Triggerhappy69

I have tested the Force Feedback Rudder pedals for a day now. And it seems to me like there is some kind of conflict between the FFB Joystick and the FFB Pedals (FFB Wheel)? The joystick works fine untill I connect the Pedals, but then I lose both the trim function function on the joystick and the pedals always center when I hit the Trim button? It's driving me crazy..!

so what you're saying is that simulare software can run in background always, looking for keywords or combination inputs from a keyboard. And execute macros when it recognises a keyword? ...... I see lots of fun to be had with that kind of software mate.. LMAO P. I just read your PM mate.. I'll add as soon as I get out of bed.. Good morning btw.. c",)

I stumbled accross this little software to send keyboard macros from different USB devices http://hidmacros.medek.info/ This guy is a genious..! I'll test it ASAP and post an update (if no one is allready using it?)

I second that.. Give us an update on how the PCIP is moving along..? Or at least let us know if we can expect it anytime soon..? I do not mean this in a naggin way, it's just that it makes a HUGE difference for us pitbuildersin how we route our cables and connection boards and such..? So if it's not coming anytime soon I'll have to do some planning..!

Pitbuilding for "tree huggers"..? :thumbup:.. This is the kind of thinking I like ..! Recycle old parts for new projects..! D*MN GOOD JOB..! (rep inbound for being "green"..:smartass:)

I just love reading stuff like this.. c",) Doing nice things for one another tells me that there is hope for mankind after all.. Bow and hat off for 159th_Viper..

Now you got me all worked up about getting my Pit in working order mate..!:thumbup: Keep the updates coming.. I can't wait to see it in action..! Good Job..!

Pit building update - 13 May 2009 - Tidying up the Cyclic Stick wiring LMAO..! I can give you all the help you need to build your own Cyclic, but I will not go through that building prosess again anytime soon.. Phuuh..:helpsmilie: Did som tidying up inside the stick, and added a connector for the plate that holds the POV. And I moved the BU0836A controller to the inside of the Front Pedestal. And painted the buttons white: And next is final testing and a video..!

Who is this guy..!?!?! I found this picture amongst my Pitbuilding pictures on Imageshack? Anyone know who it is? Or how he got there?:megalol:

You can always build your own FFB Pedals mate..?:thumbup: I've just finished mine, and they are being tested right now. And from what I can see it should work fine..

LMAO.. I KNOW...!:helpsmilie: .. If I only got 5 cents everytime I heard those words uttered in surprise..? ... you're talking about the MOTOR..? Aaaahh.. Yeah it's way oversized.. But it is geared down quite extensivly thank god.. It used to be a door opener, and I can actually fix the Pedal's Main cross bar directly to the last gear as it is (or I hope i can.. because if I'm wrong and you're right........ goodbye foot and hello fractured Femur..?) LoL When buying 100 of them I got the price of 0,75$ a piece pluss shipping (31$ to Norway). And if i remember correct he mentioned having only 100 of them left after I get mine..

Pitbuilding Update - 6th May 2009 - You've got to love EBay..! Here are the pics of the Collective box with new toggle switches: EBay is the GREATEST..! I came accross these switches under "russian military toggle switches". And asked if they could send me 100 of them..? Oleg from SOVCOM (the EBay store) kindly replied that they could manage that, so naturally I HAD TO get them.. Thank you Oleg..:thumbup: Now I can start on the dreaded Right Wall Sidepanel with all it's switches..

Pitbuilding Update - 6th May 2009 - Force Feedback Pedals anyone? And some other stuf Thanx mate..! By the way..? Are you in the same squadron as 'ol "Tonka Mate" by any chance? If so, be sure to let him know I said HI! ...and you are sooo right in saying so..!:thumbup: This is the motor and gearbox I'll use for the ULTIMATE FFB Pedals: ... I don't know for sure, but I'm thinking maybe I will not be using it's full potential..? But just imagine the controls (both cyclic and pedals) with much stronger motors for the Force Feedback..? It's a bit over the top, I know that. But for the shear immersion benefits it will give I just have to try..! Did some dry lettering on the Collective stick to: And I replaced all the switches with bigger 15Amp ones. So now it looks more like the real thing. (pics later) The Decsent-Enroute switch with it's ON-OFF-(spring)ON function was hard to find. So I did a little MOD on a standard ON-OFF-ON switch. And it works perfectly.! All you have to do is open the switch. Take the rocker-plate out. and bend one end of it so it looks like this: It used to be symetrical around the center.. The bend on the right side is made by me! The FFB Pedals have been tested in flight! And they work like a charm..!:thumbup: The centering force is adequate for heli-flightsims. Since these have little to no strong centering force in most RL Helicopters? And I dear to say that if it was'nt for me having made my mind up to increase the FFB all over, I would just leave it like this and be real happy to..!:smilewink: As you see here I have used just the standard gearing from the Steering Wheel. Allthough I have attached the main gear to a 20x20mm solid block of aluminum to spread the rotation forces from the axle out to the whole gear. It did'nt seem like just a ring with a set-screw would be able to withstand the forces from the FFB motor. But with this setup there is no problems with it! The Backplate is made out of 1mm Aluminum, and the motormount is ... Well You can see on the picture: (the blue dots are pen marks from when I counted the number of teeth on this gear..) Just bend, drill holes and sit back and enjoy the fruit of your work.. The PCB from the wheel only needs to be connected to USB, Powersupply and the Hall effect sensor.! The Hall Effect Sensor is connected to pins 1,2 and 3 of connector "A" on the PCB. The current from the PCB is 5V, and this works perfect with Honeywell's SS495A Sensors. The magnet can be of any kind rod-magnet. But I prefere using small but strong Neodyme magnets. The axles that hold the gear are rotating in bearings that are countersunk into the 22mm MDF bottomplate. I use the cheapest kind of skateboard bearings with 8mm axles that I have scavenged from an old printer.! And since the pedals only have a 30 degrees rotation, whereas the Steeringwheel had 200 degrees. I couldn't use the original potmeter without gearing that to? But a 30 degrees rotation and a hall effect sensor will give the FFB Controller Card approx the same range in volts.! And it's infinatly more precise and "spike" free..! As I said earlier I have tested this setup out, and can guaranty that it works with calibrating and in the Simulator.. ........ SO why are you still here..? Log on to EBay and get yourself a FFB Wheel to hack..! Don't let me be the only one with FFB Pedals? GO! Ps. I promised to post a movie of the FFB stick and pedals on youtube.. And it is coming..! I just need to get over myself first (or take me out of the movie all together..) Probably by tomorrow night..

Man I like the way you think..! Take something discarted as broken, and put it to good use again..! (BIG thumbs up, and rep)

(I am so worked up no that I'm having a hard time breathing... :helpsmilie:) Would I be interested in the KA-50 Cockpit structure and seat..? YES I WOULD..! Where did you get exact info on the Ejection seat for the Blackshark? Can I see..? can I, can I, CAN I..?!:smilewink:

Oh yeah..! I almost forgot... About the video of the Cyclic Stick..? Well....? I have to get some help with it..! I've tried a couple of times making one, but they all stink so bad I did'nt dear put it out there on the net.. These video editing programs are seriously complicated to work out.? .. Glowing Amraam..?! How the H*LL do you manage to make your videos so perfect? I say your multitasking skills must be WAY above average..! I had maybe 20 clips, and completly lost track of where I wanted them to go after 3 seconds. And you moviemaker guys work with maybe..? 100 clips..!? And then you add effects and music..? Respect to you all. I'll never say anything bad about anyones video again (not that I ever have..)! I'll try find someone who has a clue, and post the video ASAP..!

Aaaargh..! I HATE those little things.. But the mosquitoes up on the "vidda" are even worse.. I swear they are so big they get transported in on trucks. And they come in thousands at a time... :cry: The advice on a layer of clear cote over the dry transfers came out just perfect.! Check it out.. .. and I have started cutting the holes for the gauges... It's starting to look like something out of an aircraft now..:pilotfly: I took this picture to see if it resembled the original one..? My temporary Yaw Pedal setup is fixed in place. It's missing the hall effect sencor on top of the main axle. But apart from that it's all done..! I finished the connectors and diode matrix for the FFB Controller PCB tonight.. However I'll junk this whole thing as soon as I get the servo amplifier, and make it work.. The new Yaw Pedal setup will be made from 10mm aluminum and not wood..! Because the 50V FFB motor would simply rip this whole thing apart I'm afraid.. And after seing how well the dry transfer letters on the Cyclic Stick turned out, I repainted the Collective stick to! I made it as far as three letters before I noticed what time it was and decided to post this update and go to bed..! I'm enjoing this more and more as it comes together.. Thank you all for your inputs and ideas... Without your help I would'nt have come this far (without having to undergo serious therapy and even short periods of being committed to an asylum..:helpsmilie:) Good night all..

Pitbuilding Update - 02 may 2009 - Is sleeping overrated..? Ken..? (Nervous LoL) I promise to walk your dog for you a whole year as long as you don't mention my "letters of intoxication" to anyone..? ......... Damn.! :cry: That is a good advice man..! I did a test on some plastic, and you are absolutly right! I didn't have clear dull topcote at home, but I tested with 4 layers of clear primer? And boy did that make a difference! Without a sealing layer the letters came off with just some heavy rubbing with my fingertip. But after applying the layer of primer it's like the letters are a lot more resistant to both rubbing, and scratching with my fingernail. Thanx mate :thumbup: I used to live up north for five years while I was in the Army, and It's wierd with the midnight sun and months of darkness.. I must say that I liked both seasons equaly much.. But the dark months were my favourite.. Because what you can't see on the postcards, is that the 24/7 daylight makes the birds do the bird version of "TWEET TWEET, me so h*rny" CONSTANTLY.. ... but then again it's so beautifull upp north that you don't want to miss out on anything by sleeping.. I loved it up there.. .. I guess it's a curse or something. But one of the things I like best with this is the constant need to challenge my building skills.. And my skills are very limited. So for each new thing in the Pit, I have to figure out how build it within that very limited range? I'm always thinking about some little thing.. And when I get an idea for something, I just have to work on it until I either discard the idea as "what the h*ell was i thinking".. or I get lucky..:huh:! It's just such fun for me... Imagine all the cool stuff that is left to learn.?

BTW.. Just for laugh... Here is one of my more outragious ideas on the FFB Pedal subject.. Gear ratios are such simple math.. I have no clue what I was thinking... ...

He He... You snooze.. and so on..:music_whistling: Seriously.. Your golf weekend was probably time better spent.. 'Cause I've had to discard a couple of ideas conserning the FFB Pedals since then..? (that's why there hasn't been an update for a while.:cry:) But I have found a way now that works.. Yahooo..! After some discussing with my old man (from now on called "My old father, the engineer" for short), debating the finer sides of gear ratios and mechanics. It seems I'll do the pedals in a two step procedure. First I'll use the motor that came with the Wheel., like this (major update as soon as I've tested and seen that it works): And then I'll build a new set of pedals using a 50 Volt motor that feeds of a servo amplifier I got from Ebay! Now I have no clue how this thing works in practice, so I'll need to do some learning before I move on... But I'm sure I can make it work.. I hope:cry:? The stick is almost done now: And the electronics for it has been tested. Again I'll do a complete update on that as soon as I get the text transferred to the Stick handle with these Letra-Set transfers. And naturally the promised video when I've got it hooked up to the simulator.. Ps. I have actually allready test flown it.. and the trimming with the counter weights on the stick is just beautifull..! Can't wayt to do the whole thing..

:helpsmilie:... Well it seems I really DON'T have a gift for creating things.. I completly forgott that the reason for angled gears are to make them grip each other without grinding when they are used in for instance a gearbox. However if you don't fix them so they can't move at all up or down the axle, then they "crawl". And this will come out as play in the gears.! So I dumped that idea! Now I'm making a 1:20 ratio belt drive instead..?

Hmmmm... Does the X-52 have standard potmeters? If so I woyld say that it sound like you need to clean the carbon track inside of them. Or just simply replace them.. But I thought the X-52 used Hall Effect Sensors? Or was that just the X-52 PRO? There is a guide on how to do this on the Cougar Website.. http://cougar.frugalsworld.com/mods.php

I didn't buy it my friend..:music_whistling: (I didn't steal it either.. LoL) I just woke up one morning with a rough idea of whet I wanted it to look like in my head. So I went out in the garage and started cutting some MDF...? If you want to I can make some simple drawing and post them here for you? As far as how much money I have spent on it? Hang on and I'll put together a list: HobbyCNC Controller Card: 79,- USD MDF and screws, glue and such: 50,- USD Power Supply 24V, 9A (ebay): 45.- USD Mach3 Software: Free Version Stepper Motors: Scavenged from a Conica Minolta Copying machine that was thrown away. Hours of tinkering time: Priceless! Grand total: 174,- USD

New Panels finished I had some time left before bed (actually I cut hand, so I couldn't do more work:cry:), so I finished some more work on the Panels. This one is not finished with the text.. Just checking the switch placement on the PCB Some cleaning up done on this one.. I'll be adding the G-Codes for CnC when I have done them .. 'Nite all..!:thumbup:

Good Job..! It was cool reading how you worked it all out.. Keep posting us updates mate..!