Hat Switches, Thumbsticks; knobs, and button suppliers in the USA?

[Snacko]

Sorry if this has been asked before. Is there a supplier for Hat Switches, Thumbsticks; knobs, and buttons, etc.. here in the US? Two friends of mine pointed me to http://www.leobodnar.com, but that appears to be a UK company.

 

What suppliers do some of you hardcore pit builders use for most of your supplies? :joystick:

 

Thanks!

Snack

[cichlidfan]

http://www.digikey.com

 

is one of the larger.

[Snacko]

Very cool. Thanks!

[Warhog]

For basic electronic components including Arduino boards I buy Chinese. Never an issue with price, quality or shipping.

 

For select items such as rotary selector switches with specific angles of rotation and positions or specialty switches I use Digikey also. Super fast delivery and the price is of no concern because I NEED that part.

 

But the savings in buying Chinese is unbelievable.:)

[cichlidfan]

For basic electronic components including Arduino boards I buy Chinese. Never an issue with price, quality or shipping.

 

For select items such as rotary selector switches with specific angles of rotation and positions or specialty switches I use Digikey also. Super fast delivery and the price is of no concern because I NEED that part.

 

But the savings in buying Chinese is unbelievable.:)

 

That is really valid when you need quantity. Digikey is nice because they have everything in one place but, especially in recent years, there are less expensive sources. I think I placed my first Digikey order in 1976 so they tend to come to mind first. ;)

[Snacko]

Thanks guys. Right now I am thinking of building a helicopter collective...

 

I am a total noob at this, and Digikey has so much stuff. How can I filter it down to just the stuff I would use with a joystick or a usb game board like this one.

 

 

(or maybe you guys have better boards in mind?) I'm just planning on some buttons, hats, and toggle switches.

[FSFIan]

If you want to build something "like the GP-Wiz 40", the first question that comes to mind is: why don't you use the GP-Wiz 40? What will your build do better than that board?

 

A simple answer may be that you want to build it cheaper. In that case, instead of using individual components, you would probably still use some kind of microcontroller development board with USB support (maybe an Arduino Leonardo or a TI Tiva C Launchpad). You may be able to get them for about half the price, but you will need to program the firmware yourself (or find an existing project on the internet where someone has already done that for you).

 

My point is that without knowing your particular design goals and knowing your background in programming and electronics (and/or your willingness to learn about those topics), it is hard to give specific advice.

[Sokol1_br]

There's no much "HAT" options available online. Digikey has CH China HAT:

 

http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en/switches/navigation-switches-joystick/1114837?k=hat%20switch

http://www.digchip.com/datasheets/parts/datasheet/1230/500-526.php

 

And this from Infinite Aeroespace:

 

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/infinitygripaccess5.php

 

This guy used to have nice HAT (China, castle, valey...) but seems out of busines:

 

http://www.splashonebandit.com/parts.html

 

You best option is probable buy a used CH Fighterstick/Throttle on eBay - like gameport ones - to re-use this HAT's.

 

Sample, you get 4 different CH HAT's for less than 20$ each (compare with Digikey price).

Edited January 2, 2015 by Sokol1_br

[Extranajero]

I think Snacko means he wants to build a collective and is wondering which board would be the most suitable Ian.

 

Snacko - don't forget you'll need analog axis's ( what is the plural of axis dammit ? axes ? axises ? :D ) as well as digital. Not all boards support analog.

[FSFIan]

You will also need a way to get this analog axis data to DCS, which means your board needs to be able to act as a USB device. DCS-BIOS does not support the primary flight control analog axis. While it may be possible in some aircraft, for those controls you really want a dedicated, high-speed low-latency connection such as USB.

[Inrideo]

How strange :) I was just going to make the same post about looking for Canadian suppliers. I've been looking at the Canadian site for Digikey and it's overwhelming the choice they have :)

 

Any examples of the Chinese Arduinos on eBay that have been found to be good? Had a friend who dealt in other electronics with Chinese companies and he found that he got ripped off a lot. (But the price savings from the legit places still made up for it when compared to buying from the US)

[Snacko]

Thanks guys. This is great information.

 

Yes, I am an old programmer (25 years), but I don't want to program it. I think that board I posted will do fine. I an not an electronics guy (I can take stuff apart and put it back together, but I don't really understand electronic circuits too much. But I understand that a button/switch sends a signal to the board, and the board is seen as a game controller by windows. So, that much I understand. LoL The Digikey site has so much stuff I wasn't sure if it all would work with a board like that...

 

As for the collective Axis, I was just going to use my old x52 Pro throttle. Originally I was going to just put the joystick (without the base) on the end of a pvc pipe. I took the joystick apart and took it off the base. I just plugged the joystick's plug into a central circuit board that was in the base. And plugged the PS2 cord into that, and the joystick worked fine without the x/y sensors and 3 toggle buttons plugged in. So it looked like it was going to work fine. But then the wires came loose and I can't solder worth a shit. I ruined the board. (See attachment) I had a friend come over and he said I burned out the copper foil in the solder holes and it would be very difficult to fix it. :doh: Sorry, I'm such a hack at soldering, but I learned the basics from him. And they have one of those GP-Wiz40 boards that does 'not' need soldering, so I might get that. I'm just looking at my options at this point since this project blew up in my face.

[Snacko]

Sokol1_br, thanks for those links. That helps narrow it down a lot. I didn't know that CH Products were available there.

 

One of my options right now is I am waiting on a support ticket with Saitek (I know.. I'll be waiting a long time), to see if I can get a replacement board, and how much it is. If I cannot get that, then I am looking into what options there are left. And maybe tearing that joystick apart and seeing if I can re-purpose the hats/switches from it.

[Extranajero]

Don't feel too bad about damaging the board, those SMD boards are awkward to rework. Leave the iron in place for a fraction too long and the tracks will lift.

[Sokol1_br]

Any examples of the Chinese Arduinos on eBay that have been found to be good?

 

Some are better that others because has native USB - some models need a expansion board.

 

Take a look at PRO MICRO clones, based on ATMEGA32u4 (USB 2.0). Why this?

 

Because a guy have a joystick firmware for then: up to 8 axis 12 bits, 32 buttons, HAT, support for encoder and some kind of LED, the MMjoy:

 

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3899105/MMJoy_-_Build_your_own_USB_con#Post3899105

 

So you need only the board, a USB cable and download the firmware to have a HID USB controller.

 

This dont mean that is the most appropriated for specific use, one can write your own code or have more advanced functions...

[Warhog]

Thanks guys. This is great information.

 

Yes, I am an old programmer (25 years), but I don't want to program it. I think that board I posted will do fine. I an not an electronics guy (I can take stuff apart and put it back together, but I don't really understand electronic circuits too much. But I understand that a button/switch sends a signal to the board, and the board is seen as a game controller by windows. So, that much I understand. LoL The Digikey site has so much stuff I wasn't sure if it all would work with a board like that...

 

As for the collective Axis, I was just going to use my old x52 Pro throttle. Originally I was going to just put the joystick (without the base) on the end of a pvc pipe. I took the joystick apart and took it off the base. I just plugged the joystick's plug into a central circuit board that was in the base. And plugged the PS2 cord into that, and the joystick worked fine without the x/y sensors and 3 toggle buttons plugged in. So it looked like it was going to work fine. But then the wires came loose and I can't solder worth a shit. I ruined the board. (See attachment) I had a friend come over and he said I burned out the copper foil in the solder holes and it would be very difficult to fix it. :doh: Sorry, I'm such a hack at soldering, but I learned the basics from him. And they have one of those GP-Wiz40 boards that does 'not' need soldering, so I might get that. I'm just looking at my options at this point since this project blew up in my face.

 

When I started cockpit building last year I couldn't solder to save my life. I now can solder SMD components at half the standard pitch. Why?. I Use the correct tools and several YouTube videos explained the required technique. It's amazingly easy once you've been shown how to do it and you have the correct tools to start with...a decent soldering station, fine wedge tips, the correct solder, solder wick and a decent large magnifier.

 

My point here is soldering is really easy to do. Mechanical attachment systems are never as good as solder joints so don't let soldering scare you from using a better way to build electronic devices. You will be amazed and shocked at the how easy it was to go from 'solder mess' to pristine solder joints in under 30 minutes. And this is all because you watched a couple of 10 min videos and bought the correct tools for the job.:thumbup:

[Deadman]

Warhog Links to some of your favorite videos may help some of the guys out there. This is oh so true and make a huge difference

[Ghostraider]

Here are a supplier in Germany:

 

 

http://www.alders.de also available in english

 

In USA: http://www.ottoexcellence.com

 

http://www.nkkswitches.com/aboutUs.aspx

Edited January 9, 2015 by Ghostraider