LynxDK

Hey. The 3D printed base has a final cost of 100 DKK. or 14,75. Inclusive VAT. Im pretty sure i cant make it for less even with resin, as i dont count my hours in 3D printing at all, people tend to forget the hours put into making things :), i just turn it on and press print. And when the print is done, there is zero cleanup. If i where to cast it... first all the equipment, the mold, the cleanup, and my time doing it. at least that takes time i can use on other things. Im aware that the price is high, and i would very much like to make it cheaper, but then the idea of swapping panels which can be backlit has to go. I could make it all out of one piece, with no backlight function. then its only to paint a simple sheet of acrylic, without engravings and thats it. but then it would just be another "standart" button box, and in my honest opinion, we have plenty of those, at much lower prices. So i did it like this, so the buyer could get something unique, that he could change the look if he would, and get it exactly like he wish. And if someone one day gets a real panel from lets say a F-16 from Ebay. He can simply install it in this boxs, it will fit. I will release a guide, explaining how to assemble it all, i will deliver everything needed to make this, so you dont need anything else than a pair of pliers, a screwdriver and a Diagonal Cutter or something simular for stripping wires. So you dont need to pay for my hours putting this together and test it. :)

Necroscope: yes, i will also offer a DIY assembly kit, with everything. Rogue Trooper: The switches will be standart positioned like you see here in the CUB 1, the CUB 2 will be different. But the Panels can be custom made just as you wish them to be. Thank you all, as i have mentioned earlier, i will list ALL the items i used for this brick, so that you can buy those yourself. And then only buy the Box and the panels you want, and end up with a much cheaper product. I will also release the code for the Arduino, so you will be able to use a Arduino Leonardo you have bought yourself. you can even just use my Arduino code, to make your own botton box, without buying anything from me. A more specific set of "kits" will be presented when we get closer to a release, as right now, it seems that you guys are interested, so i will carry on :) Dont hold back if you have questions.

Im pretty sure i never presented this as affordable for everyone, but asked if there would be any interest in this kind of product. This is completely different from what i have been doing so far. [FSF]Ian: you are right, a Wire transfer could be a option worth looking in to. pepin1234: yes, its going to be Momentary Puch Buttons in those 2 holes... the design are not finished in those 2 spots :) I plan on a black switch in the top, and a red on the bottom, however, i havent found the switches for this yet, so that part is still under way :) Necroscope: I have shipped to many countries, but not yet Russia. However, it hasnt been more than max 10 days from i shipped to it arrives at the destination. Normally under 7 days, but then again, i dont know how Russia are handling packages.

hegykc: I’m actually a little sad that you write this post the way you do. I can tell you that I’m 100% honest when i say, I cant make it for less than i have posted here. But since i have nothing to hide, i will happily point out what prices are here for me, and also remind you of a lot of things that you may have forgotten in your calculations. First i will point out that i live in Denmark. It’s not an excuse, but there are going to be price differences between here and elsewhere in the world. So lets start with the acrylic. You say that a piece of Acrylic is 30$ pr m2. I have to correct you with what the cost is here. The 6mm acrylic i make the Panels of is 118$ pr m2. and that is cheap. Just because you live in Europe, you won’t have the same prices everywhere. Then you say the switches are $0.45, I don’t know where you are buying your switches, but i cant get them near that price in good quality. Prices on switches here is $1.84 plus shipment. And you might say that i could just buy them in the US and get them cheaper, well... when i buy from outside Europe, I have to pay import taxes for around 20-25% on top of that, so that doesn’t really help much either. And the the 3D printer Filament. Yes, that price you have written is correct, but you might not have factored in that the 3D printer is running 5 Hours, with a nozzle at 200 degrees and the printing bed at 60. That would be the same as you turning on your stove for 5 hours. Plus there is a computer running the printer, that costs in electricity. When I say that I 3D print for people, and I’m charging $3 per hour, I’m pretty sure you won’t find that much cheaper elsewhere. This was just your examples, but there is a lot of other things you have to think about. I will list some of them and point out a couple things. Machining Time, Machine Maintenance, Painting, Engraving, the Arduino, the programming of the Arduino, the wires, Backlight, Assembling. And on top of those, the time i use for preparing the sheets for cutting, the cleaning after that, the time it takes to clean the panels before paint. The actual paint and cleaning after that. Then again prepare the panel for engraving. It’s true that I could use acrylic that is made for engraving and pre-painted, but again, its not as thick, it would leak backlight on the edges, and it would be more expensive. I mentioned the electricity used for everything, but there’s also the fact that I don’t charge anything for all my time used for developing, and all the materials i used to do that. Not to mention that my machinery aren’t a cheap investment. After everything is added together, I only charge $14.75 for my time doing everything needed, and afterwards I have to pay 42% tax off that. In the end we have a product that i have to pay VAT off... And that is 25%. So if you add everything up to that, and the fact that i would like to have a little something extra for my time and to pay back my machines, etc. i also want to give some kind of guarantee on the products. So maybe you can say that because I’m living in Denmark make’s it a little more expensive, but that’s not something i can control, and i really do everything i can to keep prices low. I really hope that you understand that I’m speaking the truth when i say that I’m trying with all my heart to do this as reasonable as possible, because i really want to make this for the people, and not the profit. I have a normal job besides this, and i can say that i would never be able to do this for a living at these prices. If that was the case I would have to charge much more. And I’m sorry if you guys think that the price is too high, but the fact is that i cant do it any less expensively. That this is why i asked on the forum what you guys thought of this, because if it is too expensive, I simply won’t offer them. But I would like to say that at least I am offering a way to save a lot of money if you wanted to or am able to. If you can buy those switches that much cheaper, and you like what you saw on wanted one, you can simply buy the Box from me in any form you like as DIY kit, with or without switches, with or without assembly, with or without the Arduino, etc. That way you don’t have to pay for my time assembling the unit either. I thought it was a great idea to have boxes like this so you can mix and match different panels and controls without having to build an entire more expensive cockpit, but still give you some level of immersion and easier control in flight, and offer that to other people as inexpensively as I could without losing money. It’s up to you to decide if it is worth it. By all means, though, if you think you can build a panel for $16, I would definitely go that route. Pepin1234: Shipping to the US for a complete box is 187,5 DKK around 27,66$, the shipping dont get more expensive than that no matter where in the world you live, if you live in europe, the price will be lower. And i know its not much, but i will just add, that paypal also want something for their services, alltho the price will never reach 360$

Mad Dog 7.62: I cant really go lower on price for a finished Plug and Play Unit. The big cost here is the Switches, they cant be too flimsy, and then they cost a little more. However you can buy the box, panels and arduino from me, and install everything with your own purchased switches. That way it wont costs near as much. And everything for assembling will be included in the kits, you only need a screwdriver and a pair of pliers to attack the wires from the arduino to the switches. ggerman: This will be truly Plug and Play, simply plug in the USB cable, and windows 7+ see the unit as a Arduino Leonardo Gaming Device. And then you can program the switches in game, Just like if you would hook up a Logitech Joystick. FraserNZL: My plan is to make this version, the CUB 1 which has this Switch layout, and then you can swap the top panels to a custom made panel, or you can print your own on Paper, and place underneath a transparent panel i will make available. When this one if fully delevoped, i will also make a CUB 2, which will have rotarys in the switch laouyt. The panels will also be different sizes, so it wont look exactly like the CUB 1. If you have any ideas to different versions of the panel packs that you would like, i hereunder post the Switch layout for the CUB 1, as which you can see that it has 3 On-Off-On Switches, 2 Momentary Push Buttons and 12 Normal On-Off Switches. http://lynx.dk/blueprints/CUB_1_Switch_Layout.pdf

Hello Fellow Pilots. Now that i am well into the A-10C Cockpit product development, i have had more than a couple of requests, on "button boxes". That has resulted in the following idea, which is still in development, but i thought i would share the idea with you, just to get an idea of how much interest there would be in something like this. The idea was to make a product, that first of all was truly Plug And Play, but also make it possible to buy the parts individual, so the buyer could assemble the unit for a lower price. Im calling this the "Cockpit Utility Brick" or CUB, and its made so you can connect 2 or more units together for more switches / Functions. It has the same width and length as the Thrustmaster Warthog Throttle, which means that you can place the units around the throttle, for easy access. I have calculated a price, and I have to say that I really tried to keep it low, but its difficult since switches cost, and also the assembly takes time. However, it will be offered in packs, so you can buy the box alone, and then put your own switches in it. But i will start by showing you some pictures, and then explain a little between the pictures, and then I will post the prices in the end. So here we have the CUB1: Its outer frame is 3D printed, with a top of acrylic, and then panels ontop. The holes in the frame are made to DZUS standart, which means you can also use this frame for installing original Panels, from fx. F-16 and the A-10. As you can see above, its the same size as the WH Throttle, with only a little bit higher, its matching the military look and feel of the Throttle. Only thing is that its not as heavy, but you can easily install weight to make it heavier. Its possible to backlit the panels, simply by putting LED strips underneath. Here i have shown it with a white flashlight, so you can get the idea. The CUB is made for easy replacement of the Top Panels, either from some difrent panels packs that i will be offering, or you can get some custom engraved panels that also will fit. We are also going to offer transparent top panels, so that you can print you own overlay on paper, cut it to fit, and then put under the clear panel. This way the Backlight will also work on "printed panels". Here you can see the box wihtout panels, as you can see, the switches are installed in the plate, and then its screwed down into the frame, with 8 of my DZUS Replicas. Here you can see the Box itself, without the backplate with switches. And the bottom where you have 4 rubber feet. The cutouts in the bottom acrylic plate, is made for the cord from the throttle to be able to sit there, if you want to place it in front of the throttle. Here we have a set of panels, this is the first set i made for presenting this, which where to be used for the A-10C startup and flight. I will be offering more versions, also for difrent planes, and a "universal" panel pack, for use in all aircraft, and games. At these 3 final pictures, you can see my idea with them being able to connect to eachother. If you want more than one, you can connect them to eachother, and also tilt them. This is only my first idea, there will be differetn "brackets" available for putting the CUB in many different positions. The CUB itself is going to be driven by a Arduino Leonardo, with 20 switch "functions." which means that some of the On-Off-On switches take 2 functions each. It will be truly plug and play if you get an assembled one, but you can also install the arduino yourself, and load the code into it, that we will release on the web. We are going to Link all the products we have used to make this, so you can buy all these parts yourself, and then just order a 3D frame with panels, and then put your own switches in it, that way you get a real cost effective box, where you can get custom or premade panels with difrents engravings, and the possibility to make a unique setup. Now we have come to the pricings, and I will present just a few of the packs we will be offering, just to give you guys an idea on the different possibilities. CUB 1 - 3D printed Frame with backplate but without panels or anything else. This is for the truly DIY guy that wants to build everything himself: CUB 1 - Panel set. This is what every engraved panel pack will cost, unless you want a Clear panel, or custom made engravings: CUB 1 - Plug and Play Without Backlight. This is a complete assembled product, ready for connecting to your computer. This one dosnt have backlight, but can be installed later on: CUB 1 - Plug and Play with Backlight. This one have it all, ready for gaming: We are also going to offer different packs with arduino, backlight etc. But that will follow later, remember, this is still in development. Let me hear what you guys think and if you have any questions feel free to ask

LX07: Steer Switch Top. 3D printed and made for glueing on top of regular 6mm Toggle Switches. You can buy them from my webshop, here: http://lynx.dk/product/steer-switch-top-replica/

LX08: Manual Reversion Switch Top. 3D printed and made for glueing on top of regular 6mm Toggle Switches. Made in Semi Transparent Red, or Normal Red. You can buy them from my webshop, here: http://lynx.dk/product/manual-reversion-switch-top-replica/

LX06: Pitot Heat Switch Top. Its 3D Printed with Stainless Screw on top and made for glueing on top of regular 6mm Toggle Switches. You can buy them from my webshop, here: http://lynx.dk/product/pitot-heat-switch-top-replica/

LX05: Landing Light Switch Top. 3D Printed in 2 that can be glued together, and 3 steel balls are pressed in the top. Made for mounting on normal 6mm Toggle Switch. You can buy them from my webshop, here: http://lynx.dk/product/landing-light-switch-top/

LX23: AI Bezel. Its made of 8mm Acrylic, with 4 Screws for mounting, and 8 small screw for show. It has a 3D Printed Backplate which is 5mm high, with a Gauge Ring which can be printed to match your MIP depth to the Monitor behind it. Its available with or without 2mm clear acrylic glass. You can buy them from my webshop, here: http://lynx.dk/product/airspeed-indicator-bezel/

LX27: VVI Bezel. Its made of 8mm Acrylic, with 3 Screws for mounting, and 1 small screw for show. It has a 3D Printed Backplate which is 5mm high, with a Gauge Ring which can be printed to match your MIP depth to the Monitor behind it. Its available with or without 2mm clear acrylic glass. You can buy them from my webshop, here: http://lynx.dk/product/vvi-bezel/

LX18: RWR Bezel. Its made of 8mm Acrylic, with 4 Screws for mounting, and 2 small screw for show. It has a 3D Printed Backplate, with a Gauge Ring which can be printed to match your MIP depth to the Monitor behind it. You also get a Rotary Encoder to Mount in the Bezel. Its available with or without 2mm clear acrylic glass. You can buy them from my webshop, here: http://lynx.dk/product/rwr-bezel/

I didnt link anything m8, just stated the fact that many shops sell replicas, simply trying to help people by giving them answers on where to find alternatives. Isnt helping eachother what the forum is about? :) But im sorry if i offended you in any way, that was definately not my intention.

Here: https://octopart.com/2tl6-1-honeywell-40326101 There are plenty of Alternatives, many Sim shops sell replica's like myself.

Looking Really Good :)

it sounds like that softwware is limited. Because you can use other software, like SV Mapper. there you can tell the software to emulate a specific key then a switch is activated. It dosnt see that the switch is hold in the activated position, but when you turn if off again, you can tell the software to emulate another or the same Key, or even a macro if you want. That makes it really simple to make Plug And Play panels from simple joysticks etc. So maybe you should, if your computer sees all the switches through those boards you bought, run the whole thing through another software, so you can get key strokes every time you flip a switch. And then you can just use real cheap and simple on-off-on buttons.

you can easily mount another flat bar of aluminum or another material, just where the wheels need to roll... I didnt do it, since its a raw wall as you see.

I am actually using my 40" Monitor at my desktop right next to my pit, and when i need to fly, i have it mounted on a door sliding profile, with "wheels" that rolls on the wall, so i can slide it 2 meters to each side. That way i can just move it back and fourth as i want. I used a aluminum door profile because a 40" is quite heavy. I hope the picture explains it.

not toggle? you mean not Momentary? Why not use a normal on-off-on and then let the software tell it where it is when its not activated, DCS BIOS does that.

I can help you with a custom Build if it has any interest, and isnt in a hurry :)

I know the price is way too high, but look at this: http://www.conradelektronik.dk/Safety-cover.htm?websale8=conrad-dk&pi=700678&ci=SHOP_AREA_17387_5903025

If you can supply a better look of the switch guard, i might be able to 3D print the top for you? if it has any interest.

Thank you. But im not sure that its more simple than what Deadman, HMA and McFevre presented, as there are many cutouts to make for all this come together. After all theirs are based on a original A-10C trainer, mine is "guestimated" Dimensions :) But i will have to build a few of these before i can tell how complicated it is.. and eliminate whatever problems there might show up :)

Thank you MacFevre, ill get started on your order :) Here is a couple of pictures of the free Cockpit plans. Please keep in mind that they are a Work in Progress... and if someone has any ideas or questions, feel free to write. Keep in mind that the top beam is higher/thicker than what you normal would see, this is because i want to imitate that the Canopy is closed. Which means i can mount Floodlights on the sides there. Further more i have plans of implementing a "door" in the top beam, where you can slide out the keyboard and mouse. This build is based on sections, for easier transport of the cockpit, And it will have a inner hull and a outer hull, since i dont want visible ribs in the sides. And for those who only want the consoles, there will be a console only version. Let me know what you think so far.