doveman

Congrats on getting your offer accepted DC :thumbup: I know there's been enough times I've put off jobs as I couldn't face going out into the freezing cold garage and it's hard / dangerous working with tools with a big coat and gloves on :no: So if you get a heated workshop that'll be cool, just don't get too comfortable in there and end up using it as a TV room or dozing off ;) Maybe have the heating on a timer so that it cuts off every hour and gets a bit chilly to keep you on your toes :D

Has anyone tested both the X-55 and TM Warthog to compare if one is better for flying helos? I know the MS FFB2 is probably the best choice with it's FFB trim but I keep missing out on them on e-bay, so I'm wondering if I went with the Warthog if it would be best for the A-10C but not as good as the X-55 for helos, due to the fact that the latter can have the spring removed to make it nice and loose?

Yeah, that makes sense. Maybe we should have another clear layer on top to protect the engraved panel from ever getting scratched ;) I presume you have to make recesses in the back of the top panel to allow for the component fixing nuts, etc? It does seem sensible to do these in the top layer as it allows for using just two layers, top and base, if someone wants.

Thanks for this great profile, Capt Zeen. I know how much work it can take making these as I've had a fiddle with Helios myself and just got a headache ;)

Nice pit Bad CRC, very inspirational :thumbup:

OK, sorry.

Good man DC, thanks for that and for the tips in your other post. Will help me a lot :thumbup: Your prototype's looking great as well, looking forward to having one of my own :) Regarding glueing the layers together, if I've understood correctly the components are fixed to the base layer with their nuts, so I presume you just glue the top and middle layers, not the base layer as well and the bolts hold the top/middle and base layers together, as you'd need to separate them to get to the nuts to replace any faulty switches? Or have I misunderstood?

Thanks. That's exactly the problem I found, just pages and pages of baby seats! Now I know what to search for, I just hope there's still some available when I've actually got space to buy one :)

Thanks, that'll be great. I've actually got Sketch already and have played around with it a bit to make rough 3D models but I've never tried it for panel layouts. To be honest, I've always struggled with it a bit but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it eventually. What would really help me is if you could share a basic Sketch template. I don't expect you to share the finished designs you've spent hours on but just a basic outline of a panel, showing the corner mounting holes and maybe one or two component holes with lettering will be a great starting point for me to then use as a guide when designing the panels for my Dad. If it doesn't display it in Sketch, information about what font and size you're using would be really useful as well. Regarding DCS panels, I'd probably be interested in buying some standard A-10 (and KA-50 and UH-1H) panels, if you have a template for those, as soon as you're ready. Even if I won't have time to set them up for a while, having them will probably inspire and encourage me to get on with it :) I'd only be looking to buy a few particular panels for now but I figured it would help you to recoup some of your investment sooner rather than later. I may want to design some custom generic panels I can use with multiple aircraft in the future but for now the standard ones will be something to start with. Depending on price, I might want the full three layers for each panel, including the two custom ones for my Dad, so that they can be backlit but if I can't afford that, maybe I can get by with just the top panel attached to the base layer (maybe the base layer would need to be black, not clear, for this to work though, or maybe I could just use wood for the base layer) and backlight them like Hans Krohn has done here http://www.hanskrohn.com/BuildingTips/Backlit_Panels/Backlit.htm Maybe it won't look quite as nice as doing it properly with three layers of acrylic but it looks pretty good from his pictures. When you're ready, if you can provide a list of the parts your panels are designed around as well, that will be great and make it easier to order them, or look for alternatives with the same dimensions.

I would say avoid the Thrustmaster Hotas X. It looks like a well featured stick for not much money but it's got a large deadzone and sticks around the middle, making it not sensitive enough for controlling helos and causing oversteering and jerking. Probably the X55 will be the best for helos, as the spring can be removed, making it very loose and easy to make small adjustments. I bought the Saitek flight pedals and am happy with them. They'll be even better once I remove the center detent, which is quite easy to do.

I've been thinking of getting a FFB2 for my KA-50/UH-1H flying but I'm wondering if either the X55 or TM Warthog wouldn't be more precise? Obviously it wouldn't have FFB, which would be very nice but I'm not sure it's worth putting up with a less sensitive/accurate stick. I've got a feeling the X55 might be a better choice as the spring can be removed, making it very light/loose for those small, precise movements we need for controlling helos but maybe the TM Warthog is OK. What do you guys think? Have any of you compared the FFB2 to either of those sticks?

Thanks for the pics Mac, that's exactly what I had in mind. I'd not even heard of seam sealer, so that's a great tip I can use when I get to it.

This looks interesting. Maybe it could be used for detecting hand position for interacting with virtual switches in conjunction with CastAR? A bit expensive at $299 but maybe it will lead to something more affordable.

I'm so jealous, that seat sounds way cool. Wish I could get one of those but I'll probably be looking forever, so I'll just have to settle for a normal car seat I think.

What, it doesn't come with a whisky bottle holder. That's off my list then ;) Seriously, thanks for the tip, that's the sort of information that'll help me (and others) when looking for suitable seats.

Thanks for the tip. I think I'd prefer a softer seat so that'll help me narrow down my search.

Yeah, that would make things far too complicated :)

There's a few bargains on there, although most are around £195. As I mentioned, I might need a fabric rather than leather seat so that I can cut a notch for the stick in the front but maybe leather's no harder to cut than fabric, I'm no expert.

Thanks Pick, looks cool and nice station you've got there. I can't afford to spend that much on a seat though unfortunately, so I'll have to scavenge and barter as you suggest.

Thanks for the tip Trubshaw. I'll try scavenging when I have time. I don't know if it would be a good idea to use concrete building blocks in my flat though, I'm not sure how much weight the floor will support in one place! I'd be interested to see some pictures/details though.

I wouldn't recommended the hotas x. I've got that and it's really not very good for flying helos due to a large dead zone and sticking around the centre. Might be OK if you only want to fly planes I guess.

Looks very cool, it's got a sort of modern/industrial look going on. I'm not sure it's padded enough for my liking though. I also should mention I tend to play helos, so I'll need the stick between my legs and might even need to cut a notch in the front of the chair, so I'll probably need something more fabric and less metal/leather. I've got the A10C as well though, so I may well sit a separate stick and throttle at the sides for that, although the TM Warthog might be the easiest stick to modify with an extension and I won't be buying two of them!

Thanks for the tip, I'll keep an eye out for one of those. I'm thinking of having it on rails so that it can be slid back to make it easier to get into the pit. I saw a thread whilst browsing earlier where someone's already done that (sorry, I forget who it was) so it's not my brilliant idea ;) Most car seats slid back and forth on rails anyway, so I might even be able to re-use those. Yeah, I feel you about sitting at the desk being tiring. I find myself sitting there far too much as it is (mostly working out how to setup software/hardware for the sim) and I need somewhere more comfortable and relaxing when I want to play, even if I wasn't planning on building a pit.

Won't your neighbour be pissed at you though :lol:

I'm not sure if you're serious but if you are, thanks but I'm not really ready for one yet. I've got a lot of decorating, laying flooring, etc to do in my flat and I've got enough clutter that I'm not looking forward to moving as it is, so I can't really add any more until I've finished.