Potenciometers - Question

[RafaelGomes]

Hi guys.

My name is Rafael, and I'm from Brazil. I'm building a home cockpit and i'm drawing the project of the yokes, rudders and throttles. And i have a question:

I'll use rotary potenciometers in the rudders ( with brakes) and yokes. Is necessary to use all the course of pontenciometers in the ailerons, elevators, rudder and brakes?

I open mu old joystick and i see that he doesn't use all the course of potenciometers in airlerons and elevators. Then my question is this.

Sorry for my basic english, i'm studying. =)

Thanks a lot.

Rafael

[mikeh]

Hi Rafael,
I presume you mean - should you use the whole of the travel of the pot.?
The simple answer is YES - if at all possible - this is because it will give you a lot smoother control motion.
Imagine you only used 50% of the travel.
With 0volts on one end and 5volts on the other end of the pot - you will be going from 1.25 volts to 3.75 volts from end to end of your movement. It is true you can use the FS tools to get the sim to recognise these volts as the upper and lower limits but in so doing the step for each small change of the control will be 50% bigger than if you had used the whole travel and getting a smooth flight will become more difficult. i.e. when landing manually
Ideal Pots should be 10KOhms Linear. and if it makes it easier you could always get linear track pots
type as below - (not the value - just the style)
http://cgi.ebay.com/5x-50K-ohm-Potentiometer-Audio-Slide-Pot-Resistor-S50K-/120707908326?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c1ac082e6

[RafaelGomes]

Hey Mikeh, thanks for respond my message. Sorry for my english =)

Thanks!!

Rafael