Instrument Gauges - Saitek/SimKit/Monitor Which is best?

[jacenbourne 0]

Hello all,

 

I'm getting close to having the equipment side of my home cockpit done. Once I have all of the hardware, I'll begin the fun part of the actual construction and mounting.

 

However, I need 3 more gauges for the cockpit, the end goal being to have:

 

Attitude Indicator

Airspeed Indicator

Altimeter

Heading Indicator

RPM / Engine Performance (EGT/CHT/FF, etc.)

VSI/Turn Indicator

 

But what I keep getting stuck on are the gauges. I have 3 Saitek FIPs, and while they are nice, they're pricey and have their limitations. I've looked at the Simkit servo gauges and while I think they're awesome, they're out of my budget ($400 just for the altimeter...). Also, I fly multiple aircraft. So if I got the C182 SimKit Airspeed gauge, it wouldn't help if I took my Citation for a spin. The Saitek FIP's do offer me the additional flexibility of switching to a gauge with higher speed tolerances. I do have a 23" Asus monitor that's currently not doing anything, so I've thought about mounting it behind the wood panel and cutting holes in the panel to have it shine through, but that would require a mapping utility to resize the gauges (presumably for each aircraft) so everything matches up with those holes. Does such a utility exist? Anyone have any experience with it? I can get 3 more Saitek FIPs if that's the best option, but I want to see what all is out there. Google's not super helpful on this.

 

I'm willing to pay $175 a gauge. MAYBE $200, but that's pushing my budget. What are some alternatives to the Saitek FIPs in that price range? Benefits/Cons ? Should I just use the FIPs? Is the monitor a viable option? If so, what do I need to do to map the gauges correctly to fit a set of drilled holes? Can you do that via profiles so each aircraft matches up on start?

 

I'd appreciate any/all help. My hardware-to-buy list is getting smaller and smaller... just want to have everything before I begin building so dimensions and such are correct.