Aces High Bulletin Board
Help and Support Forums => Help and Training => Topic started by: Roscoroo on January 13, 2006, 11:17:32 AM
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Here ya Go Fuze
I built these totally from scratch .
There just single potitiomiter .. as of now .. but i was wondering if dual pots would give them more percise setting .
they work really well with my panther js .. but they do wander the calibration alittle after many hours of thrashing on them .
(http://s90945482.onlinehome.us/roosite/Secret%20link%20folder/roopeddles.jpg)
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Too much time on your hands! :aok :rofl :lol :rofl
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Need to put your avatar on 'em, and start a business on the side.
Looks like those puppies could hold up to some serious pounding!
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freak
:p
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Looking good Roo :)
I'd post a picture of the wooden ones I tried to make but I'd get laughed out of the flight sim community as a whole.
I give you guys enough to laugh about already :D
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my question is, how do progam them to interface with the game?
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How did ya bend the aluminium and how did you soldier/weld em?
You have tools on your hand?
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very cool rosco! :aok
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I killed a saitec st 290 pro .. for the main controller board , 8 way hat , lower buttons . then put all that into a mad catz panther joystick .
the potentiomiters are far superior in the panther so i used those .
for the rudder peds i used a pot from a old tm stick and connected it to the saitec board 's previous (twisty) rudder connection .. using an old game port plug (the panther stick used a game port plug previously for the rudder connect .
i placed a disc on the pot then made a sloted bar that connects to the peddle main tube as for it was too sensitive and needed some built in freeplay . I added 2 more springs to the disc to hold it to an auto center .
the foot pads rotate about 30 deg's total because i sloted and added a post for a stop .
So far i have no spiking ... but i do get and off calibration every once and a while in the peddles ,I'm thinking twin pots in series may be the ticket here . I have another set of peddles that work this way and they were rock solid cal wise .. but there action is very hard to do comfortly . (they are sitting on top of the toolbox )
So these are my 1st set i made .. just a tinker project after work ..
( yes i bend,weld,beat up metal all the time )
I'll make another set soon but with lots of improvements .
a bearing instead of bushing in the center pivot for starters.
Design brakes , along with the main springs hidden underneath .
Then make adjustable spring rates, main stops, ped angles.
for interface it programs the same as a saitec and connects usb .
i had to make schematics for bolth sticks by hand and ohmmeter .. (Yes i wrote to bolth manufacturers and searched the net for weeks for them)
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Nice weilds!
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Mr. Roo, can I have one? :)
If someone is as gifted as Roo with tools, there's a bunch of project for home made pedals (and much more) in the "How to" section of this site: (http://www.flightsim.com)
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Looks good! I'm still using my 14 year old TM peds :). I was also wondering about the throws of the pedals. Seems a little short. My thoughts were more throw - more precise rudder control especially around center. But, as you say, it's a first try and very well done!
:aok
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they have a 4 inch total travel with 1/2 -3/4's inch dead zone in center , which i was sort of after . My old peds were a work out to run ,,, one set was like a clutch in a 51 chev truck ... and the other was well like peddling a paddle boat .
I will probly increase the travel on my second set that ive started ( most of the mechanism will be underneath this time)
im thinking 6 inches total with adjustable distance stops down to 4 inches . along with adj spring tension this time .
ive been playing with the sliders in the cal for them and i can make them supersensitive or nice and forgiving . They defentally Love Combat trim off and ive only gotten the dreaded moving your controls too fast lock up only once in combat so far ... I think that may have been a game bug too as for i havent reproduced it yet . they've also settled down on needed recaled as of late (I soldered the wires to the pot instead of using connectors )
Gianlupo, Yes Good Site and I did get some info there , along with tons of research elsewere.
But the whole idea here was to create my own .. ("It's Alive ... It's Alive ") kinda thing ... I'm after more funtional /comfortable vs realistic .
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You should vac. your floor once a year weather it needs it or not.:rofl
Seriously, they look good, I do some fabricating from time to time myself.
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Originally posted by Roscoroo
ive been playing with the sliders in the cal for them and i can make them supersensitive or nice and forgiving . They defentally Love Combat trim off and ive only gotten the dreaded moving your controls too fast lock up only once in combat so far ... I think that may have been a game bug too as for i havent reproduced it yet . they've also settled down on needed recaled as of late (I soldered the wires to the pot instead of using connectors )
I don't think the "moving controls rapidly" is a game bug. An easy fix is to move your damper slider up just a little then try it again. The damper works to delay your input somewhat. In other words if you have a tendency to yank your stick (read: tromp pedals) when you take rounds and want to get out of their way sliding that bar up a little will "delay" that input to the controls just enuff to stop the messages. Try it and you will see the messages go away. Also, sensitivity of the throws might be set high? As in the slightest touch sends the message so fast to move the control surface that you get the message. I'm pretty sure the damper slider may fix your problems though. Again, nice job! :)
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it only happened when someone was very close to stick stiring when i was 200 back i basically went to neutral on all inputs and waited for them to cross again for the shot .. thats when i got the only message so far .. thats why i kinda think its close to being a small bug .. i havent duplicated it since though . and have gotten even more aggressive on my settings .
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Nice work Mate, they look like they could take a beating.....
I am looking at making my own Stick, Multi Quadrant Throttle and some other stuff as well, its nice to know I am not the only nut willing to try it
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Going back to this whole "make your own peds" deal:
How much did this set you back? Parts wise?
You can by pots at radio shack, yes? What does the average (100ohm, I'm guessing??) pot cost? Do you have to raid an existing stick or is there a way to "fake"/make your own controller board?
I've basically accepted I will NEVER be able to afford pedals. I might be able to create my own, however..... Someday.... with lots of trial and error (more latter than former).
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Krusty, I can't afford the CH pedals either, but I have a steering wheel & racing pedal combo that I bought @ Wal-mart for $30. AH recognizes the both my X52 & the steering wheel, so I have my rudder inputs set to the pedals & the X52 for everything else. It's crude; I don't have toe brake control but the rudder action works. :aok
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You mean the brake is one rudder direction and the accelerator is the other?
That might work. Most I've seen have been asymmetrical, however, and I think that would really throw me off (never having had them before)
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Krusty
Buy a cheap stick and use the pot thats in it for your peds.
You may have to desolder the Pot from a PCB and it will take a bit or "creative destruction" but you can make em to any size shape ect that you want.
You could use the buttons on it to setup toe brakes on your peds......
Mussie
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Mussie I've got some experience soldering, and if I went out and bought my own iron I could do that, but I have 2 concerns.
1) Actually making the parts strong enough to take feet and weight, and that won't snap or fall apart --- Unlike Rosco there, I can't weld or anything like that. I'm a mediocre woodworker, but can get some things done. The big problem is just fashioning the actual parts (non-electronic schtuff)
2) On another page that showed how to make your own home-made throttle, the 100ohm potentiometer was a sturdy metal piece. In the only stick I've fully taken apart and put back together (Logitech Wingman Extreme 3D) the pots were plastic and crappy as hell. VERY light-weight. Would NOT stand up for use in pedals. Can anyone recommend a good radio-shack pot, or a stick that is wearing the proverbial "Canabalize Me!" sign?
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Originally posted by Krusty
Unlike Rosco there, I can't weld or anything like that.
Yeah that would screw me up to..... Working with metal is impossible without the right tools...
Originally posted by Krusty
2) On another page that showed how to make your own home-made throttle, the 100ohm potentiometer was a sturdy metal piece. In the only stick I've fully taken apart and put back together (Logitech Wingman Extreme 3D) the pots were plastic and crappy as hell. VERY light-weight. Would NOT stand up for use in pedals. Can anyone recommend a good radio-shack pot, or a stick that is wearing the proverbial "Canabalize Me!" sign?
Another very valid point.....
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I canablized a saitec st290 (29.00 ) twisty type stick . (total cost besides about 4 hrs time)
the saitec has decient Pots and i needed the main controler board from it . the board in my mad catz was burnt out and only supported 2 fourway hats (i wanted the single 8 way hat ) i could of used all of the saitec pots but the mad catz had real good ones to start with so i used those .
as for gathering other parts the local thrift stores are a great place for finding old thustmasters/CH .. (they have better pots that can be used)
stay away from logitec junk the pots are cheap plastic and are useless for for a good setup
for all the alum, moly ,ect parts ... well i just stole them outta the scrap bin at work and sat my tail down in front of the Tig welder for a hour or so.
my new set of peds I'm currently building is using 2 pots from a TM stick wired in series for the center pole .
i'll have to scan all my specs, ohm value's, ect later for ya if your interested . I wrote the whole mess down ..(i believe the pots see a 80 ohm diff from center to full deflection either way )
stay tuned ... more later (after work)
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Cool Roscoroo, we will have to get Skuzzy to start a new forum.....
"The Lab" Or "The Work Shop" Or as my wife would call it "What the hell are you doing now".........
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lol Mussie :P
Rosco those scans would be much appreciated, to understand how you figured things out.
Forgive this semi-ignorant question: I can understand having 1 pot per axis, but how do you use 2 pots for 1 rudder movement? Don't they conflict? Or is it all in the way you set them up on the controller board that you pulled from the Saitek stick you mentioned?
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you have 3 connections per pot
1 2 3 no 1 pot
1 2 3 no 2 pot
1 on no 1 pot is AE the left side of the axis
3 on no 2 pot is right side of axis
2 is the neutral on bolth pots and 3 on no 1 gets connected to no 1 on pot 2
it basically reads like a single pot , but gives the setup a smoother elec signal overall .
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Rosco, I'd love to see any of the technical stuff you're worked out on that pedal setup. I've got 2 old Saitek cyborgs and a Logitech that are in various states of dysfunctionality, and have been tinkering with the idea of building either a throttle with lots of buttons, and possibly a second hat, or pedals, but have been loath to try to lay out the schematics. Other than replacing all of the hat switches and some loose connections, I haven't done much in the way of electronic repairs/troubleshooting in years.
I suspect the St90 and the cyborgs (not the EVO, perhaps, but the older ones) use the same basic board, switches, and pots. anyway, I'd be interested in seeing any of this tech stuff you've figured out.
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here we go Roopeds set #2
I tosses some other misc parts there for your comparison..
Im still working on the rotating pads and working out the toe brakes ..
(http://s90945482.onlinehome.us/roosite/Secret%20link%20folder/ped2a.jpg)
my 1st set was done with a bushing over a Shock stud .. this second set uses a bicycle head/fork post cut down ... i still need to get springs and set up a tenson turn type buckle for them .
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the top side ...
(http://s90945482.onlinehome.us/roosite/Secret%20link%20folder/ped2b.jpg)
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Thanks for taking the time to show us your progress. Unfortunately, I do not believe I could get anything together that functions like that. To quote a frustrated Daniel Jackson in Stargate the movie, "I'm never getting [my rudder peds]..."
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That's very clever, Rosco, I hadn't even considered hacking up a bike for the pivot/bearings. Very nice.
Project Cheap Throttle is going to drive me to drinking. I just figured out why all of the switches are DPST. ugh, gonna have to have them all connected. While more buttons is good, that's a lot more hamfisted soldering of tiny things. :rolleyes:
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RESURRECTION ALERT
I hereby resurrect this thread to life.
I want to make my own throttle quadrant. Consider it a long-term project. I'm a novice in this area, as well.
Gianlupo's link no longer has a quick link to the guy that custom-made his own throttle quadrant. I think that's where I saw it. Anyways, I'd like to see if anybody remembers that link, and/or has any new info on custom projects they have done.
P.S. Hubs, what is DPST? Why does that mean you have to include them all? Can't you just include the axis you want then leave all buttons off (or add as many buttons as you want?)?
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Update: I decided to start a new post in the hardware and software forum.
Please visit the other thread for more info (http://www.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=188615)