Where I got started

[zenandzen]

Hi,
(my second post)
I hope I am in the right place......!?
You see ,years ago I had a mania for driving Gran Tourismo
(car racing simulator for those that may not know) on Playstation 2 & set about making a console ,or whatever it should be called, to use a Logitech force feedback steering wheel with a seat that could support hours of staring at a tv screen.

I can't find my digicam & my drawing ability is hopeless so I'll give a mental (in every sense) picture instead.

You may have seen pictures of kids playing ,where they would put a wooden soapbox upended on some boards with skate wheels underneath?
We are getting close to the assemblage I have thrown together,except mine has a car bucket seat from the wreckers.

So essentially it is a particle board base , I think 1800 long 600 wide , a box at one end for the tv above,pedals below & steering wheel mount & the other end has the car seat bolted to some old speaker boxes to get the correct height & they in turn are bolted to the base & small caster wheels underneath so it can be moved.
Speaking of moving,it has been shoved to the spare room & it is waiting for my next wave of inspiration minus steering wheel & other gear,just a boxy seat base gathering dust.

I don't feel the need (just yet anyway,I can't really fly very well either) for switch consoles or guages & the like but I really want a convincing display of say,three crt monitors to begin with & virtual panel will do for the moment.
WW2 combat flying is my thing right now even though I have fs98 fs2k fs2k2 fs2k4 & cfs1,2 & 3 & of course il2 sturmovik complete, oh yeah I have fsX & Falcon4 not even out of the box.

So i will go & read up on the words of wisdom here to see what everyone else is up to & I can feel that wave of inspiration coming on.

All the best
Gerry

[Bob Reed]

NO DON"T DO IT! Once you start down that dark path consume you it will! Get out while you still can eject, eject, eject.... Just kidding. But this does become an obsession! Just ask anyone that knows any of us! Sounds like you have a good start in your seat setup up. Will convert nicely.

[zenandzen]

Bob,
I do understand the building can become the thing & the flying can suffer ,for the moment though I am safe (I think) ,my main computer is at it's own desktop & it's only a matter of plugging the stick into the usb & away I go to get shot down in flames........... JOY

(Oh ...the humanity!?).
Cheers
Gerry