How to build my own controller?

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[TerryRussell]

Good luck!

I've been watching this with interest.

[CaptainMike1]

Good luck!

I've been watching this with interest.

So have I, with GREAT interest, although I am sure I could never build one!!

[pigdog]

Hi all,

Ok so My new 360 pots turned up today and here is my build plan.

 I have two nice plastic housings to use for the main body (actually they are two chewing gum containers but with a coat of black paint will look the part)

The plan is to mount the 360 pots on the underside of these and attatch them to a small box (one for each unit) and these will have either suction cups underneath or I have two plastic table clamps off an old steering wheel I can use to secure them, these bases will also house the BU836 and all the wires etc.

I have placed a normal pot out through one side to which I will attatch some form of handle for the throttle, I've not found anything yet, but I'm worried that it may be too easy to move and with the weight of a handle on it, it might keep falling forward, I need to find a way of making more physical resistance for this pot so that it won't move too freely.

Here's a question for ekto, how will you attatch the neck of the 360 pot as it's very smooth and only has a very fine slit in the end any idea's? I was thinking of tapping it to put a thread on it then I can attatch the controller with two bolts.

More pictures and an update to follow.

Pigdog

[ekto]

Okey, so basicly the leaver can be any form you like. Just make shure that is't flat from the side that is facing the base. Make the 6.3mm hole to the leaver. Then glue the leaver to the pot and place a 5 - 10mm thick rubber "washer" between the leaver and the base.  Push the leaver against the base until the glue has dried up. Now you should have a lot of friction between those two parts.

You can also make a leaver so, that the gravitational center is lined with the hole. This way you need less friction...

P.S. If you are making it from one material, send me a drawing of it, so I can calculate the best position for the hole.


Edit: I now red your post again and realized that you ware not talking about the leaver  Anyway, the pot saft is 6.35mm so making a 6.3 hole already adds friction. If you add glue, it should be enough. This is how I'm going to do mine...

[ekto]

Okey, the testing is done and...

IT WORKS 

There was a very small fibration in the signal, but not when there was no movement. So it doesn't matter, cause you are changing the direction anyway, so you will not notice the fibration. I will confirm this after I have build the slip ring. This test was done so that I used my hands to keep the wires on the ball bearing..

Some pics:


Pre-soldered wire and pin.


Soldering done


The black thing is a rubber pipe that shrinks when heated


Soldering the pot. I had some trouble with this, but then I got the hang of it. You need to get a drop of tin in the solder, then place the solder on top of the pin, and feed some tin on the midle part of the pin, not to the top. Let it cool. Then place the wire (pre-soldered) next to the pin and place the solder so, that it touches the top of the pin and the wire at the same time.


Then you can add the shrink tube


I added some tape to the wires, so that the weight of them, doesn't bend the pins. There is also tape in the part that goes in yo the chip. In the final wireing, I'm using much lighter wire.


Ball Bearing test starting.

[Jayshum]

Hi guys. I know I posted this before, but it'd be great if in a future update, there was an option to separate throttle control from directional control for azimuth boats, when using a Joystick. After reading this topic, it'd make this process a whole lot easier, and it'd make me (and possibly a few more), fall in love with the game even more.
Here's my diagram from a couple of months ago.

[ekto]

Here is a link to a topic that is for azimuth control development:
http://www.shipsim.com/ShipSimForum/index.php/topic,9839.0.html

[Capt. Le Velle]

i wish i was smart enough to make my own controller but im not the best with controllers

[ekto]

When I get my controllers done, there will be very good documentation how to make one. What stuff you need, drawings that you can provide to the plastic dealer, drawings for marking where to drill, soldering info, etc...

I'm fairly shure that some people will follow those and sucsesfully build their controllers...


Current situation of the project is that when I get back home from this work trip, I will make a prototype of the slip ring, so that I can confirm it works. After that I will make the final design and order the plastics. Then I only need to drill holes, do some soldering and it's done.

At this point, I know that I can control the red eagle with it, but in the future, if the devs make a new controlling mode, bugsier and the cruiser can be also be used. And why not other ship also...

[pigdog]

Nice work ekto,

Ok so I've made some progress with mine also, I have only really built one of them for now just to ensure I get everything right.

I gave both units a coat of black paint just to harden the plastic a little fig:1

I've used the Bosch pots from my first build for the new azimuth throttle unit as they are much more reliable and turn a shorter distance than standard pots.fig: 2

I then mounted the pot inside my azimuth unit in the picture you can see it held in place by a large nail thats temporary until i get some more long bolts.
I then used a nylon bolt and shaped the end to fit the inside of the Bosch pot and added a simple stainless steel bracket for now to act as a throttle handle. fig: 3

I've added a large rubber washer inside the unit to attatch the 360 pot to the base, this is a nice tight fit on the shaft of the pot and with a little glue on it should hold nicely. fig:4

For now I have fixed the 360 pot onto a plastic base for testing purpose's I still have to find two box type bases for my units to house the wiring and the BU0836 fig:5

My next challenge after finding the base units is how to feed the throttle wires out of the throttle unit into the base without them getting tangled up when I rotate the unit, I think I will have to have enough slack wire to complete a whole 360 degree turn and just remember not to turn it a second 360 degrees.
I'm off to start the soldering process now to attatch the wires.

More pics in the next update.

pigdog 

[ekto]

Looks nice 

You could still make a slip ring for you design. Just get a ball bearing that has inner diameter ~26mm. Then a plastic tube that has the outter diameter of ~26mm and inner diameter of 22mm. Then stick the tube over the pot that is on the bottom of your design. Add 3 pcs of bearings over the tube, then slide an another tube that fit's over the bearings. Then you can feed the throtlle wires trough the outter tube, and then get them out from the inner tube. The inner tube must be attached to sometihng starionary from the other end, so that the rotary pot can get the rotary information.

If this sound something you want to do, I can design the slip ring for you.

[ekto]

I made the first prototype and it didn't work  There was too much interference. After the test, I tested the pot so I could confirm that it hasn't broken, it has not, so the prototype fails...


Here is a picture of the inner part. The ball bearings is pushed over a wires end. There is small holes beneath the ball bearings.


Different angle


In this prototype, the wires are just pushed between the pipe and ball bearing.


The rotary pot goes in the other end. When you turn the black pipe from the free end, the wires and the pot turn. The information travels through the bearings to the stationary outter pipe.


The test is starting.


So the next step is to build another prototype with plastic pipe, like in the original design, rather than those rubber ones. I think I can test that one later next week. But there is no horry, since the game is not yet ready for the control. It's a good thing, cause I don't feel so desperate with this 

[davepusey]

Have been following this thread with a great deal of interest, and decided to have a go at my own set of controls.

I'm starting off with a simple double-engine throttle control. Then I hope to add Bow and Aft Thruster controls and a Rudder control at some point in the future.

I spend the weekend designing the throttle control in TurboCAD Deluxe, and then spent most of today starting construction.

Here is where I have got to...





In the next image, the bracket at the top of the picture doesn't look straight. That is intentional to compenstate for some skew on the potentiomer...





It is still quite rough at the moment. The wood is 9mm thick MDF, that I have left over from my UPS enclosure project.

The brass uprights their handles fitted, and also need cleaning.

The potentiometers need wiring up, once the BU0836 arrives.

And then once it's all wired up, calibrated, and testing, the top curve will be covered with some thin plastic, and a throttle legend (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, etc.) will be printed to be stuck on top.

[Denis]

hi dave :-) nice start, but I still can't see the interest, instead of buying something like this !
http://www.amazon.com/Saitek-Three-Throttle-Quadrant-PZ45/dp/B000TCEU4Q
(if just talking about a throttle controller, off course)

[pigdog]

Good luck with your build dave, looks good so far.

I find it really enjoyable building these controllers using the grey matter a little bit, overcoming problems etc thats what I enjoy and it's not rocket science either.

I don't see the interest in paying a shed load of money on flight controls for a ship sim, they're not the same and look like flight controls not ship controls, I can build one of these controllers for a fraction of the price of the pre made flight controls and have a sense of acheivement and something that looks like it belongs on a ship rather than a cessna at the end of it.

Each to their own I suppose.

pigdog

[TerryRussell]

I certainly understand the sense of satsfaction in building your own controllers. Well done Dave. Keep up the good work.

I do also understand why others will buy something ready-made. To each hiis own, eh?

I'd love to get back on the building-it-myself track, but time isn't on my side, currently. Maybe when I retire (never!).

[ekto]

Looks really nice. Have you tought of putting some kind of midle stopper to it, or something that the 0% position would have more resistance? So that you can find it with out looking to the controller.

It might be done very easily by screwing a screw to the side of the controller, and leaving it out so that the uprights would touch it when passing by...


I bet that your controller costs less than the saitek one, and is much better...

[OLDSEADOG]

Heya,

I've read through this thread and I really wish I could make something like this but alass I wouldn't even know where to start. I was spent some time at the Royal Naval officer collage and they have a great brigde sim set up there moves and everything.

I am still wet behide the ears when it comes to ship sim's but I have been to sea loads of time when I was in cadets, one of you guys should got in to making and seloling theses controls one as there a gap in the market 

[TerryRussell]

Hi OLDSEADOG. Welcome!

Wet behind the ears on the bridge simulator? Wow, that is a good one! Ultimate realism when the simulation throws salt water at you. 

Is that the simulator down at Southampton?

[steveboston]

I have read this thead with great interest since I am a long-time bodger of controls for flight sims. Good on all of you who are building proper bridge controls. For anyone who is unsure of their ability or who don't have much room or time or whatever try this.
I bought a simple gamepad controller mainly for Shipsim so I plug it in before loading the game and it automatically takes over from my Saitek Cyborg Evo in Windows, and when I set it up in Shipsim I found enough rudders, throttles and buttons for normal uses. When sailing I have always found it best to set and leave controls using the on screen icons and mouse - then take over with the pad when docking or manoevering (or when driving a fast boat.
(By the way, after years of making horrendous devices for flying controls I have evolved a simple arrangement -  3d stick fastened beside my keyboard as a sidestick, the twisty handle potentiometer was removed and lives on a home made rudder pedal set, the throttle pot lives in a box on the left  and from this a switch and socket lets me connect a home made collective lever on my seat instead (for helicopter flying). takes up very little room and leaves the keyboard free access.) 

[ekto]

There has been some development. I have post it to the azimuth discussion.

http://www.shipsim.com/ShipSimForum/index.php/topic,9839.0.html

[Genesis O.T.S.]

Anyone knows where to get a hold hold on Azipod 360⁰ joystick/levers?

Are there any out of the box solutions to the issue of controllers, other than the prizy SScontroller?
Below 200 Euros?

[ekto]

Not yet... 

[Wande54]

Hello Skippers,

As a Tug-nut, I can see that I need both a controller for conventional steering as well as one for azimuth steering.

Has anyone been thinking of a digital encoder, like those sitting in a mouse? Or will the electronics be too complicated.
They dont have a stop and should be able to make the correct 360 degree steering.

Skipper Wande.

[pigdog]

Hi All,
I've had some spare time over the past couple of days so I have made some progress with my controller (well a total remodel of my original to incorperate azimuth controls actually) this way I can use the standard throttle and thruster controls and use the azimuth controls for steering and then just use the azimuth controls for the B2 and ocean star,Providing the in game azimuth steering gets sorted out of course.
I binned my other idea as space was getting tight inside the small units, but I'm much happier with these new units.

So I ordered a modeling kit from Maplins which has some cog wheels in it which I can use to connect the steering to my 360 deg pot and I bought 4 conduit boxes which I used to build my azimuth controls with, I was looking at a real azimuth control the other day and thought "what do they look like" and as soon as I seen the conduit boxes I knew they would do the job. FIG 1.

I mounted my throttle pot inside one conduit box so the shaft would poke out through the backing plate and then drilled a hole in the back of the other box so the shaft would fit in and can be locked off. FIG 2.

I found two corner pieces off a hanging rail that would work for throttle handles they work and look really good (my girlfriend doesn't think they look that good but thats probably because all her clothes are now on the floor) FIG 3.

Now the azimuth unit is all together I can't go much further unitl my telephone untanglers arrive which will enable the 360 steering and not let the throttle wires tangle.
I needed a housing to hold the cog wheels and all the wires, I was going to build two seperate housings but realised that would be alot of work so I turned to my previous unit with the conventional throttle and steering controls, I held the new azimuth units up to it and it looked really cool so I knew thats where they were going to be mounted, but to allow them to swing 360 degrees I would have to move everything so out came the saw and I cut another piece of wood and then began to mount everything giving enough clearence so the units could fully turn and I was really pleased with the results.FIG 4, 5.

I've just got a bit of wiring to do now, I have to extend the thruster wires and make up a set of wires for the telephone untanglers when they arrive so I will post the progress when thats done.


Pigdog