F/A-18C Bleed Air Switch

[hrnet940]

I have been looking for the proper switch to use in my hornet cockpit as the Bleed Air switch and have not had any luck looking.  What are people using or is it out there to be purchased?  It need to have four positions and free to rotate without any stops built in. 

 

Thanks,

Wayne

[DeadMeat]

Here's expensive example of a switch that is 4 position, 90 degree index and has continuous rotation. You could also go for a cheaper one, open 'er up and cut out the mechanical stop yourself to make it freely rotate. FWIW I think I read somewhere that the real switch is 8 position, even if only 4 of them are connected. Can't find the reference though.

[hrnet940]

Thanks DeadMeat for the help and suggestion.  I bought two of the switch below from Digi-Key.  I just finished disassembly, remove the stop and reassemble, after I found the two ball bearings that went flying and have it working.  Now comes the truth of hooking it up to my Arduino Uno and checking it out in the cockpit.  Wish me luck.

 

https://www.digikey.ca/en/products/detail/c-k/A12405RNCQ/3751952?s=N4IgTCBcDaIMYGsB2BGADATgygtEgJiALoC%2BQA

 

Thanks Again,

Wayne

[hrnet940]

I hooked up my Bleed Air switch to my Arduino Uno and followed the DCS BIOS for pin hook up.  I currently have Right Off to pin 2, NORM to pin 3, Left Off to pin 4 and OFF to pin 5.  When I am in the cockpit and turn the switch, it has a mind of its own.  It continually wants to sit in Right Off with the occasional stop at something else.  When I am moving the switch between settings, it shows that it is continuously rotating when looking at the switch in the cockpit.  Why is this happening?  I have read everything in the DCS BIOS manual on rotary switch and can't seem to get this rotary switch to work.    I think I have everything hooked up correctly.  Please help

 

Thanks,

Wayne

[DeadMeat]

Did you connect ground as well? If that's not it, try with different pins or a different switch. Sounds like either a short in the switch you modified or a problem with the UNO

[hrnet940]

Thanks for the advice and suggestions.  Will try those and see what happens.

 

Thanks,

Wayne

[Metro]

Hello hrnet940. Did you find a resolution to the issue in your bleed air switch. I have been having the same issue here. I took an eight position rotary switch and eliminated the stop so that the switch rotates without stopping. Then I located the 3, 6, 9 and 12 O'clock positions of the contacts and wired it up. The issue is that the switch in DCS is defaulted to the OFF position when it loses power and as you cycle the switch through the position and the signal is lost to the Arduino, the switch in the cockpit reverts to the default position of OFF. This is why the switch looks like it has a mind of its own. I just can't figure out how to stop it from defaulting back to the off position. Let me know if you solved the problem.

Metro

[Ben-111]

We have had success opening the switch and taking out the stop. There is a post on the open hornet discord about this.