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Going to start small LOL (Read 6021 times)

Mar 31^st, 2009 at 6:09pm

sonic Offline
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North Carolina, US

Posts: 820

I am trying to get into the cockpit thing but going to start small.. Has anyone done the keyboard emulation thing?
Getting a piece of thin wood and drilling holes and placing switches, then taking apart a keyboard and following the etch to the keyboard card. THen placing the wires to the switches. I would really like to set something like this up...
I have 2 questions however'
1. Can I use any keyboard I have several standerd hook up ones. Or do I need a USB.
2. Switches A web site I looked at said he built his for 12 bucks I cant find switches for less than 2 bucks a piece. What swithes are best to use.

Thanks Mike

&&Specs&&E6300, 3 gigs 800 Ram, 8800GT oc, 400gig Sata drive, Windows XP Pro 64 Bit..

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Reply #1 - Mar 31^st, 2009 at 6:48pm

Romflyer Offline
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Well I have been using a similar concept to what your thinking, only I've been leaving the keyboard in one peice, just mounting it behind a panel. I use one for combat sims, and one for FS
As for the usb thing, I got a ps2 to usb adapter for about $20 that way you can use a cheap and simple (old)keyboard, which are getting hard to find(new)

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Reply #2 - Mar 31^st, 2009 at 7:29pm

sonic Offline
Colonel
North Carolina, US

Posts: 820

Looks a little easier than digging into keyboards.
I am mainly looking for something that will work with airliners and ga stuff.
I noticed the bottem one was more like I was looking for. How did you get the flaps lever like that? I was considering something like this but couldnt fiqure out how to align everything with the keys.
Did you drill out holes and glue etc.. pieces.
You wouldnt by any chance have instructions would you LOL

&&Specs&&E6300, 3 gigs 800 Ram, 8800GT oc, 400gig Sata drive, Windows XP Pro 64 Bit..

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Reply #3 - Apr 1^st, 2009 at 11:43am

Romflyer Offline
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Drill and glue is pretty much exactly how I did this, attached is a sectional of how I made the flap switch(and trim wheel/pivot)

I dont really have any instructions but this is a picture of where I started....I made the base and stood up the keyboard which gave me a chance to use stickers as labels and plan out the mapping of the buttons

It is only a matter of time before I redo both of these projects and incorporate some actual switches and dials, even a dedicated gauges monitor.....but until life stops getting in the damn way Roll Eyes

Roll Eyes

these little units make my simming a little more........fun
I got the original idea from this http://rogerdodger.net/diyflightsims.html

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Reply #4 - Apr 1^st, 2009 at 12:42pm

sonic Offline
Colonel
North Carolina, US

Posts: 820

Thanks that helps alot, so the front piece isnt actually touching the keyboard but its close right.
Also the square switches what material did you use for them. Did you glue them to keys..
One more question sorry, What is the face made from wood, plastic, metal.
Thanks Romflyer you have been very helpful..

&&Specs&&E6300, 3 gigs 800 Ram, 8800GT oc, 400gig Sata drive, Windows XP Pro 64 Bit..

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Reply #5 - Apr 1^st, 2009 at 1:19pm

Romflyer Offline
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The front peice of 1/8" painted MDF is close to the keyboard but not touching it. The buttons on the FS panel were made with 3/4" MDF stock milled down to 3/4"x 3/4" x 3/4" cubes then painted......on my second panel (combat sim panel)I used 1/2" doweling and cut it down into 3/4" pieces then painted them, this was a much easier solution, and it made the holes in the front panel MUCH easier (5/8" drill)

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Reply #6 - Apr 1^st, 2009 at 1:46pm

sonic Offline
Colonel
North Carolina, US

Posts: 820

Just a few more questions I promise, Are they glued to the keyboard?
and finally Did you have enough room to use two keyboard buttons side by side or did you have to skip one in between.
I may substitue the square buttons with round just becuase its easier to drill than cut squares.LOL

&&Specs&&E6300, 3 gigs 800 Ram, 8800GT oc, 400gig Sata drive, Windows XP Pro 64 Bit..

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Reply #7 - Apr 1^st, 2009 at 1:55pm

Romflyer Offline
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I would definately suggest dowels. I used silicon to attach the buttons to the keyboard buttons. the keyboard buttons are 3/4" so you can use them side by side

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Reply #8 - Apr 1^st, 2009 at 3:21pm

sonic Offline
Colonel
North Carolina, US

Posts: 820

What do you have the up and down arrows assigned to . The ones about the swap, nav, com buttons.
Is your nav, com buttons set to ident. or select.
The reason I ask is I cant seem to find anything in fs to adjust altitude, or airspeed in AP. I have to adjust it by using the mouse with the radio stack.

&&Specs&&E6300, 3 gigs 800 Ram, 8800GT oc, 400gig Sata drive, Windows XP Pro 64 Bit..

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Reply #9 - Apr 2^nd, 2009 at 11:26am

Romflyer Offline
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The two buttons above the nav com buttons are the stock zoom + -, they also work (sometimes) to increase or decrease the selected nav or com frequency which are right below them. As you can see on my prototype version I was hoping to be able to adjust alt hold settings Huh

Huh

, and for that matter speed hold settings, these were just wishfull thinking and they never made the final cut......this was exactly the reason I showed you that picture, make sure you do something similar before you start making final plans because you have the option to completely relayout the button assignments and this takes a bit of trial and error.
If you dont mind me asking......what are you planning Wink

Wink

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Reply #10 - Apr 2^nd, 2009 at 11:31am

JBaymore Offline
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Clever simple approach there, ROMflyer. Thanks for sharing the explanations and diagrams.

best,

..................john

Intel i7 960 quad 3.2G LGA 1366, Asus P6X58D Premium, 750W Corsair, 6 gig 1600 DDR3, Spinpoint 1TB 7200 HD, Caviar 500G 7200 HD, GTX275 1280M, Logitec Z640, Win7 Pro 64b, CH Products yoke, pedals + throttle quad, simpit

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Reply #11 - Apr 2^nd, 2009 at 12:55pm

sonic Offline
Colonel
North Carolina, US

Posts: 820

Hey Rom, thanks again I am still in the designing phase LOL, But I will for sure post a pic when I get the layout done to get your input on what I should change, remove, add etc...

&&Specs&&E6300, 3 gigs 800 Ram, 8800GT oc, 400gig Sata drive, Windows XP Pro 64 Bit..

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Reply #12 - Apr 21^st, 2010 at 12:01pm

Romflyer Offline
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Well I recently did some upgrading to my little minipit, and thought I should share..

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Reply #13 - Apr 21^st, 2010 at 6:34pm

JBaymore Offline
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Nice the see the yoke there.

best,

.............john

Intel i7 960 quad 3.2G LGA 1366, Asus P6X58D Premium, 750W Corsair, 6 gig 1600 DDR3, Spinpoint 1TB 7200 HD, Caviar 500G 7200 HD, GTX275 1280M, Logitec Z640, Win7 Pro 64b, CH Products yoke, pedals + throttle quad, simpit

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Reply #14 - May 4^th, 2010 at 3:35am

PilotGonzo Offline
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Excellent work! A+

Great improvisation.

Intel i7 930 o/c @ 4.0ghz. Asus Rampage II Gene. 6gb Corsair Trident 2000mhz. GTX 285. Corsair TX750w PSU. Corsair H50 Water Cooling. WD Velociraptor 150gb 10,000rpm FSX HDD. 1TB WD OS drive 7,200 RPM.

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Reply #15 - Oct 29^th, 2010 at 12:44pm

Solid Offline
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Panama

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Beautiful work of improvisation, you did a wonderful job.....

Gera

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Reply #16 - Feb 7^th, 2011 at 6:38pm

Romflyer Offline
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Canada

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So as much as I love my FS, I also have a small addiction problem with combat Jet sims Roll Eyes

Roll Eyes

....... my latest project is now functional, though not complete, and I figured I should share.

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Reply #17 - Feb 8^th, 2011 at 2:20pm

BuggsK100RS Offline
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Hmm looks like a good concept you could also use one of the flexible keyboards that are now out and about to have a center console and other buttons too.

(Like that new black pit bendy K bord down the middle side ways)

Oh and if you don't know the Keyboards Im on about its these

http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/keyboards-mice/5a7f/

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Reply #18 - Feb 8^th, 2011 at 7:12pm

Romflyer Offline
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Yes I have eyed those flexy keyboards up.......I wouldnt want to put anything on top of the Map display(center console), the maps have a plastic cover and I use a dry-erase marker for waypoints and mission info....as far as getting any extra buttons, between the two MFDs and ICP buttons I really dont need any more buttons....I could see possibly getting a few extra engine or systems management on the left console side but thats not really the kind of flying fun the this thing is intended for.......there is an angled panel section just in front of the throttle that I am thinking about getting some more goodies onto it.....and yes the flexy thing (keyboard)did come to mind..... Cheesy

Cheesy

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Reply #19 - Feb 9^th, 2011 at 3:08pm

BuggsK100RS Offline
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I do keep on not being able to remember what key to press (ah I do remember the days when games came with paper Keyboard over lays ) some times I end up in all sorts of trouble searching for that key to press before I run out of runway!!

Now if only I had the cash for one of these rather expensive but truly fantastic bits of kit!!

Also Just Imagine striping one to use the buttons in a sim pit Cheesy

Cheesy

Shocked

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