Sergey_Pe

Yes, but it requires changing the controller as well. However it will give you better resolution- minimum 10 bit or 1024 steps with MMJoy2 controller that this guy is using. And this controller is way more flexible compared with Saitek. You can put in the additional buttons, play with the axis parameters etc. He has also installied the magnet, cutting an upper part of the lever bearing. This will lead to an additional "play" of the lever as the leftover part wouldn't sit tightly in the bearing anymore. You'll need to put some additional bushing there which again raises the question- is Saitek's plastic mechanics worth the extra effort? Initially I planned to put a different hall sensor there- AS5600. It can be calibrated individually to provide the full voltage swing to the existing controller and the body size is even less than KM2100 in the video. Still you need to fiddle with the magnet and the bearing- possible but doesn't make sense in my opinion...

256 steps in total- this is the resolution of Saitek controller. When you use a regular potentiometer (or an analog Hall sensor) the resolution fully depends on an ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter) at the controller's input. But to utilize this resolution you need to ensure that the sensor provides a full power supply voltage range to the input. If it is less than the resolution will degrade proportionally. This is why its's very important to use a pot with the same working angle as the original one- smaller angle will reduce a throttle lever's working zone, bigger angle will degrade the resolution which is already small with a Saitek.

True. But pricey, although you can order practically any configuration according to your own layout. And the built quality is perfect- I'm using his flaps control mechanism, it's excellent.

For sure they do. Price constraints are always very critical for mass-produced gear. Honeycomb yoke has a linear pot as the pich axis sensor; they were putting a high-quality Bourns PTF pot with 100K cycles lifetime into the prototypes, but in the production version there is a standard one with about 15K... Back to Saitek throttle- I thought about using a contactless sensor, putting in an AS5600 in analog mode (so that a stock controller can be used). However the space inside is extremely limited which would require the additional modifications, and if ALPS resistors work up to their lifetime specs (I don't see why they shouldn't)- why bother with anything else?

:) Of course time will tell, but in all my engineering experience (about 40 years) ALPS was always delivering on their quality promises.

Strange, as I can see the pictures there even after I log out... Here they are.

Yes. I've just had a surplus of ALPS joysticks for a different project and it was a pure coincidence that the pots were an almost perfect fit for a Saitek. Do you need any details of the process? Actually the replacement is quite straightforward. To be precise, the working angle with ALPS pots is just a bit smaller so that at the maximum position of the lever there is a deadzone of approx. 3-5 mm, but in practice it doesn't make any difference.

Not in this price range for sure. However, Thrustmaster is offering an Airbus 2-engine throttle control unit with magnetoresistors for the price which is still reasonable.

Well, it's an old thread but there are not so many specific recommendations on flight simulation forums. This is what I did: https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/572674-saitek-throttle-quadrant-potentiometers-replacements/?do=findComment&comment=4271278

Yes, VKB used to be notorious for giving promises about product availability timing that didn't materialize. However they've learned the lesson- now they are not specifying the exact dates, which is wise. But their products are for sure the best in class- I'm saying that with not less than five VKB products in front of me that are really top-notch. So it' s really worth the wait...

Sorry, it's a totally different socket. It won't fit.

The question is about the throttle, not the stick.

The real OTTO/ Eaton switches have longer travel, MUCH higher activating force and they do have a sharp click. I would highly recommend Knitter MPS103/ MPS203 switches, as they are reliable, quite similar to OTTO P1 in terms of travel and pronounced click, but the force required is much lower- exactly what is needed for joystick use. Knitter is a German company, so they should be easily available in Europe; BTW, Leo Bodnar is selling MPS103's complete with colored caps at a very attractive price. APEM 8000 series is an alternative, but I don't like the operational feeling they provide. To be more precise- here is a small comparison of the operating forces: OTTO P1/ Eaton 1XX: 4 lbs. NKK MB2000: 2 lbs. Apem 8000: 1.8 lbs. Knitter MPS103: 0.7 lbs. Typical membrane "tact" switches (as used in Suncom) are 0.15- 0.25 lbs with practically no travel.

Hi Myst, You'll need an additional PCB with diodes on RKJXL only for the intermediate positions (like up+right) to register as both adjacent contact pressed (both up AND right). This is how the POV hats on most of the typical joystics work. If you want the applicable axes (up, down, left and right) to work separately, then you can wire the switches directly. As for TM handles compatibility- no, it won't work with BU0836A. TM handles interface with a controller via so called shift registers (these are located in the handles) that cannot be connected to BU0836A.

AFAIK, RAMS is not compatible with MMJoy2. And I'm not sure it will be in the foreseeable future as MegaMozg should be quite busy with VIRPIL project. At the moment RAMS is only compatible with KREML line-up of controllers.

Hello rel4y! It's my pleasure to share my modding experience with the community. As for mounting RKJXL- well, PCB is not mandatory, but it will usually simplify the installation; it will also eliminate the possibility of breaking the switch leads. You can also use the circular PCB from the same file- just do not mount the diodes.

Replacing an additional PCB for RKJXM switch- yes. Replacing the diodes for RKJXL switch- no; they serve a totally different purpose. If you need just a 4 way hat with push button function then ALPS RKJXL is the best choice as its central push fuction works independently. The diodes are just for transforming it into an 8 way hat. As for sturdiness- ALPS guarantees 100K cycles for both RKJXM and RKJXL. With OMRON B3F it's between 300K and 10M depending on the model but only if you are able to limit the actuation force and make sure that it's perpendicular to the switch body; otherwise the button will die pretty fast. In real life it's quite difficult to achieve. Besides, RKJXL provides a tactile feeling similar to the real stick hats (reasonably long travel with no click) as opposed to the tact switch- based hats.

3DOF: http://www.edtracker.org.uk/

Thanks!

It's all that's left from the real OTTO US military surplus hat switches that I've found on eBay. Using them directly turned out to be impossible due to a very high and uneven force needed to move a hat (which is typical for the real-life switches). So after all I used just the aluminium bodies having them shortened to accomodate the PCB's with ALPS RKJXL hat switches.

This is a TM F-16 grip with Warthog stock adapter(F-22 is made of a different plastic, otherwise they are identical). I've installed a connector on a PCB, but it's not necessary.

Just a brief status update. The hats are in place, the parts are connected and the upper bodiies of the grips assembled. The only thing left is the installation of the thumb sticks. In the real F-15 grip they are 3-way hats with "fore-", "aft-", and "press" movements; I'll need to install additional guides to keep the shafts from moving sideways.

Hi pngflyer! Electrically F-22 grip is identical to Cougar/ Warthog- it uses 3 CD4021 shift register IC's. Moreover, Cougar/ Warthog stock adapter will fit F-22 grip so that it can be mounted on Mongoose base. However you'll need to solder five wires from the adapter to the PCB inside the grip directly as it doesn't use a connector. You can also get a proper adapter here: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/debolestis

OK; please don't hesitate to ask additional questions.