Using 2 CH Yokes for Sim

[FLYINGJB 0]

Hi all...I am using 2 CH yokes for my King air sim...I use the 2 sets of throttle, mix and props for my throttle quadrant for the KA twin and it works fine.I have set the yokes up for pilot and co-pilot and have been messing around trying to mechanically link the two based on great ideas from this forum.I have a brain wave but not sure if it will work...here's my question:1) The captains CH yoke works fine and is hooked into FS2004 by USB2) The co-pilots yoke I cannot use as is because it goes hay-wire when its kooked into PC3) Could I simply wire the co-pilots pitch/roll pots into the captains pitch/roll potentiometers ?...like in series4) When the co-pilot takes over he moves his pitch/roll pot which is wired to the capatins pitch/roll pot and sends signal into FS2004Granted they would not move at the same time but I'm not worried at the moment...my 8 year old son loves to be co-pilot but I have to keep getting out of my seat to let him take over.I'm not very good at electronics and want to make sure I don't blow the CH yokes boards or chips so any advice would be much appreciated.Nice long tks giving holiday for me to keep working on the sim...tks and have great Turkey day (for those in US)

[rickalty 0]

Wiring them electronically so that they both work would be difficult. Why not just plug them both into an A/B switch?Richard

[FLYINGJB 0]

Hi Richard tks for the quick reply...err...what's an A/B switch ? JB

[rickalty 0]

A switch that connects one input to either one or another output. In it's simplest form, one wire connected one way if the toggle is up, another way if it's down.For a gamport device, you want 15 wires each to switch from one side to the other, so probaly a rotary switch.I've never seen one for gamports, but one designed for a printer port would work with some rewiriung.Richard

[tigert 0]

Although I dont think FS will like when you switch, it will disconnect them momentarily - and even if that works, if those dont have exact same calibration on the potentiometers, it is can be a problem.//Tuomas

[Guest belairvideo]

HiHave you considered a 4 pole switch that would completely switch either pilot or co-pilots yolk in play as you wish? Normal handover is for one pilot to say to the other "You have control" the reply from the other pilot being "I have control".At the appropriate moment, the switch is flipped to the other pilot. The switch would control the USB feed from whichever yolk has been selected. It is not traditional, once a pilot has handed over, to interfere with the other pilots control anyway - and if he does want to - he just flips the switch (in the event that the co-pilot is flying into a mountain!!)Just a thought.TONY (U.K.)

[FLYINGJB 0]

Thanks Richard..my CH yokes input to the PC via USB connections so I don't have a gameport installed in my PC. Would I have to get one ? Then how would I wire up the rotary ? I assume the rotary would be wired in between the wires from the CH yoke pots to the CH PCB board which then connects into the USB ports...Many thanks and sorry for silly questions but I'm learning..JB

[FLYINGJB 0]

Tony...thanks for the suggestion. Any chance you could show me how to wire the 4 pole in to the pots ? I have 4 pots - 2 for each yoke for pitch and roll...or are you meaning wire the switch into the USB cable after the CH PCB's ?Many thanks for your help...JB

[Guest stevetheplumber]

JBI am no expert too, but to get a gameport on your pc you need a sound card, this has a gameport on it,(or most of them do!)or a motherboard with built in sound, going back a year or so all game controllers, wheels joysticks ect. where conected into the sound card via the 'gameport' or motherboard via the 'gameport'. nowadays most/all things are USB, so buy a cheap sound card and a USB to gameport adapter and plug your second yoke in to this, then you can configure both yokes via FS settings, do not do this via FSUIPC!!!!This will work ok for you, but only if you use one yoke at a time, and the one which is not used must be set at a 0 reading, IE, the yoke centered or else you will have conflicting readings.JB I beleive I am correct in what I write, although I use made up axis controllers, by this I mean I have striped a saitek joystick (USB) and made a homemade yoke using the pots from the joystick, and connected them to my yoke, and I use a gameport joystick which I have stripped and use the pots for my air brake, two throttles and flaps, these work ok, but I can assign throttle 1 to be my rudder, elevator ect, as well as the USB pots, but only one is used at one time.Back to the cheap sound card, you could use a good quality one, I use a 5.1 card and not only do I have my game port I have quality surround sound too.Hope this is of help!Regards Steve

[Guest belairvideo]

Hi JB.The switch would need to be a 4pole 4throw type. USB's have 4 connections, and the idea is to select the USB output from the respective yolk (left or right) sending it to a USB input on your computer or hub. This way only one yoke is connected at a time - which will be the one connected by the switch position (pilot or co-pilot). It's a bit like having 2 yokes, and manually plugging in and out the one you want in play - except that a switch is doing this for you. The type of switch I am talking about has 4 centre pins which will connect to a USB cable and to your USB input on your computer, and a set of 4 pins either side. These go to your two yolks. When the switch is flipped one way, the centre pins are connected to one set of pins (yolk), and when flipped the other way, the centre pins are connected to the opposite set of pins (other yolk). This way, one or other of the selected yolks is in play.You do need some soldering skills and the ability to prepare a simple drawing of your layout so as not to mix up the USB wiring. You may also need a continuity meter to check the wire connections within the USB sheathing (as you will have to cut the cable to solder the switch wires).This idea will only work of course if you are using two complete USB yolks (not just the pots). Trying to select sets of pots using one switch is impossible. The USB route should work if you can follow my complicated directions.Good luck.TONY.

[Avcomware 1]

Hi.With 2 USB units you should be able to use one DP DT switch, since there are only 2 data lines power and ground, which can be connected at all times. Get a Y connector and separate the Data lines only, then use the switch this way:PC USB Port (center pole) | o o o o o o | |___Stick2 (Data +-)||__Stick1 (Data +-)This will only give you one at the time, but calibration, and temporary disconnect should be no problem. TV

[Guest belairvideo]

Hi TV.DPDT switch for data lines only, a good idea - but can it be harmfull if power and ground are permanently connected from both yolks? The idea behind a four pole four throw switch was to elliminate any problem by completely disconnecting/reconnecting the yolks as required.Data switching only would certainly uncomplicate construction. have you any further views?TONY

[Avcomware 1]

Hi, Tony.Having the Power and Gnd connected all the time will be less stressful on the hardware, even if USB is hot plug in, and it will be a faster initial reset. It should be no problem from that perspective. The data lines are never connected together because the switch will always break before make, unless you get a special switch. What makes it more difficult is to separate the data lines, but that can be done in a USB extension cable, if you don't want to make your own or cut the original cables, which I do not think you should do. TV