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Advice/ideas needed: combined Sim setup.

CMetaphor

Quadfather
Joined
May 5, 2007
Messages
6,459
Location
Montreal, Canada
So my health problems aren't really get any better, but I still like to play simulator games on my PCs. The problem is having to move myself my chair and keyboard and everything around when I want to switch games or even roles within the same game.

So, I'd looking for suggestions on how to combine multiple setups into a single larger one.

I've got:
- 88-key mechanical keyboard + mouse
- Saitek X52 Pro (still can't quite afford a Virpil, unfortunately)
- Saitek Eclipse Pro Yoke
- Logitech G920 steering Wheel + pedals.
- Streamdeck 15-button programmable display controller
- Saitek Farming simulator control panel
- Saitek pro flight steel rudder pedals*(Will be removed in favor of the G920 pedals and the rudder system on the Saitek Eclipse Pro Yoke)
- 2x LCD monitors (one 32" 75hz and one 24" 144hz)
- Two PCs.

Obviously not everything will fit, but I'd like to keep as much of it as possible.

I'm thinking that I'll try to make (or rather, get someone's help to make) a solid wood desk. Add an underside keyboard+ mouse tray. Then something like a flat top with two piano hinges on either side? Hard to describe, but if the desk top surface could have holes in it for the top sections of the Yoke and the Wheel, then I could flip one or the other up and over towards the solid center section as needed. The Streamdeck & farming control panel I might try to attach together, so that the latter's front edge desk mount holds them both out of the way of the piano hinge system.

Anyway, it's just ideas for now, and I'd appreciate the input.

PS: I'm aware this is a lot of kit. But I can't seem to use much less than that, because it always depends on how I am physically day to day. Ex: I might start an evening playing and FPS like a Battlefield game as a soldier, then I'd want to switch to just driving - still within the same game - to give my hands a rest. Ex2: with Elite Dangerous I can fly for an hour or so on Hotas in combat, but when using the Yoke (where both hands assist eachother) I can fly for much longer. And when Odyssey comes out, it's entire possible that I could go from Yoke, to Hotas, to steering wheel, to KB/Mouse all within the same gaming session (Space flight Yoke, Atmospheric flight/dogfighting Hotas, Driving SRV then FPS combat on a planet's surface).

My posts are always too long... Sorry about that. Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice.
 

Izerous

Well-known member
Folding Team
Joined
Feb 7, 2019
Messages
3,621
Location
Edmonton
I have had a couple thoughts about ways to do things like flip tables and other replaceable pieces of hardware in the garage. I don't need things like the bench grinder out often but when I do I have resorted to screwing a giant block of wood under it and shoving that in the vice, and that works but its a pain. I have also been drawing up random plans to replace my desk with something hand made. I'm far from any expert but if you post some pictures of how you use your various setups might be able to suggest some better ideas.
 

CMetaphor

Quadfather
Joined
May 5, 2007
Messages
6,459
Location
Montreal, Canada
@Izerous
I'll try to come up with some sort of drawing (probably just a whiteboard/not to scale drawing first) to give you an idea of my plan. I *think* it could work fairly well, we'll see.
 

Izerous

Well-known member
Folding Team
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Messages
3,621
Location
Edmonton
What I meant by photos was literally photos of your desk with. This is how I have it while driving. This is how I have it while flying etc

As I think that will help a lot in coming up with functional ideas
 

CMetaphor

Quadfather
Joined
May 5, 2007
Messages
6,459
Location
Montreal, Canada
What I meant by photos was literally photos of your desk with. This is how I have it while driving. This is how I have it while flying etc

As I think that will help a lot in coming up with functional ideas

That is actually, probably, less useful. At the moment I have 2-3 setups spread across 2 desks. Nowhere near combined together, which is exactly why I want to find a way to get everything as close as possible.
 

Izerous

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Folding Team
Joined
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Messages
3,621
Location
Edmonton
In part it has to do with positioning. Do you keep the keyboard mouse right on the edge or normally have then in a bit. Is the steering wheel when in use clamped to the edge or are you using the rubber feet and just popping it on top or maybe in your lap. If your clamping it on the edge does the keyboard mouse still need to be accessable or do you toss them to the side.

If you put a keyboard tray underneath then you need to typically raise the whole height of the desk so that you can still get under the keyboard tray with your legs. If the flight sticks remain on the desk surface and you do that then their height increases and may no longer be comfortable.

Do you have drawers and storage on your existing desk that need to be retained or is it a basic Ikea desk with a surface and 4 legs.

The things that are hard to put into words or easy forgotten since your so used to the way things are.

Is there space around the desk area for things like hinges to be moving around. Is your current desk shallow or deep, do you want it deeper or shallower.

I know a few people who will mount flight sticks to the chair itself and then figure out a way to deal with their now tethered chair.
 

Lysrin

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 10, 2014
Messages
7,804
Location
Nova Scotia
No grand design ideas to add here, it's a tough problem once you get a lot of gear, but I did see that MonsterTech has chair attachments for joystick/throttle setups that actually flip back and out of the way. Pretty neat design to keep using your chair normally when not flying.

However... cost would be an issue there again and they are specific to certain chair designs. If you have a place to put it though, having a chair set up as a flight seat that you move out of the way completely and then a normal chair for normal computing activities might be a helpful option.
 

Shadowmeph

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 3, 2007
Messages
6,443
Location
Aldergrove British Columbia
So my health problems aren't really get any better, but I still like to play simulator games on my PCs. The problem is having to move myself my chair and keyboard and everything around when I want to switch games or even roles within the same game.

So, I'd looking for suggestions on how to combine multiple setups into a single larger one.

I've got:
- 88-key mechanical keyboard + mouse
- Saitek X52 Pro (still can't quite afford a Virpil, unfortunately)
- Saitek Eclipse Pro Yoke
- Logitech G920 steering Wheel + pedals.
- Streamdeck 15-button programmable display controller
- Saitek Farming simulator control panel
- Saitek pro flight steel rudder pedals*(Will be removed in favor of the G920 pedals and the rudder system on the Saitek Eclipse Pro Yoke)
- 2x LCD monitors (one 32" 75hz and one 24" 144hz)
- Two PCs.

Obviously not everything will fit, but I'd like to keep as much of it as possible.

I'm thinking that I'll try to make (or rather, get someone's help to make) a solid wood desk. Add an underside keyboard+ mouse tray. Then something like a flat top with two piano hinges on either side? Hard to describe, but if the desk top surface could have holes in it for the top sections of the Yoke and the Wheel, then I could flip one or the other up and over towards the solid center section as needed. The Streamdeck & farming control panel I might try to attach together, so that the latter's front edge desk mount holds them both out of the way of the piano hinge system.

Anyway, it's just ideas for now, and I'd appreciate the input.

PS: I'm aware this is a lot of kit. But I can't seem to use much less than that, because it always depends on how I am physically day to day. Ex: I might start an evening playing and FPS like a Battlefield game as a soldier, then I'd want to switch to just driving - still within the same game - to give my hands a rest. Ex2: with Elite Dangerous I can fly for an hour or so on Hotas in combat, but when using the Yoke (where both hands assist eachother) I can fly for much longer. And when Odyssey comes out, it's entire possible that I could go from Yoke, to Hotas, to steering wheel, to KB/Mouse all within the same gaming session (Space flight Yoke, Atmospheric flight/dogfighting Hotas, Driving SRV then FPS combat on a planet's surface).

My posts are always too long... Sorry about that. Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice.
your posts are long hehe have you read some\ most of my posts.
I would love to have even half the set up you have and am going top be following this post I hope that maybe there will be pics if not thats cool to.
 

Lysrin

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 10, 2014
Messages
7,804
Location
Nova Scotia
This might also be a good option from MonsterTech to be able to mount controllers to and then roll them in or out when wanted.


Realise these suggestions are not a custom desk as you describe in your OP. Just giving you perhaps easier options to consider than full custom.
 

sswilson

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Dec 9, 2006
Messages
24,652
Location
Moncton NB
If it's a frame/stand you end up deciding on, there are quite a few designs out there that use PVC pipe/fittings/junctions. Relatively easy to cut the pipe to length, join and glue at junctions to get the specific height / length / width you want.

Plans/designs go from relatively simple to highly complex...

 

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