Central MS FFB2 topic - repair, settings and mods

[Peter_P]

Hi all,

This posting is almost a "copy and paste" of this thread that Scarecrow has linked and post it here again to share it with you -because I'm really,really very satisfied with this controller.
-smile-
And most of my inspirations to do something like this I got from this thread!
So I decided it's time to open a account here to be able to answer directly if you have questions .

First a video :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB9oy...layer_embedded

(BTW: if you are wondering what it this thing I tilt 90° and use as a collective:
A picture Tale: "Dual Thrust" or "What I did in my Easter Holiday")


Short summary:
I always used a MS-FFB2 for DCS-BlackSchark but I was very unhappy with the lack of buttons on the stick in DCS-a10.

I switched forth and back between the Cougar and the MS-FFB2 - and this was very unsatisfying and I searched for a solution for this lack of button/lack of FFB dilemma...

Finally I found it by digging up this video:
http://www.veoh.com/watch/v16515202T...Cougar+FFB+Mod

And after some testing... (read more about my first steps here: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.ph...91#post1304491)
...I was not really satisfied with the power of the FFB.





And after I opened my trusty (btw:8 years old) MS-FFB2 for the first time I saw that it might be is possible to attach a second mechanism to it to double the FFB force - so the extended handle will still be hold in place in every situation.

I also found out when DirectX send a FFB command it will executed by every FFB controller you add.
I found it out by moving my MS-FFB2 and saw that the Logitech FBB-steering wheel turned also in the x-axis the same as the joystick...

So I bought the second MS-FFB2 (at a price I don't dare to tell... the seller didn't know what he was offering... - I gave him 10€ extra in the end...).

When you plug in two MS-FFB2 - they will react in sync to a FFB command.
So I realised that I "only" have to reconnect some wires of the second MS-FFB2 to sync both. - at least in DCS-Simulations.

Nice -isn't it ?!

So here is what I did :

Here a some photos of the most important steps with explanation so you get a Idea what I have done.
They are not meant to use as a manual and there is no chronological order (!) - it's just how I did it...
There are also some steps missing (I just didn't took pictures)
Using the methods / circuits / components / constructions as described in this document is entirely at your own risk.
If you damage your PC / Joystick / Keyboard / Yourself by any of the things I wrote down in this document, it’s NOT MY FAULT.

!!!
Snapper reported some problems in IL2 - The both FFB don't work in sync using my method. He will try a different approach using only one FFB circuit board to drive all four motors:
Read more about it here: http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.ph...ml#Post3507325

So If you want to build something like this yourself: ask me - and I will try hard to answer!

I use a old bass-box of a old 2.1 sound system as casing for the stick.



The dismantled FFB mechanism of both MS-FFB2's



A look inside the casing (bass-) box:



The overall dimensions:



Here you can see how I attached the switch-panel (I used a unused part of the saitek throttle quadrant - that I use as a dual-trust controller) :



Here is the stick in front of my (also) modified office-chair:



The switch-panel that is driven by the buttons of the two MS-FFB2's



Soldering...



...even more soldering... (I hate this kind of work! - but it is very important to do it clean with concentration! )




Both FFB mechanism joint together :



Link to the Motor-Mountings:
http://www.conrad.de/ce/de/product/2...SHLESS-MOTOREN
They just fit perfect and assure that the gears are already in the right distance!



View it from each side:





The baseplates came in handy... :



How I solved the "no more room for tools left inside the box" problem: