What have you done for your simulator today?

[Joe Lavery]

Sounds great...
Now if you can go over that again....sloowwly!!     

[Jason L]

I'll take pics of the process as I assemble them.

[Joe Lavery]

Great!

[blueskydriver]

Today for my invisible flight simulator, we took down the white screen very very slowly, and now we're going to reverse build it.

In other words, take it a part by drilling out 500 rivets and removing a ton of clamps, and then removing the metal sheeting....

Loads of fun!

John

[fsaviator]

Wow, another move.   Warren, I think your 737 sim is possibly the only plane to have actually traveled all over the world!

Good luck in Greece.   Look forward to seeing your bird in the air once more.

Scott

Isn't that the truth.  This will cost me some without it- as I do have to go back to Germany for about eight months before moving permanently.  Still - it will give me eight months in Germany to work on my GA sim.

[fsaviator]

Yes Warren, I think they need to ammend the description of static simulator where yours is concerned.. LOL.

Good luck with the next posting.
Joe.

Thanks!  This is temporary - working my exit plan for final retirement though.

[fsaviator]

Hey Warren,

Just keep saying "there's no place like home, there's no place like home..." 

John

Yup!

[blueskydriver]

What have I done for my simulator today...well, for what's left of it, Jason is coming at noon today to get the projector screen and the metal framing along with the PVC tubing.

Took it all a part and removed the thin metal sheeting that we cut off, as well as removed a server rack with 1/2 dozen servers in it, and loaded all the old sim PC's on a pallet. Then, contacted a metal recycler to come pick it all up for free (don't mind giving it away because he loads it and takes it away; saves Karen and I from doing it).

Anyway, I've been rearranging the entire shed and just cannot believe the room I gained back. Funny when I look at it, I should've tried the 5 TV monitor approach like Scott and others. The space needed for a screen versus the tv monitors is the biggest thing about all of this; okay, the difference in visual aspects of course, but IMHO, I spent more time looking inside rather than outside when flying. Most of the "out of the window" (VFR) was on takeoff/landing, beyond that it was just watching the MIP Displays during IFR and AP modes.

So, what am I saying? Well, if you're debating a projector screen setup versus the TV monitor setup, make sure you take a very hard and long look at the TV monitor side first.

Now, where does this leave me with flight simulation, in case you're wondering. My plan is still too do ATC, but I updated my MSFS2020 yesterday and did a flight with a King Air (a plane I liked before doing the B737), and actually enjoyed it a lot. Since I still have the CH Yoke, Pedals and Throttle kits, along with all my GoFlight hardware, I might setup a small desktop sim based on the King Air.

Who knows, since I still have four 3D printers, a CNC Machine and an unused Laser Cutter/Engraver, I might make some panels for the King Air B200 or B350/360....

John

[bernard S]

yiu need this.
.a visual feast

[bernard S]

and if your going to do another sim  do a fighter  waaaaay cooler ..and what sounds better  delta 476 cleared blah blah  or  HOTDOG cleared to whatever you want sir !

[blueskydriver]

Hey Bernard,

Yep, was going with F16 before but decided not too do it!

However, if you wanna build that visual feast for an ATC, I'll be moving to Texas!!!!

John

[Trevor Hale]

I Love My projector setup, but if I get the chance..  I will go back to monitors and remove the GT1080 Projectors.

I miss the Monitors bad.

Trev

[RayS]

Add my name to the list of users who now employ monitors.

Funnily enough, James and I were just about ready for takeoff on a Bob Reed Memorial Flight to tour all the places he's lived and worked.

Here's how that flight went:

James: "Are you ready?"
Ray: "Yep! Takeoff checklist complete."
James: "Let's go!"
Projector: "POOF!"

Now... I know Bob didn't like people making a fuss over him so I have to think even in the afterlife, he had something to do with blowing up that projector.....

Losing that projector resulted in me driving to Costco the next day and buying 3 84-inch QLED tv sets.

After having flown now with both display systems, I don't think I'll ever go back to a projector setup. Warping causes about a 35% detail loss. I didn't know how MUCH that meant until flying the TV screens.

That also means no more alignment drift...
No more $250 Annual support contract...

No more anxiety-ridden evenings, wondering if the latest Windows update currently installing/infecting my sim systems will finally break the warping software.

So, if anyone here needs 3 Optoma Darby 1080P projectors (2 with intact but high-time bulbs, one missing a bulb) let me know.

[Jason L]

So how do you deal with the TV bezels?  Thats why I am doing projectors, I can't stand bezels.

As for me, drove 550 miles on Saturday to get a projector screen and a few other things from John.  Long drive but so worth it!

[RayS]

So how do you deal with the TV bezels?

So, after a few hours of flying, you don't really notice them and actually get a little inured to them.

I'm hedging my bets though... The units I bought have a super-narrow bezel. Also, you can slightly circumvent the bezel distraction by overlapping your TV placement so that at least 1 bezel side is hidden behind the other monitor.

The last item is to put a strip of grey (Has to be grey) electrical tape down the vertical bezels, further allowing them to blend into your mind's eye.

[Joe Lavery]

I also use 4K TV's and the bezels on mine are 5mm so are not at all distracting. As Ray said after a few flights they seem to disappear.
WOW - 3 x 84 inch TV's I could only afford 43 inch.

I remember seeing (I thought someone on CB) used highly reflective tape on the join and that created a sort of shimmer between them. However I'm not sure if that might be more noticable than the original bezel.  LOL

[iwik]

You can get a kit from Asus i think that makes this error almost go away. Car Sim guys use it. It looks quite effective.Do a search on monitor bezel correction.

[XOrionFE]

Switched from projectors to TV's probably 8-10 years ago now...never looked back nor did I ever care too.  Bezels disappear in your mind like everyone has stated and the contrast and clarity of TV's is night and day.  That said, I really enjoyed Mike Sherick's projector setup and when sitting atop a motion platform probably made more sense than monitors.  They can look really nice with good blending and warping.  But that said...I would still never go back to projectors.   Now I want to trade up my 5 60" TVs for 3 75" ones though.  I am awaiting results of Immersive LCD Pro testing from another builder with a 3 screen 75" each setup.  With that size they almost completely surround a 737 nose so will be interested in how they work...

[Jason L]

Well I got a free projector screen this weekend and a helluva deal on some 1080p darbee GT projectors last year, so I'm a bit committed to them now..lol

[XOrionFE]

You will have an awesome setup Jason...no fret.  With John's huge screen and some good projectors and some careful blending and warping I am sure you will have a very satisfying setup.

[blueskydriver]

Getting closer to start ATC'ing! 

[Joe Lavery]

Getting closer to start ATC'ing! 

Hey John, looks awsome, how many staff are you getting to run all those stations? LOL

Joe.

[FredK]

John - Impressive setup for sure!

Fred K

[XOrionFE]

Getting closer to start ATC'ing! 

Very cool.   Nice music studio as well I see...

Awesome looking man cave!

[Jason L]

John,
  You going through all the Vatsim training and such now to, or have you already done that?