Simbox Mancave Flightsim best name wins

[ace 1]

Ok shoot me down if this is posted in the wrong place but there as so many bewildering choices? Anyhoo here's my first (and probably last attempt to "Share" what I have done recently to enhance my Flight sim and gaming experience (and to hide away from the missus) I,m not sure if I can make the link work, but here are pics of my home made simbox, and flight panels.

 

Horrified and the cost of all the superb S....tek ones I decided to try to use my old Black widow Joystick to create a flight panel for flaps and gear.

Now believe me when I tell you I know very little about electronics and complicated wiring and stuff ( I can do my shoelaces) So if I can make this happen ANYONE CAN!

So if you (like me) have upgraded from an old joystick to an X52 or similar and you still have your old one, don't chuck it away! The insides can easily be made into aq flight panel or used to make your flaps ,gear work and nav lights etc anything really, without the need to do ANY wiring and best of all will just plug into your computer as before with the existing USb !

 

It just needs a little imagination and very carful disassembly of the old joystick, the layout and use of it is up to you? You may be limited by the shape of the actual electronic board that is inside your stick, as I was but in my case it turned out to be great as you may spot from the pictures the 4 original buttons for nav lights or whatever are still in place under my flaps lever, So you see with a bit of planning and imagination you could make an entire cockpit if you had enough old sticks? Anyone who has an old Un wanted Black widow I could use as may "Guts from the thing as you are willing to part with? I don't need the whole thing just the insides.

Hope this inspires others to try?

For example, the combined throttle/rudder unit on that stick was perfect and easy to make into a real rudder bar, and the old Force feedback motor place on it gives a really great vibration thru your feet when you land,stall, get blown up etc.

I plan to extend FFB to the x52 throttle and stick if you Guys will send me some? 

 

This is an unfinished project at time of posting, I will post more if I get enough interest/advice

 

Cheers All Veiwers

 

Thanks for a superb site

 

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Simbox design @patpending

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

Fabulous!!!!

 

I'd love a pit, with working switches etc (especially for FSX)

 

this is great!

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hi widowmaker-uk, thanks, why don't you then? I mean think about it, mine takes up less room then a normal family wardrobe, or about the same area as a 2 kid bunk bed etc.

The wood n screws cost about £80 in total, its just 6mm sheets 8x4 x 6 of and a box of self tapping wood screws from Aldi £4.99! you already have a computer and joystick right?

The rest is just bits from old computers (right hand panel) and an old Black widow joystick. and I mounted the FFB motor on the home made rudder pedals (see pics) that's just a piece of 2x1wood batten with bought metal brackets from a hardware store.