Showroom DX - Compact Simulator

Much appreciated guys.

I have since fitted the 50:1 gearbox for heave. While I had it in bits I swapped in the brand new boxed HP server PSUs that I got really cheap some time ago.

At some stage I will make a new and longer aluminium seat base plate, just so I can squeeze a little more leverage on the heave axis, but it is not urgent just a longer term upgrade. Heave is great with most things but really shines when you have rally style jumps in games like Dirt 3 or tracks like Nordschleife.

My next project will be messing more with a haptic chair rather than the motion sim.

Great build!

Very nice, compact and high quality! Works of art!

Nice build you have there, I suspect the aluminium crafting cost a bomb though....

Thanks.

I actually use plain common aluminium angle and boxing, so given the small 500mm X 500mm size it is not that expensive. The aluminium plate is seconds off ebay, so work out about $30-40.

The frame is just drilled and bolted together, I used a $60 drill press from Bunnings, a grinder, electric drill and old jigsaw.

noorbeast your project is beast! You're an inspiration for sure.

Wow ... I'm very jealous. I'd like to do something similar. Great inspiration.

Great Job! I feel the same way always changing directions with what I want to do. I'm up to 5 different Motion control cards and experimenting. I just need to bite the bullet finish the retrofit then work on the other ideas. I'm so impressed with how compact your design works. I can see a good direction for home use.
Again Well Done.

@noorbeast - truly excellent build with professional quality craftsmanship! You've inspired this noob to get going on a build of his own. I've been hesitant up to this point thinking that a motion sim would require a large amount of space but you've shown it can be done in a small package. One question, though: were you to do it all over again, would you change the motor mounting points and increase the connecting rod length to get a bit more leverage from them? Do you think that would have allowed you to stick with the 25:1 gear boxes (before you added the heave motor)? Not sure how you really could and still keep it such a compact unit, but I was just curious. Thanks again for sharing!

I actually did move the front connection bar forward about 50mm ages ago @Rocco, any more would put it in front of the actual seat.

When I get around to it I will move the top rear 3rd DOF connection point further back to the outside of the seat, it has been on my todo list for ages. The rear motor will get warm if you do a long climb out in a flight sim, where it is under constant load.

To be honest I prefer motors that can't be back driven, as I can and do use my sim un-powered as a tactile office chair when doing other things, like VR games that do not have motion, but where the game benefits from built in transducers and audio. But you can use 25:1 in a compact seat shaker design.

Gotcha, thanks for the reply. So I am understanding that 25:1 gear boxes can be back driven, whereas the higher ratios cannot?

correct. You can always build mechanical locks to prevent that however as I have done.

State of the art project ,with state of the art software simtools,!!!!Great job!!

Beautiful project, love the nice small footprint. Ideal for the small housed sim fans
Do you feel the motors are right on the spot regarding the power delivery? or are they oversized?

Because of the minimal leverage inherent in a compact design it takes more torque to drive it than say a shoulder or foot mount design, so the motors chosen are not over sized, in fact they are necessary.

Despite its diminutive footprint my compact sim does have a pretty good load carrying capacity, here is a friend giving it the Big Boy test:

Awesome, only one question, If you would sell it how many you think could cost (aprox)?

I am not sure what you mean @chu. Are you asking what it would cost to replicate? If so that depends on what you take into account, though my rig has cost less than the quality peripherals it supports.

I had all the peripherals before I started from my old static rig, so that is the Warthog HOTAS+ Saitek pedals, Clubsport hub + 2 wheels and pedals + 2 shifters, plus the Buttkicker and the cheap Logitech speaker system I used for the on-board sound. I also had the high end DX office chair with built in lumber support for many years, but it is still like new, which is a testament to its quality.

I originally spent AU $109 for each of the motors + shipping and later upgraded the gearboxes. I originally used second hand HP cheap server PSUs, since upgraded to new ones which I got for $50 each, and 3 JRK control board @ $100 each (Arduinos and MMs would be cheaper but would not fit in the compact control box).

I used 2 X 3M lengths of plain 50mm aluminium box tubing, a 3M length of 50 X 25mm box tubing, three cheap 6mm X 400mm X 280mm aluminium second sheets for the seat, base and mid plates @ about $30 each, a 1M length of 6mm aluminum angle, a 1M length of 30mm X 5mm angle iron, some 6mm steel for the motor levers plus collars, an old car tailshaft @ $20, 3 x Hall sensors @ about $30 each.

I recycled the DX chair office chair tilt mechanism for the adjustable heave spring, bought a car stereo amp wiring kit for the shielded wires, some odd bits of other wire and toggle switches, a 3M roll of stick on fake carbon fiber and a bunch of bolts. I re-purposed some things, like the BB Chev billet alternator brackets for rod mounts, the chrome lamp bar for rear speaker mount and used some fancy fans and billet covers.

I also bought a $90 welder, a $60 drill press, a soldering iron and I borrowed a grinder.

There would have been other bits and pieces as my sim evolved from a 2DOF to a 3DOF rig.

Noorbeast:

at the end what happened with the metal actuators of your sig? did they made the trick? they where able to move the seat forward and backward? (i guess i missed that part in the threat)

best regards from mexico

fer

They have become somewhat redundant @ferslash since I added the heave knee. Because it moves through a small arc I use that to advantage in how I set the motion profile up for surge, as it actually moves the seat a little forward and back going through that arc.

Wow, very cool. ...

I want to have one I ...