Started on my Simpit. I have about $30.00 in materials including the seat, so far. Thought I'd share some pics:


This is the back half section with only the seat mounted and the rear speakers mounted in a testing location. Subwoofer under the seat. Just the beginning.



Heres the front half I built the other day fitted up to the seat portion.. you can see the location of the CH yoke. I built the front half tall so that I can place 2 monitors one over the other. The second lower monitor will have the "panel" displayed on a 17" LCD. The top monitor will have the outside the cockpit view displayed on a 17" LCD with a Fresnel Lens in front of it. Setup for FS9, racing sims, flightsims.

alright! Are you following a design on some website?

I just been looking at pictures from the Simpit site on SimHQ and linking to some others. I think each pit is sort of personal to the guy using it. I had to combine the features of a flight pit with something I could use for racing too.
I've just been winging it after thinking about it for about 6 months. Got the seat first. It sat here for almost 6 months. Then one day in about two hours, built the back. That sat here for about 2 months.
Then thought about it alot more and decided on the two monitor placement. About the same time I wanted a large screen but the cost of a 21" monitor is just too much for the average Joe. So I bought a Fresnel lens ($56.00);

http://www.simcockpitsystem.com/Detail.bok?no=18

and that led me to about the dimensions I have now. I built the front half in about two hours after ecieving the lens. I have no plans, just building as I go along. Tape measure, ruler, saw, just start cutting. I use the "if this is here, this HAS to go here" type of building method.
Funny, I took measurements just the other day for eyesight to lens distance and floor to height distance based on a mock-up. I went out to cut it from the plywood and changed all the dimensions right on the spot. Wasnt even close to what I spent days on mocking up. The goal was to stay within the one sheet of ply for the front monitor half.

We made a very inexpensive UH-60 sim trainer by using this and a table with three 1280x1024 lcd screens. Wasn't for me personally, for a client. But I did enjoy it.
http://www.flightlink.com/hardware/rotorwing/index.html

what was the config on the 3 LCD's?

cool, Forgive me, but I must interject even at the risk that you already know or are aware of the issues, but just in case...

You need to put "uprights" on each end beneath the cross members that hold the seat, or risk pulling the fasteners out, or tearing the ends of the cross members, or both.

Also something broad to stabilize the legs connecting the lower so that it does not "sway".

Don't know how much building you have done, etc., so forgive me if you already know this. It's just so cool looking, and would be a shame to wreck it, and maybe you, lol, in a catastrophic structural failure.

hmm... i see no heli config?

how looks your colective? ;-)

I agree with "unforgiven".

I gotta tell ya, as an Architectural Millwork Engineer (someone who designs custom cabinets for a living for very high end homes) I'd be concerned about the thickness of the side panels on that unit. They're carrying all your weight, plus the weight of the seat and the subwoofer. How thick are the side panels? They look awfully thin to me.

How is the stretcher below the seat attached to the side panels (screws, dowels, brackets)? You definitely need something below that stretcher (and one in the rear also) that will transfer the load (your weight) directly to the floor for maximum support.

10-4, message recieved and understood.
this is basically at the "positioning" and measurement stage. Not the final. I have to take it all apart to move it up some narrow stairs to its final destination. So I am leaving most of the final bracing to be done after I get it there.
The sub woofer sits on the floor. I plan uprights for the points directly below the seat "rail". The back has 1/2 of the panel installed and that gives it the stable side to side. Just the beginning my friends. It is a most difficult planning job and you cant get to far ahead with final building until you have all the parts layed out with the correct comfortable distances. I am all stop until the 17" monitor comes in so I can fit it for the lower monitor section. Then, once thats done i can fit it to the Fresnel lens, then that will give me my final heights. Once a test "sitting" is done, I can brace up and paint up.
The real tough part is how to make life easy enough when switching from racing mode to FS9/Il2/Lomac mode to EECH mode. Damn that part is killing me. There is just no easy solution to all 3.

Mapi, How about this Deal ?
Making a extended helo stick and collective. But I wont get to that until later in the spring.

Patience my grasshoppers. Wish you guys lived in the neighborhood so we could work on it together on the weekends. and drink lots of beer. after the building. eheheehe

nice Kimchoc, good price. I am happy with my x45.

Nice progress. Are you going to add a cup holder?

Kimchoc: neg.
I prefer this one for Falcon4!!! You see my first collective-mod.
I have now the wire-layout from the Throttle, will make a new platine... and when i find the time a new collective with buttons...
But for more real we need a throttle axe in EECH only collective.

jeez Mapi, that looks professional

so what do you guys do when you use the computer for normal work? (or you don't maybe )

I'm going to attempt to follow this design.

Well, the whole point of my simpit is to get the games away from my work computer. I built a gaming computer specifically for the pit. AMD 3400, 2 80 gig Raptors in Raid1, fast ram and 6600GT. Nothing but games on this one.

Mapi, yes we need that throttle parameter badly. That seat looks very confortable. I think I've seen that collective design somwhere, looks familiar. I like the arm rest for the joystick.

What do you think of this ?

Big green monster here...

Why don't you want to use your big screen TV for your monitor?

How does a fresnel lens work?

Is that an old Fender guitar case in shot 1?

Bigscreen is on the fritz and headed out the door. Cobbled together with an old 3 eye projector at the moent.

The fresnel is basically a magnifier. Makes the image bigger. Heres an example;

http://www.phonemerchants.com/tvmagnifier.html

Fender, sort of, I have 3 Fenders and a Gibson. Those are generic Tweed cases I got from Musicians Friend.

Thanks. That's interesting. I'd like to see one of those in action. I'm not sure if I would have enough room in front of my monitor and I wonder if it would distort any.

Its a bit of a compromise. If you are into 6000x6000 type resolutions where you want to see the piece of lint on your aircraft panel, then these are not for you. But for 56.00, you do get a nice increase in screen size and there is a reported 3d type effect with it. I have only set mine up in fron of my monitor temporarily to get some meausurements. I am highly satisfied for my investment.
BTW, my widescreen is based upon the fresnel principal. The 60" screen is actually a fresnal lens. It was magnifying an image projected on mirrors. Have you seen those 3 lens projectors like used in bars? Red, Yellow, blue lens on the big projector head? Thats what is in the widscreen projector. It projected an image onto a mirror of about 20X20, then the mirror was angled to the 60" screen. Same principle.
The only other way to get a large image out of a monitor is to go to a 21"LCD for 100's more. 100's more. And you only gain what, 2" in diagonal over a 19"? So, I should be getting a 24" size viewable screen for 56.00. with a small bit of compromise in resolution. Thats my logic.