Anyone interested?

[Feed]

I've been told I should offer this for sale, so I'd like to see if anyone's interested.

 

I'm working on a control box very similar to the ones posted by other folks around here, as a compliment to whichever joystick and throttle you happen to use. I'm using cards from Leo Bodnar, and I'm including a 15-pin gameport for plug-and-play support of old gameport rudder pedals (such as ThrustMaster's RCS).

 

The switches will be assignable just like most joysticks, although the toggle switches will leave buttons "active" until switched off, similar to switches on the Warthog.

 

The panel will contain a selection of switches from the AHCP, FUEL, and various others that I believe will be most helpful. I am, of course, open to suggestions or custom orders.

 

While I have yet to determine a good price, I anticipate it will be no more than $150. This is the first time I've tried anything like this (selling something I've made), so we'll see how it goes. Let me know!

[WarriorX]

Do you have any design drawings or prototype pic's for us to consider?

[Feed]

Unfortunately, all I have at this stage is a CAD drawing - I'm waiting on the last few parts I need for a prototype. I debated posting anything this early, but I'm hoping to have one finished and ready to ship in about a month. After that, I should be able to crank out at least one a week, as long as I can get parts as smoothly as I have been so far.

 

I'll post my CAD drawing this evening so everyone can take a look. In the meantime, here's a list of the controls I plan to replicate (of course, you could assign them however you wish):

 

Master Arm (3-position toggle switch)

GUN/PAC Arm (3-pos toggle)

Laser Arm (3-pos toggle)

TGP (on/off toggle)

CICU (on/off toggle)

JRTS (on/off toggle)

IFFCC (3-pos toggle)

Boost Pumps (4 on/off toggle switches)

SAS Engage (4 on/off toggle switches)

Lamp Test (pushbutton)

T/O Trim (pushbutton)

 

I plan on wiring up the 15-pin gameport so that old rudder pedal controllers like the RCS can simply be plugged in and operate the analog axes available on Leo Bodnar's circuitboard. I'm hoping even OLD gameport controllers like the original ThrustMaster FCS (NOT FLCS) can be plugged in and functional.

 

There will be limitations - newer "smart" sticks like the Suncom Talon and ThrustMaster FLCS will not work, and neither will the 'POV hat' on the old sticks. I have more testing to do in this area, but my goal is to provide a port where RCS or gameport Pro Pedals can simply be plugged in without requiring a separate gameport adapter or the ThrustMaster Cougar.

 

There will also be at least 4 unused analog axes left on Leo's card - so there's room for folks to go in and add/tinker for themselves.

 

Basically I'd like to offer a reasonably priced and functional panel for folks who may not be inclined to build one themselves.

[MTFDarkEagle]

I would be interested, if the price is right.

 

(What cost would you be thinking about?) Nevermind, spotted a price ;)

 

I might be interested still :)

[Cezar11]

i'm not sure i'm in the majority here, but all of the functions you listed are basically a one time switch in the course of a mission, at the beginning usually. I'm not sure i'd pay $150 ( or anything over $20 ) for switches that I don't need access to multiple times in the course of a mission.

 

What I really would pay money for is a CDU or UFC input panel ( I don't even care if there's no lights or display output for the CDU ).

[MTFDarkEagle]

+1 on the UFC panel!

[Feed]

Thanks for the feedback, Cezar11 ... I know there are other folks working on UFC and CDU panels that I'm sure will be offered for sale - and rather than trying to play catch-up with them, I have been working on other things, and this was the result of some afternoon brainstorming.

 

Again, the switches could be used to control any function, just like assigning standard joystick buttons. And if would make more sense to label them with other text, I'd certainly like to provide as much function as possible. Would it be more appealing if I simply left labels off, so folks could label the switches themselves, and perhaps include more pushbuttons instead of so many toggles?

 

In terms of price, the finished product could be much lower, especially if people would like to label switches for themselves.

[Cezar11]

it's really not the function you've assigned, it's the on/off nature of the switches. I can't think of another set of functions that require this kind of always on/off circuitry and would be usable in the heat of combat.

 

A series of momentary on buttons ( say 30 -32 ) arranged in a matrix would be more valuable in this sim, as well as others and would be more usable outside of A-10.

 

Thoughts anyone?

[Feed]

 

Here is the CAD design for the front panel. It will be mounted in a simple enclosure. Large holes are for standard-sized toggle switches, similar to those found on the Warthog throttle. Smaller holes are for mini toggle switches or pushbuttons. The pushbutton tops will be fairly close to the same size as pushbuttons on the Warthog.

[y2kiah]

pretty cool man, what about adding the elec panel switches in that extra space? or do plan to leave that open for some reason?

[Feed]

I don't plan on leaving the extra space, and I had thought about another version with switches from the other side. Using Leo's cards, and hoping to wire up the gameport, I'm at the limit for inputs. Still, I'd certainly like to make it as functional as possible. I could save quite a bit of time and effort by leaving the switches unlabeled and only wiring up the gameport to support the 3 rudder axes. The boxes themselves haven't arrived yet, so this layout was done on the template I'd made for my simpit panels.

 

BTW, y2kiah, thanks for steering me toward the CNC ... I love it! :D

[Succellus]

You should try for ww2 birds, this kind of setting on/off was way more used then.

When i ll mount my pit probably 2cd semester of 2012 i will be interested, but i want someothing more generic so i can use it for various sims.

 

Would be interesting if you can put some "label holders" so we can easely switch the nme of the switch, but thats only a trip of mine.

[Teej]

I wish I'd had the patience to stick with what I was working on 5-6 years ago. At the time, the major players out there were Epic, x-keys and Hagstrom. I was working on creating a new little modular pit system but ended up putting it aside before I got much of it working.

 

Ah well. It was quite a learning experience. Paid off on a school project a year ago. Heh.

[TeeJay82]

if you wanna sell this thing, i think you should make it more multi purpose to be easily used with other sims, i bought the saitek switch panel, only to find out it only worked in fsx :S so i trashed it

 

a panel containing all the proper common plane controls like battery,fuel pump, lights,2 engine start/stop switches,gear, etc etc i think would have become a most respected and valued tool for the serious simmers out there.

 

atleast for me :D

 

also throwing in a 4-5 axis for custom programming, like pitch,brakes,flaps, control trims whatever :P

Edited January 28, 2011 by TeeJay82

[Feed]

That's definitely part of the plan, to make it functional across the board - that's why I'm using Leo's cards - this will simply be seen by the computer as another 'game controller' with 32 buttons. I like the idea of letting users label things themselves, and it'd be easy just to leave it blank and let folks stick on P-touch labels (or whatever). I see modules being sold that are TOO MUCH for what they are, and I'm trying to find a good balance of form/function/cost - especially since I'm not doing anything that the majority of folks here couldn't easily do themselves.

 

There are already GA panels available from OpenCockpits and FlightGear for generic functions like flaps, gear, batteries, etc. ... and that's why I've steered clear of that sort of idea. Perhaps I should re-think ...

 

Teej, the modular cockpit thing was almost exactly what I had in mind - something I see a bunch of folks building (these little panel boxes), to compliment their existing stick & throttle. Since DCS:A-10C is the hottest thing out ATM, that influenced my design. I figured the first box would take care of most "left side" switches beyond the HOTAS, MFDs (and other folks are working on UFCs), while perhaps a second offering would gather most "right side" functions like the CMSP, electrical, etc. (while leaving folks free to complete the various CDU projects already in the works).

[reschke]

Yep Feed I would be interested in it. Also interested in it if you could label it for your self OR have an overlay(s) that you could purchase for other sims that people play around with for those switches as well.

[celticcoho]

Yep Feed I would be interested in it. Also interested in it if you could label it for your self OR have an overlay(s) that you could purchase for other sims that people play around with for those switches as well.

Nice work, But Helios will allow you to switch total cockpits in about 20 seconds...WIP it is, but even if you don't use touch screens, It will code your hard switches to Sim. If it is exported in Lua, or the sim code, I am sure helios will find it, code it, or allow you a custom software build for your Sim...No Offense meant, All are trying hard to give us the Best!!! Cheers, Jim:book:

[Feed]

Well familiar with Helios, I am ... and this should be perfect with it, adding physical switched to be used for whatever function desired.

[reschke]

Nice work, But Helios will allow you to switch total cockpits in about 20 seconds...WIP it is, but even if you don't use touch screens, It will code your hard switches to Sim. If it is exported in Lua, or the sim code, I am sure helios will find it, code it, or allow you a custom software build for your Sim...No Offense meant, All are trying hard to give us the Best!!! Cheers, Jim:book:

 

Yeah I don't doubt that and I don't want to hijack the thread with a discussion about Helios BUT in my WW2 sims I really don't want or need another set of software programs running in the background when a quick velcro or sticky back label overlay would do the trick with the what simple controls I am personally looking for. Not to mention it would keep my costs out of pocket down to stay away from another monitor for whatever reason...just saying that a cheap overlay is a heck of a lot cheaper than a 20" LCD and mounts.

[Feed]

Received the gamports yesterday, so now all I'm waiting on are the boxes.

 

Judging from the feedback so far, I'll probably replace several of the toggle switches with pushbuttons, which are better supported by a wider range of simulators - and perhaps I'll replace the rest of the toggle switches with momentary toggles?

 

I'll leave the labelling off completely, so folks can use p-touch labellers, and if someone wants a custom overlay, then I can certainly work that up.