Hi, newbie here.I’m involved in a project to equip a decommissioned Cessna 172 with FSx. Looking into using a projector and possible 2 monitors for left/right view.I have looked at gauges, like Saitek, for basic flight instruments. Anybody know of gauges that can be mounted in the original cockpit cutouts?Thanks/Blouberg

Try Simkits and Flight Illusion.Cheers,- jahman.

Thanks jahman, these looks sweet!/blouberg

You're welcome! Looks like you are getting yoursel into a fun project!B-17 is the one I'd like to build...Cheers,- jahman.

yes, it's a fun project (I hope) It's for a museum, I really hope they are ready to fund this properly.BTW: Do you have any preference among Simkits and Flight Illusion? Pricewise they are about the same. I'm a little sceptical to a large number of USB devices./Blouberg

I'm a little sceptical to a large number of USB devices.

Unfortunately I have no experience building a cockpit.The advantage of USB instruments is they are a lot easier to install and maintain.As for the large number of USB ports, just get good quality 7-port powered USB2 hubs. You can even daisy-chain USB hubs so with 8 hubs you could hook-up 49 USB devices to a single USB PC port (maximum 127 devices per USB bus).I use Dlink DUB-H7 powered USB2 hubs ($26 at Amazon): They are a quality product and have a very convenient LED status indicator for each port as well as for the power.To manage my USB devices I use Nirsoft's USB DeView feeware. Note that once you have your USB Instruments, you can go to the USB IDs Repository to add them to The List of USB Devices (benefit to you: The instruments will be listed by vendor and name when viewed with USB DeView.)All you ever wanted to know about USB is here.Cheers,- jahman.

Edited January 25, 201214 yr by jahman

Jahman, thank you also, very useful post.I'm battling right now the repeated sleep mode wake up problems on my system, which happen very very randomly, and I'm somewhat suspecting something connected to the system... but running my system without any USB device connected except keyboard and mouse is somewhat boring ;-)There are some reviews on DLink on Amazon that say it loses power on bootup to either keyboard or mouse. I use it for both. So I'm a bit sceptical. One even wrote that the HUB was 3 times replaced with the same result.I don't suspect any of my USB devices per se, but since my USB2 hubs are from EDNET, very cheap company, I do suspect them. Also possibly looking at my old(er) Creative card. Maybe replace that with a PCIEX soundcard.I can see on forums very inconclusive results when looking at those sleep problems, many say solved, many say still there - ASUS writes me back try without anything connected to the system. The fact is though, the problem appears maybe once in two weeks (it gets hang up in the boot loop, turning on and off, not going to windows - only solution is a power button off on the PSU and turn on after 2minutes).Could you maybe test your DLink connecting 7 devices to it, possibly all passive, and see what it does on boot up? Try with complete turned off system, even with PSU off, until into windows - if it recognizes all devices normally?

Jahman, thank you also, very useful post.

You're welcome! (So why's my post's counter still at zero? :Big Grin: )

I'm battling right now the repeated sleep mode wake up problems on my system

That's why I don't use sleep or standby on my simPC (and some sim hardware would require the devices remain powered throughout anyway.

running my system without any USB device connected except keyboard and mouse is somewhat boring ;-)

Hey, you can always fallback to the Flight beta :LMAO:

There are some reviews on DLink on Amazon that say it loses power on bootup to either keyboard or mouse.

Not if the hub is powered. these D-Link hubs are really nice, really well built (and usually this type of PC lesser peripheral hardware tends to not inspire much confidence.)

Also possibly looking at my old(er) Creative card

There's many a post on driver problems for those cards. On my simPC I run analog audio out of the MB mini-plug connectors to a separate audio amplifier via a small mixing console.

Could you maybe test your DLink connecting 7 devices to it, possibly all passive, and see what it does on boot up?

Never have a USB problem booting Vista-64 or at any other time.I would not recommend passive hubs (or powered hubs in passive mode) for other than very low current devices such as keyboards and mice. Everything else gets hooked-up to a powered hub (switched powers supply, 4A for 7 ports).Another consideration is current: Even if your hub is powered, but especially if it is passive, the total current demand of all devices can exceed the current supplied by the PCs USB port. This is especially true for sim hardware with internal logic and large LED displays, e.g. MCP, COM, NAV, XPDR, etc.Note: Before using a HUB, I do first try to use-up all available USB ports on my MB, expecially for certain hardware that can be finicky if routed through a hub like an MCP that can have latency issues when quickly twirling an altitude or heading knob.Cheers,- jahman.

Edited January 25, 201214 yr by jahman

You're welcome! (So why's my post's counter still at zero? :Big Grin: )

Not any more

That's why I don't use sleep or standby on my simPC (and some sim hardware would require the devices remain powered throughout anyway.

I had problems with turn on from cold.The problem is apparently the mainboard which sucks in these things, the new SB chipsets which fubared the whole thing when overclocked - apparently they didn't think of correct operation while offering PLL Overvoltage (google PLL Overvoltage + Sleep, there are millions of posts about problems).But why not sleep? Sleep is so useful - and uses no power at all.

Hey, you can always fallback to the Flight beta :LMAO:

Beta-tested it. Ugh.

Not if the hub is powered. these D-Link hubs are really nice, really well built (and usually this type of PC lesser peripheral hardware tends to not inspire much confidence.)

OK, I'll order them from Amazon - I just hope that if inside of two weeks the computer makes no sleep problem, that it means that the problem is solved.

There's many a post on driver problems for those cards. On my simPC I run analog audio out of the MB mini-plug connectors to a separate audio amplifier via a small mixing console.

I dunno, I never ran into a real problem with this card. It's working, the driver is good. It can't be the cause for a problem, since the cold boot problem happens out of the cold state too - nothing to do with a driver. Only problem can be the card itself. Maybe I'll try using the onboard card for a while and take the SB out.What is the difference between active hub in passive mode and active hub in active mode? The only reference on the internet I can find is active and passive hub. But no active hub with passive mode...??I don't like putting my mouse and keyboard dongle in the computer, due to better connection.And before I use two long USB cables to connect my throttles to the computer, I rather use a hub.But throttles are going away now for a while (RMA), I'm gonna take out the SB and disconnect the hubs - let's see what it does.Now let's give the guy back his thread...

What is the difference between active hub in passive mode and active hub in active mode?

The power supply is not plugged in.

Now let's give the guy back his thread...

OK!Cheers,- jahman.

Unfortunately I have no experience building a cockpit.The advantage of USB instruments is they are a lot easier to install and maintain.As for the large number of USB ports, just get good quality 7-port powered USB2 hubs. You can even daisy-chain USB hubs so with 8 hubs you could hook-up 49 USB devices to a single USB PC port (maximum 127 devices per USB bus).I use Dlink DUB-H7 powered USB2 hubs ($26 at Amazon): They are a quality product and have a very convenient LED status indicator for each port as well as for the power.To manage my USB devices I use Nirsoft's USB DeView feeware. Note that once you have your USB Instruments, you can go to the USB IDs Repository to add them to The List of USB Devices (benefit to you: The instruments will be listed by vendor and name when viewed with USB DeView.)All you ever wanted to know about USB is here.Cheers,- jahman.

Thanks for all the good info on USB and Hubs Jahman!I have a B-17 based home cockpit that I am currently making more realistic, and I am getting close to a critical shortage of USB ports. I have 4 BU0836X cards, and 2 other brands, and have been trying to figure out my options.Bill

Thanks for all the good info on USB and Hubs Jahman!

You're welcome!

I am getting close to a critical shortage of USB ports

With the Dlink Dlink DUB-H7's, you should have all the ports you'll ever need.Post some pics when your done setting-up your B-17 cockpit!Cheers,- jahman.

Post some pics when your done setting-up your B-17 cockpit!Cheers,- jahman.

For pictures and info, here is an ongoing thread on my cockpit:http://www.a2asimulations.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=22072Bill

For pictures and info, here is an ongoing thread on my cockpit:http://www.a2asimula...hp?f=29&t=22072

That's a very nice B-17 cockpit project you got going there! Neat original-style throttles, BTW!Cheers,- jahman.

That's a very nice B-17 cockpit project you got going there! Neat original-style throttles, BTW!Cheers,- jahman.

Thanks Jahman!I ordered the hub from Amazon, and it works like a charm! Thanks again for the info!Bill