My A-10C preparation

[Deadman]

Whats new?

[avlolga]

Hi Hi Rocketeer,

 

i have checked your thread .... man you r goooood real good,

very nice DIS for knobs solution i like it a lot.

[rocketeer]

Thanks.

 

I dug out my two side panels after one year's absence. Dusted them off. Looking at this angle the knobs look like a chess set. Played with the switches for a while. Feels good hearing and feeling the clicks on the switches. Hope I can resume this madness soon.

 

 

 

 

Except for the encoder that costs a bit more, the rotary switches, toggles average about $2-4 each. Unlike a honeywell switch at $50 for one. Anyway, it's a personal thing, if one decides to spend that kind of money on one switch.

 

If I could wire all these switches here to a sim card, I'd already have > 50% of switches in the A10C cockpit funcitonal! That'd be fun.

[Gadroc]

Not all of the Honeywell are $50. The most used switched in the pit can be had new for $12 each. Still more than you but but no where near $50.

[y2kiah]

looking good Rocketeer, this will be functional in no time. I also went for the $2-4 switches, may slowly replace them over time as needed.

[Feed]

Welcome back, Rocketeer, good to see an update.

[rocketeer]

it's been a long time. Since I moved to a new state, just got the garage tidied up and built a pegboard for my tools.

 

 

Built a new base for my side consoles. Many of you are using Dimebug's or y2kiah's plans. Those are excellent plans. But I prefer something simple and light for now. Things may change later.

 

 

Cut my right console's panels into individual pieces for easier maintenance later.

 

Will start wiring and interfacing the panels soon.

[Feed]

Sweet - thanks for the update, and welcome back!

[Strix]

Nice! Keep it coming :thumbup:

[HitchHikingFlatlander]

Good to see your still on the prowl! Congrats on the new home and workshop (I know you used to mention you'd love to have one)! Look forward to seeing your project come together.

[rocketeer]

Thanks guys.

 

Now that I have most of the input switches for the two consoles, I'm trying to get the right console wired up. Tested all input switch types with Helios-push button, toggles 2 way and 3 way, pots, rotary switch and encoder. All worked great. Then going through the list of panels in Helios I noticed there is no SAS panel. Is it hidden somewhere else?

 

Also in the A10C sim I noticed some interesting switches not covered in the user manual but mouse clicks seem to work on them.

- canopy jettison lever button

- extend boarding ladder button

- internal Canopy disengage lever

- anti G suit test button

- arm ground safety override switch

- Seat height adjustment switch

- Emergency handle

 

Are all these switches only available through lua script and are not in Helios like the SAS panel?

[rocketeer]

I guess no one knows the answer to my helios questions above. Will wait for Craig the creator to answer.

 

Remember long ago I tackled the dual ring knobs on the Tacan and ILS?

 

Both the Tacan right side frequency and ILS left side frequency knobs are concentric rings. The outer knob for both control a two position rotary switch, while the inner knob controls the frequency via an encoder.

 

While I managed to drill a hole through the rotary switch to connect the inner knob to an encoder below the rotary switch, I thought that was challenging enough. Then yesterday I realized that I've left out the right side knobs on the ILS. Since the volume on the ILS is on the outer knob, it needs to be above the encoder for the inner knob. I found it tough to drill a hole through the potentiometer without breaking its function. Then I came up with the idea of using gears. I realized today that I have an RC hobby shop near by, so I had to go get some gears.

 

 

The red portion consists of the outer knob that controls the volume on the ILS panel. It rotates a hollow tube on the right side, connected to the right gear via set screw. This tube slides on to the encoder below and rotates freely, not glued. Putting it over the encoder helps to keep it straight. A bit of WD40 helps grease the tube and the encoder so that when I turn the tube it does not rotate the encoder inside.

 

The left gear is also set screwed the another tube that is this time hot glued to a potentiometer below.

 

The gears don't come with any hub. I used another outer knob that has a hole and set screw already in place, then hot glued this spare knob to the gear to act as a hub to hold the tube in place. Repeated this for the other tube.

 

The blue part is the inner knob connected to a thin rod inside the right tube and connects to the encoder below. I drill a hole in the encoder to make the rod sit deeper into the encoder and then hot glue them together.

 

So there you have it. Pot and encoder together.

 

I'm pretty proud that I cracked this in two days. Its fun and rewarding to figure a solution to pit building challanges, and I try to make the solution as simple as possible, though sometimes difficult.

 

I still envy those of you with CNC machines that turn out jaw dropping panels like pitbldr's, epecially combined with PCB boards!

[Deadman]

good job

[Panthro]

Thats a neat gearing solution, think I will be doing the same for mine.

[avlolga]

Great work Rocketeer !!!

[Succellus]

Nice work, great job.

[rocketeer]

Thanks guys.

 

Is there a way to make a rotary switch skip a stop? Like for a 8 position 45 degree switch, can I make it into a 90 degrees switch? I dismantled one today and cutaway one of the plastic studs inside. That didn't reduce anything. I'm still getting 8 stops.

[Deadman]

what are you looking for? a switch for the TACAN panel?

[rocketeer]

No. The elect/pneu switch on the altimeter looks like it can use a 90 degrees rotary switch. So being the usual cheapo/creative me is trying to kill a stop in my 45 degree rotary switch and make it into one turn 90 degree switch into of two turns. Not sure if it's possible.

[Deadman]

That switch in the AAU 34/A is spring loaded to the ELECT or straight down position. When it is turned the bottom swings to the right a bout 45 deg to the PNEU position and then springs back

 

 

No. The elect/pneu switch on the altimeter looks like it can use a 90 degrees rotary switch. So being the usual cheapo/creative me is trying to kill a stop in my 45 degree rotary switch and make it into one turn 90 degree switch into of two turns. Not sure if it's possible.

[rocketeer]

Thanks DM for the info. I can add a spring. But in the sim I thought it turns 90 degree and does not show any spring back. Will have to check the sim again.

[Deadman]

That is information off of a real unit not the sim

[rocketeer]

I checked the sim. It behaves slightly different from what you described in RL. The lever stay in the middle position pointing down. It springs 45 deg to the left to ELECT position. It springs 90 deg right to the PNEU position. From what you described there is no middle position, just 45 deg to the left or right between the two positions.

[rocketeer]

I noticed in the HARS control panel that there is a 'push to sync'. so I added a push button below. Simple mod. I had a pot with push button but couldn't find it.

 

[Duckling]

Good progress Rocketeer. Love the way you solve things.

 

Haven't yet got around to start with the knobs you helped me out with. Will probably be after the summer vacation. It least I now got all existing connections on my rig to work..