Desk base for Saitek Throttle Quadrant?

[SeaQuark]

I just got my Saitek Throttle Quadrant in.

 

 

Turns out my old wooden desk is too thick, so the included clamp can't fit around it.

 

I'd really prefer to just sit it on top of my desk anyway-- like my joystick, I'd like to be able to just unplug & remove it from the desk when not in use. However the unit is obviously not sturdy enough to use without it sliding around on top of the desk.

 

Will attaching a heavy base of some sort to it help? Or does it really need to be clamped / installed into something in order to keep it secure? I am not a very savvy person hardware-wise, so any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

If relevant: I am thinking of getting a second unit and sticking them together, so that I can use the wide throttle lever on one, and use the three small remaining levers for mixture / radiator / prop pitch.

[ATAG_Slipstream]

Blu tack.

[Charlo-VRde]

Consider attaching it to an adjustable-height speaker stand. That's how I put my pro throttle and throttle quadrant at the right height next to my chair. I use a piece of wood and industrial-strength velcro to attach them to the same speaker stand.

 

I use another speaker stand for my joystick between my knees. Both are easy to move out of the way when I need to get work done.

 

Charlo

[Sandhill]

The devil is of course in the details...does your desk top protrude so that a larger clamp would be able to get a grip?  Do you own any clamps large enough to do so?  If yes and yes, you could hit a home improvement store for a strip of Masonite a few feet long, so the clamps would be out of the way, clamp that to the desk top, and clamp or Velcro the throttle quadrant to that.  If it was me I'd probably go with the Velcro and at the same time Velcro my stick to the Masonite as well.

[SeaQuark]

The devil is of course in the details...does your desk top protrude so that a larger clamp would be able to get a grip?  Do you own any clamps large enough to do so?  If yes and yes, you could hit a home improvement store for a strip of Masonite a few feet long, so the clamps would be out of the way, clamp that to the desk top, and clamp or Velcro the throttle quadrant to that.  If it was me I'd probably go with the Velcro and at the same time Velcro my stick to the Masonite as well.

 

Well, it's very thick, about 7". I think that would have to be a really serious clamp!

 

Velcro sounds good. I might hit up a hardware store today and look around for various options. I like the speaker stand idea, too. Basically I want something that'll look nice and also is easy to take down and store.

[VBF-12_Snake9]

I took mine and screwed it down on the desktop.  I flipped the desk attachment upside down and used some washers for the spacing.  Sits nice and tight right where I want it.  It's not going anywhere. 

[HagarTheHorrible]

Can you not put the clamp vertically on the back of the quadrant and then attach it to a draw front ?

[SeaQuark]

Can you not put the clamp vertically on the back of the quadrant and then attach it to a draw front ?

 

Unfortunately, even the drawer of the desk is 4" tall, with a curved top and bottom. So there's no way to fix the clamp to it. It really is the worst desk for this sort of thing! But at least it looks nice. = )

 

I came up with a temporary solution, similar to VBF's above: I screwed cork board into the bottom of the unit. With the clamp attached to the back and a little weight added to it, it sits flush on the top of the desk, doesn't move unless I want it to, and doesn't scratch the surface of the desk.

 

 

Just have to fix it up nice to look pretty.

 

One option I'm considering instead of getting a bunch of stands or a cockpit / flight seat is to just get a chair I can raise up fairly tall. Then my controllers on my desk would be about the same height relative to me as if they were in an arm-rest position like I see in the more complicated set-ups-- I assume the lower height of the controllers is the most ergonomic placement, right?

 

Basically I have a small apartment so I'm trying to avoid clutter and conserve space as much as possible.

 

This is what my set-up looks like currently: