Scott-S6

I suggested that you, it's not an HDMI splitter. In your OP you said you wanted to drive 4 HDMI displays from two HDMI connectors using splitters. That doesn't work. You'd have display1+2 showing the same thing and display3+4 showing the same thing. HDMI splitters ought to be called HDMI duplicators or something.

USB3 is 9pin where USB2 is 4pin. You'll either need different panel connectors or you could go 9pin for all of them (they're backwards compatible). HDMI splitters won't do what I think you're looking for. They duplicate the video feed, not extend it. You'll still have one display as far as your pc is concerned and all of the displays connected to the splitter will show the same duplicated output. Re the pull the plug issue, you can get powered hubs that disconnect when turned off, rather than just turning off the power and leaving the devices connected like the cheap ones do (dangerous if you're using a powered hub because the devices attached will draw more than the port can supply). You could also wire the in and out ports to each other yourself with a switch between them.

Is the meteor smart enough to avoid terrain? IE if I put terrain between my aircraft and the missile but someone's radar is still illuminating me will the missile fly into the terrain or around it?

The pilot model's face is enormously unimportant to me. I couldn't even tell you what the face looks like on the modules I fly regularly that have a pilot model. The WSO I might see occasionally in the mirrors but it's still extremely unimportant.

I have TWO cupholders.

Have a look at -Dagger-'s post above. That was a very clean way of adding a damper with only a little bit of fabrication. I think the issue with the friction clutch loosening may be vibration based. I have a couple of big speakers and a servo woofer mounted to my cockpit frame and you definitely feel it through the frame. Some people have swapped the nuts for nylocs and reported the problem solved. The loosening is only half of the problem though, the other problem is that the clutch makes small adjustments more difficult. If you have the space to the rear I'd definitely recommend a counterweight over a damper, having tried both.

Personally I can only see the frame rate and resolution in the mirrors. If I'm flying something without mirrors I set it to 256.

In the main graphics setting you can pick a few different options for the cockpit displays (also affects mirrors, I believe). 256, 512, 512 every frame, 1024, 1024 every frame. If you pick one of the options that doesn't say "every frame" they are rendered in alternate frames.

There is both a processor and memory impact to using USB display drivers and it varies between devices. The cheapest devices will offload as much as possible of the work to the driver to make the device as cheap as possible. Better ones will do more of it in hardware for performance. ETA - this was quite interesting. With all displays static there is no increase in CPU load. Memory usage with four displays attached to the USB adaptor is increased by 0.6GB Comparing the F16 in flight and on the ground with four displays (mfds, ehsi, rwr) I see approx +10% of total proc with cockpit displays set to 512 and +20% of total proc with cockpit displays set to 512 every frame (compared to having DCS render the same displays (512) and area but the USB adaptor is disconnected). So, there is a non-trivial increase in CPU usage associated with these adaptors (which I expected) but it can be considerably reduced by rendering cockpit displays every other frame (which I hadn't considered).

Yep, that solves the problem for keybinds. I guess I'll need to make something for instrument exports...

As far as I can see it just adds/replaces files with other files? Just like other mod managers. So if the LUA file is changed by ED it'll replace it with the old version instead of adding the text I want back into the new file. Not really a solution.

The lesser bandwidth of an A port may restrict your ability to run the higher resolutions (not that there's any point running high-res aux displays, I actually sought out lower resolution monitors). Unless the cable is a considerable length or run past interference sources I wouldn't worry about quality too much.

Even just to be a hot-pit tool (which would also be a desirable thing to have) it still needs to be able to do most of those things. If we have to configure MFD pages, radar settings, etc. for each mode every time then it's going to be of minimal real benefit. If we can see our preferences as a default start point which we can then alter for the upcoming flight then it become useful both as a proper planning tool and as a hot-pit tool.

Related - has someone created a tool that you can put your LUA edits into and then restore them all with a click after an update? If no such thing exists then I might have to make one... My list of edits is growing and it's becoming increasingly troublesome.

Exactly, just a USB. No HMDI, no power input, etc. Very easy. To make sure it has plenty of bandwidth I connect it directly to my PC, not to one of the USB hubs. (it would probably be fine going through the hubs but I had a good USB extension cable spare after going from three smaller hubs to two really big ones). Search for startech quad HDMI and you should find it. On amazon.co.uk they list the USB-C version but you can then select the USB A model which is slightly cheaper. Alternatively, you'll find these at business IT suppliers. Linky I got some short, ultra thin HDMI cables and it's much tidier than it was. Linky

I have my idle detent set so that there is just barely enough room for the roller to drop in behind it and I have afterburner detent set with the tactile bump so that I can ignore it if it's not applicable. This gives maximum versatility without messing with detents (getting the AB detent back into the same position each time seems like a nightmare...) Yes, it gives up a tiny bit of throttle travel for modules/games that don't use the idle detent but it's very small. I fly a bunch of different modules and use my pit for other games as well (and have a collective) so messing with the detents doesn't seem worthwhile for that extra little bit of travel. If you fly one module exclusively for months (some people do seem to) then YMMV.

You can get an MST hub to split a display port or you can daisy chain monitors if they have display port in and display port out sockets (the last in the chain doesn't need an out). In both cases, there are limits on what's supported, check your docs. If you use an MST hub you can then use DP->HMDI adaptors to connect your HDMI displays. Alternatively, I have one of these (Startech USB32HD4) in my cockpit to drive all the auxiliary displays. Each port shows as a separate display, can be different resolution and aspect, etc. They're a little expensive but I do not recommend the cheaper options. I tried various cheaper units (starting with using multiple inexpensive USB->single HDMI) and all gave me a variety of issues. Plus I spent substantially more messing around with those than buying a decent unit would have cost.

I have been experimenting with counterweights, dampers and both. My conclusion is that decently tuned counterweights (200g camera gimbal weights with a simple center hole are cheap and you can tune them by drilling holes in them) with just a tiny bit of the friction clutch is the most effective solution. Tip - to get a pretty accurate approximation of what weight you'll need cable tie a ziploc bag to the counterweight arm and start throwing nuts, bolts, whatever in there with the friction clutch completely disengaged. Also, I see everyone installing their counterweight arm on the outside of the unit. My thought is that it's better on the inside to reduce undesired forces on the pivot mechanism so I made mine for the inside of the unit with a vertical weight stack to keep the weight as close as possible to the pivot so it's not exerting any roll forces. (you could do the same with Tehknein's (if it's thin enough) by mounting on the inside and having an equal amount of weights on either side of the arm) At this point you have a very light feeling collective. If you want the collective to feel heavier then you could add a damper but do consider how you're mounting it. It's easy to induce flexing in the mount which is counterproductive. If you just don't have room for a counterweight then damper plus friction clutch does work and it is an improvement on clutch alone.

Okay, so the Hornet is a little odd (as most modern fighters are) with the rudder because of all the stuff that the flight control systems do behind the scenes to modulate your inputs. These schemes are designed on the assumption that you're really not supposed to be doing much with the rudder. You shouldn't need rudder to make a controlled turn. If your roll angle is too steep for your rate of turn you might need just a little bit of rudder to hold the ball on the horizon. If you're in level flight and you input max rudder you'll see a minimal deflection of the nose, ~5 degrees at 300 knots, and if you immediately release after reaching that you'll yaw about 4 degrees back. If you hold max rudder you'll see the compass very, very slowly creep across and then you'll swing back ~3-4 degrees when you release. During sustained max rudder input the aircraft will very slowly roll in the direction of the yaw and nose down (if you're hand off stick - it takes very little to counter it and I find myself doing that automatically). I know that seems a bit underwhelming for a big control input but it's working as intended. Have a try with the Christen Eagle or one of the smaller WW2 planes and you'll see much more dramatic response to rudder input. ETA - you might have picked the most underwhelming aircraft to try out pedals with. On other aircraft, pedals are huge help with taxiing and with stability on the runway during takeoff and landing, even if they aren't that useful in the air. If you're only flying to/from carriers you don't get to see that benefit. Try some runway takeoffs and landings and you'll see the difference.

I use the slider for the three way mode override that many aircraft have (e.g. the dogfight/missile override on the viper, etc)

So, two things to check. Firstly, on the inputs page where you bind the controls in DCS go to the axis adjust dialogue and verify that you get the full range of motion. If you don't (or if you're hitting the full range before the pedal gets to full range) then you need to calibrate in the virpil software. Secondly, look at the pedals in cockpit and check that none of the axises need to be inverted. If both of those are good then you are good to go As to seeing little effect in flight, which modules are you flying?

Possibly. If OP could actually tell us what, if any, problem he's experiencing then we could help him more...

Yep, you've got three axises to bind and you've bound them. That's it. Check that you don't need to invert any of the axises by watching the pedals in the cockpit. If you can brake and steer then it's all working.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_2:_The_Sequel

I sympathize but there is a simple solution. Wait. Don't play the early access module at all and even after full release wait another couple of years. At that point it is unlikely that there will be significant changes.