New to forum and building cockpit instruments and controls.

[muttley]

Well that is not exactly true as I made some rudder pedals out of some rotary pots and wood I had laying around. But that is some time ago and that was done under the old game port connections.

Hello,
My name is Robert and I live in Atlanta, Georgia. I have messed around with FS for some years now and I am at a point where I want to start building or buying controls and instruments for my own use. I would prefer to build my own for the learning expreience which would allow me to build up as I go.

My first project is going to be a trim wheel. I would like it to be USB along with a digital readout that will allow me to see the numerical position of the trim tab. So my first question will be...Where does one start to learn what is needed to do this?

Thanks and see you around the forums.
Robert... a.k.a muttley

[BlackWidow]

Welcome to the Forums.

So if i might ask what type of simulator are you planning on building?

[muttley]

I do not have a specific cockpit. I fly a lot of the smaller GA aircraft so the wheel would be appropriate. The trim wheel is something I would like. plus it will be a good learning experience for my first project.

Robert

[Westozy]

Hi and welcome to MyCockpit, hope you enjoy the site and please share your pics with us.

Gwyn

[Tim]

Hi Robert,

You might find something on the trim wheel here:

http://www.mikesflightdeck.com/


Richard

[Bob Reed]

Hi Robert, and welcome to the mayhem! Hope you find what you are looking for. We have lots of builders more then ready to share there knowledge! So ask away and as you learn, share your knowledge as well. And we do like pictures!!!

[muttley]

Thanks for the welcome... It looks like a lot to learn.

Tim, thanks for the link it looks like I have a lot of reading ahead of me.

PhidgetUSA has some interesting products. Maybe I should start with an interface kit and practice with a basic setup? From there I can make the final project once I know what it will take electronics\softeware wise.

Robert

[Trevor Hale]

Muttley,

One other thing you might want to consider is...

If you take apart an old joystick you can attach a Potentiometer to the joystick input. Through FSUIPC you can Assign that axis on the joystick to "TRIM" and adjust it. Next your challenge is the Digital readout. Out could do this mechanically that as you rotate the wheel a linkage connected to a bar would move a pointer along a scale.

If you truley want digital readout, you can buy cheap a micrometer (ruler with a digital scale on it) and as the wheel turns to moves that micrometer one way or the other giving you some kind of readout.

Or Like you said get some kind of interface input/output board and play.

Best regards and welcome to MYcockpit.org.

As always please post pictures of your progress in the gallery.

Happy pit building

Best regards,

Trev

[muttley]

I am going to try USB. The link Tim posted has some good info that I will need and gives a good overhead of some of the ideas I want to try.

All my joysticks are old...Game Port old and most of my computer equipment is in storage as I am in between houses.

I will start another thread once I create my listof what I think will work.

One question before I go any further. If I build something to work in FS9 will it work with FSX?

Thanks
Robert

[jmig]

One question before I go any further. If I build something to work in FS9 will it work with FSX?

Thanks
Robert

Generally, yes! Although, MS changed some of the addresses in Fsx from FS9. So, if you are trying to do something with a specific address, you could run into problems. Peter Dawson had to develop a new version of FSUIPC for FSx. Leo at Beta Innovators gave up on MSFS after Microsoft came out with Fsx.

I would say if it is something that can be set within the program, you are good to go. If it is a macro that tricks MSFS into doing something, you might have a problem running it in both versions.

BTW- Welcome to the group.