Author Topic: Want to set up a HOTAS rig for my chair  (Read 2296 times)

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Offline Cobra

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Want to set up a HOTAS rig for my chair
Specifically, I want to mount my X52 on this thing so my arms aren't elevated so damn high. Problem is, I have no idea how to go about it, because my chair's arms are ****ing stupid. :V Anyone know what I can do?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qe8fjl0gnn8ehmv/IMG_20160311_123421322.jpg?dl=0

« Last Edit: March 11, 2016, 12:38:32 pm by Cobra »
To consider the Earth as the only populated world in infinite space is as absurd as to assert that in an entire field of millet, only one grain will grow. - Metrodorus of Chios
I wept. Mysterious forces beyond my ken had reached into my beautiful mission and energized its pilots with inhuman bomb-firing abilities. I could only imagine the GTVA warriors giving a mighty KIAAIIIIIII shout as they worked their triggers, their biceps bulging with sinew after years of Ivan Drago-esque steroid therapy and weight training. - General Battuta

 
Re: Want to set up a HOTAS rig for my chair
Maybe some pictures of your chair might help get ideas flowing

 

Offline Cobra

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Re: Want to set up a HOTAS rig for my chair
I linked a stock pic, but apparently it keeps breaking.

I think the img tags are broken, because a different link did the same thing. Now it's just a regular link.
« Last Edit: March 11, 2016, 12:39:54 pm by Cobra »
To consider the Earth as the only populated world in infinite space is as absurd as to assert that in an entire field of millet, only one grain will grow. - Metrodorus of Chios
I wept. Mysterious forces beyond my ken had reached into my beautiful mission and energized its pilots with inhuman bomb-firing abilities. I could only imagine the GTVA warriors giving a mighty KIAAIIIIIII shout as they worked their triggers, their biceps bulging with sinew after years of Ivan Drago-esque steroid therapy and weight training. - General Battuta

  
Re: Want to set up a HOTAS rig for my chair
Looks like it'd be tough, since the mounting holes on the X52 are pretty far apart, and the arms of your chair are curved.
Off the top of my head, I'd just suggest mounting them both to plywood (or other wooden) boards, and just c-clamping them to the arms; you'd need to add spacers to compensate for the curve of the arms, but probably only one good clamp each. You'd likely severely damage the arms with clamping though.
You could build a fancy rig with hooks or bolts and hinges and stuff if you have the material/time/tools/skill.

Actually, if you mounted the HOTAS to boards, you could put mounting slots wherever you pleased on the boards, and directly bolt them to the arms, probably.

 
 
Re: Want to set up a HOTAS rig for my chair
Those mounts are a much better idea than hacking something together like I suggested!

 

Offline Cobra

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Re: Want to set up a HOTAS rig for my chair
I did a bit of searching. Here are some ideas I saw

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=12745



That's exactly the post that got me thinking about doing it myself. I'd need the Vesa mounts, the Velcro, and also a USB 2.0 to account for cord length when I turn my chair around and such. But it's the arms that make me wonder how plausible that setup will be.

[EDIT] I'm almost inclined to believe that the second to last video has a chair that is very similar to mine. It even has the same kind of arms. Looks a little uncomfortable to have them high like that though, so I'm wondering if I'd be able to clamp them on the front of the arms without losing stability.
« Last Edit: March 12, 2016, 03:47:15 am by Cobra »
To consider the Earth as the only populated world in infinite space is as absurd as to assert that in an entire field of millet, only one grain will grow. - Metrodorus of Chios
I wept. Mysterious forces beyond my ken had reached into my beautiful mission and energized its pilots with inhuman bomb-firing abilities. I could only imagine the GTVA warriors giving a mighty KIAAIIIIIII shout as they worked their triggers, their biceps bulging with sinew after years of Ivan Drago-esque steroid therapy and weight training. - General Battuta

 

Offline Cobra

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Re: Want to set up a HOTAS rig for my chair
Update: I like this.



[EDIT]God damn it, why do the image links break?
« Last Edit: March 31, 2016, 04:30:47 am by Cobra »
To consider the Earth as the only populated world in infinite space is as absurd as to assert that in an entire field of millet, only one grain will grow. - Metrodorus of Chios
I wept. Mysterious forces beyond my ken had reached into my beautiful mission and energized its pilots with inhuman bomb-firing abilities. I could only imagine the GTVA warriors giving a mighty KIAAIIIIIII shout as they worked their triggers, their biceps bulging with sinew after years of Ivan Drago-esque steroid therapy and weight training. - General Battuta

 
Re: Want to set up a HOTAS rig for my chair
Looks nice and sleek, but it seems like they're a little too close to your body for comfort. Is it comfortable to play on?

 

Offline Cobra

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Re: Want to set up a HOTAS rig for my chair
They actually did sit a bit close due to the sides sticking out. I ended up having to sit down very carefully otherwise I would jostle the joystick and do things like scrape my leg.

So I did a version 2.



Doing it like this made it so much easier to sit and just play.

This is the downside, though.


While having the throttle tilted as such is actually kind of cool, this is in no way ergonomic after, say, a half hour of play, but it's still miles better than having it on the desk. It also makes it a little difficult to use my keyboard and mouse since I can't rotate them away. I still have so much more control in Diaspora as well. I've never gotten 14 kills on first mission on Advanced.

There's a version of these pole mounts that articulate in three places, not two, so I'm thinking I'll order two of those so I can have both peripherals upright. This really makes me wish I had the normal rounded arms. But those are usually on expensive chairs, it seems.

« Last Edit: April 01, 2016, 09:31:42 pm by Cobra »
To consider the Earth as the only populated world in infinite space is as absurd as to assert that in an entire field of millet, only one grain will grow. - Metrodorus of Chios
I wept. Mysterious forces beyond my ken had reached into my beautiful mission and energized its pilots with inhuman bomb-firing abilities. I could only imagine the GTVA warriors giving a mighty KIAAIIIIIII shout as they worked their triggers, their biceps bulging with sinew after years of Ivan Drago-esque steroid therapy and weight training. - General Battuta