25 thoughts on “Video Tour Of The Cessna Home Cockpit Basement Sim

  1. i believe you are running 4 monitors. What type of connections are you using? I also run 4 monitors in my FSX home sim. I use FSX in windowed mode and use one window/monitor for outside view, one window/monitor for VC pilot side of panel, one window/monitor for GTN750, and 4th monitor for vPilot, ASN, etc. I tried to use the 4th monitor to create a side view window, but it would quickly exceed the 4GB VAS limit of FSX. Doesn’t P3D also have this limitation? How are you making it work?

  2. The connections afforded by the GTX980ti: DV and HDMI. I use adapters to connect the HDMI TVs to the DV outputs on the card. I don’t have any VAS issues from screens, and I don’t know that multiple screens create VAS issues as much as GPU overhead issues that hit frame rates. But P3D does do more of the work on the GPU card rather than the CPU, that’s certain.

    1. Hi Todd. I have the specs here on the site in the “About OTG” menu, but there they are to save you the time:

      The basement sim runs off a MicroCenter PowerSpec X506 PC with these specs:

      Intel Core i7-6700K Processor 4.0GHz (overclocked to about 4.6GHz)
      Corsair Hydro GTX H100i liquid cooler
      ASUS Maximus VIII Hero Z170 motherboard
      Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
      16GB DDR4-3000 RAM
      2TB 7,200RPM Hard Drive
      Intel 750 400GB SSD Boot Drive
      NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 TI 6GB GDDR5

  3. A fine piece of art indeed. Though I’m building a 737 cockpit, I love this GA cockpit. A friend of mine is thinking of builidng something like this, also with Saitek parts. We were wondering how the Saitek radio modules were fitted. Seems like they have been flushed into the panel. Same goes for the iPad (what size is that) and the touch screen for the Garmin navigation.

    1. Hi JWS. The Saitek panels are about 1/4 inch thick, and have an interior border around the back where they are maybe 1/16 of an inch thicker. I cut a hole that would fit the back portion and seated the panels in the fiberboard, then drilled a small hole in the fiberboard using the thumb-screw holes in the Saitek panel as a guide, then used the Saitek thumbscrews to attach them. So yes they are flush along the back, but still protruding their 1/4-inch thickness. Same with the touchscreen / GTN. The iPad sits behind a hole in the panel. It’s not flush.

  4. Great job, mate.

    It’s hard to gauge in the vid, but what would you say your overall footprint is for the sim, space-wise? How. Any feet deep by how. Any wide? Assumed the designated area goes floor to ceiling due to the projector.

    I am a Floridian and we have no basements (boo) so figuring out where I can put mine is a challenge lol

  5. hi, congrats on switching to x-plane. did you manage to get saitek’s radio panel fully working in v11 yet? i have the switch panel working but not the radio. i’m not sure about xsaitekpanels plug in’s instructions re which OEM drivers to or not to install in tandem. i’ll be interested in your application of xp’s new native 3 monitor ability. Yes Air manager on a tablet works well, i have 2 x 10″ windows tablets that cost peanuts. what s/w did you use for the G1000 on the tablet? i also used to fly P3D. i think you’ll miss A2A bless their cotton socks. lots of questions i know 😉

    1. Hi Dean and thanks. My thoughts …

      I didn’t use the radio panel with XP as I had already switched to the Bendix/King stack. But my impression is that SPAD.neXt X-Plane version works extremely well. If it made my custom FIP gauges work, I would think it makes all your Saitek gear work out of the box. Check it out.

      I have a post on how I use multi-monitor. It’s under the “Resources” tab / Screen Configurations.

      I like Air Manager and run it on an iPad, but for the G1000 I use an iPad app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/simionic-simulator-for-garmin/id501990787?mt=8

      I honestly don’t miss the A2A 172 as I find the default XP-11 Skyhawk nearly as good. In fact, I think it flies more realistically than the A2A with its pronounced desire to balloon in ground effect. And everyone tells me the Airfoil 172 may be the most realistic flight model in all of simming. I do miss the A2A 182 as the Carenado isn’t ready for XP-11 yet. But I think the bigger thing is that because XP models flight in a fundamentally different way than P3D/FSX, the flight models on the whole are more real. And I’m most concerned about the flight models, as I never look at the panel and only rarely look at the aircraft from the outside.

  6. Hi. I’m wondering what size your projector screen is? My research for 100 inch screens is a diagonal measurement, is that what you’re setup with?
    BTW, really enjoy your videos and willingness to share ideas, and actual designs, with us. I’m building a Sim Samurai CS-1 Stallion with most of the same hardware. Having challenges locating a TPM and FIP’s but hoping to be up flying in the next two weeks. Hope to join you for the early morning weekend training. Please keep up the great work!

  7. BTW, and FWIW, Fry’s is running a great deal on an LG PF1000U ultra short throw projector for $747 with a deal coupon. I’m still trying to decide if I want to replicate the outstanding setup here (2xLED + projection screen) or go with something like Michael Brown’s 3×50″ 180-210 degrees multi-monitor system. The biggest negatives to using the projector are cost and size required for the sim. At $747, though, cost is a lot less of a factor. Just thought folks on this thread might appreciate the heads up. Not sure how much longer the deal will be active (it’s 09:00CT on Wednesday, 8 Feb 16)

  8. Hi N15JG,

    I copied exactly your foots to create my simulator in my study. Will send you picture if I know the address. I am now stuck at the plane view mode. You mentioned in your video that you removed everything in Plane Compose tool and left only the prop and fuselage. I am given several tries but haven’t been successful. Can you please help putting a video or sharing the exact settings what you did.

    I really enjoy your videos and definitely would like to meet you sometime. Also I will be flying to AOPA fly-out on this Saturday April 29th from Tracy, CA. If you are visiting please let me know.

    Osama Shaikh
    mosamashaikh@gmail.com

  9. Could one possibly buy 55″ screens and use them for your windows instead, and then move them a little further away, to simulate being able to crane your head up and down? I can’t quite figure it out in my head 😀

    But hopefully it makes sense what I’m asking 🙂

  10. Very very cool!! I’ve been a pilot for over 30 years with a few long hiatuses in there and now just getting back into it. I’m super pumped to build a sim to practice IFR approaches and such!! Sure beats the $150/hour C172 prices to kick the rust off!!

    What’s the model number of the projector?

    Barry

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