Interfacing a speed brake lever

[austintan]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to imitate this project shown on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOF7agwN5CA&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL16C334EA47B5BA7A

I have bought a saitek throttle quadrant and trying to make something simmilar to makoy's 777 throttle project in the photo gallery. Now I'm trying to find the dimentions still. But anyway, the guy in the video has used a car turn signal for his speedbrake lever. For me, I'm trying to find some materials to be able to make it into a speedbrake lever.

Now I'm lost here. Some of you may have seen SimSamurai's video on youtube on building your own flaps and trim wheel. He recommended using Desktop Aviatior's interface card instead of Leo's cards and some pots. Now i know nuts about eletronic wiring. If I'm not wrong, I have to use a slide pot for the speedbrake lever. The thing is I do not know wether to use a pot of 100 kohm or something and how to connect it to the interface card.

Any help on this topic is greatly appreciated :)

[jonesthesoftware]

You can use a 10Kohm pot with Opencockpits Card or Leo Bodnar's cards. Open cockpits cards are well supported via the SIOC/Lekseecon software. Leo's is seen by windows as a joystick so easy to configure if used for the throttle functions. Plenty of help available for both products on this and other forums.
regards
geoff

[austintan]

Hi Geoff,

Thanks for your reply. I guess I'll do the flaps lever instead of the speed brake lever. Now what I'm confused is how do I wire up the pots/button to the joystick controller?

[jonesthesoftware]

What interface card are you using mate?
geoff

[austintan]

I have not bought one yet :D but i'm looking at Leo Bodnar's BU0836 since it is one of the most popular around

[makoy]

Hi austintan,

I got all dimentions including TQ from here http://www.project777.com/?mid=2012
There is also much pictures from 777 flightdeck.
I first got OC usb-axis what i still use in my TQ. I just got Leo's X-card and i must to say, that its so easy to use.
With OC card you must use diodes to get on-off toggles and switches to work, with Leo's just direct connection to card. No soldering, no diodes and you can even use also encoders with it.

Regards

[austintan]

Hi makoy,
I have been trying to contact u regarding ur TQ. Which is really one of the nicest I've seen out there. Now I have studied the workbook provided on ur website and some of the photos on ur other website on the TQ. However, the dimensions of the TQ on the workbook are not extensive enough. For example the height of the throttle lever and so on. Btw could u tell me how you build ur levers? It looks like a metal bar with half a spectacle case on each side. Could u advice? Thanks!

[makoy]

5709

Here is picture inside TQ, i hope it helps how i make it.
btw, link i post is not my own page, i just get my dimensions from there. About hight of levers, i dont have exatly right dimensions for those, i just quessing and i think my trottle levers should be higher than i have.
First thing i dun, was making carton TQ box and levers to look how it looks, then comparing it to photos to get close enough dimensions.
First i use switches to flaps, but now i use pot to it. I just leave those switches to get nice click feeling.
You can see on right side OC card, i got 8 on-off switches to work with diodes and registered fsuipc, those are toga, reverses, AT disconnect, nose up/down and fuel valves.
5 pots (speed brake, eng 1, eng 2, flaps and rudder)
I have use 10mm acrylic to levers, L-shape aluminum to base and 5mm plywood to box.

[austintan]

Hi makoy,
thanks for your pictures and info. I'm trying to use some scrape wood to make the levers and flaps and hook it up to the saitek throttle quadrant. While I build a extra flap lever on the side (since the saitek throttle has only 3 levers). Now since I have totally no knowledge of wiring them up, I do not noe where to get the wires to wire them up and how to. I've seen other tutorials which use buttons instead of pots for the flaps lever.