I'd consider the Honeycomb Quadrant.

1 hour ago, flyboy114 said:

Dave.  Where will your review be posted?  Thanks,

 

I'll be posting here and on the Aerosoft site.  You can follow my posts until it's posted if you like, then you won't miss it.

 

13 hours ago, Manny said:

I know for sure one trim wheel that does not work properly and that is the Saitek Cessna wheel. Horrible. It goes to sleep and when you move, it tries to wake up and its all over the place. I tried many things to prvent it from going to sleep...but no success. Saitek ought to have fixed this but they never did

Manny

I don't have that issue with the saitek trim wheel

I have been researching Trim Wheels for FS2020 and found this older thread.

My findings are below.

Any comments from people actually using any of this gear in FS2020 would be appreciated.

Background - the issues:

The issue with trim wheels with normal yokes and sticks is non-FFB devices always stay centred in the same position regardless of trim.  Hence there is a tendency for flight simmers to "fly with trim" using the trim to get the desired bank or level attitude.  To this end a lot of flight sim trim device try and provide fairly responsive/fast trimming often at the expense of precision.

In real GA aircraft like Cessna's  (and with some FFB yokes and software) you fly by holding the desired attitude with yoke and gradually trimming away any force needed to hold this new position. Flying with trim IRL is discouraged as the tendency is to overshoot and chase the trim up and down forever. There is less need for instant trim in this scenario as you can take your time trimming while you hold the new attitude with Yoke.

 

Possible ways to do a trim wheel:

1) you could simply build the trim wheel into the yoke in some fashion so it moved the natural centre position of the yoke it would sort of work. This would result in some counterintuitive and unnatural behaviour like having trim effect the position of the yoke even when parked. (hint in a real aircraft when parked the elevator flops down and the yoke moves fully forward)

2) You could use a multi turn potentiometer on an axis, this would be realistic and ideal for people with FFB setups that move the yoke realistically with trim - but be far too slow for people that want to "fly with trim"  flight sim style

3) You could use a single turn potentiometer on an axis, this would be unrealistic and sacrifice finesse for speed but probably work OK for non FFB people, especially if the trim wheel is big enough

4) You could use a pulse encoder which sends up or down signals to the game (a bit like clicking the trim buttons continually) these have the benefit of allowing you to program what ever response you want in your control software but also weird stuff can happen.

What I have found:

1) The Saitek separate trim wheel is no longer made so I did not research it

2) The Saitek trim in their multi panel is smallish and uses a rotary encoder rather than an axis

3) The Desktop Aviator item is in a flat panel designed for a sim pit and uses a single turn potentiometer on an axis, this is probably going to give fast response but not a lot of fine control.

4) The Flight Velocity wheel is an encoder, it apparently has issues in FS2020 at present though aftermarket control software might get around that.

5) there is no multi turn trim wheel that I am aware of.

6) the forthcoming honeycomb throttle has a trim wheel but I have not researched what type or how good it is

 

 

Edited October 20, 20205 yr by Glenn Fitzpatrick

I've made mine using Leobodnar USB interface board and an heavy duty, dust proof potentiometer also from Leobodnar shop. Used some old toys gears and some scrap wood and everything under 40 euros. 

I have a 12 bit trim wheel that is better than almost every trim wheel I could buy and much cheaper. And if you want, you could do it much better looking than mine. 

And I still have 7 axis and 12 buttons input in my USB interface to use.

 

Edited October 20, 20205 yr by alexbap

Hi all,

 

as a first step in building a FFB-system, based on the BFF-boards from Ian Hopper, i decided to design a trimming-device:

 

https://postimg.cc/gallery/gn6rNmL

 

 

-  I used 10-turns-potis and the Leo Bodnar-Board

-  Box dimensions about 150mm x 140mm x 150mm, mounting holes and/or rubber pads possible

-  Box of stainless steel, for use in owered position beside my chair or as a desktop-device

- separate top-plate for adding switches in changeable layout, maybe in future as a printed cover

- Trimmwheels with steel inlay for more inertia

- each axis with double ball bearing

- overload-protection for the potis, so that :

- It is easily possible to turn 2-3 complete turns  at once   =   Works as intended !  🤩

 

Just completed the first sample last week, but because of too much workload, there was no chance to make testing.

As far as i see now, i will need to use FSUIPC, because there is only the elevator-axis assignable directly. When using FSUIPC, there should be a possibilty to "add" the other axis to the existing yoke/pedal-axis.

While being a (corona-influenced) one-man-company, i made the design i a manner, that makes small series production as (partly preassembled and tested) kit possible, if there is any interest. 

I didn´t make the final calculation, but expect something about 260,-€ for the version with 3 axis.

( Leo-Bodnar-prices are well known, 3D-printing in the shown quality lasts for 15-18 hours, ad the sheet-metal bodywork and some pieces of small stuff like bearings and screws, presoldered potis and:  There you are... )

 

I will keep you informed about the testing next week.  ( Little bit excited..... 🙂 )

 

Best regards

 

Stefan

21 minutes ago, SloMo said:

Hi all,

 

as a first step in building a FFB-system, based on the BFF-boards from Ian Hopper, i decided to design a trimming-device:

 

https://postimg.cc/gallery/gn6rNmL

 

 

-  I used 10-turns-potis and the Leo Bodnar-Board

-  Box dimensions about 150mm x 140mm x 150mm, mounting holes and/or rubber pads possible

-  Box of stainless steel, for use in owered position beside my chair or as a desktop-device

- separate top-plate for adding switches in changeable layout, maybe in future as a printed cover

- Trimmwheels with steel inlay for more inertia

- each axis with double ball bearing

- overload-protection for the potis, so that :

- It is easily possible to turn 2-3 complete turns  at once   =   Works as intended !  🤩

 

Just completed the first sample last week, but because of too much workload, there was no chance to make testing.

As far as i see now, i will need to use FSUIPC, because there is only the elevator-axis assignable directly. When using FSUIPC, there should be a possibilty to "add" the other axis to the existing yoke/pedal-axis.

While being a (corona-influenced) one-man-company, i made the design i a manner, that makes small series production as (partly preassembled and tested) kit possible, if there is any interest. 

I didn´t make the final calculation, but expect something about 260,-€ for the version with 3 axis.

( Leo-Bodnar-prices are well known, 3D-printing in the shown quality lasts for 15-18 hours, ad the sheet-metal bodywork and some pieces of small stuff like bearings and screws, presoldered potis and:  There you are... )

 

I will keep you informed about the testing next week.  ( Little bit excited..... 🙂 )

 

Best regards

 

Stefan

The industrial build quality is very impressive.

I crafted my own trim wheel for the Hawker Hurricane (IL2: Cliffs of Dover).

Used a ceramic pot. Connects via a Leo Bodnar BU0836X. Has worked since about 2013. They are easy enough to do.

Thanks, Glenn 🙂

 

I build it for my own, and it should last for ever 😉

The steel-inlays in the trimming-wheels do a quite good job in increasing inertia. I decided to use sealed ball-bearings to reach an amount of braking force, and for me my goal is reached.

The shafts are preheated and pressed in the "rims" using a 100% perpendicular guiding-system, so the wheels turn very precise.

The finish of the outer wheels is always a compromise between optic and printing hours. They are made of ASA, a kind of ABS, and i am satisfied with the look and feel.

I made an calculation with professional printed parts of "HP Multi-fusion-printing", which is the cheapest way to manufacture parts like those (beside FDM-Printing), but the complete needed set of 18 parts would cost at least 170,-€ : Game over... 🥶

 

Designing medical equipment and industrial tools as an engineer for 30 years now, i don´t want to buy a fully plastic device for 80,- USD or an only "panel-mountable" device with single-turn-poti 😇

When i saw some weeks ago, that nearly every piece of flightsim-hardware was sold out, i decided to build a sheet-metal-device in an "universal usable" layout. (For cockpit-builders, the boxed-design is not the optimal solution... ) 

Of course, i had to buy initially 5 sets of the whole bodywork, but i am slightly optimistic, that there should exist at least 4 persons in this flightsim-universe, that are willing to invest in this piece of equipment 😎

 

Stefan

Edited October 20, 20205 yr by SloMo
Additions...

I love this one because there is also a top quality rudder trim lever too. And some 2 way switches.

I mounted in a stiff cardboard box with three 1 pound flat fishing weights glued inside the box on the bottom for stability. I think that looks better than mounting in an expensive metal rack.

http://www.desktopaviator.com/Products/Model_2700/index.htm

 

 

 

 

 

I have ordered the Logitech/Saitek Multi panel which seems to have a trim wheel as well . 

Maybe not totally proff. but i hope it works 

 

https://ibb.co/261ZPyH

 

 

Michael Moe

For use with a propper FFB-system, you will have to engage 3 of them...

A massive reduced payload will be the price 😁

15 minutes ago, Fielder said:

 

Nice ...

... or what about one of these ?

 

word not allowed...  , not even stainless steel... 🧐