Most useless project ever: please help

[BaD CrC]

OK guys. I have this very stupid idea, I know, but this is bugging me now.

 

We have those virtual fans in the Mi-8 that you can turn on and off and I was wondering if there is a way to actually turn on real fans (you know those $7 USB fans) when flipping the fan switches inside the virtual cockpit? Alternatively, you could have the same thing triggered when the cockpit is opened (any cockpit)...

I suppose you need some Arduino card managing GPIO (which one?) and have the fan command actually detected by DCS-BIOS?

[Hansolo]

Hi Bad CrC,

 

Looks like you can. If you take a look at the Control Reference for DCS-BIOS MI-8MT then under Cockpit Air, View Advanced you'll find this status of the fans;

DcsBios::LED cpitAirLFan(0x263e, 0x0080, PIN);
DcsBios::LED cpitAirRFan(0x263e, 0x0100, PIN);

 

Mind you I don't have the MI-8 so I am guessing its the right ones :cry:

 

Alright then all you need is an Arduino board. You can use a Nano for this but any other will do.

 

Then since I guess you run 110VAC (US) or 230VAC for the fan you need a relay to separate the low voltage side (Arduino) for the net side. For this particular application you can find 2 channels relay boards on Ebay, e.g.;

https://www.ebay.com/itm/5V-1-2-4-6-8-16-Channel-Relay-Board-Module-Optocoupler-LED-for-Arduino-ARM-AVR/282620321470?hash=item41cd7bdebe:m:mxtrkZ4cKALb6TZlfjnZ54w

 

Cheers

Hans

[BaD CrC]

Thanks Hansolo! Got the board, relays and fans on the way! Lol. Excited!

[AeriaGloria]

Please post pics when done, been wanting to do this myself. Especially when the Hind is out

[VZ_342]

That’d be an immersive detail if one tied it in to the canopy opening!

[RightStuff]

Could a DPST-switch be used? So no relay maybe needed:

http://s.aliexpress.com/RJ3yInyq

 

Left row: circuit for DCS BIOS (5V)

Right row: circuit of real fan (110V)

 

Just an idea - I fear the voltage...

[aniron]

Why not mod an USB fan with a relay then, no need to use mains voltage.

 

This one is 130mm, two of those should be plenty.

[lucky-hendrix]

Hey, I was thinking about doing the same thing. I have a regular 12V pC fan with 4wires.

 

By controlling on of he wire with pwm you can control the fan. I still have to build a working prototype

 

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[Ala12Rv-Tundra]

This is a common addon for simracing cockpits. Even with variable speed fans.

[NightShiftNinja]

This is a common addon for simracing cockpits. Even with variable speed fans.

 

some of the sim racing fans have a ton of power and could simulate a pretty good blow if the cockpit was opened. i wonder if a bullet hole in the glass could feel the whole.

[avidflyer]

I like the idea to get my fan connected to the simulation. P51 with open cockpit.

[Warhog]

Talking about weird... I just had an idea. I'm going to use an old CPAP machine and mask to simulate my oxygen feed and have it turn on when the oxy switch is activated in the A10C.:thumbup:

[TripRodriguez]

Awesome idea @Bad_crc !

 

I should be reappearing in the BSD community soonish, I'm finally back to working on the Huey pit. =D Good progress the past two days.

 

As for the fans for open canopy, you can control fans with variable speed set up to realistically simulate the wind using SimTools. It's discussed in this thread https://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/new-output-possibilities-for-dcs.10181/ and at least a couple people have it up and running. Eventually I plan to add it myself, but I've got lots of things above this on the list currently. =)

 

The SimTools community is by far the best out there for motion sim folks, and lots of good stuff for less ambitious projects as well!

 

The work that's been done on DCS (with me being the primary alpha tester!) motion sim software by FlyPT (aka pmvcda) is amazing. This can not be overstated, it's a total game changer. Finally we've got DCS motion output with no strange artifacts and huge improvements in tuning filters etc. as well. Really exciting stuff which is what gave me the needed boost to move the Huey cockpit back to the very top of my ludicrously long list of projects. Dug in as I am, I think it will be basically finished (truly finished is an unattainable goal!) by the end of summer unless life really goes sideways on me in the next five or six weeks.

Edited July 26, 2019 by TripRodriguez

[avidflyer]

Hi Trip,

 

I read the thread about the wind but I didn’t get the police of the Simtools about what to pay. Do I have to pay a license each plugin DcS, Xplane and so on ? Is there a test version to try to get the wind running?

 

59€ are a lot of money for one plugin.

 

Regards Christian

[TripRodriguez]

Hi Trip,

 

I read the thread about the wind but I didn’t get the police of the Simtools about what to pay. Do I have to pay a license each plugin DcS, Xplane and so on ? Is there a test version to try to get the wind running?

 

59€ are a lot of money for one plugin.

 

Regards Christian

 

You only have to pay for the SimTools software itself.

 

For the plugins they have an interesting system. If you do some posting on the forums you earn coins, which you can use to get a one week (FREE) unlock of all plugins. Unlimited downloads for the duration of that week.

 

If you don't want to spend some time chatting on the forum, you can pay with real money instead of coins but honestly that forum is an absolute pleasure to hang around on and it's not hard to earn enough coins to get the one week unlock.

 

I believe I can even gift you enough coins if it's a problem for you, just contact me.

 

Once you have your plugins, if there is a plugin update you need you will need to get another week unlocked to download it.

 

There's at least one experimental DCS plugin right now that you don't even need the coins unlock for, it's just posted in the forums. If you get that far, send me a message and I'll be happy to help you out.

[TripRodriguez]

Talking about weird... I just had an idea. I'm going to use an old CPAP machine and mask to simulate my oxygen feed and have it turn on when the oxy switch is activated in the A10C.:thumbup:

 

I love it! When I eventually build my P-51 pit I'm going to have to look into this. =) Exactly the kind of stuff I love for increasing immersion.

[avidflyer]

Thank you Trip for your kind offer. I will order the monster Moto shield via Ali and will give it a shot after this thing arrived.

[Lobinjaevel]

Talking about weird... I just had an idea. I'm going to use an old CPAP machine and mask to simulate my oxygen feed and have it turn on when the oxy switch is activated in the A10C.:thumbup:

 

 

 

Iirc, someone over at viperpits did that, been looking in to it myself.

Can't find the project though, and the machines are hard to get here in Sweden too.

 

Would love to see you build one! :)

[Hansolo]

Iirc, someone over at viperpits did that, been looking in to it myself.

Can't find the project though, and the machines are hard to get here in Sweden too.

 

Would love to see you build one! :)

 

Is it Sting's Anti-G Combat Edge System you are referring to;

http://www.viperpits.org/smf/index.php?topic=9750.0

 

 

 

Cheers

Hans

Edited July 27, 2019 by Hansolo

[Mars Exulte]

I used to joke about this sort of thing. I didn't know it was actually possible lol

[Lobinjaevel]

Is it Sting's Anti-G Combat Edge System you are referring to;

http://www.viperpits.org/smf/index.php?topic=9750.0

 

 

 

Cheers

Hans

 

Don't think it was that one, but that one is insanely impressive, would love to use my scuba tank!

 

I think the guy modified used CPAP machines that had the right fittings for the valve, don't remember the name for it now, but the one the hose attaches to.

 

Will try to dig it up when I get home :)

 

Cheers!

[TripRodriguez]

Iirc, someone over at viperpits did that, been looking in to it myself.

Can't find the project though, and the machines are hard to get here in Sweden too.

 

Would love to see you build one! :)

 

My doctor wanted me to do some more tests so that she could give me a CPAP (paid for by insurance). I didn't want it.

 

Maybe I should go for it and use it for the pit! LMAO I wouldn't commit a fraud like that, but if I was using one for sleeping I'd totally hook it up for the P-51. =)

[Battis]

In US, you can get quite affordable CPAP systems online.

 

On a sidenote, if your doc even suspects that it would benefit you, go for it! It really helps you sleep better. It changed my life even I have only a mild case of sleep apnea.

 

Using the same cpap machine for sleep and sim might mess with the annual monitoring of the treatment.

[TripRodriguez]

In US, you can get quite affordable CPAP systems online.

 

On a sidenote, if your doc even suspects that it would benefit you, go for it! It really helps you sleep better. It changed my life even I have only a mild case of sleep apnea.

 

Using the same cpap machine for sleep and sim might mess with the annual monitoring of the treatment.

 

Thanks for the advice, I might consider it. I'm not convinced I actually need it and the idea of having to deal with a mask on my face seems to me like it would do more harm than good but I guess not.

 

The sleep study only came up with snoring, but she was convinced that if I did the at home sleep study thing a couple more times she'd find the evidence needed to get me on a CPAP. I'm only a little over the top of the BMI standards and I have pretty bad RLS so I just don't see any reason to think I have any apnea going on. Maybe you are right though, anything that improves my sleep problems is a big deal.

 

Once I get to the P-51 pit I really will look into this idea of using a CPAP for oxygen. I love this kind of thing and I'm really glad to hear I'm not the only one crazy enough to do stuff like fans and oxygen masks. =D

[horus-DCS]

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