Diy seat mover

Hi,
I recently bought the next level gt ultimate race cockpit and would love to add some motion.
I know next level sell their own motion platform the v3 which costs £2300 in UK. The advantage of this is that it fits easily into my setup. However the cost seems very high and also the included software does not seem to support as many titles as simtools. I still hold onto the hope that Frontier will provide telemetry for Elite dangerous. Anyway I don't have great diy skills or a lot of spare time/tools. So my enquiry is would anyone have a similar 2dof seat mover for sale or should I really consider learning how to build one of these and if so how much is it likely to cost in both ££ and time. I appreciate anyone taking the time to read this and hope to get some good advice from the community.

If you don’t have time/tools that may move you to needing more things machined/fabricated at a shop. That can really increase costs. Many have fabricated things out of wood to keep shop requirents low as well as costs. Some have said I’m in love with my 3D printer and it’s true. I am. If you can draw things up, they can save tremendous cost and machining simply by printing parts as long as it is stuff that can take whatever stress it needs to. I wish I could estimate my time building my rig but there were delays as I would wait for something, or something needed a redesign. I started my rig last March and it’s still not what I consider done but is very close.

So especially if you don’t have much in the way of tools or space, I’d recommend a 3D printer if you are going to build your own sim and depending on the design. Maybe also go with wood for main structure depending on the tools you have and if that works in your design. Metal strut looks great, is strong, and if you have or can get a chop saw, you can save lots of time and expense by cutting things yourself but the fittings tend to be expensive.

These are hard questions to answer except very broadly. Best is to look around and see what others did. It’s intimidating at first but after building my own, it’s now pretty simple stuff. You’ll see. Biggest thing I can say is just how worth it it can be.

Good luck!

Thanks @Zed, really appreciate your thoughts. I never even thought of a 3D printer so that's something I'm going to research. Unless I find someone selling a second hand unit (I live in N Ireland) I'll keep an eye on this forum and maybe someday take the plunge and buy some parts. Thanks again.

A lot of guys here like the Anet A8. There's a couple of threads in the 3D printing topic area. Low cost but good and lots of capabilities. How useful it would be depends on your design, but the ability to redesign on a whim and print again for basically the cost of the plastic can be invaluable. The 6 dof guys pretty much have to have them.

If building a rig is a bridge too far for now, you can also go with things like bass shakers and wind. They both really up the experience and wind sets you up with a lot of the skills you would need to build a rig anyway since it involves SimTools, the USB interface, and motor controllers. Only thing for wind is you need GameDash which comes with the Pro and commercial versions.

where abouts are you in the uk ?

Hi @Daguru , I live in N. Ireland so a little bit cut off from the mainland.

Thanks again @Zed, that 3d printer seems reasonably priced, but I could see that being the start of a slippery slope and buying lots of new tools I didnt know I needed. I already use the Gametrix jetseat for tactile feedback but I really like your suggestion about the fans. This could be a good way to begin construction without biting off more than I can chew. Would be good to get a little experience on simtools also. You've certainly given me lots to think about.