3-axes trim wheel / Do-it-yourself-style

[Kodoss]

Someone asked me to make a thread as I showed some picture of my own planned trim wheel quadrant.
So, here it is.

First of all, i'm not a nerd. I can't write C++ or any other pc-language.
Also I have no idea of higher electronical circuits. So what I do here is just buying parts, solder them and building a case.

For those who want to know how much this costs, I will give lower in this thread a list of parts and there prices.

Since I have already 2 Saitek throttle quadrants, I played with the thought of buying the "Saitek Cessna Trim Wheel". But the price of 50€ for only one axis trim? No way!
Then I remembered that I had upgraded my Thrustmaster Attack Throttle from 15-Pin-Connector to USB, some years ago.
So this little project was born.

Now to the important part. How should its look like, what's the planned size?!
As I mentioned before, I have 2 throttle quadrants. So it would be nice if I can make the whole thing compatible and fitting to it.
The size was then clear.

Height: 11cm
Length: 18cm
Depth: 9cm

Then I decided what I want to have on it.
3-axes for elevator, aileron and rudder!

So I made a list of parts, pices and sizes of what is needed. (for more info just click on the link)

1x A/D USB converter: Joywarrior-modul JW24MOD-A8-16 14,75€
16 diodes for the button-wiring: 1,12€
3x 10-turn potis: Poti 3600° 100KOhm = 3 x 12,45€
buttons and switches: depends on what you want ( in my case 4 buttons, 6 double-switches = 32€ )
one alu-plate: 25cm x 50cm x 1,5mm: 10€
USB-cable: I will use an old one.
So in the end 100€.

Now I started designing it with the help of 3D Sudio Max ( damn, i'm not good at it ), to determine the other parts and the layout.
Because of the modul I used had 2 vairants, I made 2 models as seen below.

8 Button Layout
trimm8.jpg

16 Button Layout
trimm16.jpg

The trim wheels have in both cases a diameter of 10cm and a width of 1cm.
the radius of the front plate should be around 5cm.
As you can see from the list above, I decided in the end for the 16 button-solution.

So after my nightshift and 6 hours of work, this is the in between result.
trimm1.jpg

What's missing now are the sides, one stripe of alu for the last poti, the holes for the trim wheels, the trim wheels itself (not yet decided which material or design), solding and painting.
Unfortunatly I have tomorrow no time for further action.

[Sokol1]

Kodoss

Links for your pictures dont work...

Sokol1

[Kodoss]

Sorry, have added them as attachments again.

I will also add the latest Pic as my Avatar Pic.

I have done the sideparts, but work keeps me busy. So, not much progress to report here.

[Kodoss]

Good news!

I found a solution for my trimm wheel problem. Better said I found a design solution.

First I thought I should make the Wheel completely out of wood (feels and looks better than anything else). But to make it round and smooth would be difficult.

So I scattered my brain for a while. Then I thought: "Hmm, maybe someone sells rings out of wood in the diameter I need?!"
So I started the "for-eye-thingy" and !BINGO!

Wood rings! Diameter: 100x12mm.

So I made some tests with 3DS today and found my answer.
trimmwheel.jpg

Tomorrow I buy a new plate of aluminium for the blue parts and check if I have some green body ( alu again [ !cause of weight! ] ).

The silver parts are rivets ( 3,2mm dia ) and the green thing is a headless screw ( metric M3 ).

If you have questions or suggestion, just write it down.

[Flying H]

Can you please share prints and wireing layout of your work? It can be useful to me (and others) and tips on how to plug it in? It would be most appreciated as I can build but not draw and figure out the wireing!

[Kodoss]

A little update to the project.
What you see are the metall parts (aluminium, yeah) for the trimwheels.

trimmrad1.JPG

I also ordered the wooden rinds on the 19.Dec. but they didn't arrived till now.
Must be that X-mas and new year thingy.

Since I have a week of holidays now, I try to get further with it.
It all depends on when I get my wooden rings, that I can cut the big holes in the frontplate.

In the meantime I will do some drawings with open office for everyone who wants to build it.
If I have all the plans ready I will post them the same way.
Plans for front and back plate are already drawn.

PS: Sorry for my laggy updates.
PPS: I'm too slow at writing text. I always end up with: "Your session has ended. Please login again."