I'm posting this just for fun.  I'm not selling or promoting anything.  Just doing this for myself, time permitting.  I was thinking the other day about buying the Saitek radio module (I do already own several other Saitek modules) which I think is actually a pretty good buy.  It would match the other Saitek modules I already have (TPM, Cessna trim wheel, switch module).  The problem is, I couldn't really justify dropping another $150 on something that I would then have to explain to my wife.  

 

I do have the original GoFlight GF45's which I don't use anymore.  They are huge and take up too much space.  Anyway, I was thinking about it for awhile and decided that I would use my Arduino and electronics experience to build my own radio module with an LCD.  I'm using X-Plane's UDP protocol to interface to X-Plane.  I wrote a small C# console program to connect to X-Plane's UDP protocol and sent the nav and com data sentences only and decoded them with the C# code.  I then format them for the LCD display and transmit the text over the serial interface (via USB) on the Arduino.  This is just a proof of concept right now to prove to me that it's possible.  This is not the latest version, but is what I got accomplished after only a few hours last Friday.  I have since tweaked the color (the LCD's backlight is RGB) to match the amber color in the Carenado 172.  Anyway, here's what I have:

 

 

I still need to get some rotary encoders and knobs and figure out an enclosure.

 

I had the same quandary. I had a few beautiful thin-profile radios, real ones, and a few of those oversized Goflight radios.

 

I may have gone about it the hard way but I reverse-engineered the GF circuit boards by de-soldering all the LED segments, replacing them with single-row headers so I can plug in header cables that would feed a new set of LED displays.

I did the same thing to the rotary encoder and switches.

It was tedious work, and took about 8 hours to complete. (Might have gone faster without the beers...)

 

Sweet!

I had the same quandary. I had a few beautiful thin-profile radios, real ones, and a few of those oversized Goflight radios.

 

I may have gone about it the hard way but I reverse-engineered the GF circuit boards by de-soldering all the LED segments, replacing them with single-row headers so I can plug in header cables that would feed a new set of LED displays.

 

I did the same thing to the rotary encoder and switches.

 

It was tedious work, and took about 8 hours to complete. (Might have gone faster without the beers...)

 

 

 

I like it!  That's a good idea.  Unfortunately I don't have any radio units to hack into, although I could hack the 2 GF45's I have.  I could steal the encoders out of them maybe.

Dang I'd love to get a radio stack that's a) not too expensive and b) not too cartoony and gaudy

 

Especially when flying online pilot edge it would be handy.... and esp in XP10 cause the mouse clickspots are typically a PITA to get at in a hurry.