Any VKB Gladiator users with desk-mounts around?

[1Sascha]

Since I think that all the more recent versions of the stick use the same baseplate and mounting-holes, it shouldn't matter which type of Gladiator you're running... I suppose.

 

VKB's mount is constantly out of stock... and a bit on the expensive side, anyway. Looking for alternatives, I came across Thrustmaster's Flying Clamp.

 

 

At just over €50 this seems like a bit of a bargain.

According to an amazon-user three of its mounting holes will fit the Gladiator's baseplate, so stability shouldn't be an issue. But I'm not sure if this mount can be used in a central position - looks more like it's meant to be hanging off your desk left or right of our chair/armrest. If I go with a mount, I'd want a central one for the stick (between my legs) and one on the left of my chair for the throttle.

 

Kinda like this:

 

So... anyone got any experience with this TM and/or other non VKB mounts for a Gladiator? Especially in a setup with pedals? I can't seem to find any other alternatives besides the TM that aren't more expensive than the entire stick, and that would be a bit silly. But I'm not sure about the TM, since it seems to me that you'd have to push way back from the desk to use the central mount and might not have enough room for your legs underneath to reach a set of pedals...

 

Thanks!

 

S.

[unlikely_spider]

I use this one. Works great.

https://www.amazon.com/J-PEIN-Upgraded-joystick-hand-control-game-device/dp/B07KJCC4Q7/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=38Z0FLGRTBO58&keywords=flight+stick+desk+clamp&qid=1652784504&sprefix=flight+stick+desk%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-4&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.18ed3cb5-28d5-4975-8bc7-93deae8f9840

[1Sascha]

19 minutes ago, unlikely_spider said:

I use this one. Works great.

Yeah... that was the first one I was looking at, since you mentioned that one in another thread. Sadly, it's €130 or €140 on German amazon, which is even more expensive than the VKB solution. If I could get it at US prices, it would be a no-brainer.

 

 

 

S.

Edited May 17, 2022 by 1Sascha

[unlikely_spider]

6 minutes ago, 1Sascha said:

Yeah... that was the first one I was looking at, since you mentioned that one in another thread. Sadly, it's €130 or €140 on German amazon, which is even more expensive than the VKB solution. If I could get it at US prices, it would be a no-brainer.

 

S.

Oh, weird. That's quite a price difference.

[Yogiflight]

10 minutes ago, 1Sascha said:

Yeah... that was the first one I was looking at, since you mentioned that one in another thread. Sadly, it's €130 or €140 on German amazon, which is even more expensive than the VKB solution. If I could get it at US prices, it would be a no-brainer.

According to @unlikely_spider's link the price is 59.99$ plus 15.47$ transportation fees and it will be delivered until may 30th, when purchasing at US amazon. Fastest delivery is may 20th, but I don't know what the delivery costs will be then. You don't have to purchase from German amazon.

For the TM Flying Desk Mount, it heavily depends on the rudder pedals you are using. With the Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals it might be OK, because the distance between the middle of the pedals is 31cm. But I think, most other rudder pedals have a smaller distance.

[unlikely_spider]

Just fyi, here is my setup. The vertical bar on the mount comes a bit longer than pictured - I used a metal cutting disc on my miter saw to take off maybe 1.5 inches or two. That way it didn't hit my legs as much when rotating in my chair, or have extra protruding from the top.

[1Sascha]

16 minutes ago, Yogiflight said:

According to @unlikely_spider's link the price is 59.99$ plus 15.47$ transportation fees

If it works as usual, you'll still have to pay import duties into the EU/Germany. That's 60 + 15.50 ~ 75 + 19 or 20 %, so you end up with 90 USD or more. I'm reluctant to do any of this online-ordering from outside the EU, no matter what they say on their sites re fees. Heck, even the UK is impossibly expensive now (thanks Brexit-idiots!). I ordered my Delanclip set which was supposed to be under €90 all in, and then the DHL guy demanded another €25 at the door when he delivered it. ?

 

S.

[firdimigdi]

1 hour ago, 1Sascha said:

At just over €50 this seems like a bit of a bargain.

 

Monitor arm ~€25, 2x pieces of 5mm steel plating ~€6 or so (could be thinner, 5mm was overkill but it allows for tapping threads instead of using nuts) - I've since routed the cabling under the desk.

 

4 holes at 10x10 in the center (offset for throttle) of each plate, tap them for M5 screws and mount them to the VESA mount then drill the necessary holes for the stick and throttle.

[1Sascha]

15 minutes ago, Firdimigdi said:

Monitor arm ~€25, 2x pieces of 5mm steel plating ~€6 or so (could be thinner, 5mm was overkill but it allows for tapping threads instead of using nuts) - I've since routed the cabling under the desk.

That looks quite interesting and perhaps doable.. even for me. I don't have steel-working tools besides the usual DIY stuff like a power-drill, but a buddy of mine has his own wood and metal workshop and could probably help me for a beer. Or ten .. ?

 

 

Thanks!

 

@Firdimigdi Since your Gladiator's base plate looks different in shape than my Evo's: Could you put measuring-tape to those screw-holes and see how far apart they are (front/back, left/right)? I suspect it'll be the same pattern, but that baseplate does have a different shape, at least in the rear.

Edited May 17, 2022 by 1Sascha

[firdimigdi]

12 minutes ago, 1Sascha said:

That looks quite interesting and perhaps doable.. even for me.

 

It's very easy to make and the added benefit is that once you're done you can simply "close shop" by folding the arms and sliding the whole "cockpit" out of the way.

 

  

12 minutes ago, 1Sascha said:

@Firdimigdi Since your Gladiator's base plate looks different in shape than my Evo's: Could you put measuring-tape to those screw-holes and see how far apart they are (front/back, left/right)? I suspect it'll be the same pattern, but that baseplate does have a different shape, at least in the rear.

 

Mine's basically this (it's a "Gladiator K" but it's basically that same base with a different grip mount): https://vkbcontrollers.com/?product=gladiator-mk-ii-basic-measurement

 

Edited May 17, 2022 by Firdimigdi

[1Sascha]

13 minutes ago, Firdimigdi said:

Mine's basically this (it's a "Gladiator K" but it's basically that same base with a different grip mount): https://vkbcontrollers.com/?product=gladiator-mk-ii-basic-measurement

Thanks!

It seems it's as I hoped: The baseplate is a bit deeper on the older models (cost cutting on my Evo, I suppose) but the holes have the same pattern on both versions. So that shouldn't be a problem should I decide to go with the TM thing after all.

 

S.

[Sokol1]

Monstertech (Germany) has plate for NXT/EVO.

 

https://www.monster.tech/en/product/joystick-hotas-table-mount/

BTW - An user review of Tm Clamp, comparing with J-Peim, he are able to fitVKB Gladiator NXT using only two screws in diagonal.

 

But TM Clamp  base plate  is too width for comfortable use in central position, almost double the size of Gladiator base, the plate will stay above user legs, may difficulting use rudder pedals.

 

https://imgur.com/a/yZlFYlF

 

Review link: https://www.reddit.com/r/hotas/comments/ji0ooq/quick_review_first_impression_tm_flying_clamp/

 

[1Sascha]

57 minutes ago, Sokol1 said:

But TM Clamp  base plate  is too width for comfortable use in central position, almost double the size of Gladiator base, the plate will stay above user legs, may difficulting use rudder pedals.

Yeah.. that's exactly what worries me ... ? The guy's setup in the picture I posted further up doesn't have pedals, so he can probably get away with a central mounting position. But with pedals... I'm not so sure ....

I have a friend who is a professional wood- and metal- worker with his own workshop and all the tools you'd ever need. I wonder if he could simply slice that TM thing in two length-wise, take out like 5 or 7 cms of width and weld the rest back together.

 

Or ... when I look at the TM mount close up.. there seems to be a possibility to adjust the height of the baseplate the stick is sitting on.

 

 

I wonder if you could mount it up far enough so that the stick would basically sit in/above your lap and you could just stretch your legs to your pedals underneath. Hard to tell from pictures...

 

57 minutes ago, Sokol1 said:

Monstertech (Germany) has plate for NXT/EVO.

 

I'm aware of those, but €129 is more expensive than VKB's own mount. Granted: It's never in stock at their EU-store and the Monstertech looks like it needs less space. Still... €129 to mount a €174 stick seems a bit overkill... ?

 

 

@FirdimigdiSorry to tag you again, but:

 

https://geizhals.de/digitus-da-90400-a2466488.html?hloc=at&hloc=de

 

 

Is this the kind of monitor arm you based your DIY solution on?

 

S.

Edited May 17, 2022 by 1Sascha

[firdimigdi]

16 minutes ago, 1Sascha said:

Is this the kind of monitor arm you based your DIY solution on?

 

Something like that yes, I've seen the one I got listed under various brand names so I guess they all come from the same Chinese factory. As long as it has joints like the one you found it should be sturdy enough.

[1Sascha]

8 minutes ago, Firdimigdi said:

so I guess they all come from the same Chinese factory.

Pages and pages of identical ones with different names on that price comparison site I linked... ?

 

S.

[dburne]

Whilst not cheap I would highly recommend the Monster Tech desk mounts for joysticks and throttles.

Mine attach to my desk in like 2 minutes and detach just as fast. Highly adjustable. And they offer individual plates for all the popular sticks and throttles, making upgrading hardware easy using the same desk mounts. I have done the same with both mounts and it is easy peasey. 

[1Sascha]

1 hour ago, dburne said:

Whilst not cheap I would highly recommend the Monster Tech desk mounts for joysticks and throttles.

Mine attach to my desk in like 2 minutes and detach just as fast. Highly adjustable. And they offer individual plates for all the popular sticks and throttles, making upgrading hardware easy using the same desk mounts. I have done the same with both mounts and it is easy peasey. 

Yeah.. the guy with the WinWing setup I tried on the weekend (whom I mentioned in the other thread) had his stick and throttle mounted on Monstertechs. Very sturdy and they hardly take up space in front of your desk. And though I never thought I would like it, having the stick centrally mounted was like a revelation. That's why I started looking around for desk mounts in the first place...

 

I'm starting to think that if I want to go central stick it would probably have to be something more expensive for the stick, but I think the TM is definitely still in the race for a throttle mount. Looks pretty sturdy in the GIF Sokol linked to and for the throttle its width and side-mount bias wouldn't matter.

 

EDIT: I think I'll just order the TM. See if I can make it work for my stick. If not, it'll be my throttle mount and I'll either try to build my own for the stick or go crazy and buy the Monstertech.

 

S.

Edited May 17, 2022 by 1Sascha

[Chilli_40]

4 hours ago, unlikely_spider said:

I use this one. Works great.

https://www.amazon.com/J-PEIN-Upgraded-joystick-hand-control-game-device/dp/B07KJCC4Q7/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=38Z0FLGRTBO58&keywords=flight+stick+desk+clamp&qid=1652784504&sprefix=flight+stick+desk%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-4&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.18ed3cb5-28d5-4975-8bc7-93deae8f9840

Use this one also, works awesome!

[1Sascha]

Oh well.. TM ordered.

 

Best case: It'll work as a central mount and I'll have to get me some wooden plank or something to push the pedals further away from the wall. And eventually another TM clamp to mount the throttle.

 

Worst case: I'll be too wide and bulky for crotch-safety and I can't use it with my stick. Then I'll keep looking for a stick-mount and just use the TM for my throttle, mounted a bit to the left of my chair. Would've needed a throttle mount anyway with a centrally mounted joystick and sitting further away from my desk.

 

S.

Edited May 25, 2022 by 1Sascha

[Dusty_Steppes]

Sorry about the expense of the J-Pein mounts in Europe but I would recommend them. I had two of them, one for the stick and the other for throttle, for clamping to a table. I have since repurposed them to work on a chassis system. One is still used for the stick and I used parts from the other one for the keyboard mount. They are rock solid, work well and worth the expense.

Edited May 25, 2022 by Dusty_Steppes

[1Sascha]

16 hours ago, Dusty_Steppes said:

Sorry about the expense of the J-Pein mounts in Europe but I would recommend them

Yeah... when I ordered the TM clamp (for 58€) from amazon, the J-Pein popped up in the recommendations and it's now up to €140. Which is 30 more than the VKB mount and 20 more than the Monstertech, so... nope. ?

 

Nice setup, though. Gladiator, TWCS, MFGs underneath... looks eerily familiar... ?

 

 

 

S.

Edited May 26, 2022 by 1Sascha

[cardboard_killer]

Wow, I got mine for $40.

[1Sascha]

 

 

Just put this thing together (piece of cake) and mounted it to the desk. It's not on there 100% perfectly, since there's a steel frame underneath the desk and I have to fix the clamps to that. The two clamps only cover the frame with about 60% of their footprint, but that is enough for the whole mount to feel like it's welded to the desk. No wobble, no flex, nothing.

 

Three of the four mounting holes on the Gladiator fit the TM's plate perfectly. Put two M5 screws in there with wingnuts and it also now feels welded to the clamp. Adjusted the height of the TM's baseplate to its second highest position and while I now have its steel gently touching my jeans' crotch, it's totally useable that way, even with pedals. I wish I could mount the stick even further down, but my chair is already at its lowest position and I don't think I'd have the room for it.

 

Just FYI: I'm 1.80m tall and my desk is set to 74cm/740mm height according to the scale on its legs.

 

Anyway:

These first two were with chair at regular height and the TM's baseplate in its highest position:

^ Please forgive the weird vibe this pic is giving off... ugh...

 

These three are with the baseplate lowered by one notch and the chair in its lowest position.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can't take it for a test-drive yet, since I'll have to run to the shops to beg for some left-over wood-cuttings to put between my pedals and the wall. Tile-floor and these MFGs are sliding on it like something out of 1930s comedy-flick.

 

In any case: For ~€55 I consider this one a bit of a steal (seeing how much you pay elsewhere). It's super-solid, easy to assemble and even though I still might get something else for the stick, I'll definitely keep the TM for my throttle.

 

Recommended!

 

EDIT: This hasn't much to do with the TM, since I still think it's a great product, but: Slight change of plans after testing this setup in IL-2 VR (which is pretty much what I got it for in the first place).

Since I do have to lean in quite a bit to use my gunsight in VR, the mount's depth (or the VKB being a desktop-stick?) is a bit of a problem. It's not that I touch the stick with my gut (thank God I lost some weight last year, lol), but my upper body leaned in will limit the stick's travel when I pull back on it. It's not too bad, but I'm starting to think that, maybe, a stick like a Gladiator isn't really that suitable for a central mount.

 

I'd also love to be able to twist the grip to the left by maybe 10 or 20 degrees, since that would be much more comfortable. Alas: If I twist the entire stick (only way to do it with the Gladiator AFAIK), I'll also be twisting the X- and Y-axes, altering the handling of the stick entirely. I've already looked into the Gladiator's way of mounting the grip to the gimbal, but I doubt I could rotate it in its mounting position and I don't want to risk damage to the stick.

 

 

 

Oh well... off to Monstertech-land I suppose, since VKB's mount is still sold out in the EU and their staff seem to be on vacation at the moment. The trouble is: One mount makes zero sense when you're using a HOTAS. As great as the TM works for the throttle... if I use the stick on the desk and the TWCS on the mount, working the throttle is like trying to shift gears in your car with the gear lever mounted in the rear seat. So it's either two mounts or nothing.

 

 

 

 

S.

Edited May 29, 2022 by 1Sascha