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SIM builds and Materials USED

Discussion in 'DIY Motion Simulator Projects' started by Roy, Mar 21, 2015.

  1. Roy

    Roy Member

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    After many hours sifting thru all the various forums, reading this one and that one's builds and the problems that they went thru AND trying to remember where you seen it all, prompted me to start this thread. For those who have all ready built and are operating your Sims could you please list the materials used as well as electronics and software. If its possible give links to your build, so the newbie's such as I can see what worked and what didn't etc.

    IE: 2 Wiper motors, 12v 20a (make or brand)
    2 Motor Drivers (make or brand)
    1 Controller Board (make or brand)
    Power Supply
    And so on

    The build canbe found at Forum XYZ under Ralph, and if you have a video on YouTube.
  2. value1

    value1 Nerd SimAxe Beta Tester SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, DC motor, JRK, Joyrider
  3. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    My Motion Simulator:
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    Unfortunately your list has its own built in assumptions about how the sim will be built and there are many different possible ways to do that.

    I agree with @value1, there are a diversity of builds and many of us list the main components. Mine is here: http://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/dx-racer-compact-simulator.5866/

    The FAQ section is a great place to start for things like DC motor options (wipers are pretty limited), Arduino and JRK control board setups and many other things about the basics of building a motion simulator: http://www.xsimulator.net/community/faq/
    • Agree Agree x 1
  4. Roy

    Roy Member

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    I think guys your missing my point, I want to know what you used for your particular build to achieve what you wanted. This way here newbies such as my self can judge if that is what we want. And by having you post a link to your build, we can see the trials and tribulations you went thru to get there. At first I was leaning more towards the linear actuators but the more I read I started thinking maybe the wiper motor route would be best as I have a Junk Yard practically out side my door. Friends with Owner and he may have some old stock that he can't get rid of and I could possibly get for free or next to nothing. Then, THEN, I seen a Sim with D-Box actuators and the cost of that one with these actuators, US $2000. Well it'll be around CAN $3000 with shipping and exchange rate. I'd give my left testicle.....but thats why most of us are on this site, we can't afford the commercial ones.
  5. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
  6. Roy

    Roy Member

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    OK, maybe this will explain it better. I'm cruising the net and I come across a YouTube vid about a DIY Simulator, whether for Racing or Flight. I have sitting on my shelf a Logitect G25 complete, and Saitek 52. I like Sims, but get frustrated with having to make do with a desk and such to play them. So I decide I want to build one. SO not knowing everything I go searching and I find this site. I find the forum you described and I began to read and read and read, eventually I'm cross eyed and over whelmed by the info I've read. Well Joe did this and Ralph did this or was it Jim who did that, now where did I read that JFK's would work better using this motor controller. Hmmmm, this Guy has these motors, and this guy using linear actuators, what the hell is linear actuators? Whats a driver board?? What is it used for?? Face it, were all not cut out to do this. Fortunately I can with most of the build but the programming, which has been taken care of with the use of SimTools?? Anyway I guess you could put it as a sumerization or a prequel to your build. So now I've read what materials you used, weelll I don't know if I can pull that off, so I read the next guy's list, oh he's using windshield motors, I'm familiar with those, lets see how he used them and so on....Does this site have a place where a person can get a definitions of the various components used in the builds??
  7. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    My Motion Simulator:
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    I do appreciate what you are getting at @Roy, which is useful for expanding/refining the FAQ section further. There is a massive amount of info here and pretty much all of us started in the same position as you. The upside is that you will also find a really helpful community here.

    Because there are so many possible types and configurations of motion simulators I often suggest that the best way to start is to have a look at existing member builds, get an idea of what may suit your needs then start your own build thread which can be used to ask lots of questions, clarify ideas and capture all that in one place. That way you could give some context like this: I want to build a 3 degree of freedom rig for sim racing, I don't have any experience welding so I want something that can bolt together, my budget is $1000, I saw this on Youtube and really liked it, so what would I need to build it:

    Trying to start with parts is not that helpful, as different types of simulators have different requirements. We really need to know what criteria you have in mind to be able to give advice. For example, if what you want to build is not practical someone could say something like: wiper motors placed under the seat are not powerful enough to move a full frame and 3 monitors that you want to build, you will need more powerful DC motors, 60:1 gearboxes and greater leverage...and the dialog could progress from there.
    • Agree Agree x 1
    Last edited: Mar 22, 2015
  8. bsft

    bsft

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    @Roy , what the hell? what do you want? CAD plans and individual nuts and bolts list?
    Asking why we used certain components is absurd, we have cost and or performance reasons behind it. Why should we go into depth with you about it?
    Is there not enough info on the threads?
    How come nearly everyone else can start a new thread and ask, but you cannot?
    And now you are planning to buy dbox?
    obviously you have plenty of cash.
    People like you belong on ISRTV forums.
  9. Archie

    Archie Eternal tinkerer

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    My Motion Simulator:
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    @Roy - As other members have said, the builds are so diverse and people add/remove bit for aesthetic / cost reasons, it really is down to individual choice, and trying to capture this would be like asking a an artist to tell you what angle he used for the brush or what the lighting was like when he 'decided' to paint it that way..

    I found, me personally, that I wanted to get a feel for what was out there and draw inspiration from it. I borrowed ideas from @bsft (foot mount sim) and then decided on my own design and methods. Then went back to the forum time and again for validation and critique of my design. People will outright tell you ideas won't work, or think it's a great idea and add to it.

    As @noorbeast said, everyone on here is friendly and willing to assist - but you have to come to party too to some degree with a plan and ideas and then "put if out there" for comment.

    Hope that helps...
    • Agree Agree x 1
  10. bsft

    bsft

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    and when we help you , if you go against what we suggest......especially with the time we put in and the experience we share..........
    Operation_Upshot-Knothole_-_Badger_001.jpg
    • Agree Agree x 1
  11. Archie

    Archie Eternal tinkerer

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, DC motor, JRK
    I guess we could provide links to our builds in our signatures??
    • Funny Funny x 1
  12. bsft

    bsft

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    you sound like a guy whom messaged me about one of my youtube videos ages ago.
    I since deleted it.
    Conversation went something like.
    him: good job there, but can you do a full start to finish instructional video with all parts and extras listed and places to buy them and links to full plans on the video?
    me: pardon?
    him: how am I supposed to build this if you do not give me the info
    me: heres the link
    him: I read that, no good to me , I want an full video edited into 10 minutes
    me: sorry, I cannot do that, you can start a new thread and others can assist you from there
    Him: not much good to me!
    me: go f....k yourself then

    no answer
    • Funny Funny x 6
    • Like Like x 1
  13. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
    It would be nice if we were able to put a proper link in the signature, but yes I added mine within the signature no link limitation @Archie.
  14. value1

    value1 Nerd SimAxe Beta Tester SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, DC motor, JRK, Joyrider
    Well, the point is that the process of building the sim is the fun. Including finding all the necessary information and bits. Once your sim is finished, you'll miss the time, when you were building it! :)
    • Agree Agree x 8
  15. Pit

    Pit - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
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    100000000000000 agrees...
    • Agree Agree x 3
    • Like Like x 1
  16. SeatTime

    SeatTime Well-Known Member

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    My Motion Simulator:
    AC motor, Motion platform
    Ask any of the members here, building a sim is not a straight forward process, what type of sim you build is not only a personal choice, but how you build it will be based on many things, technical background, what you may have access to etc...etc. There is really no best way. Members do have a life away from sims, so any information given and placed on this site is gold and will save you time and money. Be happy that this site exist at all and is manned by a great group of people. So you have to do a bit of reading and pose some questions ... think of it as a right of passage.
    • Agree Agree x 3
    • Winner Winner x 1
  17. Pit

    Pit - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
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    Could be our slogan...can we stick this somewhere? :)
    • Like Like x 3
    • Friendly Friendly x 1
  18. Roy

    Roy Member

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    Guy's I know what you're saying, but what's fun for you may not be fun for others. Personally I do like to over come the obstacles such as these Sims poses. But we got to face it, there are people who can and people that can't. I have a friend who can do a lot of this work but his problem is he can't read very well or he doesn't understand what he's read. He's a talented man, he can do body work, welding, automotive, carpentry, household electrical.......you name it, most anything of that nature. So this is why I started this forum. I wanted to give the people another way in which to get the info their looking for, without trying to sift thru all the forums here or anywhere else. To make their experience more "Enjoyably." And have them say " If it wasn't for the people on XSimulator, I would never have tried this." Thats my 2 cents worth.
  19. Roy

    Roy Member

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    BSFT, I been thru alot of the builds and seen what work was needed, time wise etc. I'm not asking for you or anyone to sit down and recreate your build in video or any other way. Thats why I said if you had a link to the forum you have this info, please add it.....as for the guy who you had this discussion with, well there are people out there who think the world owes them.
  20. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    My Motion Simulator:
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    I know building a DIY motion simulator is no everyone's idea of fun and in some cases is outside their time availability or skills. But I guess the alternative for them is the commercial motion sim market.

    I think members have clearly expressed what their expectations are, which @SeatTime captured succinctly. Again that may not suit everybody but it is how this particular community functions. I and many others have built our own motion simulators and for the vast majority I suspect we already feel that if it weren't for XSimulator, I would never have tried this.
    • Agree Agree x 2
    • Like Like x 1