Boeing 767 Flight Sim Throttle Quadrant Complete

Thread Starter

monster_catfish

Joined Mar 17, 2011
116
At long last, my Boeing 767 flight sim throttle quadrant works beautifully. My belated thanks go out to JohnInTx, and to Mr. Chips, for their advice that since all else had failed, I needed to read the instructions, and install decoupling caps on my pc board.

With the caps installed, all those noisy output voltages stabilized and smoothed out like magic as I advanced the jet throttle levers, and operated the flaps selector, speed brakes or elevator trim. Why I held off installing those caps in the first place, I'll never know.

Earlier, I had encountered a minor speed-bump while configuring the NanoBoard HID/USB interface module, but once that was squared away, there was this euphoric Eureka moment when all the levers of my twin-jet throttle quadrant came to life, with their every movement mirrored by the on-screen Virtual Cockpit throttles of the Level D767-300ER I so love to fly.

Abandoning decorum, I leapt to my feet this morning, and danced around my computer desk like a right loony. Commercially marketed flight sim throttle quadrants are priced anywhere from $300 to a couple of grand USD, for top-end models with stepper motors that move the throttle levers when auto-thottle is engaged, yet, for about $50 in parts, I have cobbled together a realistic feeling throttle quadrant with the same or better functionality than most of those over-priced models advertised on the net.

Once again I doff my hat in humble thanks to JohnInTx, and to Mr. Chips, for steering me in the right direction as I muddled along with this project. I'll post a picture a bit later on, showing the new throttle quadrant when I have it incorporated into my home flight deck, comprising an old Range Rover car seat, a CH flight yoke, Saitek rudder pedals, and an overhead laser projector for wall sized scenery in the immersive world of Microsoft Flight Sim 2004.

Now, if you will excuse me...... Yeeeeeeeeeehaw ! Had to get that out.
 

MrChips

Joined Oct 2, 2009
30,714
Congrats! Don't know what I did but congrats any way.
Sounds like you have quite an impressive flight sim. Make sure you post some nice photos.
Put everything down and go have a beer on us!
 

Thread Starter

monster_catfish

Joined Mar 17, 2011
116
I am extremely grateful for your help, Mr. Chips. I actually joined this forum to seek help getting this project working, but now that it is functioning, I feel so at home here that I'll still find myself lurking around the AAC forums for a good while to come, consulting the database of electronics design knowledge that is so graciously shared here.
 

GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,009
Monster_Catfish,
I am happy to hear about the success of your project and pictures of that would be great. However, I am really interested to see a photo of a MONSTER CATFISH from Ghana.

Congrats.
 

JohnInTX

Joined Jun 26, 2012
4,787
Yeeeeeeeeeehaw ! Had to get that out.
Well said, pard'nr. Not sure what I did either but you sound happier than a tick on a cowdog and just as puffed up - as you should be!
Congratulations on a successful project.
Best,
JiTX
 
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