SFS talon + split throttle for f-15 setup

[G3]

looks as though i have been lucky enough to aquire a brand new set of these older hotas, they are apparently pretty much the same grip and throttle found in the f-15 eagle.

(i know the grip looks the same but i have never seen a real throttle.

after looking in lockon f-15 cockpit it does look very similar, good stuff)

i read somewhere that they should hook up to the old gameport ch pro pedals no problems :)

(edit: from advice given, i now think this is not the case if i want to use all available axis)

 

what i am interested in finding out is what commands to put where.

as in what functions are allocated to the various hats, switches, toggles, thumb and pinkie switches etc for both throttle and stick grip.

 

is there somewhere with a reference diagram or layout from the real f-15 eagles?

please help if you can, thankyou.

 

snomhf, yes i do intend to LOTAS the new hotas :thumbup:

 

basically, question is: what does what?

(other than pedals for rudder :) )

 

 

[JaNk0]

Ggg, i can help you with the layout for the real f-15 :thumbup: Just gimme a a day or two and i will post em :smilewink:

[G3]

that would be great, i look forward to seeing that, thankyou.

[SUBS17]

[snomhf]

ggg,

What do you have in mind for these controllers? Since they are gameport devices, it would be a major challenge to really use them in any meaningful way. Am I missing something?

 

My idea was to pull out all the electronics and replace them with CH electronics. I have a Talon and have started looking into this. The throttle would need both the Pro Throttle and the Throttle Quad electronics to reproduce what this throttle was designed to do. That's a pretty expensive proposition. I'm intrigued with the idea but it would probably cost close to $500 to obtain the electronics to do it.

 

I would love to hear your ideas about using these controllers. I really love these things. I remember standing in a computer store ten years or so playing with these controllers impressed with how realistic they felt.

 

I took the Talon apart to see how it was built. It's pretty strange. The four-way hat is actually built with four standard micro-switches and it uses four long push rods that rise up from these switches to the hat. Adapting the CH circuits to this arrangement would be a major mod.

 

I'm about ready to give up on this myself mostly due to the cost.

 

Please share your thoughts on all this.

 

-mark

[S77th-GOYA]

The stick, starting at the top left:

 

Red button = fire missle

Castle hat = slew target designator

Coolie = trim

Trigger = cannons

Thumb switch = lock target

pinkie switch = change selected weapon

[Joe Kurr]

ggg,

What do you have in mind for these controllers? Since they are gameport devices, it would be a major challenge to really use them in any meaningful way. Am I missing something?

 

My idea was to pull out all the electronics and replace them with CH electronics. I have a Talon and have started looking into this. The throttle would need both the Pro Throttle and the Throttle Quad electronics to reproduce what this throttle was designed to do. That's a pretty expensive proposition. I'm intrigued with the idea but it would probably cost close to $500 to obtain the electronics to do it.

 

I would love to hear your ideas about using these controllers. I really love these things. I remember standing in a computer store ten years or so playing with these controllers impressed with how realistic they felt.

 

I took the Talon apart to see how it was built. It's pretty strange. The four-way hat is actually built with four standard micro-switches and it uses four long push rods that rise up from these switches to the hat. Adapting the CH circuits to this arrangement would be a major mod.

 

I'm about ready to give up on this myself mostly due to the cost.

 

Please share your thoughts on all this.

 

-mark

 

Why would you want to do that?

 

I'm using the setup ggg mentioned for about four of five years now without any problems.

The only thing you should think about is that a standard gameport only supports four axes.

So in order to use the set to the full, I plugged my pedals in a USB port.

Now I can use all seven axes.

No need to mod anything :)

[Pilotasso]

How precise is this stick? has anyone compared it to the X52 and the CH?

[S77th-GOYA]

How precise is this stick? has anyone compared it to the X52 and the CH?

 

I've used it and the X45 and Fighterstick. I would not go so far as to say it's as precise (but just barely) and it did need to be calibrated fairly frequently. But, if mine wasn't worn out, I wouldn't think twice about using it again. It just "feels" right. The centering mechanism is the best of any stick I've ever used.

 

Also, a small correction of my previous post. I just looked on my F-15E control stick diagram and it says the thumb switch is for:

 

AUTO ACQUISITION SWITCH

AIR REFUELING RELEASE

 

Also the pinkie switch has a dual use. It also initiates nose gear steering, but that is moot in LOMAC.

[Guest Hell Sqn Protos]

S~! ggg

 

I have the throttle as well. Great thread.

 

I am following it closely. Let me know how you make out.

 

There is talk of a new CH Hotas based on the F18 which would really be terrific. I think its going to happen.

[Guest Hell Sqn Protos]

S~!

 

Congrats on your badge, I will worship......

 

Now for the important part -- So is it going into production or not?

[S77th-GOYA]

Give 'em hell, Protos. :D

[Guest Hell Sqn Protos]

S~! Rugbutt

 

Hmmmmm.... I think a friendly little wager is in order.

 

Bottle of your favourite spirits says it is available for Christmas.

[snomhf]

Why would you want to do that?

 

I'm using the setup ggg mentioned for about four of five years now without any problems.

The only thing you should think about is that a standard gameport only supports four axes.

So in order to use the set to the full, I plugged my pedals in a USB port.

Now I can use all seven axes.

No need to mod anything :)

 

I would want to do that so as to get the programming capability of the CH equipment along with the stability the USB devices provide. I admit it was a crazy idea especially once I realized what it was going to cost to do it. Actually, the whole thing started with my desire for a more realistic and split throttle.

[Dudikoff]

The stick, starting at the top left:

Castle hat = slew target designator

 

So, is this function duplicated on both stick and throttle?

[Zuki]

S~! Rugbutt

 

Hmmmmm.... I think a friendly little wager is in order.

 

Bottle of your favourite spirits says it is available for Christmas.

Can I get in on that?

[G3]

thankyou to everyone so far for the input, great diagram SUBS cheers.

we'll see how that bet goes hey, please keep my thread semi focused :)

 

snomhf, unless i have missed something, i intended to give this unit a try as is, from what i read elsewhere the old gameport pedals will work but the more i think about it the more likely it is that i will need to use some usb pedals in order to get the full potential from the hotas as was previously mentioned by Joe Kurr.

 

at present, i like racing also and i use my wheels pedals for my rudder, this will do for now.

 

the idea of swapping over to a ch base is still an option, it was basically the fact that everyone seems very happy with their performance.

 

if the talon and splitt throttle work ok, then i will be using the existing electronics from them.

 

they apparently work ok with winXP or so i hope :)

 

the diagram provided was great, along with the other advise, it would be great to get my hands on something in a pdf format or something A4 size i could print out, thanks again all who assist, past and present.:thumbup:

[S77th-GOYA]

So, is this function duplicated on both stick and throttle?

 

This is for the F-15E and the diagram shows the castle slewing the FLIR with left and right MPD and down MPCD.

[Dudikoff]

This is for the F-15E and the diagram shows the castle slewing the FLIR with left and right MPD and down MPCD.

 

Ah, got it, thanks.

[SUBS17]

I'm converting my STS hopefully using a plasmaV2

http://www.betainnovations.com/

I've already tested the pots with FC but found that the sensitvity isn't that good so I'm getting more sensitive pots.:joystick:

[G3]

dam u Subs, i spent ages checking out that site:thumbup:,

those little circuit boards look fantastic, just what a sim enthusiast needs.

especially for upgrading an old hotas to usb, good luck with that...

 

question? with the plasma v2....you said you were not happy with some pots sensitivity.

as for the sensitivity, it says the v2 is 10-bit so how many individual positions is that?

 

to answer my own question, i think it means 1024 positions...

[SUBS17]

 

IF you look closely you'll see the STS has a unique type of Pot which was ok but its not nearly sensitive enough for formations. So I'm replacing just the 2 pots for something more sensitive.

Heres some shots of a recent test using a USB microcontroller from an old USB stick.

 

 

 

[PaddyTB]

Have you guys seen this as well ?

 

http://www.lbodnar.dsl.pipex.com/joystick/index.html

 

Cheers

 

PaddyTB

[G3]

nice one Paddy, that too looks like a great option for a simple usb conversion.

we are lucky to have such devices these days, thanks for that.

 

anxiously awaiting the delivery of my talon + throttle so i can try it out,

im like a kid in a candy shop, also picked up another talon ready to hack to bits if i choose to do the Lotas Mod.

or should that be LOSART:music_whistling:(left on stick and right throttle):joystick::thumbup:

[SUBS17]

That looks like a nice controller:thumbup: