OVH misc and using real gauges

[jackpilot]

Incorporating some real panels. Voice rec and Diff alt.(pointers out of whack! lol)

[jetpilot]

Great Job Jack!
I am exactly on the same track

Roberto

[blueskydriver]

Hey Jack,

Did you get the Electrical Panel and Cabin Pressure Panel Kit with your Overhead now? If not, you should as I am finally installing mine, after lowering the Overhead in the swing down position (not stand mount).

My Overhead is a couple years old, but IBL and I can say that the upgrade is an adventure. Not because of any FDS related matters, but because I did all the wiring and modifications made behind the Overhead, and now I have to work around it all.

It's not worth taking the whole Overhead down and placing it back on the stand to do this job, but since yours is on the stand, I strongly suggest you upgrade now.

For anyone else, if you're wiring yourself, you really need to think about the upgrade aspects that you might encounter later. If you can get the items today (like the Elec/Cabin Panel Kits or whatever), I suggest you buy them now and install them before mounting. I mean that for the Overhead, as well as the MIP, Ped, Thr Assy and any other module of your cockpit project.

BSD

[jackpilot]

Very wise tip...
Lucky me, besides the gauges, mine is "all dressed "  including the cole switches .
I use the stand to do some personal detailing like installing
a real APU Gauge and working on a dual needle duct pressure gauge.
The other ones or not a necessity (4 me   )

[jackpilot]

APU in.
...and working.

[fsaviator]

Jack,
that looks really good.  Great job.

Warren

[MLeavy737]

Sweet Jack.. thought it was real there for a min

Mike L

[XOrionFE]

Looking Great Jack.   Roberto gave me a real one and eventually going to swap out the flight illusions one with it.  Supposedly there is a new phidgets card that can be used to drive real gauges.

Scott

[jackpilot]

that one was brand new in the box. (new old stock) They appear once in a while.
I will check Phidgets. I know that Nat uses Phidgets for his gauges.
Cheers
Jack

PS here are some: [ebay]390375152245[/ebay]
[ebay]260850074587[/ebay]

[727737Nut]

Looking Great Jack.   Roberto gave me a real one and eventually going to swap out the flight illusions one with it.  Supposedly there is a new phidgets card that can be used to drive real gauges.

Scott

Scott,
Been posting all over to get someone to write software to support the #1002 4-Out Analog Phiidget which can be used to drive every gauge you need easily. I will let you know if get any bites.
Rob

[jackpilot]

Interested too  , let us know
Real gauges are so much nicer!

1)  BTW:Setting up the APU circuit
What is the APU EGT constant running temp
around 700°??

2) Then, I guess I found a more elegant way to start those gauges which just need to spool up from Zero to preset value and back , mainly egt and other temp gauges
The capacitor circuit I described before can be fed a voltage (ususally 5V) by a spare relay of the relay board and that relay can be triggered by an XML ex: APU start or Gen on or whatever.
This works around the fact that the interface card cant feed the gauge directly.
Not yet tested but should work.

[Maurice]

I must be the only person left in this crazy sim world who does not give a damn whether I have real gauges or an imitation that works. I guess you can still buy 'real' gauges cheaper than a Flight Illusion gauge so that may be a good reason, but otherwise, I don't even look at the gauges in the overhead after I start the engines so who cares?

But then again, I've also agonized over minute inconsequential details which add nothing at all to the fake 'flying' experience, so I really shouldn't be saying anything 

Maurice

[727737Nut]

I think the biggest reason you feel that way along with many others is that it hasn't been easy to interface those gauges.  Now with this phidget out it "could" be really easy but no one has written software to interface this powerful phidget for us cockpit builders.  I need 5 of these puppies for my project! LOL  I know when I had my overhead gauges working I was always glancing up at them.

Rob

[Maurice]

I think the biggest reason you feel that way along with many others is that it hasn't been easy to interface those gauges.

Rob

Not at all Rob. I simply have no interest whatsoever in seeing real gauges as opposed to reasonable facsimiles regardless of any interfacing difficulties. I find the fake ones just as 'attractive' as the real ones and just calling a gauge 'attractive' is actually quite sick when you think of it. After all, it's just a round casing with a needle or two and some printed numbers. What's so special about that?

Bottom line... different strokes for different folks and beauty will always be in the eye of the beholder 

Maurice

[jackpilot]

Assuming the repro gauges are priced at 2 to 300 dollars a pop, the savings can be substantial on a full overhead. Most real ones go for $25-30 on Ebay.
Hence the greedy wish to interface them!!!

[727737Nut]

Not to stray to far from Jack's topic but it would open the door for many GA, Small Jet, Etc: gauges and instruments if we could use these Phidget Analog out cards

Jack' edit: Go ahead  Rob, I renamed the thread

[Maurice]

Assuming the repro gauges are priced at 2 to 300 dollars a pop, the savings can be substantial on a full overhead. Most real ones go for $25-30 on Ebay.
Hence the greedy wish to interface them!!!

Can't argue with that logic but the only benefit everyone talks about seems to be mostly about the looks. Perhaps I misunderstood everyone  .  I'm greedy too and would have gone with real gauges just to save money but my laziness overtook my greediness 

Maurice

[Nat Crea]

I wish the new Phidgets Analog card was out 12-18 months ago...LOL

Ive spent way too much time getting my indicators interfaced...some were easy...
some I gave up and ripped the guts out, installed micro-servos hooked up to good old phidgets servo card and driven by Sim-A....

Really nice to have a complete set of real functioning indicators, but not for the faint hearted or elderly

Cheers,

Nat

I know, Im so over due for an update on my Sim...

[Maurice]

Really nice to have a complete set of real functioning indicators, but not for the faint hearted or elderly

Nat

Very nice work Nat, but while you are STILL at it, why don't you hook up a set a real wings with real ailerons, spoilers, flaps so that you can see part of the wing from the cockpit. In my opinion, that would increase the realism a lot more than a few real gauges.

Of course, goes without saying that you will also need to pressurize your cabin so that you can feel your ears pop when you real pressure gauge shows an increase in pressure, and also install a shower head above the windshield to get a better feel on those rainy days. And why stop there?...you will also need a cabin shaker to feel the turbulence.

But then again, why bother will all that since you'll be much too old by the time you get to fly your amazing sim. I'm sure your kids will be very grateful though if they are afflicted with the same flying 'disease' 

But I'm not jealous at all 

Maurice 

[jackpilot]

Way to go Nat!
I think its worth digging!
Actually Mau will be part of the research comitee, he's just  trying real hard to convince himself of the futility of the exercise . Pretty sure the idea is already tickling his love/hate relationship with tech challenges..
I would not be surprised that in a few weeks he comes up dicreetly with a perfectly working set of OVH real round casings with a needle . 

[Nat Crea]

Ahhhh you crack me up Mau...love ya mate 
I do fly sort of...test flying count?

Jacks secretly going mad too...he just wont admit yet

Next week Ill post some videos of them live in action to prove that
watching little needles move is not insane LOL!

Nat

[jackpilot]

Mad ?? Me ??
Yep! 
You are probably right and this is the latest in madness ... the little one inch pressurization gauge.
I will have to do some surgery to the panel itself because the opening in the panel is just for the dummy half moon dial. This little gauge is too cute to be left away from where it belongs!
Jack

[Nat Crea]

LOL If you try to get that gauge working then you win the Madness Cup!

I have a similar one installed no problem....?
Not sure why yours wont fit? You took the dummy piece out?

Nat

[jackpilot]

If SimA can drive it , I'll get the Cup !

You are right Nat
I did not push the front part out.
Done now. No surgery! lol
JP

[Speedbird17]

Hi Jack

I am with you. This gauge is so neat! Here's mine with backlighting working. I will probably drive it with variable voltage and Sim-A

Cheers