My First Motion 3DOF Sim Build...(Advice?)

Hi all! I'm considering building my first 3DOF motion sim build. I was originally going to buy the Stage 3 from SimXperience but I just don' think I can afford the 5k right now. So I was thinking of buying their Starter Kit and actuators which includes the actuator dampeners and simple frame to bolt on to my own setup as well as their rear traction loss module. For your reference, I actually have no build experience what-so-ever (except for a treehouse when I was a kid... so I'm hoping I can do this!

I think I can build the frame from wood in a full rectangle pattern to match the SimXperience Stage 2 build (except for their tapered front end). Then I could cover with an aluminum plating and bolt their starter kit to the frame and lay that on top of the rear traction module. I'm not sure how the frame bolts to the front of the traction module but would assume it's a simple swivel bolt?

For the front end accessory setup, I was going to purchase an Obutto Revolution and just bolt down the front end and discard the seat and back end.

Do you think this is feasible? I would be saving about a grand in the process. Is there anything that I'm not thinking of and would this be a simple setup to build?

Thanks!

So a 3DOF drift then, no worries. Quite a few guys here doing that currently.
What control boards were did you plan to use?
Arduino? JRK?
What motors and or actuators did you have in mind?
Wipers? Larger DC motors? SCN products?

It would be from the SimXperience website, they are the SCN 5 actuators I believe using their control board. Do you happen to know how the front end would connect to the rear traction module? I can't seem to find a picture of how it connects. Thanks!

You could save yourself a whole lot of money if you do it all from scratch. Its more fun too

theres several threads going for traction loss ATM, have a dig through the threads

I've been reading quite a bit but I'm not really sure what I would need to start the 2DOF setup (I can add the traction loss later). I've read about Jrks, Pots etc but if I did purchase the items separately I really don't know how to put them together. Does it require any welding or computer programming knowledge? I'm new at this and would like to save some money but I don't know if I really have the skills to put one together from scratch? What are the basic items I would need to start the seat-mover? Thanks for an input!

Hey @Ben Selph I actually just finished taking my rig from static to 2dof. If you use JRKs as your control boards and order parts that are suggested on this forum there isn't any programing knowledge required just a few configuration settings you'll need to set. As far as welding, you can get away with not welding anything; however, you may want to use JB Weld or some other product like that for some of your parts depending on how you go about the build. The only thing you will want to know how to do is solder wires which is pretty easy and cheap to learn.

The sim experience motions are nice but you can order the SCN 5's by themselves from other vendors and just replicate theirs to your needs and like others said save a good deal of money. for example my rig only cost me ~$700 to go from static to 2dof and that included a lot of stuff to make it look as nice as I wanted it to.

anyway hope that helps some

@rundmg covered it well. JRKS are the simplest to set up, no coding whatsoever, just some PID and motors commands and you are off. They will run 14v at 30 amps continuous with heat sink and fan cooling, and spikes of 45 amps easy . One per motor.
Heres a wiring diagram


and attach the pot to the back of the motor shaft something like this

@Ben Selph , look up @eaorobbie seat mover from static frame thread for info.
oh hang on, heres a sketch of a seat mover

use a cut down tailshaft as the pivot or a steering knuckle from a truck

Does this require soldering the connections to the board etc? Im not sure what PID and motor commands are? thanks!

Yes the only real soldering you would need to do is on the jrk board all others you can get away with wire clamps and other things like that. The PID and motors commands are just some simple settings you set in what is called a JRK Utility (a window application you just install). these commands you set once and then you don't really ever need to touch again if you aren't the type that wants to tinker with something after its working. If/When you get to this part of the build the forums will be glad to share you their settings, I certainly can

Thanks for the assist! I actually don't have any soldering tools or any knowledge of how to do that so it looks like I'm going to have to stick to the SimXperience starter setup. I know I just asked this on the main forum, but when you are not using the 2dof, can the seat be set to not move or will it pivot whenever I sit in it? I'd like to use this for sims that don't support motion as well but wouldn't be able to if the seat is crooked...

Huh? You cannot solder 7 wires?
This is all you would need to buy http://www.ebay.com/itm/9in1-60W-DI...085?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5408c39455
As for soldering, just start video at about 4mins

Just go to a local electronics shop or buy a cheap circuit board and practice.
Oh and also, if you do buy a simx kit and want to use simtools, you have to re-wire the plug , and you void warranty of them if you use Simtools. So select carefully as Bernard is a swine when it comes to using his product outside his liking .
Also with keeping the seat still by applying power to motors at centre, yes I believe its possible. I am not sure about SCN actuators, but there may be a command that you can set them at.

Ok that looks simple enough. I think I might try building from scratch and save some money. Where would I find details of exactly which wires to solder and exactly how to do this? I've decided to build my own frame as well and will upload some drawings soon.

I did attach a photo of wiring the JRK akready in an earlier thread

Ok that looks simple enough. I think I might try building from scratch and save some money. Where would I find details of exactly which wires to solder and exactly how to do this? I've decided to build my own frame as well and will upload some drawings soon.

thats as simple as it get man. Unless you get someone to solder the wires on for you.

Good info @noorbeast

you forgot the heatsink.