Brakes and LG Horn questions

[Elsmoko 5]

To all,

 I've had this package for just a few weeks and it's a blast learning it;  and lots to learn.  Been through the docs info and much of it more than once.

Between the Intro,  tutorials, POH, forums, the online DC-6 smut and tinkering I think I'm slowly getting there......

      Absolutely no deal breakers,  but I have a few questions :

> Anyone know which wav file yields the wheel sounds while the aircraft is in motion on the ground.  I'd like to attempt to lower the volume.  The

  "squeal"  overrides the engine and cockpit sounds in my PC system.  The FSX sound settings seem to have no effect on this.  As soon as the aircraft

   stops rolling so does the squeal.  And yes,  hitting the "Y" button,  raising the plane a few feet off the deck and hovering to and from the runway

   works,  but you wouldn't believe how awkward it is to take off gracefully in slew mode, LOL!!  Anyway,  any tips will certainly be appreciated.

>  If possible I would like to assign a button on my CH Controller that can silence the LG horn.  Is the horn assignable ?  If not,  I'll just belly it

    onto the taxiways until I become more proficient at controlling my airspeed on the approach.  That should solve my taxi squeal problem too.

Best to all,

Ken   

[Ephedrin 418]

Hi Ken,

I agree with you that the squeelinh sound is too loud. This and other things, a lot of work should go into this airplane.  But it‘s the brakes‘ sound, not the rolling sound. Would be very bad for the maintenance crew if the bearings were dry ;). So if you hear it all the time your brakes are „on“.. (not so sure if that makes it better for the crew). check your rudder null zones. Very likely you are sending brake inputs.

one little thing: this addon has been released for x-plane too, so it would be great if you could point to the sim you are using in the title or the beginning :). Your other thread has no indication about that. 

[Elsmoko 5]

Thank you for the reply Marc.  I'll check my brakes' null zone setting;  although I haven't had any noticeable brake issues with

other planes.  BTW,  my sim is FSX Acceleration.

Ken 

[Elsmoko 5]

Marc,

  I have significant null zones set for both brake pedals and the brakes are still  "dragging" / squealing. 

However, I have discovered that by briefly applying / releasing the parking brake while taxiing,  the

squealing will stop (as the AC continues to taxi) until the next time either, or both brake pedals are

applied;  and then the noise returns until the parking brake is once again applied / released.  Seems

a strange hardware related problem.  I use CH Pro Pedals. 

  While recalibrating the pedals, I noticed that the Y axis won't return to zero.  Lowest it will go is 3,

and of course I wonder if this could be causing the problem.  The X axis calibrates from zero to 255

and the Y axis from ~3 to 255. 

Ken

 

[downscc 1,327]

13 hours ago, Elsmoko said:

While recalibrating the pedals, I noticed that the Y axis won't return to zero.  Lowest it will go is 3,

and of course I wonder if this could be causing the problem.  The X axis calibrates from zero to 255

and the Y axis from ~3 to 255.

I would call that a problem.

[Elsmoko 5]

Thanks Dan.  I've sent a message to CH requesting some TS / repair tips. 

My Pro Pedals are older than dirt (like me ~:)  so I may need to replace them.

Ken

[Ephedrin 418]

14 hours ago, Elsmoko said:

so I may need to replace them.

 

Not necessarily.

i have the CH yoke and throttle. CH is known for not (and now forgive me if this word is written completely wrong or used in the wrong sense) crimping their wire connections. This is intended to make it possible to easily modify the hardware (although loosing warranty when the seal is broken). 

If you have a little skill or have s.o. who can do it you can open it (I guess there isn‘t any warranty left on those old pedals :D ) and crimp the connections. 255 isn‘t a high resolution at all but when you tighten those connections I think it will help a lot. CH products are pretty robust. 

[Ralgh 43]

I had CH pedals in the past and what I found was the brake potentiometers would come out of their seats a little bit causing that sort of problem. I’d press them back in but it didn’t take long before they would start to work their way out of the seats again. 

[Elsmoko 5]

Thank you for the replies and tips Marc and Tom.

   I had my pedals completely apart last night (2 times ~:)     I did notice the pot connections wiggled a bit more that I am comfortable with

so I crimped them (all of them). 

  Today as you suggested Tom, while I had the pedal assemblies apart for other work (mentioned below) I did notice what could be excess "play"

in the RH pedal Pot mounting.  Don't know how much it will help, but I wrapped a strip of elect tape around the Pot shaft to take up the slack.  If it helps,

then I'll create a more permanent shaft "shim" out of harder material (brass shim stock perhaps) .  Still thinkin' about buying new pedals,  but

they ain't cheeeep.  Besides it's fun tinkerin'   LOL!!

  BTW,  I had the Pro Pedals completely apart 3 times because I noticed a binding after I first reassembled them last night.  After I got tired of

looking for the cause of the binding last night and was all set to leave the garage, I noticed a suspicious looking small (~3/4" x 1/8") polished steel

rod (AXLE ~:) on the floor and if you've ever had the Pro Pedals apart, you can likely guess the rest ......   >> one of the upper axels had fallen out

of it's wheel and onto the floor.   It's wheel did not fall out,  but became jammed in it's housing causing the pedals to bind as it rubbed

in it's upper track.  No significant damage though,  and it's all back together and feels smooth.  After I've given it a test with the PC I'll follow up.

BTW,  I had no idea there were 16 of those little wheels (and axles) installed.  I'd only seen the bottom 8 until this morning.  There are four on the

bottom of each sliding assembly and four on the top of each....  And the axles are not snapped in very tight.

Best regards,

Ken

[Elsmoko 5]

Well,  and it only took me a week to figure out (some sarcasm here ~:)   but the issue was mainly with my CH Control Manager and FSX brakes settings. 

There's 2 places where the brake axes can be reversed.  One in FSX and one in CH Control Manager.  After trying the possible combinations of settings and

setting the brakes (both) sensitivities to full in both FSX and CM, and a modest (~ 10%) null zone (for both brakes) in FSX settings,  they finally

work without "dragging".  What worked (for me) was setting both brake axes to "reverse" in the CH Control Mgr DC-6 profile,  and to normal (non rev)

in FSX.  And thanks to the above suggestions and A LOT of patient tinkering, my old Pro Pedals are electro-mechanically perfect and operate

smoothly.

Best to all,

Ken