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Boltz's A-10 Build


Boltz

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Hi Duckling. I have read many times that pilots who go from sims to rl don't look out the cockpit enough but focus on their instruments, now I hardly look at my instruments! In the shop I looked at smaller 32" and other makes but then I saw this one and the picture quality was amazing. At first I thought it has 4k or something but it turned out just to be 1920*1080 like all the others, I was astounded by it! I had a 19-22-19" setup for a while before I started building the pit, but this is entirely different. I could have gone larger and less quantity but I felt I needed that "actually in there" feeling that I could only achieve by wrapping myself in screens.

 

I haven't tried SoftTH as I thought it was for touchscreens but I may look into it. Got them fired up and just been flying all day. Here's a photo of the setup, but please forgive the F16 style side stick. My extension is still in pieces and I'm waiting for a new cable. It's difficult to capture the setup well, you've really got to be in it to understand it.

 

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A new graphics card is definitely at the top of my list at the moment along with a TIR.

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Thanks Cali. At the weekend, I spent the whole time flying till my extension broke due to a faulty cable. I changed the setup to a side stick while I worked on the extension. I thought my stick was dead. With a multimeter I checked the cable and something was wrong with it. I think it was under too much stress. 6 ft of cable doesn't fit nicely into a 22mm copper pipe only 400mm long.

 

The solution, which arrived yesterday was this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Belkin-MINIDIN6-Keyboard-Extension-Straight/dp/B004PZZILM/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1388488136&sr=8-9&keywords=ps2+extension+cable

 

Wherever I looked the smallest size I could find was still 6 ft long but this one has those 6 ft tightly coiled. It works extremely well and provides a much stronger electrical connection than the £2 one I had before. I recommend it to anyone who is struggling fitting such a long cable into their extension.

 

Yesterday I cut the acrylic for the left outboard sides and drilled a couple of panels before the cold got the better of me. I retreated indoors to enjoy a nice drink and finished the caution panel electronics and 74HC595 shift register circuits.

 

Software has changed hugely now, though not cosmetically. We now have standard code that can do all inputs and outputs and go on any Arduino. It is not specific about number of pins or anything as the software will initiate the Arduino by telling it which pins are doing what. It saves you having to mess around with Arduino code just to add in a potentiometer.

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  • 1 month later...

Hello all! It's been a while but the A2DCS software has been greatly improved. A new version is being tested at the moment and I will be releasing the software shortly so stay tuned and it should be ready along with instructions in the next week.

 

LED and 7 Segment Display control is supported as well as push and toggle switches. I will try to add rotary encoder and potentiometer support in the first release. It also works in tandem with Helios and iControlDCS. Inputs and outputs can be added easily but I will include the config for the UFC and as I get more panels working I will post up more configs.

 

Currently only working for the A-10C (the only DCS module I have) but there are "Profiles" built in which will allow you to switch through different aircraft eventually, and even other sims in the future. It has been tested with Arduino Unos and Megas but due to the initialisation built into it theoretically any Arduino can be used (you will see how this works shortly.) In fact any IO controller can be used but we would need to build it in to A2DCS.

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Today has been a very successful day now despite a few :joystick: moments. Master Caution LED is now working along with other LEDs. Version 2 of A2DCS was built today and although it looks very similar it works in an entirely different way. I'm currently working on the instructions. I'm trying to write as complete a guide as I can after the amount of software I have used with the lack or complete absence of any instructions. It includes setting up an export.lua file in Helios, making the necessary modifications and then how to add all the different inputs, outputs and other options.

 

All should be prepared in the next few days and despite my feelings earlier the first release will be V2.0. I hope that you will all like it :)

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Hi whartsell, I certainly do use it and without it I wouldn't be able to have the setup I currently have. For my needs nothing needs to be changed but I would suggest you start a thread for it there as currently that gem of a program is hidden deep within gremlin's build. I have recommended it to about 6 people now and they have liked it so I do believe it is being used.

 

Great piece of software and its simplicity makes it work very well and keeps it easy to use. Only problem I have is that when I right-click on a client viewport and click "Save Positions"(or something like that) nothing happens. I assume that that should change the Iris.xml file to change the positions of the viewports? It is annoying to have to move 7 viewports around every time I wish to go flying but everything else works perfectly.

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Your doing it wrong ;). You need to right click and select set position THEN go and click save config on the main window. It's a clunky interface and I can't remember why I did it that way. I'll have to take a look at the source and see if I can make it more intuitive

 

FYI the correct procedure is in the manual.

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I do as well :)

 

It's a shame I can only run 1 at the moment though because I don't have enough graphics power. I'm looking at getting a GTX770 or GTX 780 or even an SLI setup which is probably what I will need since I also have a fourth screen running exports. I did realise though that moving to SLI would give me an excuse to get a new motherboard and with that change to Intel. Then I wondered if my PSU would cope...

 

Will probably wait till EDGE is released before I make any major upgrades to my computer as I'm currently running low on funds (like always with this hobby)

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A2DCS hasn't been released this week due to a couple of issues and more testing that needs done with 1.2.7. I have created a new thread for it in the Input and Output section so if you are interested in it then please let me know there. If there is no interest then I will not spend time making it more user friendly and easier to install. Currently I would consider it a mod but this week I have worked hard to reduce modification of any DCS files so it is getting much closer to a release.

 

Find it here:http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=120386

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A2DCS hasn't been released this week due to a couple of issues and more testing that needs done with 1.2.7. I have created a new thread for it in the Input and Output section so if you are interested in it then please let me know there. If there is no interest then I will not spend time making it more user friendly and easier to install. Currently I would consider it a mod but this week I have worked hard to reduce modification of any DCS files so it is getting much closer to a release.

 

Find it here:http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=120386

 

Definitely interested in such a thing, have good software working with open source H/W is a good thing.

 

Cheers

 

Peter

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  • 2 months later...

Wow! Nearly 3 months since my last post here. A lot has changed and I have been focusing on the construction mainly. I have "finished" my seat, but like everything in this hobby it will never truly be done. I have a lot of details still to add and of course Deadman's excellent stickers to mount.

 

Since my last update I have also built the sides and a 30 cm platform built in 2 parts to raise everything up. Also it has now moved around the house (again) and I have scored it half the office :D

 

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Due to the cable location on the TMWH I had to mount it 180 degrees and then simply inverted the x and y axis in game. Makes no difference to gameplay at all.

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One of the small details I have built for my pit. This time it's the Chart Light which is switched on and off by the Emergency Flood Light switch on the Electrical Power Panel.

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Hopefully I will have some more pics for you all as I add more to it.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

Thanks guys!

 

Hans, I didn't use any heat or water. Just bent it over the shape using clamps and screwed at every 3 cm on the edges under tension. Seems to have worked out very well despite some of my earlier concerns about not using heat.

 

I now have the right side covered in ply following a different pattern and the left side is painted. Looks even better in grey.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Adjustable Seat and Rudder Pedal Position

 

Not the easiest thing to photograph but anyway 2 sets of car seat runners and a couple of weekends later:

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The entire pedal unit and floor moves as well as the seat for easy access. These modifications call for a new cockpit floor, MIP and centre console with extension into the front.

 

Front extension sides are now both painted and in place. Just working on designs for the main sides now.

 

Boltz

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  • 3 weeks later...

Started work on a new MIP today. I had ideas of using a MIG welder but decided to do that I would at least need a decent prototype first so I cut it out of 9mm ply. Pics are still on my camera but I will upload some tomorrow.

 

It is fillered and sanded along with the central section which is raised from the panel. Also started work on the EMI which I hope to be finishing tomorrow after a supply run.

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