Home built Orbiter simulator

[KostasB]

Hello to all Orbiter community !

I am thinking to try to built an Orbiter simulator at my home....

You know, to add a more reallity, with real pilot cabin, cockpit, panels, buttons, sticks, seat, etc..

Any of you have ever try to do this ?  I need people to share ideas, knowledge, parts, etc...

Maybe if anyone is interested, we can start a team "project" to exchange ideas + knowledge
about building a Orbiter home simulator.

If you are in for this, please contact me.

I have some questions for start:

1) Is it possible to use multiple monitors ? (one monitor for the "front view" , one for an "external
view" and others for the MFD's)

2) Is is possible to have MFD's in separate monitors ? (so i can use them as instruments on the
cockpit)

KostasB

[harmsway]

Read this thread

http://orbiter.dansteph.com/forum/index.php?topic=11368.msg176174#msg176174

Gene

[John]

So you want to build a simulator. Great! I noted that Gene has already linked you to some pictures
of our NASSAC project. The simulator is a multi-purpose simulator in that we can use it for orbiter
or Microsoft Flight Simulator or X-Plane. The simulator utilizes four computers for the flight
simulator software. The three top front screens are for center and left and right views for FS2002.
The lower three LCD displays are for instrumentation, gauges or moving maps. For Orbiter we use
only the center view for the actual simulation. The left screen is configured for video
communication with CAPCOM. (We can see CAPCOM as they speak to us). We also use it to show
in-flight videos or DVD's, or Power point demo's that teach different aspects of space flight.  The
right screen is used to bring up check list and or other documentation. On the lower displays we
run VMC virtual Mission Control.  We have also set up 8 other computers that are running VMC.
This allows us to involve more people in a mission. We have two ways of communication. Com1 is
a head set linked through a computers audio in/out port This allows CAPCOM to communicate to
the space craft without other chatter. COM2 is mission control chatter and utilizes Radio Shack
headset radios that work very well. The spacecraft also has COM2 as a backup.   We also set up a
docking chamber for the kids to operate after we dock. It is a 6 foot tunnel made of canvas
snapped to wooden frames creating a 40 inch cylinder. The docking chamber has a window that
provides a view of the earth moving below.

  The GOFLIGHT controls work with MSFS2002 but we are working on wirting the software to get
them to work with Orbiter.  If you want to see more pictures you can go to the following sights at  
http://danpl.free.fr/ you can see the pictures and videos of our first mission. Give it some time to
load. Sorry for the long uploads we are going to upload small jpgs to spead things up. If you have
a high speed connection it is not too bad. Or you can go to  http://FBCBERLIN.org amd see some
pictures of NASSAC project.

I would gladly answer any of your questions concerning NASSAC or our simulator.

John
NASSAC Director
j.abent@mchsi.com