viking84 said:
Nice! Even the chair looks custom?

I cut out the mid section from our settee and made the sides and arm rests. ....My girlfriend didn’t need a three seater all to herself anyway [haha]
The rest I’ve been making on and off for four years, adding a bit here and there over time.

Flimley

PiLhEaD · Jul 6, 2018

Flimley said:
Here we go....

Flipping Nora that's some setup! Do you use head tracking? How's the joystick going.... it's an x55 or 56?

Flimley · Jul 6, 2018

henry1491 said:
Flipping Nora that's some setup! Do you use head tracking? How's the joystick going.... it's an x55 or 56?

Track IR5, works very well, very easy setup and use. X52pro stick and throttle, been very good for elite having all the buttons you’ll ever need. Since VR though I haven’t used the track IR, at all.

Additional... My iPad sits in the centre as I use EVA, it’s a very good app for elite and links to EDSM and EDDN for current trade and navigation info.
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...rtual-Assistant-for-iPhone-iPad?highlight=Eva

Flimley

Toumal · Jul 6, 2018

Flimley, did you try EliteDMX? ^^

Flimley · Jul 6, 2018

Toumal said:
Flimley, did you try EliteDMX? ^^

Hey Tourmal, I did read your muchly interesting thread at the time, and had thought about doing something similar. It’s just the kind of thing I like to tinker around with. But once I purchased the Oculus rift, the whole desk developement just stalled. Ha.

Flimley

TorTorden_VR · Jul 6, 2018

Ok, here's one for you guys with no carpentry skills or high standards.

This was my old setup, haven't had this for about a year.

But I wasn't satisfied with it, especially for any normal use and, well it would be nice to be able to use my PC for something other than flightsims.

So I moved my office into the bedroom, I don't even have a cat anymore so nobody cares.

Lot's of space, and it only cost $60.
I had plans for using a car seat and making a proper pit, but well, the seat I had sourced for this apparently wasn't made for men with shoulders still attached.
Horridly painful in minutes.
So I banged two shelf boards at the wall with legs using leftovers and got this, where I just slide the office chair around and start flying.

Fun fact, the plants really help reduce the shock from leaving an awesome VR experience, and finding myself in a dingy apartment.

This summer I have started upgrading some of my kit, so far only got the mongoose joystick, which is securely fastened to the board underneath it.
Even though I have had some practical issues as discussed in another thread I am absolutely loving this.
This, the new Kraiit and fixed lasers <3.
Can't wait for my MFG Crosswinds to arrive later this month I hope, and then there was the question of throttle.
I am sort of holding out for what Virpil is offering here, I really need the analog thumb stick in my play style, a hat is just not good enough for thruster control, even though with all the issues with the CH throttle, noise, cant max at quadrants etc etc
I was contemplating the TCWS throttle from thrustmaster, the one included with the 16000m hotas, but they put the stick on the index finger, and that's just useless to me. And apart from the updated sensor it looks almost like a downgrade to the CH throttle.
If the Virpil doesn't add a decent analog stick to their throttle option I would suppose I'm just going to have to buy another Mongoose gimbal and space stick for a left handed one.
It has both a thumb stick, and scroll wheel on the stick, will be nothing like normal flight setup, but it could be interestingly functional.

Small update to the pit.
First the new pedals arrived after almost a three month wait and I ordered them in April.
What can I say. Worth it.

And finally the CH throttle's resolution is a little low compared to the rest now, and having taken up to flying Huey's in DCS I felt the need to try something more precise.

This I can however return if I don't like, well I do like it, but I suspect I would like a Virpil better...
I'm keeping the CH throttle plugged in for ED

Toumal · Jul 6, 2018

Flimley said:
Hey Tourmal, I did read your muchly interesting thread at the time, and had thought about doing something similar. It’s just the kind of thing I like to tinker around with. But once I purchased the Oculus rift, the whole desk developement just stalled. Ha.

Flimley

I get you completely. I too tend to play ED in VR nowadays (when I'm actually playing it, which is another story...). VR basically means that the next step up is not just a simpit, but a full motion one.

Viking84 · Jul 6, 2018

Love the VR only setup!

TorTorden_VR · Jul 6, 2018

Viking84 said:
Love the VR only setup!

I now just use the dash desktop view, trick is to make it huge!.
Before that I was using voice attack to launch and tab between big screen and elite or whatever I was playing.
Worked rather well actually and since I have to keep my glasses on in the rift, lifting and peeking is not really option.
It either has to go off completely or it will pull the glasses off and I wouldn't be able to see anything anyways, -5 on both eyes so yeah.

BurnyBurns · Jul 10, 2018

Great setups you people!

I build a desk based "simpit" last year with monstertech mount clones and a triple monitor:

[video=youtube;CGrXGEtGz6w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGrXGEtGz6w[/video]

Since we might do away with our desks over time though, the goalpost has moved again and I'm trying do build my own incarnation of the sim chest, which may occupy an unused corner in the living room. The "pedal pit" was already disassembled and the parts will go into the new rig's skeleton. I'm curently testing out the dimensions and figuring out how to make the wheel fold in, trying to come up with ideas as I go along. The chair is a backseat from a Ford S-Max and folds in nicely.

The dimensions have already grown from what it initially should've been, unfortunately. But if everything goes well, it'll have exchangable racing/flying hardware as well.

DD_Crash · Jul 10, 2018

BurnyBurns said:
Great setups you people
I'm curently testing out the dimensions and figuring out how to make the wheel fold in, trying to come up with ideas as I go along. The chair is a backseat from a Ford S-Max and folds in nicely.
Perhaps a pivot to allow the steering wheel and frame to move up through 90 degrees?

[VR] optimal_909 · Jul 10, 2018

Nice stuff!
After an ongoing extensive kitchen revamp, I've got the buy-in to make a man-corner, and ascend from a monitor peasant to a VR master in Q4.

I'm not planning to swap to HOTAS quite yet, will try to remain KB+M even in VR.

BurnyBurns · Jul 10, 2018

DD_Crash said:
Perhaps a pivot to allow the steering wheel and frame to move up through 90 degrees?

Yeah, pretty much. But the initial idea turned out far too convoluted, Joystick fixation would've been an issue and it'd have required quite a lot of cutting given the available extrusions. Which I want to avoid mostly, just like buying additional extrusions. After a lot of fooling around with the available pieces today, it seems this is a much leaner solution - based on all the pieces provided by the previous "pedal pit":

Fixation is an open topic, but something will work out:

Strangepork · Jul 10, 2018

Viking84 said:
I presume I'm not the only one mad enough to build a home cockpit for myself - lets get a thread going with all the different sim-pits around! Basic requirement to count as a sim-pit is some form of mounting for your input devices. Less than that and I'm afraid it still just counts as a desk

To start things off here is my setup, with the following specs:

Left hand Virpil MT-50 grip
Brunner CLS-E base
2 x Saitek Throttle quadrants
MFG Crosswind pedals
Custom Button Box
Monstertech Sim-Rig (+ customisations)
BMW M-Sport seat
Philips 40" 4k 60hz - BDM4037UW
Oculus Rift

Currently a dk2, xbox controller, what else do you want?