Project Controller 1

[Loriath]

I'm assuming a Warthog HOTAS is included as complimentary gesture.

As for showing up, I'm only 19k lys away, you could come to me, a bit of effort on your part wouldn't go a miss you know

Do Dawg' measurements include toilet breaks?

What Warthog? Its lumber with some switches stuck on with glue, your expecting too much for such a great price! And I did move closer to you. I went left out of the base so I was at least 19 or 20km closer to you yesterday.

And yes, they do include "Dawg" breaks, and when he does take a break he forgets everything he had already did and he has to start over. And at least SOMEONE read the fine print.

[Cmdr Kharma]

Decided to carry on with the electronic stuff anyway....I *Think* I have a solution for the buttons and plate problem...But it's not going to be pretty....But it should work....

Anyway.....Yesterday I completed the left hand button array.....

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Spot the deliberate *Cough* mistake ??........

Yep I soldered the connector on the wrong way around....It should not be a problem though.....

Tonight I put the links on the right hand button array......Soldered the switches in position and soldered the 15 way connector on...

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Bit blurry that one......

Cont.......

[Cmdr Kharma]

Then I decided to risk soldering the connectors to the 4 button panels on the riser......

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I was worried about fooking that one up.....But it turned out OK.....

The reason I am using connectors and not soldering direct to the boards is so that the buttons/button arrays can easily be disconnected and used again if needed....

Now just got to work on the centre array........

Oh I wish I had not taken that stupid 37 pirate kill mission....Now tomorrow I have to complete it or it times out.....When I could do a bit more on the controller......Silly thing is I earn more with escape pods......

Be seeing you......

Shit whilst previewing just noticed the soldered connector tabs on the 4 button panels will hold them off the wood at an angle....They will not be flush.....Nuts...

Nothing a quick snip and bit of rebating around them won't cure.......I hope.......

[Cmdr Kharma]

I was talking out my arse about the 4 button panels not being flush....The joints are miles away from the MDF.....

Anyway what have I been upto the last couple of days...Apart from the mind numbingly boring pirate kill mission.....

Well I drilled the centre hole for the nav buttons.....Worked out...Cut....Linked and soldered the centre array of buttons....

Wired up what I could.....Drilled the stripboard for mounting and then drilled the front panel......

Done some creative filing to open up the button holes so they would work.....

As it stands now....

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The 2 stripboards on the right will have to be direct wired.....The centre array because there is no room for a connector and the right array because I had to cut the connector off....

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This was down to the fact I had misjudged the angle and space required and the connector actually came below the bottom of the base....

On the actual controller itself....I glued a few bits.....Drilled some holes for the wiring...Put a back on and put a side for the riser on....

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Cont......

[Cmdr Kharma]

Now for a little testing.....

I wired up the buttons I could to the interface and gave them a test....

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Glad to report all worked well and buttons 1 - 12 registered as they should......

Now I just have to direct wire the 2 boards that need it and wait for some spacers that I have ordered to mount everything.....

I'm wondering whether to paint it or not as I'm really not happy with the construction of it and it is DEFINATEY a Mk I ......

I spose if there is some spray paint in the poundshop when I look tomorrow I might.....

Also still wondering about labelling the buttons and colour coding them....But it might look a bit naff.....

Mind you the way the project has gone I might as well....

Be seeing you......

[Cmdr Kharma]

The spacers arrived and I direct soldered the boards that needed it.....

Decided to do a test mount......

Main panel....

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All buttons "Click"....

Side panel.....

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And the rears.......

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I was hoping to get it all together tonight and test it....But with the software configuration that would take too long.....

And there are some poor crashed pilots waiting to be rescued....

Till next time.....

[Loriath]

Looking good Boss.

Your links gave me lots of ideas, but I am a cheap SOB with no patience and I am going to try to source stuff locally if I can.

[Flip]

Looks very good indeed!

[Cmdr Kharma]

Well I had a mare of a time assembling the controller......

Some bolts were too long and had to be snipped......Stripboard hit the side so I had to trim 2mm off one on each side.....

Toggle switches hit the base with the connectors on, so had to direct solder AND cut part of base away...

And something somewhere has shifted as the base is now slightly off square and wobbles......

BUT.....I eventually forced the bloody thing together.....

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This was last night.....I gave it a quick ingame test and all the buttons work.....I had some software issues where I had been a knob and somehow swapped the two riser button panels bindings and I missed one keystroke off a macro...But it did work....

It's obviously going to take a bit to get used to it......

Today I thought sod it....I will label the buttons and this is how it stands now....

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And with the two toggles activated......

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Maybe I should have not bought super brite LED's as they light up the fecking room...... LOL


I am not going to paint it as the construction is absolutely abysmal.....Complete crap in my book......Should have used thicker materials and maybe a slightly different design......But that's for MkII.....

Anyway off to test and tweak now.....

I hope you enjoyed reading my ramblings and any questions just ask.....

Be seeing you.....

[Xebeth]

Great concept, and you can certainly see the potential. Looking forward to the MKII