Hemp’s Flight Sim Stuff

Refinements of the Mini-Hal Joystick. The basic mechanical design prototype was completed. But it's not done yet. Just received the PCBs and have to now consider the details of the wiring, assembly etc. I do have some idea about how to wire them, with electro-magnet wires, or 30+ gauge wires (that's why the 4-point star shape of the inner components. Now I also have to consider how to easily assemble and make this stuff... for you.... and me. There are already a lot of design details considered for you, and me, to make them at home, preferably with just a 3D printer and some hand tools, avoiding using CNC mills at all costs.... For instance, one of the problems that I have to solve is how to make the latex "spring", easily. Take a look at the 2nd picture. That's the set of jigs to make the latex membrane "spring." The basic problem is that I have to 3D print 2x concentric rings (one OD=1/4", ID=2mm", and one OD=19.31mm, ID=10.34mm) and tie a pi...

The mechanical prototype of the Mini-Hall Joystick is completed. It's now mostly 3D printed. I have not beautified it with all kinds of methods to make it look less 3D printed yet. I am still waiting for a new version of PCB, the analog version with MLX90333, plus the optical sensor. I totally forgot to design and order this one but only ordered the planned more advanced version with MLX90363 (fully digital SPI version). Note that in the video, the click click sound is not the activation of the button press. It's the central detent. I did not expect it to be this loud and distinct. It only sounded that loud because of the echo of my vaulted ceiling dinning room. Oh well, now I definitively will know the center! This version is vulnerable to UV damages. I will have to find a way to "cover" the vulnerable part. I think I already have the solution, no worries. The only parts that are not 3D printed are: a small piece of latex sheet, a bronze sleeve bearing, a neo magnet,...

This is a very satisfying button click test for the new button mechanism for the mini-Hall joystick (no gimbal). Most of the parts are 3D printed. Inside, there is an off-the-shelf self-lubricating bronze sleeve bearing for smooth button presses. The force required is 1.8kgf. You can see in the video that such large activation force is not only for the satisfying click, it is also necessary to prevent accidental activation. It's fatal if you accidentally activate the boost button (I often assign it on the F-16 mini-stick button press, and it's a bit iffy with the TM F-16 TQS Viper's puny activation force) inside a space station in Elite Dangerous. I could have done 0.9kgf with just 1x dome switch, but I felt it's too easy to accidentally activate it so I doubled it with 2x switches. This new mechanism (not shown) is much straight forward than the previous working design, and is only possible with the newly released stainless steel dome switch with back lighting (I am no...

After months of keeping the finished two-stage trigger mechanism on my work desk as a fidget toy.... I broke it. It's not as scientific, nor as gimmicky, as how Ikea showed you how they tested their  POÄNG  chairs in store. But I figured, if I can't even pass this simple durability test, forget scientific methods. It... still works... it's just that the 2nd stage force is no longer as strong as new. It's still very distinct, but, I can feel that it's breaking slowly. So, now I have two choices, assuming the main design does not change. Go Hard Go Flexible. This merits a bit of explanation. The original Otto two-stage trigger uses plastic, mostly plastics of various kinds... I am NOT sorry to break all your all-metal mythologies... My guess is that they are made of Delrin, aka Acetal. Delrin is a very slick substance, not as slick as Teflon, but very close. But... it's very hard, as far as plastic can. It's almost as hard as aluminum. So, you can easily machi...

  Optimizing the design.... or more appropriately, optimizing the manufacturing process in design. In the picture, the above is a one-piece clone "piston" of the 2 stage trigger of an F-16. It's lathed on a mini-lathe, out of an OD=8mm brass. First, it has to be turned down to OD=7.5mm, then, the middle section has to be turned down to 4.5mm, then one end has to be drilled with an D=1/8" hole. This whole thing has approximately the same dimensions as the real one. The blunt nose section's precise shape is not important. The original is a circular dome (plastic injection molded part). But, mine is... well, filed on a lathe. The curve? I have no idea... well, about there. But... if you ain't got a lathe.... that is going to be very difficult to make. Just drilling a D=1/8" on an D=4mm hole is going to make you sweat. Any deviation on the center finding (or even wandering of the drill bit) will make it very obvious on these small diameter, thin walled part....

 I added a chopped off blk 50 central pedestal. This is a chopped off central pedestal. The 3D model came from the "ancient" Hempstick site, as one of the forum goers stated. This is a VR pit. I call it an Augmented VR pit (AVRPit). The panels are only there to provide positions and rigidity for knobs, switches and buttons. They don't even need to look good. But because I could, I will make them look good. I won't even bother putting in instruments like HSI etc. The visuals are provided by the VR goggle. All I need is the HDG, and Heading knobs, the barometric knob, and the fuel selection knobs, etc. I will just leave the holes uncovered... empty. Maybe I will put some color pictures in them so they don't look funny. Nevertheless, this pit is designed to be adjustable, and could be torn down, and reconfigured for PS5 Gran Turismo, and regular PC gaming with keyboard/mouse. I have the other two panels instead of the F-16 front panel too. The front panel could be qu...