Need Help with my yokes

[QF6228]

For the interface I just used a hacked joystick.... I think it was like a $20 thrustmaster topgun. That was over 2 years ago and still going strong. You can buy proper interfaces which allow more than just the xyz of a joystick. All of the flightsim interface guys have a control interface of some type, which would allow all throttles,brakes,yokes and switches from the one interface.

For under $30 though I got both yokes/pedals,brakes,autopilot disconnects,trim up-trim downs and mic switches working as they should and I stll have one axis left over for steering.

What are you currently using?

Also have you visited the How to section of flightsim.com? They have some great articles and plenty of pictures of building yokes,throttles pedals which also might go well with trying to solve your problem. Without seeing pictures of your setup its hard to try and pinpoint what the problem could be.

Gary

Hacking a joystick is what i have done, but i replaced the pots on the joystick with 100k potensionmeters.

1 option i have and keen to try is a force feed back logitech wheel.

[Michael Carter]

I hacked my CH Flight yoke. I had to make an aluminum mount for the pot and bend it so that it would make contact where it was supposed to with the gears.

It was pretty much trial and error since it's difficult to get anything inside of the PVC pipe to measure anything.

The gears came out of a scrapped power antenna housing.

Mine is calibrated in Windows. I didn't have much as much luck with FSUIPC for the yoke as I did for my throttle. Probably operator error, but it works just fine.

I'm still trying to work out a return-to-center sytem. I had a spring set up working really well, but the ends of the springs fatigued and broke off at the shaft collar where they were attached.

I'm going to try again this time using some small aluminum tabs that use the shaft collar screws to hold in position and drill a hole through each one to hold the end of the spring. The other end of the springs are attached to a 5/16' rod that passes across the diameter of the yoke shaft about 5" down.

[Michael Carter]

How do you have them connected to the yoke? Can you post some pix for us?

The white shaft you see with the small gear on the end is 1-1/8" Delrin rod from McMaster-Carr. It just so happens that this is nearly the same diameter as the splined Boeing yoke center, and some gentle tapping with a ball-pien hammer set the Delrin rod in about three inches and cut splines in the Delrin to hold it in position. I got really lucky there.

I could see the little slivers of Delrin being peeled back as it was tapped into the yoke center. Pretty 'smoooth' man. (Capt. Caneman)

The gear on the end of the Delrin rod is screwed and glued.

[QF6228]

That look realy good skunk....
I used gears first attempt and so far have found them to be most effective.
However, the elevator was not so successful.

Anywayz im still battling it out and have the good old trusty Logitech momo wheel to hack!!!!!

[Gsey]

Before hacking that wheel i would try a different pot. If you had success with one but not the other it could be as simple as a bad pot. Also check your soldering as you could have a cold joint. The fact that you had one working ok tells us that you just need to concentrate on that one bad pot. You may also need to change the way you have it mounted. How is your setup? Are you doing it cessna style (like ch yokes) or Boeing sytle with a full column?

Gary

[QF6228]

You can take a look at my yokes here.....
You will see that i have shafts fitted on each pivot point to place
the pots/gears.
Im going to try 10k pots rather than 100k pots with gears again.
Thanks for all your help so far guys its been a great help
Damien

http://www.mycockpit.org/photopost/s...ry.php?cat=561

[Gsey]

Thats a nice setup you have there. I see where you might be having probs with the elevator. Have another try with the pots that come from the joystick and if that doesnt work, PM me. After a few small changes we will have you flying in no time.

Gary

[QF6228]

Gsey thanks mate i'll give it another go tonight

[Michael Carter]

I was back in the shop this morning trying out my idea for the return-to-center function of the yoke.

I cut two small aluminum angles and drilled holes for the shaft collar screws to pass through. The two angles are inserted between the halves of the shaft collar and then tightened down.

The angles beld out slightly from 90 degrees and have another small hole drilled in the other half to hold the springs.

So far it's working very well. At least my springs won't fatigue crack like the last pair did. I had to trim a little of the unused portion of the large gear so the springs would clear while the yoke is turned to the extreme left or right (about 70 degrees).

Sorry about the photo quality.

[Gsey]

Thats some nice work you have done there especially with the limited space you have to work with. So is that a real column you have had to cut into or did you make your own?

Gary