Custom control/switch box for DCS F-18c

[Swine]

Hello. I hope this is in the right area of the forum. I am having a custom control box made to go with a Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS setup. I am looking for some advice on what switches or buttons you guys would have built in this setup other than the switches that are already on the warthog stick and throttle. I probably could have an additional 15 or so switches. I’m probably going to have them labeled too and that has a to do with why I’m asking in the first place.

Any feedback would be appreciated. Initially I was just going to use this as a WW2 setup but but the DCS F-18 bug got me!

Thanks

[Svsmokey]

Also a Hornet guy , thinking about a button box as well . Mine would be for the UFC . The mode buttons across the bottom and the window buttons , in addition to the heading and course select switches , would burn most of those 15 switches . I use TIR so i already have bound the numberpad and "clear" and "enter" buttons to my keyboard numberpad .

[RustBelt]

Hello. I hope this is in the right area of the forum. I am having a custom control box made to go with a Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS setup. I am looking for some advice on what switches or buttons you guys would have built in this setup other than the switches that are already on the warthog stick and throttle. I probably could have an additional 15 or so switches. I’m probably going to have them labeled too and that has a to do with why I’m asking in the first place.

Any feedback would be appreciated. Initially I was just going to use this as a WW2 setup but but the DCS F-18 bug got me!

Thanks

 

When designing an interface like this you want to think about frequency of use, and how much more easily you can interact without reaching for the mouse.

 

I'd say the UFC is 100% needed although you COULD just use a USB Number Pad to do that pretty cheaply.

 

If you don't have Cougar MFD bezels that may be something to consider since using the MFD's is kind of a pain with the mouse, and you do use them a lot outside of HOTAS interaction.

 

Other than that really I would say Secondary controls. Landing Gear, Tail Hook, Arming switches, Stuff you have to do in the air and don't want to bother with hunting and pecking Lest Alt + Shift blah blah at the keyboard.

 

Also think about "SIM" controls you use regularly. You can make a fully realistic F-18 cockpit then forget to add a handy button to reset views and what not and that stinks too.

 

I can definitely tell you things not to bother with. INS, Lights, OBOGS, Canopy, Wing Fold etc...

[BlacleyCole]

I’m designing a button box for the huey imo anything you do in flight must be either configured to the hotas. Or a button box at this time. What I did was list everything in a spreadsheet list what type of control a toggle, push button or rotary and the number of contacts need one for push button, two for rotary and. 2-3 for toggle( because even a single throw toggle needs off and on). Then group by. Flight , comm, or weapons device the select which ones I use the most count contact and adjust from there. I’m building my own and have two boards to go with that dictate number of contacts and switch type ie if I can have an hat or not plus number of axis available which in my first box isn’t being used. But I’m either buying a huey style collective and or adapting mt puma collective by retiring it using a bodnar board since the notice board doesn’t have the ability for the controls needed. In the mean time I’m using my cougar mcfds switches in a test since the huey doesn’t have ant mcfds. So do your research and consider building your own using a bodnar board or andrino board then it’s just running the wires and plug and play except for you may have to flash the board depending on the bard and controls used. Look in to it I can provide sources for parts. Is just laying up the controls and drilling the holes installing the control then running the wire to the board no soldering usually.then plug and play