Mobile Driving/Flying Cockpit with Motion and Tactile ( Build )

[RCHeliguy]

It feels much more solid now and more comfortable.

Reach Test

My fingers extend one finger joint past the side toggles and buttons. The HMD center is the top left corner white lit button which is very easy to find while in VR. The large mushroom button above that is Pit / recover.

Center button reach is very comfortable. I typically drop my hand on the arrow key joystick and then easily press the Enter, ESC, Cancel buttons to the sides of that joystick.

With my shoulders pushed back into the seat, I can still reach the furthest Stream Deck button with a little stretch which is actually OK. I currently use these buttons for everything before I am in game and I don't want to hit them accidentally in game.

FWIW I use the same ergonomics with my trackball mouse. I can just hold my right arm out straight just to the right of the steering wheel and it drops on to the mouse. In VR that is an easy place to accurate put my hand.

I'll think I'll continue to stick with this until I have a completely new design in mind. For now I think this will work great.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Finished my Media room trickledown. Got the matching rear satellites mounted to the rear wall, and now the new 8K AV receiver sees them as "large" speakers since they reach 40Hz. With the old rear satellites, it decided to call all of them small and set a high crossover, now it sees them as large with no crossover. My SVC subwoofer sounds better integrated and solid without drawing attention to its position in the room. The rear Infinity satellites were mounted to the wall when I first purchased the house and they were weak. The Definitive speakers are more efficient and have better range. I don't know why I didn't do this earlier. It is also sending more power their way, so it sounds louder at lower volume settings. The rear speakers are more efficient, but I think it was trying to protect them when it thought they were small speakers. All channels can handle 200W even if the AV receiver isn't rated for that. It still gets a lot louder than I need and seems to stay pretty clear even at higher volumes.

Also upgraded all my cables to HDMI 2.1 capable of 8K 60fps / 4K 120fps. However I think when using HDR that both the 8K and 4K frame rates drop.

The AV calibration was surprisingly useful. It very accurately measured the distance from the calibration mic to each speaker, except for the subwoofer which uses a wireless transmitter in place of a wire. Apparently there was enough delay in the wireless connection that it decided the subwoofer was another 25 feet further away. Interesting. Now it is adjusting for that delay.

The calibration also informed me that I had a channel out of phase, which I fixed. 10 years of advancements makes a difference. Overall it does sound better than the 10 year older HD AV receiver, but the new speakers in back help.

One thing that is interesting is that all the new devices are smart. The AV receiver can stream Spotify, Tidal, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney, etc.. The TV can also stream similar services. I can directly stream everything without the Roku now. Currently I don't have either setup even though I have a 100Mbps switch plugged into the wall that the PC and Roku currently use.

So you can stream from the Receiver and all the audio is taken care of, or you can stream from the TV and use the enhanced ARC HDMI and still take care of all the audio.

I currently have my gaming PC connected directly to the TV, since I don't need the receiver in VR. However since the AV receiver is smart it turns on automatically whenever it senses I turn on the TV. So it does save me that button click except when I'm in VR. However the smart TV doesn't just default to the last input, it shows a live view of all the active inputs in small windows and while it defaults to showing the last one selected, you still have to click on it for it to use it taking back that saved button click.

The TV remote is now tiny and simple depending on menus rather than having a pile of buttons. The receiver remote is slightly smaller and also has less buttons and has a few more rockers for changing DSP effects and input as well as volume.

The hardware trickledown may be done, but I'll probably be figuring things out for a little while. A lot changed. The good news is that the new 85 TV does look better and everything now sounds better.

 

[RCHeliguy]

I had never seen configurable touch screen side panels that can change with each aircraft before. I'd consider it mostly useless for VR, but with a pass through camera, you might still be able to get value out of the versatility of something like that.

Anyway, it's always cool to see something new to me.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Looks like I'll be setting up my rig for flight soon

 

[HoiHman]

Gotta love those organic supports

 

[RCHeliguy]

I just installed the Virpil Collective Counter Balance kit. There were no instructions showing how to install it, so I created an unboxing/installation video. Also pulled out their new Apache AH-64 collective grip.

The adjustment spring is easy to fine tune for different weight collective grips and holds the stick in place while only requiring a tiny bit of friction.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Needed to move the Collective Bracket inboard to compensate for the width of the spring. I decided I did not like it further away from me. Also made this mount so it would slide behind my rear right D-Box actuator far back enough for the AH-64 collective to have clearance from my Wheelbase uprights.

New mount left, old mount right.

 

[RCHeliguy]

The new 3D printed mount for the collective bracket is doing exactly what I needed it to do. It has clearance to slide back past where the D-Box actuator is and it moves the stick towards me to compensate for the offset added by the counter Balance spring.

I also have an end stop in the back for the position of the AH-64 grip and an end stop in front where the collective base needs to be when I'm using the Hawk-60 grip.

With the AH-64 which is basically on a governor the whole time, there is little chance I would actually use the engine throttle which is now harder to reach further down the stick.

Virpil Collective bracket mount for 40 series profile by RCHeliGuy

This mount is for the Vipil collective bracket with an offset taking the new counter balance into account. It fits to the top of a 40 series profile like the Simlab P1. It uses to M8 bolts on both ends to mount to the profile. I use large knobs to make it tool-less. It uses 4 x M5x16mm bolts...

www.thingiverse.com

 

[RCHeliguy]

I have no intention of ever being a "YouTuber" in the sense of monetizing my channel, but I've had a few complaints about the audio in my videos. I also know that I've had bad framing in some of my videos.

So I got a half decent inexpensive wireless lav and I'll do some basic limiting, boost and compression on the audio track so it is cleaner and louder in the future.

I also found a way to convert an old android phone into a video monitor that I can have pointed at me so I can see if I'm properly in frame.

I think I may have taken the bare bones approach a little too far. I'm still not expecting to spend much time in post, but I guess this is just the minimum to get a clear sounding audio track and to make sure that when I'm only going to shoot a single take, that I'm actually getting what I think I am recorded.

Here is the video explaining how to turn an old Android phone into a camera monitor.

Edit: Went down the rabbit hole a bit further and got some decent color adjusting diffuse lighting. So I'll have two light panels, which means my camera can operate at a less noisy ISO than it is right now and I can stop it down to increase the depth of field if I want.

I just can't stop when I start down a path.

 

[RCHeliguy]

I was just told that the Rhino FFB flight stick base I ordered a while back is in production, so I decided I would take it.

Meanwhile the all metal version @mechsicko is working on based on the same electronics is making great progress and he is being very thorough with it.

So at some point I'll end up with two FFB stick bases and I'm expecting to sell the Rhino. I don't think it will take long to find a buyer given the backlog. I ordered mine last summer.

This isn't a picture of mine, but what I expect to see sometime soon.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Meanwhile Beyond sent me another pre-production Audio Strap.

It has a new rubber cable guide that will gently hold the cable and give it relief on both sides.

They added a rubber speaker support so the speakers aren't floppy.

The rear foam was perfectly aligned when it was velcro'd in place.
The play in the side adjusters was gone, so no rattling.
The channels are no longer reversed.

It has a slightly different audio driver name
Before: "Headset Earphone , Beyond Audio Strap"
Now: "Speakers, Beyond Audio Strap"

As a result my APO Equalizer channel reversal fix for the first Audio Strap wasn't picked up, so it sounded fine without me disabling that. That also means I can swap back and forth between them without any issues.

Overall solid improvements.

I did have some feedback on a few areas I think could still be improved.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Got the new A/V equipment in. I'm still amazed at the quality of my ancient Sony RX100 mk III. I took these pictures with it and they all look great. It actually creates pretty good looking HD video as well.

The two LED light panels allow me to adjust for the color around them (warm lighting) and run with enough light to dramatically drop the ISO my cameras are running and the images out of all 3 cameras looks much sharper. If I happen to have my TV bright and in shot, I can adjust them to be closer to a daylight CRI so the cameras don't bounce around. I've also found in camera WB settings that get the cameras looking reasonably interchangeable.

The wireless lav works well and has a pleasing sound. The audio pre-amps in both my Nikon D500 and Panasonic camcorder are pretty noisey, but with the Lav gain at +15db, I can manually set the gain in camera down quite a bit which DRAMATICALLY drops the noise floor and my voice is no longer drowned out by hiss.

My Rode shotgun mic with dead cat over it sounds dull compared to the wireless lav. It also has a +20db boost that is just too much for my Panasonic preamp to handle, but at 0dB it has enough signal that it actually sounds OK. My D500 definitely sounds better with the lav input.

In post I'm adding a bit of compression and an enhance feature to my voice track and it sounds a bit better without making my voice sound unnatural or different than I feel it should.

The Panasonic requires I run it in 1080 60P otherwise it interlaces the output creating some jaggies when there is motion. I have my D500 putting out 1080 30p right now and Sony as well.

Using my old Android phone as a camera monitor basically works. It comes up initially and looks right, but if I move it, it can lose connection, It will be OK for my limited needs.

Both the Panasonic camcorder and Sony have screens that flip around so I can see them when I'm in front of the camera, so they are fine as well.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Very Cool! I found a video that explained how I could configure my radio remote to start video recording instead of taking a picture. First configure the Fn key on the remote to put the camera into Live View mode, then the first touch of the main button triggers AutoFocus. Then configure the Trigger to start video instead of take a picture. Then holding the button down starts and stops the video.

On top of that I never knew for sure if the camera was recording without looking at the back of the camera, and now the Radio Controller lights up solid red and green for me and goes back to the green light occasionally flashing to let me know it is turned on.

In some ways, I've found ways to save time, but in others there will now be a lot more setup before I start.

I've got everything stowed now, and some of it in one container is laid out logically where I can go directly for what I need, but another container needs better organization and basically has a pile of stuff in it that I will need to rummage through each time. That won't stand.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Just for a little perspective. I got this Sony PD150 back in 2002.

The 90min battery is shot and the foam around the shotgun mic is disintegrating in a ziplock bag. I had to vacuum up the mess.

Just ordered new batteries for the Sony and Panasonic since they are 9 and 11 years old. Also got a remote for the Sony because it has tiny fiddly controls and I don't want to touch it once it is setup.

 

[RCHeliguy]

OK, I think this is it and I'll be done with these A/V posts.

Just ordered an XLR ( with phantom power) to 1/8" converter so I can play with my other microphones and shotgun mics.

Amazon.com

To be fair I don't expect to use my Silver Behringer calibration microphone for anything but measuring the frequency response of a room, but this could be interesting.

So far all of these purchases have been pretty small, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100, 150, 175, and while they have started to add up, they are giving me a lot of flexibility and most seem like bargains.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Well, I forgot about my softbox and umbrellas back from my early photography days.

This just keeps going deeper and deeper...

Realistically I need to experiment with things and figure out what works well in terms of lighting, camera setup and the microphone options and then I'll be ready.

I did find out that I could mirror audio in VR to my computer's stereo connection directly into a camera or into a wireless lav for a clean in game audio track or two.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Got the invoice and paid for the Rhino FFB flight stick base. So I'll have that to try out in the near future.

Spent some time playing with my various audio options.

Right now it appears that the Rode shotgun mic going into a lav transmitter and the lav mic going into a lav transmitter will give me two usable channels of audio that sound good and have a low noise floor going into my primary camera. The dead cat ( furry wind noise sock ) made the Rode sound very flat, but after I removed it, it sounded much better. ( Just noticed there is a high frequency boost switch on the Rode specifically for a wind sock )

The remote for the Sony RX100 mk III makes it much more usable for b roll video or picture in picture video. It powers it up, allows zooming and starts recording. With the added light, it can create sharp HD video.

The Panasonic is the only camera I have without a 30 minute recording limit, but I have remotes for the other two cameras, so I can stop and start them again easily.

I picked up an F2.8 180 degree fisheye lens. it's extremely sharp and can focus extremely close to things.

This is maybe 1/3" away from a mirror.

A fisheye may seem like a weird thing to use for video, however I have some ideas that I'll need to test to see if they work.

I also got a real Camera Monitor. I can zoom in to verify focus, use it to verify framing and check things like color histograms.

It also looks like I have a use for the Sennheiser headphones I got a while back as an audio monitor.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Well...... poop! ( they censored my previous comment )

I've been very confident over the years in my ability to make things work, but I hadn't fully measured how the Rhino would fit in my rig, and it won't fit, period.

The Rhino is a pretty huge control.

1. It would sit on the floor with my actuators bottomed out without any support underneath it to hold it and that would still place it higher than I want. Where I would want the stick would put it through the floor.

2. It would require my seat to slide forward further than the sliders go and while I could adjust the sliders to allow this, my seat would be so far forward that I could never get the collective stick in a usable position since it is forward limited by the uprights for my wheelbase.

3. It would also interfere with the SC2 Pro which is tilted up making it higher at the front. This would push the stick the SC2 body.

Wow! I really misjudged that one!

 

[RCHeliguy]

I'm considering adding linear rail support to my tactile seat plate to prevent rocking due to my motion rig, or braking. The linear rail that I have on my inverted pedal deck is working well.

The image below reflects a few rigs with SimuCube Pedal decks and a new plate design that will include holes for a linear rail support system.

 

[RCHeliguy]

If I built a couple adapter plates like those two below.
3 or 4 corner braces per 40x80 x 150mm profile.
Countersunk M8 bolts, and 2 x countersunk M6 bolts
Then 2 x linear bearings like these.

https://8020.net/40-6823.html

I think that would keep my seat from rolling or diving.