What have you done for your simulator today?

[RayS]

Bob and I live about 2500 miles from each other so we just do a video call with screen sharing.

It's actually working pretty well for us. Much better than when we first became friends back in 1997 and all we had was AOL chat to work on the old EPIC-ISA system.

[blueskydriver]

Hey Ray,

Thanks for letting me know. You're right about video chats today versus AOL back in the day. Video Chatting is almost as good as being there now....

Funny, do you remember doing BBS stuff? I know Bob does for sure...right Bob? 

I was doing BBS on my Commodore C64 and C128's way back in early 80's before and while in the Army! Talk about old school, I was just an 18 year old kid who lived in the video arcade or video game rooms back then. Along with having an Atari 2600, a Tandy and a Vic20 at home

My younger brother, next neighbor friends, and fellow soldiers all dreamed of video chatting back then, along with playing Elite Space Game and maybe even building a full-size space sim for it!

https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3983/the_history_of_elite_space_the_.php?print=1

Here is an example of one today:

https://youtu.be/a00KtZ8xnu0

Funny, how things play out in life! I'm still playing video games on PC and doing a full-size airplane sim; although, I keep rolling that space sim idea around in my head...old habits never die I suppose.

Anyway, thank you for continuing to post in this thread, as I've happily said many times before, it makes my day everyday when all the members keep posting in it....

John

[RayS]

BBS work... Wow. That's a trip down memory lane!

I used to build BBS systems for clients. Loved working on the "Graphical" interface using all those special ASCII characters to build boxes, drop shadows, fills, menus... (Remember BrownBag Software? They had a wonderful DOS-based menuing system.)

[Bob Reed]

Dont even get me started on BBS's I had 4 phone lines into my house and my buddy had 7 we where very busy!

[blueskydriver]

Wow 4 and 7! Here I thought mine was high speed with 2 lines...lol!

Definitely a time when computer nerds/geeks like us ruled....

John

[RayS]

More work on the Beech 1900...

Not only did I have to resolve the flyback issue in that 28v landing gear relay, I also have to deal with the arcing across the relay contacts that turn on/off the landing gear relay.

After installing a well-shielded USB cable to the lower annunciator controller, I also had to build/install a relay snubber, since turning off the landing gear relay creates a small arc across the relay that controls it, creating a small amount of RF interference (Think of a lightning strike while listening to an AM radio.)

As Bob can attest to, it was a success. When the landing gear lock relay engages/disengages, the arc is properly snubbed as well as the flyback voltage.

Sims tend to have a threshold. Once can add circuits/components until one day, adding another circuit brings the sim to it's knees. I seem to be at that point.



 

[navymustang]

I am so glad you guys are talking about relay arcs and the such. The throttle quadrant on my helo sim has a idle lock out that is a mechanical relay interfaced to the rotor brake. Every once in a while when I engage the rotor brake, I loose a USB connection. This is a high amp 28vdc line driving those relays. I have diodes across the circuit, but still occasionally loose a USB device. I see the comment about a well shielded USB cable, any other tips that could be provided are most appreciated. ALso, the term snubber is new to me. What is meant by that?
Thanks

[Bob Reed]

More work on the Beech 1900...

Not only did I have to resolve the flyback issue in that 28v landing gear relay, I also have to deal with the arcing across the relay contacts that turn on/off the landing gear relay.

After installing a well-shielded USB cable to the lower annunciator controller, I also had to build/install a relay snubber, since turning off the landing gear relay creates a small arc across the relay that controls it, creating a small amount of RF interference (Think of a lightning strike while listening to an AM radio.)

As Bob can attest to, it was a success. When the landing gear lock relay engages/disengages, the arc is properly snubbed as well as the flyback voltage.

Sims tend to have a threshold. Once can add circuits/components until one day, adding another circuit brings the sim to it's knees. I seem to be at that point.



 

Yup I have seen it in action nd it works great!

[Bob Reed]

So I have made some very useable progress on the sim. We are moving further ahead every day..

[blueskydriver]

Pics Bob, pics....

[Bob Reed]

   There really is nothing to see yet... Hmmmmm

[blueskydriver]

I put this video link on the 2-22-22 @ 2:22pm thread, but wanna put it here for longevity....

https://youtu.be/cP59MuTJHtc

John

[blueskydriver]

Another night gone just fixing things, replaced a projector with one of the units I purchased from Scott years ago.

Since I bought the same models he had, and then when he switched to 5 monitors I bought his projectors for backup. So glad I did this; trying to find a DMD chip is like insane now.

Thus, that is why I suggest too anyone getting projectors that they buy 1 extra projector unit and/or at least buy a spare lamp and spare chip. In case one projector fails you'll have the most important parts on the shelf.

Next, is the Immersive Pro setups; I'll be on that tomorrow. Plus, getting the Phillips Hue lights finished....

Keep building and flying everyone!

John

[Bob Reed]

Hey John, just went and watched your video! Sweet! Very nice job. Those seats are a very nice improvement over the old ones huh??

[blueskydriver]

Hey Bob,

Yep, these IPECO are awesome compared to the those really old ones I had. Jason got the Weber Seats, but I don't remember where the old ones went...brain cells are dying more and more...lol!

Already fried with learning Fly Elise, P3D and all the new add-ons! 

John

[blueskydriver]

Question for anyone using Fly Elise and P3D with a Matrox TH2GO Digital.

How did you get it all the to work in Windows10 with using P3D ViewGroups on a single PC with the TH2GO?

According to the Fly Elise manual, the TH2GO has too be set as 3 displays and not 1 large display in W10 display settings, so how do I accomplish that?

When I goto Windows10 settings there is no way to adjust or change it. Not sure what I'm overlooking.... Otherwise, I can set the ViewGroups in P3D and turn on windows or desktop warping in Immersive Display Pro and get something of a screen correction, but I'm not able too assign a projector to each display. That's because Immersive Display Pro is seeing the Matrox as one big display and not 3 individual displays.

Any advice would really help.

John

[Trevor Hale]

Hey John,

I am using 3 projectors on 3 separate outputs, I use Nvidia Surround to create one large view. (This is because MSFS only uses one view)  then inside FlyElise I configure each individual output.  P3D allows you to export each projector separately if you chose to go that route and it gives you the viewgroup files for each.  Now you also have the option to export "ONE MAIN" View which is how I use it for MSFS2020.  That in turn combines the 3 views into one big view.

Now if the TH2Go won't let you separate it, then If Fly elise won't allow you to use it a 3 outputs, don't try to configure it as 3X1 try configuring it a 1X1.  You will still be able to adjust the warping, with the config, you will essentially be doing all the projectors as if they were 1 output instead, think of the 3 projectors as just one really big one.

Because with the TH2GO essentially they are.  Just a suggestion.

Trev

[blueskydriver]

Hey Trevor,

Thank you, I will give it a try now.... It's awesome seeing more posts from you again!

Are you going too start the online sim flights back up soon? Hope that you do.

John

[jackpilot]

Got my Printer from FDS....new addition to the pedestal

[Jason L]

Oof.  FDS printer.  I don't want to know what that bad boy cost!  I got a printer panel from HISPA and bought my printer from ali-express.  Looks almost identical to yours but is not painted grey.

[Joe Lavery]

Oof.  FDS printer.  I don't want to know what that bad boy cost!  I got a printer panel from HISPA and bought my printer from ali-express.  Looks almost identical to yours but is not painted grey.

Hey Jason, do you have a link for that printer please?

Thanks Joe

[blueskydriver]

Yes, what is the link?

[blueskydriver]

Moved to P3D section, since it's about P3Dv4 and Fly Elise.

John

[Jason L]

Oof.  FDS printer.  I don't want to know what that bad boy cost!  I got a printer panel from HISPA and bought my printer from ali-express.  Looks almost identical to yours but is not painted grey.

Hey Jason, do you have a link for that printer please?

Thanks Joe

Hispa Panel: https://hispapanels.com/tienda/en/pedestal-b737/368-b737-acars.html#/add_components-yes  53.94 Euros

Ali Printer: https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/80mm-Mini-Embedded-Thermal-panel-Printer_60838972429.html?spm=a2700.galleryofferlist.normal_offer.d_title.1edc453bP5wRdy
~114 with shipping USD

I specified with Alibaba that I wanted one that had USB and ran on 9v to 12v power.  Works beautifully and fits in the Hispa Panel perfectly.

If you go that route let me know I can send you a link to updated drivers that work with Windows 10+

[blueskydriver]

Thanks Jason