Honeycomb Yoke and Throttle news

[HighBypass 2,339]

On 17/10/2017 at 11:28 PM, Ray Proudfoot said:

.....it is literally impossible to pull the plate off (it can be removed by pealing from the corner)......

Sounds like a challenge! Thank you for the info, Ray. I've been following this thread with interest - I do like the look and features of the Honeycomb products.

[vortex681 806]

On 17 October 2017 at 11:28 PM, Ray Proudfoot said:

The mounting system consists of a bottom plate, with a Nano suction surface that literally has hundreds of thousands of microscopical suction cups.

Not so convinced about this. My computer desk has a textured surface (not smooth) and I'd be surprised if it would stick - anything I've tried with even the softest, most effective suction cup comes unstuck after about 20 seconds at most. I can't understand why they are not using a tried and tested clamp system to avoid the possibility of unsticking.

[asanal 32]

Ray Hi,

I am looking to replace my old CH Eclipse yoke. It is time

I will follow  your post. When it is ready I will purchase it.

Thanks 

[oemlegoem 29]

On ‎13‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 6:29 PM, Ray Proudfoot said:

Each to their own of course. I’ll report back once I’ve seen it at Lelystad.  My own desktop may need tweaking too.

Hello Ray

Did you go to Lelystad and could you see the Honeycomb yoke? Pictures? I know, I am a bit fast asking.

[Ray Proudfoot 9,034]

7 hours ago, oemlegoem said:

Hello Ray

Did you go to Lelystad and could you see the Honeycomb yoke? Pictures? I know, I am a bit fast asking.

Just arrived back home now. Will report either tonight or tomorrow.

[Ray Proudfoot 9,034]

I walked into the Lelystad Aviodrome yesterday and the first stand I saw was the Aerosoft with Nicki Repenning representing Honeycomb. We had a good chat about the yoke and then he showed me the one he had brought.

It wasn't a production model. Instead it was printed in 3D using very similar materials to the real thing. For various reasons it wasn't possible to bring a production one. They are still finalising the design and want to get that right before production.

Unfortunately the 3D sample was damaged during transit and I wasn't able to conduct a test as requested. But the yoke certainly has a significant amount of resistance in both axes and is a major improvement over the Saitek. Nicki explained that they are considering including extra bungee-type tensioners so the user can swap them to get the best tension for them. That sounds like a good idea and will be easy to change even for useless DIYers like me.

Nicki also confirmed they will be using Hall-effect sensors and not potentiometers. That is a good move which I'm pleased with. The yoke is the most difficult to get right and Nicki confirmed they are looking at Q1 2018 for its release. No date for the throttle quadrant but that is a lot easier to design and build so it may come out at the same time (my guess, not Nicki's).

I asked how the clamping system would work given they are not using a Saitek-style system. A sheet of plastic film will be supplied which has dozens of small suction pads on one side. That sticks to a desk and can be easily removed by peeling a corner. It can be peeled and reattached many times.

The yoke will have some type of material on its base which will hold it firmly once placed on the plastic sheet. It wasn't available to see but from the description it seems a simple and effective method of keeping the yoke from moving.

The price is still estimated to be $200 for each unit. Hope that helps.

[MartinRex007 390]

Ray, thanks for the info!

Cheers

Martin

[Nicki Repenning 17]

Thank you, Ray, for taking the time to let me show you the product (even on prototype level) and understanding that a pre-production sample is not equivalent to final product. I've already written up a feedback document from the show, base on your and other feedback, to PFC who does all our internal components. Because the flight sim community and constructive criticism is our best tool to get this product 100% right. We have already made so changes based on Facebook feedback, and we'll continue to improve, based on community feedback we get until the product goes into production.
Please consider this an invitation, on this thread, or a new one if desired, to ask any questions or provide suggestion to make the yoke and throttle quadrant we're developing exactly what this community needs.

[HighBypass 2,339]

Well, the products certainly look great IMHO, not to mention the added functionality of all the programmable switches. If one were to use the yoke and throttle for FSX for example, would you be able to assign the buttons via the sims' own menu?

Also, regarding the switches, might you provide stickers for some of the more usual functions for the user to apply?

[mikea76 184]

1 hour ago, Nicki Repenning said:

Thank you, Ray, for taking the time to let me show you the product (even on prototype level) and understanding that a pre-production sample is not equivalent to final product. I've already written up a feedback document from the show, base on your and other feedback, to PFC who does all our internal components. Because the flight sim community and constructive criticism is our best tool to get this product 100% right. We have already made so changes based on Facebook feedback, and we'll continue to improve, based on community feedback we get until the product goes into production.
Please consider this an invitation, on this thread, or a new one if desired, to ask any questions or provide suggestion to make the yoke and throttle quadrant we're developing exactly what this community needs.

Hi, I have been following your progress on this yoke for awhile now, I plan on purchasing it to replace my old saitek yoke. I hope th production model will have the 6 inch travel for the elevator, a major issue I have with the saitek I have now is that the short elevator travel makes control difficult at times. 

[Ray Proudfoot 9,034]

Hi Nicki,

Thanks for the nice words and the opportunity to provide feedback via AVSIM.

I covered most things but didn’t ask about whether the yoke & throttle would be configurable in FSUIPC rather than FSX / P3D. Many users prefer to use the more advanced features of Pete Dowson’s utility. If the units are seen by Windows then I guess the answer would be yes.

I’ll ask more questions when and if I think of them. Safe journey home and I look forward to hearing when the units have gone into production.

[vortex681 806]

5 hours ago, Nicki Repenning said:

Please consider this an invitation, on this thread, or a new one if desired, to ask any questions or provide suggestion to make the yoke and throttle quadrant we're developing exactly what this community needs.

Nicki, I'm very impressed with the design of both your yoke and throttle. The only thing that concerns me is the method of mounting it to the desk. I have a desk with a very definite wood-grain effect on the surface and even the most efficient suction cups only stick for a very short time. With something which will be regularly moved against resistance I can't see a controller without a clamp of some description being universally effective. I remove my current controllers when not simming and wouldn't want to have some sort of sticky mount permanently attached to my desk, no matter how thin. Will there be no clamp option?

[kevinfirth 1,417]

Very interested in these.  I'm all for innovation, but slightly concerned re the mounting method as well.  I also; remove my current controllers when not simming and wouldn't want to have some sort of sticky mount permanently attached to my desk, no matter how thin.

Could you post a video of this new method in use so we can see how it looks and performs please?  I fear I'd be needing to manufacture my own clampable surface plate onto which to stick your new sticky pad, which would kind of defeat the purpose!

[Ray Proudfoot 9,034]

I agree with others that the method of fixing the yoke (and throttle quadrant) to the desk will be vital in making this a success. I take my system to a local village hall once a month for a flight sim meeting and it would be important that the yoke can be easily removed and setup with a minimum of fuss.

The Saitek system isn't perfect. Some desks I use have a lip under the desk edge and in order to clamp the yoke I have to slide a DVD case between the underside of the desk and the clamp in order for it to stay in place.

One question I forgot to ask. Will the yoke act as a USB hub and accept an input from the throttle?

[mdata 46]

17 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

I walked into the Lelystad Aviodrome yesterday and the first stand I saw was the Aerosoft with Nicki Repenning representing Honeycomb. We had a good chat about the yoke and then he showed me the one he had brought.

Hi Ray,

thank you very much for reporting back as promised. It's great to get updates from someone who could personally lay hands on the yoke.

Similar to you and others I have concerns regarding the fixing method. My desk is an all purpose desk; like the others commenting above I would remove the yoke on a daily basis - how many removals over its' lifetime would the material allow? Hardware like this should last 5 to 10 years. Let's say on average I do sim every other day or a bit more, let's call it 200 removals per year - so we look at up to 2000 removals. Then count dust to come into play, and different desk surfaces ... I am sure the guys at Honeycomb are trying to account for this, but will it be sufficient? Can it really replace a classic clamping mechanism? It would be a pity if the yoke would fail because of a fixing mechanism not totally thought through.

Best Regards
Frank