Obutto Console project

[romeokilo]

NICE!

 

Where did you get your knobs?

 

I like the track IR controls! hahaha!

 

 

All cheap ebay ones.

 

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=331214943488&alt=web

[Hempstead]

http://www.peerlesselectronics.com/store/products/MS25165%252d3.html

 

All cheap ebay ones.

 

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=331214943488&alt=web

[Hempstead]

http://www.peerlesselectronics.com/store/products/MS91528%252d001B.html

[romeokilo]

They are awesome, but $27 US per knob is way too much for me to spend on this project. It would probably end up costing me over $200 AUD with shipping just for knobs. I've spent under $20.

[Hempstead]

Haha, I didn't say it's gonna be cheap. ;-)

 

Now you know the part #, just keep checking eBay... I got a batch of 5 brand new ones rebranded as Lockheed Martin... for $5 each.

 

I did make a rubber mold of the knobs and successfully cast a couple of them out of clear epoxy. However, I still can't find the D shaped tube inside the knob to accept the shaft of POTS. And making it myself is just way too much trouble..

 

I am sure somebody makes those and sells them to knob manufacturers. If anybody knows where to buy such tubes, please let me know!

[romeokilo]

Some more progress today-

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 3, 2014 by romeokilo

[Cali]

Wow, that is nice!

[Grim_Smiles]

Man I'm glad you started posting! I'm looking at picking up their Ozone chair when more come in stock at their US dealer this summer. I can't justify the cost of the more expensive version either, so this is definitely helping to give me some ideas. Only concern I have with their chairs is that I'm on the very tall side and tend to have leg room issues with most things, but I've been told a lot of big guys are comfortable in their chairs, so fingers crossed that it'll be a comfortable fit for me.

[rajdary]

Very very nice, looks very neat and quality built.

[agrasyuk]

Looks very clean. I like :)

[Kuky]

I am amaised by the things some of you guys make... it looks as if you could chuck it in a real aircraft and use it :)

 

Really well done :thumbup:

[romeokilo]

This project is on hold for about six weeks. I'm currently on holiday in the US.

 

However while i am here i couldn't help myself but try to pickup some of the things it's too expensive to get at home in Australia.

 

So far I've scored some locking switches for the AHCP, four milspec radio knobs and a genuine honeywell landing light switch.

 

As well as a phidgets led board without having to almost double the price in shipping!

[bnepethomas]

Nice to see another Oz build progressing.

 

Cheers

 

Peter

[romeokilo]

First panel backlighting done. I just need to paint the edges and switch holes.

[romeokilo]

This is again delayed- I stepped it up a notch and decided to invest in a laser cutter.

 

I've got a cheap Chinese K40 in my hands and have just ordered a DSP upgrade kit for it.

I need some time to do the upgrade, work out how to use it then i will begin cutting my own panels.

 

I have the CDU design ready to go! Cant wait!

[romeokilo]

Well I'm back into it. :thumbup:

 

The cheap Chinese K40 laser I've got is doing the job well. I'm still learning but so far I'm impressed. It was pretty terrible out of the box- but with the DSP upgrade kit it is a very capable little machine.

 

Here it is-

 

I jumped straight in and started on the CDU. I intended to just practice with 3mm MDF (It's cheap) to sort out the design, then cut it out of 3mm acrylic, but I'm so happy with how its working I've decided to use the MDF for all the rear LED panels and the entire CDU body now. It will keep costs down and looks just as good.

 

The CDU in bits-

 

Without LCD-

 

With LCD and bracket-

 

 

The LCD is out of a cheap eBay car reverse camera. $30. :thumbup:

 

The caution box.

 

The text panel shown is not the final product- I was experimenting with engraving paint. I've ordered some reverse lasermark for the final product.

This is how I have the Caution Box at the moment-

 

Back LED panel > MDF (3mm) cutout panel >Text panel (1.5mm) > MDF (3mm) cutout panel.

 

The finished product will be-

 

Back LED panel > MDF (3mm) cutout panel > MDF (3mm) cutout panel > Text panel (1.5mm reverse engraved lasermark)- Cutout panel (1.5mm).

 

And after some quick matte black spray paint-

 

I also decided to redo the Elec Power panel. The one I had just does not look right. Done in MDF for now until I the lasermark arrives.

 

More to come tomorrow!

[Warhog]

Looks like it didn't take you long to get the hang of a laser cutter. Well done. Everything looks great. :thumbup:

 

I was wondering though, if you use MDF for your back plates, how would you provide backlighting? The acrylic makes that so much easier.

 

I noticed your CDU screen. Could you tell me what size, resolution and where you purchased it. That looks to be a perfect size. I haven't been able to source one at a reasonable price.

[romeokilo]

Thanks Warhog

 

The rear MDF panel has 3mm holes cut into it that LEDs fit into. They shine into a 3mm white Acrylic midplate, then another 3mm white Acrylic spacer plate, and the top layer is 1.5 mm reverse engraved lasermark.

 

I have tried it an Acrylic rear plate- there is little to no difference in light because of the narrow beam of the green LEDs im using. Plus using MDF means its much easier to solder the LEDs in without having to remove them first for fear of melting everything.

 

The LCD is from this- http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=251618823575&alt=web

 

It works but i need to find an rca to vga adapter before i can get it running. Plus ill need another graphics card. Thats a long way off. Ill start on the keypad soon though.

[romeokilo]

Finished the first panel today :thumbup:

SAS panel was started again from scratch now I have the laser engraver.

I re did the back light as well I had done originally done it for 5V- changing it up so both consoles now run the back lighting from a 12v laptop power supply.

 

SAS Panel broken down-

 

This is the MDF Rear Plate and the Acrylic spacer plate. You can see I have engraved where each LED sits into the Acrylic plate.

 

 

LED's installed. Very easy solder them in place on MDF rather than plastic.

 

Here is the front view of the Rear plate with the LED's turned on.

 

First Acrylic spacer plate installed. You can easily see the hot spot created by each LED.

 

Second Acrylic plate on. Its only purpose is to diffuse the LEDs before the text plate.

 

And with the reverse engraved lasermark text plate. No hot spots visible at all.

 

Very quick mask and spray paint the holes and edges-

 

And the completed panel. No hots spots behind the text and minimal bleed around the switches. I'm happy :thumbup:

 

 

And I also installed the 7 segment displays in the VHF's today. not functional (yet...) and only installed on some protoboard for looks.

Edited August 28, 2014 by romeokilo

[Kuky]

mate, that is one superb panel made... really pro stuff!

[BIGNEWY]

Great work, well done. Looks amazing

[doveman]

Kudos to you sir, those are some damn fine looking panels!

[Hansolo]

RomeoKilo, my appologies... I have completely missed you thread :cry: That is some really nice stuff you are producing. High class :thumbup: Looking forward to seeing more of the progress.

 

The DSP upgrade you are talking about for the laser. What is that?

 

Keep up the excellent work

 

Cheers

Hans

[Warhog]

I agree...those are really well made panels. They look stunning with the backlighting.

 

A couple of questions for you. I'm not sure what the "reverse engraved lasermark text plate" is all about.

 

I very much like the double white acrylic panels for diffusing the LED's. That's a great way to attack the issue of hot spots. I wonder if multiple thin layers of the milky white acrylic alternating with thin layers of clear acrylic would provide the same effect in a an overall thinner package. I assume you are using .125" acrylic for each layer??

 

Are the 7seg displays .36" high numbers?

 

BTW, I love the way you snuck TrackIR into the SAS panel. Who would even notice, yet its something that is used a lot. Well done.:)

[romeokilo]

Thanks all. :thumbup:

 

The DSP upgrade you are talking about for the laser. What is that?

 

 

After lots of research I bought and installed this kit-

http://www.lightobject.com/DSP-upgrade-kit-for-DK40-small-machine-P758.aspx

 

 

Long story short- the K40's are cheap for a reason. They are built fairly well, but the controller hardware and software are basic to say the least. Together they are basically unusable.

 

This kit changes the controller hardware, software and PSU and allows the laser to do much much more and be much much more user friendly.

 

Quick example- for me to cut just the basic outline of a panel using the stock stuff, I would have to completely re design my panel in the terrible, poorly translated chinese software. I would then run it and have to set the laser power by hand using a control on the machine itself. Then to engrave it I would run a separate file with the text in it and lower the power enough to engrave rather than cut using the control on the machine.

 

With this new DSP and software, I just import the design from corel draw. I can set different colours to do different things (red to cut, black to engrave, green to engrave deeper etc etc) and hit start. It will then run everything in one swoop. The software changes power of the laser on the fly. I can just copy the design on a thumb drive, put it in the USB port on the laser and hit start. Panel done.

 

A couple of questions for you. I'm not sure what the "reverse engraved lasermark text plate" is all about.

 

Its a 1.5mm thick piece of matte clear acrylic with black on one side. You mirror your panel design and engrave onto the black side. Then turn is around and you have a perfectly flat piece of acrylic with the text in clear. Text will be the color of the acrylic you put it up against, or you can paint the engraved side.

 

To quote the manufacturer-

"Specially designed for the laser engraver, Reverse LaserMark® has a clear, non-glare matte finish over a layer of rich color. It offers a crisp, clean image and ultra-fine laser lettering, with a durable surface that resists fingerprints."

 

http://www.rowmark.com/laser/Reverse_Lasermark/reverselasermark.asp

 

Problem is- its not cheap. 1200mm X 600mm sheet is about $110.

 

 

I assume you are using .125" acrylic for each layer??

 

Yep. 3mm.

 

Are the 7seg displays .36" high numbers?

 

They are 14mm tall. By my conversion that about .55"

 

 

BTW, I love the way you snuck TrackIR into the SAS panel. Who would even notice, yet its something that is used a lot. Well done.:)

 

I intend to sneak a few more in there. Line check on the fuel panel will be swapped with sim pause. Considering changing all the Fill disable buttons with sim specific stuff as well.