Builing a Huey pit?

[Raven_Morpheus]

Hello

 

I know many people like to build their own cockpits, and whilst I don't have the room for one I could still use the individual panels, I could just have them separate and put them down next to me within reach.

 

So, I'm wondering if it's actually possible to make an instrument panel (or set of panels) for the Huey that will work in DCS. I'm mainly thinking of a panel with all the switches/dials/buttons required for startup and also perhaps a radio/nav panel with the ADF/Nav-Comm/FM on it?

 

If it is possible I can already think I'd need a Leo Bodnar BU0836A board, some toggle and rotary switches, USB cable, project box(es) and all the cabling to connect stuff, but what else if anything would I require?

 

TIA

Edited November 9, 2014 by Raven_Morpheus

[Deadman]

Yes it can be done. I would not just put them down next to you in reach though . You would need to build some type of structure to hold the panels.

With out know your location I would suggest you watch eBay there are many old UH! panels on the site at reasonable prices when compaired to the cost individual switches and knobs. good luck and welcome to pit building.

[DeJohn]

If all you're looking to build is switches and knobs, then yes that is easy. However, if you don't need to use axis' then I would get Leo's BB32 rather than the BU0836 card it will save you some money.

 

As a side note... SimPit building is a DRUG! You will only be finished when you stop simming. Good luck and enjoy.

[Warhog]

If all you're looking to build is switches and knobs, then yes that is easy. However, if you don't need to use axis' then I would get Leo's BB32 rather than the BU0836 card it will save you some money.

 

As a side note... SimPit building is a DRUG! You will only be finished when you stop simming. Good luck and enjoy.

 

Yes, I can agree with that.:(

 

I just started a brand new pit myself. Its the second one in as many years.

[One1way]

Nice to see more Huey pit builders coming in.

The space problem is a problem for many, but we huey builders have it a lote easyer the say the A10 builders, do we "only" have the center and overhead pedestal to our left side, and not both side as a A10, BS :lol:

Build a light center pedestal and you can move it if you dont use it.

 

 

If all you're looking to build is switches and knobs, then yes that is easy. However, if you don't need to use axis' then I would get Leo's BB32 rather than the BU0836 card it will save you some money.

 

As a side note... SimPit building is a DRUG! You will only be finished when you stop simming. Good luck and enjoy.

 

And that was what i was thinking when i orderd the BB32 card, and now im in need of the Card with BU0836 ;)

 

My problem is the words im "only" going to build ! There is no word "only" in the pit building :pilotfly:

 

GL and hope to see some pictures of the build soon

[FSFIan]

Unless you plan to use separate monitors (for example driven by Helios) for every gauge and indicator, you will eventually need a hardware platform that can handle output (LEDs, stepper or servo motors, 7-segment displays etc) as well as input.

 

Whichever platform you decide on will require some effort to learn and understand. On the other hand, it may also offer a cheaper cost per input compared to devices like the Leo Bodnar boards or the GP-Wiz products, so if you are going to use it eventually, it may be cheaper to learn how to use it right from the start.

 

Any platform that handles output from DCS will at least require the following components:

• 
  An Export.lua file that reads the state of indicator lights, frequency displays, etc. from DCS and sends it to the hardware (and may accept input commands from the hardware to set the state of switches, push buttons, rotary encoders, etc inside the cockpit)
  
• A communication channel between your hardware and PC (most commonly an emulated serial port over USB) and associated communication protocol
  
• The controller board itself
  

 

There are several options available.

 

An example for a "plug and play" solution are the Opencockpits IOCards. From what I understand, there are tutorials out there on how to use them with DCS, but I have no idea if there is any specific support for the Huey at all or if you'd have to write the Export.lua yourself.

 

Another interesting option (and one where I actually think I know what I am talking about) is to build and program everything yourself based on a microcontroller development platform. While this requires you to have or gain a deeper understanding of programming (at least to the point where you can read other people's code enough to modify it to suit your needs), it offers two huge advantages: cost and flexibility.

 

The cost per I/O pin is around $0.20 to $0.30, possibly even less if you throw shift registers into the mix. You can get started for about $5 plus the cost of wires, switches and a soldering iron.

 

More important is the flexibility you have: you can control just about any electronic component you can think of. Stepper and servo motors, LEDs, 7-segment displays, character displays, small graphic OLED or TFT screens, whatever it is someone has probably hooked it up to an Arduino board before and documented the results.

 

Note: I am obviously biased towards the roll-your-own option because it is the one I have done and understand myself. I had prior programming knowledge, but I promise that learning how to program is a lot of fun :)

[Raven_Morpheus]

If all you're looking to build is switches and knobs, then yes that is easy.

 

 

Yeah I think that's pretty much all I'm looking at building. All I want is to have the switches used on start up all on one panel so I don't have to keep contorting my head around to get a good view of them on the overhead panel or centre console when using Open Track.

 

A radio panel with ADF and Nav Comm on it would be nice but probably a little bit harder to achieve due to having the have the dials also.

 

I just wondered if there was anything specific I would need because one or two of the toggle switches on the overhead panel have multiple positions (I can think of the inverter switch which has Spare On, Off and On Main) and I haven't looked in the controls options to see if they're allocated to a single button press (in which case I'd need return to centre toggle switches I guess?)

[DeJohn]

I just wondered if there was anything specific I would need because one or two of the toggle switches on the overhead panel have multiple positions (I can think of the inverter switch which has Spare On, Off and On Main) and I haven't looked in the controls options to see if they're allocated to a single button press (in which case I'd need return to centre toggle switches I guess?)

 

 

Nothing special, besides the interface card you choose (BU0836X or the BB32) Setting multi position switch is done through coding in the game. So the real switch will act the same as in the game.

 

When you get to the point of wiring up your switches and coding them, if you need any help just pm me.

[UH1Fan]

Glad to see another Huey builder here. I've been working on mine since before the DCS Huey was available. I'm using the BU0836x for all axis controls and buttons. I'm still at the flight controls stage and once that's done I'll add an engine panel and probably follow with electrics and armament panels.

 

I've got a bunch of UH-1 measurements if you're looking to build it with some accuracy. Let me know. Thanks.