737 Panels, Build your own, Can anyone help?

[Spoceto1003]

I want to build a 737 Sim, I am planning the overhead panel. I don't need the switches to work, but I want toggles switches and knobs in the right place, so it looks right...but I don't want to buy each panel for around 25 Euros from places like Cockpitsonic shop, unless there is no alternative,
I was hoping that there was a way of printing off images from my PC which I could them fit behind acrylic.
Is there anyone who has come across a similar problem, I want to be proud of my own sim knowing that I made it, as opposed to just piecing the bits together.
Thanks in anticipation

[Mike.Powell]

In fact, some people have done just that. There are many variations on that theme.

One option is to buy a procedures training poster and mount it on some sort of backing. You can then cut holes in the appropriate locations and mount switches and lights. The poster provides the various markings and panel color.

Another option is to use a drawing program to create an image of the overhead and have a printing firm print the image in color, full size.

You can even create back lighting. If you use "lighting white" acrylic sheet plastic, you can embed LEDs in shallow holes drilled into the back of the acrylic. A paper overlay with white markings on color background will light up slightly. It will take some experimenting to find the correct combination of paper opacity and number of LEDs. I've been experimenting with 5mm high output, wide angle LED from one of the Ebay vendors with promising results.

[Spoceto1003]

Thanks for your advice, I have looked at other forum threads and 737 Gez has e-mailed me CAD drawings, You mention training posters, that sounds interesting? do you know where you can get these from? and for how much?

Thanks again for your advice Spoceto1003

[Geremy Britton]

It's ended now, but that was listed on ebay a couple of weeks back. That would be ideal for you i guess.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=150318367866&ih=005&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=

That gives you an idea of cost too.

Keep a look out for at least the posters, they're on frequently.

Otherwise you can modify the CAD file i sent you to include colour and get it printed at a local print/architects office for 30 quid ish for the overhead at 1:1

Hope that helps - and good luck with the up and coming building by the way!

...

[Mike.Powell]

Thanks for your advice, I have looked at other forum threads and 737 Gez has e-mailed me CAD drawings, You mention training posters, that sounds interesting? do you know where you can get these from? and for how much?

Thanks again for your advice Spoceto1003

I was thinking about Avsoft (www.avsoft.com (http://www.avsoft.com)). However, after taking a fresh look at the site, I don't think the affordable posters are printed to scale.

[phil744]

if you was to make your panels induvidually then you can use a normal A4 printer to produce the artwork and it will give more detail aswell.

[Shawn]

I want to build a 737 Sim, I am planning the overhead panel. I don't need the switches to work, but I want toggles switches and knobs in the right place, so it looks right...but I don't want to buy each panel for around 25 Euros from places like Cockpitsonic shop, unless there is no alternative,
I was hoping that there was a way of printing off images from my PC which I could them fit behind acrylic.
Is there anyone who has come across a similar problem, I want to be proud of my own sim knowing that I made it, as opposed to just piecing the bits together.
Thanks in anticipation

I have been experimenting with exactly what you described. Printing homemade images on my inkjet printer and mounting them to the back of a piece of plexiglass with a spray on adhesive. On my first attempt I only sprayed the adhesive to the plexiglass and you could see areas that didn't bond as well as I would have liked. I'll be making a second attempt this weekend and will post some pics if it works out. This is an example of one of the panels I am building. I only use the autopilot so I can go to the bathroom or get another beer, so it's functionality is pretty limited. :wink:

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/9665/autopilotjw6.png (http://imageshack.us)

[Bob Reed]

I too was looking at doing the OH this way but... How do you cut all those square holes in the plexi?

[Michael Carter]

The question begs to be asked, so I will.

Why would you want to have an overhead that looked like an overhead, had all of the switches, but didn't work?

There's really no point in going to all of that sort of trouble and then not hooking it up to an input card.

Just a curious observation.

[Spoceto1003]

Michael,
thanks for your post, however we don't all have the technical expertise to be able to build a fully functioning overhead panel, but I would like to be able to have my own sim, that I can enjoy with the look and feel of a 737,
If I had the electrical knowledge to do it all, then I would, but I don't.
Different folks like different strokes....
It is good that we are all not the same...

[Michael Carter]

It's not difficult to do and doesn't require any electrical knowledge at all to hook up switches.

Solder two wires to the switch and plug it into the card on the terminals.

Tell FSUIPC what you want it to do through the drop-down menu and you're done.

Not everything in this hobby requres a computer science or electrical engineering degree.

We'll help you too. ;)

[Bob Reed]

It's not difficult to do and doesn't require any electrical knowledge at all to hook up switches.

Solder two wires to the switch and plug it into the card on the terminals.

Tell FSUIPC what you want it to do through the drop-down menu and you're done.

Not everything in this hobby requres a computer science or electrical engineering degree.

We'll help you too. ;)

Yes there are lots of folks in here willing to help. And if you do it right, you can start out slow with the switches and let the OH grow as your skills do!

[Mike.Powell]

GlynD has been making panels by gluing printed images to a backing plate. He's registered here, but posts more frequently on the Viperpit forums. (His project is an AH-64 Apache helicopter gunship.)

His Viperpit project thread is here: http://www.viperpits.org/smf/index.php?topic=2905.0

He has posted pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/glyndavies/sets/72157601448095349/

[Spoceto1003]

Guys
I really appreciate all the help this site has to offer, if it wasn't for this site I wouldn't even be attempting my own build.

I have FS2004, I plan on using mainly USB type controls on my sim, I would love to have working switches, even if it only turned on the Taxi lights....
But sometimes this site sounds like a different language to a novice builder, I don't know what FSUIPC is? and I understand about soldering the wires to the switch but onto what card on where?, that has lost me completey.
Again I apologise for the ignorance and your help is always appreciated.

[Spoceto1003]

I have now realised that if I have an interface card, I will be able to have some of my toggle switches working on my overhead panel,
I only need a small card as it will only be used for this....

Can anyone recommend a Interface card that requires mimimum set up that can work up to 6 switches
Thanks for the help.....

[salautom]

maybe you can have a look at http://www.opencockpits.com/catalog/electronic-cards-iocards-c-21.html
there you find al kinds of interface cards specialy made for our hobby.
you need first some reading (ask here a couple of questions), but after a while, you will understand how it works, and then you can build your complete cockpit if you want.
FSUIPC: http://www.schiratti.com/dowson.html, a way that an interface card can 'talk' with flithsimulator and vice versa.

[Michael Carter]

Loe Bodnar's card will do more than that, plus your control axis's (how the heck do you spell the plural of 'axis') and rotary encoders if you wish.

It has 32 inputs and is well worth the money.

Go here: http://www.leobodnar.com/products/BU0836X/


I have now realised that if I have an interface card, I will be able to have some of my toggle switches working on my overhead panel,
I only need a small card as it will only be used for this....

Can anyone recommend a Interface card that requires mimimum set up that can work up to 6 switches
Thanks for the help.....

[mounty]

Shawn,

Which program did you use to make the paper panels out of?

Thanks

Rob

[Kennair]

I did some experimenting with home printed panels and found the ideal for backlighting was to use Westozy's method he wrote up for a Computer Pilot article some time ago. Produce a colour print of your panel first then print a black mask using clear transparency film of the same image. Very carefully line up the mask underneath the colour print so the lettering align perfectly. This will allow the backlighting to shine through the white lettering yet avoid bleed elsewhere. It's very effective, although not as effective as laser cut panels (which is what I ended up purchasing).

And yes a purchase of some sort of card such as Leo Bodner's will allow actual functionality as well.

Ken.

[Shawn]

Shawn,

Which program did you use to make the paper panels out of?

Thanks

Rob


I used Paintshop Pro to design the panels but any paint program that allows you to work with layers would work. I then saved them as Bmp file and inserted them into a word document as a picture. Inserting them into a word document allowed me to easily adjust the size of the artwork and print test copies on regular paper until I got things looking right. I then printed the final version onto high gloss photo paper and cut them out with an exacto knife and a ruler.

[Shawn]

Like I mentioned in the PM Rob, since you have Corel Draw you could develop artwork in a file type (I used EPS.format) that most engravers will be able to read. These are a couple of panels I have put together for a procedural trainer I am working on.

1492

1493

1494

[spiro]

hello to all i am a new builder and have seaechet all the sites for 737 panels
it seams that they are a bit expencive i have alots of plexiglass and tools
but i can not understand how to ingrave the letters on th panels?if i paint the plexiglass how do iget letters on them it might sound like a stipid qestion but
like i said i am neww:D

[mounty]

Yeah,

I second Mikes response. These days you don't need to know a whole lot. If you're going to the trouble of building panels with dummy switches, then the next step is easy using something like Leo Bodnars joystrick board and FSUIPC. As Mike said it's just a matter of wiring the switches to the board and then selecting the actions in FSUIPC. FSUIPC already contains the Macro's for all the overhead functions so you don't need any programming know how. Wiring and allocating functions will probably not take as long as it does to make the panels.

Rob