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REVIEW: CH Products Flight Sim Yoke USB and Pro Pedals USB
By: Michael R. Stiteler
Date: January 17, 2004
FIGURE 1. INSTALLATION for XP? Just plug it in!
INSTALLATION: For Windows XP just plug the pedals into any USB port! Just like the CH Products Flight Sim Yoke, the box included the product (pedals), a concise installation guide, and a CD. The CD was a bit outdated, but all the latest software is available for download from the CH Products website (www.chproducts.com). It included CH Products' Control Manager software 2.1 (the current version on their website is 3.x) and Direct-X 8.1 (current version at the time of this writing was 9.0b). There were drivers for all CH Products devices and several input device utilities. The CD also included a link back to CH Product's for tech support and several demonstration programs, including 4 x 4 Evolution, Delta Force Land Warrior, F-16/MiG-29, and On Top (IFR Flight Simulator).
FIGURE 2: CH PRODUCTS PRO PEDALS: TOP VIEW WITH METRICS
The pedals measure 13 inches wide by 14 inches deep, but you will need another inch or so behind the pedals for clearance for the chord, which exits out the back (see under the 13' label in the photo above). The pedals themselves are 8 7/8 inches long. I know it looks like I measured the pedal length at an angle, but I promise they are 8 7/8 inches under your feet. They also have a nice 7/8 inch lip at the bottom that keeps your feet from sliding down off the pedals (see other photos).
FIGURE 3: CH PRODUCTS PRO PEDALS: SIDE VIEW WITH METRICS
The tops of the pedals are 7 inches in height as measured from the floor.
So I figured I’d spring for an Evoluent, since maybe the buttons would be easier, and it has the spot for my pinky there. Rated 3 out of 5 by Trill from Pain Returned I have evouent wowpen that I didn’t like when I first got it, because it was heavier than my other mouse, and I evoluent vertical mouse 4 like it that it doesn’t have a lip at the bottom outside evoluwnt my evoluent. The CD was a bit outdated, but all the latest software is available for download from the CH Products website (www.chproducts.com). It included CH Products' Control Manager software 2.1 (the current version on their website is 3.x) and Direct-X 8.1 (current version at the time of this writing was 9.0b).
A child-proof cap for medicine bottles or the like having an inner threaded closure member and an outer overcap or driver. The closure and driver have co-operating one-way driving means for screwing the closure onto the bottle which are engaged by pushing the driver down, and second co-operating driving means for unscrewing the closure which are engaged by pulling the driver upwardly.
FIGURE 4: CH PRODUCTS PRO PEDALS: BOTTOM VIEW
The bottom of the unit has six rubber pads that help hold it firmly to the floor, even with just the weight of your feet on the pedals. If you have a very slick floor you will need to arrange some system for holding the pedals in place. One way is to mount them to a piece of plywood that fits under your chair. I'm sure there are hundreds of ways of doing this.
FIGURE 5: CH PRODUCTS PRO PEDALS: CHOCK SYSTEM
For flight simulators, the pedals have differential sliding action. This is how most rudder pedals move in real airplanes. The range of motion is about 2 1/2 inches fore and aft. The pedals also pivot about 15 degrees forward when you press with your toes. This simulates 'toe brakes', also common on small planes. You can press both toe brakes at once to stop straight ahead, or you can use them independently (differential braking), which lets you turn airplanes with a castoring nose or tail wheel on a dime. But what about car, truck, or other driving simulators? CH has solved that problem by including Pro Pedals 'Chocks', which lock the pedals in place. This way you can use the pivoting action for gas and brakes on your car, monster truck, or other land-based vehicle.
FIGURE 6: CH PRODUCTS PRO PEDALS: CHOCKS IN PLACE
The chocks just drop in place in front of each pedal. This works well, but I would have liked a system that was actually part of the pedal assembly, like a lever you could move to lock the pedals in place. Evidently there used to be something like that on the original pedal design, as there is still a 'Car/Plane' switch area embossed in the pedal base plate, only there is no switch installed. You can see this little rectangle in Figures 2 and 10, at the top of the base plate (click to go to Figure 2).
FIGURE 8: CH PRODUCTS PRO PEDALS: PEDAL SLIDE CLOSE-UP
This is a close up side view that shows the slide. The hole for the slide is about 2 1/2 inches long. The hole has a black plate covering it, as you can see in the picture. However, 'stuff' could definitely fall inside this hole when you move the pedals, as the plate slides and is not long enough to keep the hole covered. The hole opens up to about 1 1/2 inches at full pedal deflection. This should really be sealed up.
FIGURE 9: CH PRODUCTS PRO PEDALS: PEDAL SURFACE CLOSE-UP
You get a good view of the lip on the pedal in this detail photo. Also, the pedals have a nicely textured surface that helps keep your feet in place.
FIGURE 10: CH PRODUCTS PRO PEDALS: PEDAL SLIDE FULLY DEFLECTED
FIGURE 11: CH PRODUCTS PRO PEDALS PERSPECTIVE VIEW: NICE PEDALS!
PERFORMANCE: Flight Simulator recognized that I had both pedals and the yoke installed when it started up. I selected a Cessna 172 at JZI (pilot talk for Charleston Executive Airport on John's Island, SC) and gave the system a try. My immediate thought was 'Man! These pedal springs are light!' I took off my shoes to give me a better feel to start off with. My other thought was that the toe brakes are also very light, and they have more travel than I am used to on a real plane, a compromise of being able to use these pedals for driving as well.
Teething Pains. I managed a reasonable roll down the runway, using the pedals effectively (I thought) for rudder control. But once I was in the air, the rudders were no longer effective. Back on the ground the differential brakes didn't seem to be working correctly. Even with my feet off the pedals, the differential brakes were constantly coming on. THEN...I tried several times to set the sensitivities within Flight Simulator, hoping I could set a null zone to keep the pedals from being applied when I wasn't pressing the toe brakes, but each time I tried this the system seemed to reset the settings to the defaults. It turns out that I had forgotten to disable the auto-rudder feature of Flight Simulator. The rudders are effective on the ground even with auto-rudder turned on, but differential braking is affected when you turn the yoke. Auto-rudder activated the differential brakes every time I turned the yoke side to side, which made me think the pedals were not properly set.
Learning Curve. It took a few hours for my feet to remember how airplanes turn. To turn left, you step on the left pedal, and you step on the right pedal for a right turn, naturally. Maybe so, but we had a few trips off the runway before I could convince my dogs to cooperate.
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OVERALL IMPRESSION: Ultimately the pedals worked great. The sliding action is very realistic, and they enable me to perform all sorts of maneuvers that just can't be done without them, like a full power takeoff in an Extra 300 aerobatic aircraft (so much power that without rudder controls the torque pulls you off the side of the runway!). I was also able to do full slips on landing, crosswind corrections, even vertical tail slides for almost 100 feet. Click below for a few photos of these great rudder pedals in action.
Copyright: Mike Stiteler, 2004
Introduction: Paint Can Opener That Is Better Than a Screwdriver
After breaking the lip on an old can of paint (again) last weekend, I decided to take advantage of my new TechShop Pittsburgh membership to make a better paint can opener than the screwdrivers that I typically use, or the expensive chisels that my kids like to use (and destroy in the process, but that's another story...).
The key ideas of the design is that has a wide edge to get a much broader grip under the paint can's lid (spreading pressure across a broader area), an upturned lip at the tip to help grip the lid, and an arc ground into the broad side of the edge that allows the tool to connect smoothly with the round lid.
The tool is very solid (probably more solid than it needs to be -- I'd recommend using thinner steel stock), feels good in the hand, and is easily kept in a pocket while working.
The next few steps describe how I went about making it.
Step 1: Step 1: Cut Out the Basic Shape From a Steel Blank
I started with an 8' x 2' x 1/8' steel blank from the TechShop safety and basic use metal shop course. We had used the blank to make something that resembles a bottle opener with a variety of the shop machines. The bottle opener didn't really work (I'll fix that in a later instructable) but it left me with a good piece of metal to use as the basic stock.
I scribed the shape of the finished tool that I wanted out of the existing steel and cut the shape out with a vertical band saw. The second picture shows the cut plan from the original stock. The third picture shows the tool blank.
Step 2: Step 2: Drill the Hole for Hanging Tool When Not in Use
I wanted to have the option to hang the tool on the pegboard above my bench so I drilled a 1/4' hole in the thick part of the tool to do so.
Step 3: Step 4: Shape Ends With a Grinder
The key idea behind making a better paint can lid opener is that the end you use to open the can with will be wide, mesh well with the paint can lid (with an arc), and grip the lid solidly (with a lip).
To get there, I used a disk sander and series of grinders to make the desired shapes at both ends of the opener. Small end for small cans (no arc, just a lip), big end for bigger cans (arc + lip).
Step 4: Step 5: Polish and Use
The final step is polishing the steel all around to get a nice shine, debur and smooth out rough edges. I used a buffing wheel on the grinder to do so. Looks and works great.
The first cool project that lets me say 'I made it at Techshop' -- www.techshop.ws. More to come.
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