Where's your keyboard & mouse?

[David Rogers]

It get's worse the more you network! My sim is still pretty modest but I am already using 3 PCs:-

- PC1: FS2004.
- PC2: PM Glass Cockpit, MCP, CDU.
- PC3: PM Glass Cockpit (EICAS), PMsounds.

I only really use the PC1 keyboard and mouse once I'm set up - I have a slide-out drawer under my yoke that works brilliantly; it doesn't get in the way and it only appears when you need it briefly.

For my other 2 x PCs, I have "blu-tac'd" the keyboard onto the top of the PC towers, so they're not using any additional space.

[Yoshi]

Hi,

did you already have a look at rack trays?

Just a bunch of links:

http://www.networktechinc.com/keyboard-drawer.html
http://www.starcase.com/keyboard_drawer_detail.htm
http://www.racksolutions.co.uk/rack-...ard-tray.shtml
http://cableorganizer.com/computer-c...ray-shelf.html
http://www.nextag.com/rack-mount-key...ay/search-html
http://www.rackmountnet.com/Rackmoun...yboard-Drawer/
http://www.thomascomputer.com/catalo...t19_kbt24.html
http://www.ipctechnology.com/product...n-dualRail.htm

19" are a lot of space though. Furst choice for Airbus/Falcon 7X builders I suppose

Keywords @ google leading to the links: rack tray keyboard

Cheers

Yoshi

[Kennair]

Mmmmm. Yes keyboard drawers would be good but I don't have the room for that either, maybe if I were building an Airbus, but thanks Yoshi.

David I have two PC's in mine and use a program called Multiplicity which happily shares a single keyboard and mouse across the network (there are other programs out there also). I have both flightsim PC's set to auto-logon so I don't need to use a separate keyboard for that. Of course this 2nd PC still has to have a keyboard plugged in or it fails to boot, but this sits on top of its case out of the way. I still need the main PC keyboard however which is the pain and my dilemma!

Ken.

[David Rogers]

Thanks for that info Ken, I will check out this "Multiplicity" !

[Michael Carter]

Here's what I did to replace the keyboard in my cockpit. The 767 has an Audio panel on the pedestal:


which I can't really make use of so I made one that look similiar:



The volume controls are push buttons instead. I took all the keypresses that I normally would need for FS9 (e.g. ALT to get FS9 menu, F1, F2, F3..... for Aerosoft AES, etc etc ) and assigned to a pushbutton. I hack a cheap USB keyboard, took out the small board and installed in the pedestal and just wire up each pushbutton to it and voila, a small keyboard that looks like it belongs on the pedestal.

For the mouse, I got a small trackball instead (since there not much room anywhere for rolling a mouse on).

Regards,
Henry

I like that. I'd have to come up with one of the other model Gables comm select panels to replace my current Gables unit, but that has real possibilities and is within easy reach. Combined with another Hagstrom card, you can have about anything you want pogrammed.

Rack or slide-out KB trays don't work too well with column mounted yokes. It's a great hiding place though.

I've thought about somehow including a keyboard in the left side panel. Since I have no shell or interior yet, I could build a small hinged shelf attached to the end of the short closet wall on the left side of my MIP and Velcro a wireless keyboard to the shelf.

Prop up the shelf when in use and lower it after a flight using card table props that lock up when the button engages the hole.

The wheels are turning now.

[Radar]

This is not for everybody but its neat

[ame="http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=6qYiaF0E484"]YouTube - DIY Flight Sims Keyboard Modification[/ame]