wptm peripherals

[wptm]

When I made my introduction into http://x-sim.de/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20&start=110&hilit=skoda#p3621 value1 asked me for an explanation of my hardware. I've made some improvements on them since then. I use real car parts from the junkyard and connect them into a Leo Bodnar Game controller.

Please see below the cockpit without the seat. The wheel is from VW, gearshift is Skoda, handbrake is from Lada and the pedals are DIY.


Please see below details of the wheel. The wheel is connected into the wheel drive (polski fiat) with a wheel rod just like in any car. The pot turns by the wheel drive.


Please see below the details of the pedals. The pedals are made by me. There are slide pots sampling the pedal movement.


Please see below the details of the gearshift. I've made an H format from wood and put some metal in the slots. When I switch it makes signal just like a button switch. I use ethernet cable to transfer the signs. It has 6 different buttons, so can have 5+1, or 6 but no backward setups.


Please see below the details of the handbrake. I needed to put gears, because the pot could not turn enough.


Please see below the central unit. It converts the peripheral's signs into game controller. The board is made by Leo Bodnar. I use 3.5jacks for pots, and ethernet for buttons.


And at least how it looks like together. The seat is from a BMW. Actually it's under construction for motion simulator with two wiper motors.

[ferslash]

Man!

Impresive work, i was just thinking about the posibility of that impresive!!!

i have some questions obviusly:

1. why you have still connected the wheel to the "wheel drive"? (doesn it makes it too heavy?

2. where did you got the gear to connect the pot to the wheel drive?

3. your pedals totally rocks :D:D i was waiting to see this kind of stuff, could you take more pics of them, they are really cool :D:D i would like to make something like that (i loved the 4th pedal)

[wptm]

Thanks ferslash!

This wheel is the version 3. I always had the problem that I could not realy have a rod with bearings. Hence I needed to turn the wheel with caution. The first version of the wheel used a bicycle wheel hub, but went wrong when I asked someone to try it out.
The second version used a metric shaft or rod, with gears. Well that was pretty fine, but I wanted something more robust. So when I calculated the prices, the wheel drive at the junkyard was much cheaper than a selfmade rod with bearings and gears.
This is why I use it. And actually it has the same angle just like a car (more than 3 turns), however only a part I use due to the speed of the racing games.
It's quite heavy indeed, but I have enough metal to hold it.
Please see below version 2 and you can see at the bottom of it the wheel hub also.


Please see below some early stage images of the pedals.


The 4th pedal was a great help to my leg. It makes comfortable, to have a rest on it.

I do not totally understand your 2nd question. There's a handle on it which was used to connect to the car's wheeling system. There I have a turning, so I put there the pot.

[ferslash]

Grate pics and thanks for replaying

i miss spelled my second question... i wanted to write "where did you got the plastic gears, that connects the wheel shaft to the potentiometer, i saw in your pictures that you have two plastic gears to transmit the spin of the shaft to the pots.

best regards

fer

[value1]

This is awsome what you have done with a lot of brain and very creative construction! Congratulations and chapeau!
Thank you very much for sharing and documenting with pictures!
Fantastic work!

[wptm]

value1, thanks!

ferslash,
I've found the plastic gears in an empty laser toner cartridge. I used my pocket knife to free them out. They were used in the wheel version 2, and now they are working in the handbrake.