"New" Saitek Throttles and a little project

[psolk 3,041]

Hey Word Not Allowed,Thanks again for the idea!!!Not quite as pretty as yours but this is just a first mockup.... For 2 hours work at the home supply store this morning I am pretty pleased...Now to do a final piece, sand everything down and tidy it up!!! Don't mind the tape, it is covering the areas that really need sanding and it is just a mock up :) (although fully functional and working!)Don't mind the tape, like I said, just a mock up :)

Edited February 11, 2012 by psolk

[Kosta 122]

Yeah, was at work today. Here you go. My drawing skills at their full potential :Nerd:

[psolk 3,041]

Thanks Word Not Allowed, pretty funny, I just measured and our measurements are within 1 mm of each other! just waiting for a defrag to finish and I am going to give the new setup a test!Thanks again, your art skills are on par with Dali, Monet and the best of them!

[psolk 3,041]

Well, it has been a busy day... The mock up was good but a bit too big and bulky and was very roughly thrown together. The final piece was just cut, put together and painted and is much more "streamlined" and is pretty much the exact same size as the throttle units. Like you I also built two holes or canals for the USB cables to route through. i still have to put a top on but that is simple compared to the work done already! I am thinking of building something into the top like a pen holder or even a slot for the flight charts but I can figure that out tomorrow. For now I just want to use the new setup LOL!The only immediate thing left to do tomorrow morning is to mount the throttle units back to the new base and fly! Pretty excited to see the finished product in the am when the paint is done drying.-PaulFinal project...

Edited February 12, 2012 by psolk

[Ben Cap 89]

It looks like you put some hardwork into that! Thanks for the pictures!

[yankeegolf3 51]

What is so hard to understand?4 separate - 747.3 - md11, one left unused2 - 737, two left unused or just connect each two to get more real to life levers, and also harder to move, also probably more real.Still in 737 config two are not assigned.All assignments courtesy fsuipc profiles for each engine config.

OK I see but still, for me the less effort on those fragile levers, the better. i may be wrong though...

[Kosta 122]

Paul, congratulations! Well done work! Really looking very very good.I would prefer to having the lid on the whole thing - closed inner space - I don't like seeing it open (is why I opted for the whole-piece, not only walls, and also more stable).But you must admit, Saitek really could have made a 2nd holder at 45degrees, even as a 2nd buy for couple of euros, I think many would have bought that.Yankeegolf3, effort on the levers themselves doesn't change. It's only that two levers together are harder to move than only one. The force on one lever doesn't change. Only that it's used more often - for which I could care less than I do, since - if it breaks, I have two year warranty in which throttles are gonna get exchanged, and if it doesn't do that inside of two years, then I'll just get new ones. They really aren't that expensive.

[psolk 3,041]

Thank you Ben! Thank you Word Not Allowed! Word Not Allowed, I completely agree, the top needs to be covered as well. I am just debating if I want it totally closed, closed with a few pen holders in the top or closed with pen holder and a tray for Charts :) This morning I applied a Carbon Fiber patch from my motorcycle parts bin in the garage just to close it off for today's flight :)I also could not agree more, if Saitek had an option to put the throttles at the same angle you inspired me to do I would gladly buy it...Yankee, If you want to talk about efforts on the throttles there are three factors to consider. 1. By linking them together sure when you move one you use the otherBUT:2. We are talking dual, tri and quad engine planes here so both throttles would be moving anyway; it is a push in that respect3. You are now distributing the load of pushing on one "fragile" throttle over two actually lessening the load of any single throttle. So in actuality linking them "should" reduce load not increase it.and finally, it felt so cool to be taxiing the 777 today and us one full hand to move the individual throttles around taxiway corners opposed to pushing the throttle with a single finger. It just increases the immersion level in making you feel like you are actually pushing big iron opposed to flying a 777 by pushing a nob on a Cessna :)just my .02

Edited February 12, 2012 by psolk

[Kosta 122]

Paul, good to know. I guess it could serve well as both chart or pen holder.Those connectors really change the feeling a LOT. I did a flight with a 737 only, and it was a whole new world.When my PFC arrives, I can finally take up the position as a captain (finally!). Throttles on the left side, yoke and pedals. My joystick is going to be used further, since I'm sure I'll be flying stick aircraft further with the joystick (Airbus for instance). It would be a joke to fly an AB with a yoke...But I'll probably get a left handed joystick, Thrustmaster 16000 for my future AB flights... hopefully FSL hurry up with a production a bit.

[ohsirus 241]

_{Here's guy who used ballbearings as indents.http://737-mysim.org.uk/737mysim/id2.html}

[yankeegolf3 51]

I was not clear enough I am afraid, I meant the effort when you insert the heads, not the effort when you move them. I have 3 sets of saitek throttles programmed with FSUIPC, 1 for gear, speedbrakes, flaps, 2 for throttles, propeller controls and mixture controls. They work fine and are not expansive. No problem so far but I take as much care of them as I can.

[Kosta 122]

No, that's not a problem really. I do it with one hand, it's quite easy when you get the hang of it. And if you have ever opened these throttles, you would have understood why it isn't a problem at all.

[psolk 3,041]

Well Word Not Allowed, Today is evil genius at work day in my house... i have a vacation day from work and that means more projects! So I have gone with Boeing Tan paint for the Throttle Quadrant, Boeing Brown paint for the Yoke, I am going to trim the Throttles in Boeing Brown outline like the real thing and then I have done all of the throttle handles in white airbrushed with a bit of beige to give them an actual worn in look... Take a look at the progress...

Edited February 20, 2012 by psolk

[Kosta 122]

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!!!! I so much envy you now. That is looking really really great.I'm gonna be keeping them black though... only those white caps are quite interesting.Only thing bothering me is the open piece of the holder, which is, compared to the other side, which wasn't cut, really rough. I fear doing more scraping, as if I do too much, I have only 2nd one to cut. I wouldn't want to have to buy another TQ because of the stupidity - but still, either I have to put them on the outside - which looks bad, or on the inside, then I can feel the cut with my hand. I hope you know what I mean.

[psolk 3,041]

Hey Word Not Allowed, I know exactly what you mean... I actually used an electric sander and a rough sandpaper at first to even them out, then I went back over them with a fine sandpaper and got them rounded and super smooth. Finally the gloss paint leaves a very smooth finish so now I don't feel it in the palm of my hand... I "think" that is what you are talking about.PS. I also finally have a cover made for mine to close off the hole in the top. that is drying right now too! I am trying to do a pretty complex paint job on the TQ with taping/trim and leaving all the Saitek markings in place while painting the rest so I hope it all comes out ok!!!