06/12/2013 OK, got some details from Andrew about the kit he wants to sell.   So, I've put it all into a .pdf.
Just click on the image on the left for more info & pricing.   What I'm told is that most of this stuff is brand new and never used hence the pricing.  Personally I think Andrew is being a little 'optimistic' with his pricing, but at the end of the day it's not my kit   :o)

I also have here a Fully Functioning 'Plug & Play' Simworld Forward Overhead which is wired for Prosim.  I built this for Andrew prior to his incapacitation.   It is 99% connected using 3 x BBI-32 cards and 2 x LED64's.  It has a POLOLU 6 channel servo controller onboard because Andrew wanted a working APU Gauge.    These are just some of the build pics.  The panel has since been completed with all knobs and there's white toggle caps for the switches.   Dummy Electric and Land/Flt Alt Displays.   This is hooked upto my test rig and can be seen working contact Andrew if of interest HERE

30/11/2013 More kit for sale.   I have another colleague who due to ill health is having to sell off his sim.  A lot of it never used at all.  In fact a lot of it is brand new and boxed.   ACE Yoke, FSC Throttle, Brand New Simworld Fully functioning Forward Overhead, Engravity Panels, CPFlight MCP Pro & EFIS.   I have no details as of prices at this time.  More in a few days when I do.

16/11/2013 Mike Latham has been on and as he is changing job and having to move house, he has decided that with the new job he has no time to spend on his cockpit. So he is selling it.  He's looking to part it out and he's got a lot of kit to shift.  There's a MIP Complete with OC MCP, 2 x FMC's  A TQ, an ACE Yoke, A populated centre pedestal.  Some of Dodiano's Control Wheels.   There's Grimes Lights, Some GENUINE Map Lights and Some Very Sexy Cockpit Panels Like the Map Light Panels and Oxy Mask Panels & Eyeball Vents.
Just Click On An Image To Open The Respective .pdf File  EVERYTHING SOLD THANKS

06/11/2013 Where have I been for a month?  Well half of that was another 'man v food' trip!Then I've had several visitors over like today Rhys (How Many Sectors Can I get in Today) Betteridge for another Ryanair Day.....  LIRF - LGKR,  LGKR - LMML and  finally LMML - LFMN.  Technology advances, look the charts are on the iPad, I know you're impressed.

And talking of Rhys B, he's acquired a Poldragonet TQ from the old FSBUS era.  So he asked me if it was possible to get the servo's working with the POLOLU card.  Dont know says I, lets have a look.   Well the TQ has 3 servo's built in.   I think the term for the servo's is ROBUST :o)    But it can be done.   All the old electronics stripped out, the servo's connected to a POLOLU Maestro 12 channel servo controller and setup in Prosim way to go.      All the normal axes and buttons have been connected to a 'bog standard' BU0836 card.  The axes calibrated and assigned in FSUIPC and the buttons assigned in PROSIM.
After some initial 'pissing about' with the settings in the POLOLU Control Centre and Prosim, it does actually work.    The look on Rhys's face was priceless as 2 little boys stood there watching the levers move.   Level changes Up & Down and also dropping the gear to see the power increase - MAGIC :o)    So, if you are having issues with your Poldragonet/FSC Servo Controlled TQ, you can convert it to POLOLU and your problems are over.

02/10/2013 Thanks chaps everything sold by the next day, can't believe it :o)    Right managed to finish all the gauges and get them working in Prosim.  Just some minor 'finishing' to do.  I want to change the black needle hubs as i'm not 100% happy with drilling them to fit the shaft.   And, the gauge glass position is dependant on where the faceplate is attached.  So I've been filing the perspex so it fits tidy on the back plate, hence the white dust.  Overall I am very pleased with the end result.  The pictures dont really do them justice.  Cabin Temp & Fuel Temp are resistance gauges and zoom into life when the battery is turned on.

OK, the box from Canada contained 2 x FDS CDU's.  I know, I'm nothing but a 'Sim-Slut'.  They are F*****g Awesome.  I've fitted them and got them working. No pics yet as I've been too busy playing with them.  I'll take some pics over the weekend.

24/09/2013 I've been having a clearout and I've got some kit For Sale.  Click HERE or on the FOR SALE Image to check it out.    Engravity CDU, Dummy CDU, Chart/Map Light Panels & Knobs.

21/09/2013 I decided against going down the road of building my own dual needle gauge because the prototype was just too bulky.  You have to bury the servos inside the gauge to make it compact and when I balanced the time and effort against the cost, it was cheaper to buy them from Filip at Simworld.   Here's the results from the first test with the Duct Pressure Gauge.   Just click on the image and go to Youtube to watch the action.   Just by turning Bleeds & Packs On/Off, you get the desired result - oh yes you do :o)
More on the box from Canada next time, just so busy......

16/09/2013 Busy few days with people here Thurs, Friday and Saturday, but I've managed to finish the APU EGT, Fuel Temp, Cabin Temp and Cabin Climb Gauges.  Plans are afoot for the dual needle gauges as well, but i need to get more servos and the right size standoffs.   More on that at a later date.   Click on the Image on the left and i'll tell you how to make the gauges in the .pdf.      I'm using the POLOLU 12 channel Maestro card to control them.    And today, i'm expecting a courier here with a parcel from Canada :o)    It's a suprise - watch this space

14/09/2013 Well Friday, Rhys B was in for another RYANAIR Day.  3 sectors EDDH to LOWI,  LOWI to LYTV and finally LYTV to LGAV.   5 hours 35 minutes on duty.   I just love it when somebody comes over who really knows how to fly.   He did let me taxi to the gate at Athens.   A good time and Fish and Chips had by all.    Thursday, Father & Son Team Chris (left) & Lewis Collins were in from Coventry.  These guys are building a Beech Twin and came to see if they could pick up a few tips and to have a bash at flying the sim.....  I have to be honest they were both very good having an hour each actually hands on flying doing Climbs, Descents and Turns.  Chris actually did a Hands On Landing at Edinburgh :o)   

  10/09/2013 Another 'hair-brained' scheme.  Making Gauges, I mean 'How Hard Can It Be' ?
Gauges are servo driven and I know the POLOLU Maestro card works fine with Prosim in controlling servos, so I thought to myself all i've got to do is make the gauge itself.
Now most servos will give you an 'out of the box' arc of travel that does not cover the arc I need for these gauges.  Initial experiments with the POLOLU Control centre showed me i could tweak the arc to about 120-140 degrees, still not enough.    So some sort of gearing was needed.
Onto good old ebay and found some Model Gears with a 2mm shaft that 'did the biz'.
Now it's onto the design (i say that as though I know how i'm going to do it).
There will be more on this later, just got so many jobs on the go and people here tomorrow and Friday and Saturday, so sort of 'pushed for time' at the moment :o)

  01/09/2013 Well another one bites the dust :o)  Andrew Pringle's Overhead is ready to go to him.    This got me wondering about the knobs and the backlighting.   I have to do my own knobs because they are getting a little 'distressed' with all the use they get.     So, i found some stripe on ebay 3mm black and a dual white stripe which has a 1.5mm pin stripe in it.
Knobs off, rubbed lightly with some fine 'wet & dry' paper, in the dishwasher to get the crap off them and onto the production line for painting :o)     ................

I have a mixture of FDS & old ROUTECH Knobs. Both moulded in resin, so a light dusting of primer to show up any blemishes, sort those then onto the top coat.   I found it better to give them several light coats of the gloss to build up a good cover.   Let them dry off for a couple of hours and then your ready to apply the under black stripe.   I like to do this as soon as the paint has hardened to the touch because as there is still spirit in the paint, it helps the adhesive bond to the paint to prevent the stripe coming off. 
Now the difficult part.   The 1.5mm white strip I found was part of a two stripe tape.   So, I had to carefully cut up the side of the narrow strip to separate it from the wide part. Then, carefully using a tweezers, you have to place the narrow white stripe centrally over the black stripe.   Not easy, you've only got .75mm each side to play with.  But i'm happy with the results.   I did try it out on a Cross Feed Knob for Andrew.  It's OK, but i'm not 100% happy with it.  I need to get some wider Black Stripe.   

  25/08/2013 Been quite a week here.  Had a lot of fun getting servo gauges working with the POLOLU Maestro card.   Actually, it's relatively straightforward once you get the servo's set in the Maestro Control Manager and PROSIM.
Check out the POLOLU Maestro Servo control card HERE.
Read the Manual and watch the video for a good understanding of how it all happens and then just set the parameters of your gauge in PROSIM Configuration Gauges Page.   I've uploaded a couple of videos to Youtube of the gauges in action. SEXY :o)

19/08/2013  This is the mess I am in :o)     Wires everywhere.  All Inputs done and now just wiring the LED arrays for the annunciators.  Even though the LED64ADV shares a common anode and i'm making the annunciators in groups to share the Anode, still seems like i'm wiring a telephone exchange.   2 x LED64ADV Cards should be here tomorrow so then I can start the connection to these cards which is 'mind numbing' work :o(
You know I really enjoy making the displays and I'm getting good at it.  What used to take me a day and a half is now down to one day and the job is getting tidier into the bargain.    Hardest part is making them fit the cutout plates that Simworld send.  They make them to such an exact tolerance that you usually have to clean out the holes with a Craft (Stanley) Knife to get the 7 segment displays to fit in them.  But the end result is excellent.    More about the Servo Gauges next update, I've worked it out.

09/08/2013  Oh No ! Not another one :o)    Yup! Andrew Pringles Overhead is here.   This is a 'Full' version which means about four weeks work for me.  So if i'm 'absent without leave' then this is where I am :o)
Simworld Packaging is excellent, I'm sure half the shipping cost goes on Pallet Wrap & Clingfilm.
Not going to bore you with build pics because if you've seen one Simworld Overhead being built, you've seen them all haven't you.   But this one has something special, servo gauges.

06/08/2013  Well here's a turnup for the book.   Over the weekend, I had two 'Sheila's' here from Adelaide, South Australia flying the sim.    Jane Oakes & Ann Mah.    After a little practise, they actually got the hang of it.   Jane was 'overly excited' and Ann was 'adrenalin charged'.     But they both had a great time and actually both of them actually landed the aircraft :o)     Got a visitor in today Jack Major, so the Autobrake Panel is going to have to wait until tomorrow.   But another Simworld Panel is due to arrive as well .  Phew it's all go :o)

05/08/2013  I was right about the BBI-32.   The Matrix Board was just too bulky and untidy, so I've hooked the panel up to a BBI-32.    A much tidier and compact solution, go on spend the extra tenner :o)   Also I was supplied with Alps EC11 dual encoders.  Problem is they are designed for circuit board mounting, so no threaded neck to fix thru the lightplate.   This is where you get creative with the Superglue and some washers.

04/08/2013  Another little job raised it's head :o)     Knocking up an Autobrake Panel for a colleague.    Been supplied with a BU0836 card, so the Matrix board has been resurrected :o)    Making a Matrix board is a ballache especially when you have a 'loopback' issue and you've got to go find where you didn't put a diode :o(     For the extra £10, buy the BBI-32 if you only want button inputs like on this panel.    It'll save you a lot of grief and time.

 29/07/2013  Well I couldn't help myself.   I was so close to finishing this that even though I was knackered, I had to do the business and see how it worked :o)   Well it does.   I'm sold on colour!   I definitely wont have time to fit this in the cockpit this week, but I just had to set it all up and get it working.   Using the Line Setup functions and re-sizing the fonts, I have got it all setup pretty damn well.  Everything matches the LSK Keys and looks real good.

  28/07/2013  My oldest Engravity CDU has been playing up lately, the screen was getting very pale and almost unreadable.  I cant complain, it is 7 years old and has never skipped a beat.  Apparently it's a common problem with older CDU's.     So, I'm looking at my options here.  Do I go with an FDS CDU or wait until Engravity release their new Colour CDU later in the year?      Then I spotted this post on the Prosim Forum about exchanging the Engravity screen with a colour display.   I'm still going to replace the CDU, but as a 'stop gap' measure, I thought I'd give it a go.      So, off I go Paypal password in hand and order this screen from Good Display in China.   3 days later it's here.     Little bit of setting up, but I'm really happy with the quality of the display.   The only gripe i've got is where the display ribbon cable joins the board, it's so delicate, you only have to breath on it and it becomes detached (yes of course mine came out).    But some gentle repairs and it's back in.  I'm going to put some resin on it to hold it in place before i do the final assembly.
First I set it up on the test rig to run in tandem with the Engravity CDU so i could get it running right and do a 'test flight'.    No worries performed beautifully.  So now it's time to dis-assemble the CDU and look at how i'm going to fit it in there.   I've made a backing plate the same size as the original screen circuit board from perspex which will hold the screen in place.   I've got it sited and all i have to do is make some minor adjustments to square it up and match the lines to the LSK's and then we're ready for the final assembly.   I wont have time to do this this week because I've got a busy week and then an old friend is coming from Australia and I'm going to be tied up with them for a few days.  But next week I'll sort it :o)
Oh! I've started sorting out the site.   2012 News items are now on their own page HERE.   Just need to sort the links.

26/07/2013  Well another busy week  19th July Liam McNally was here with his wife Kelly all the way from Whitehaven Cumbria.  Kelly contacted me on a bit of a 'covert' operation and organized a visit for Liam's birthday.   Was he excited or what :o)
Then Monday 22nd, Steve Mitchell and Barry Roberts were in.  Barry lives on the end of 23R at Manchester.   Barry flew a route so he could get the feel of the controls and then they wanted something challenging, so I set up a position in the Prosim Instructor Station for some approaches into Innsbruck (hence the RED terrain impression on the ND).   Fair play, both of them nailed it
The issue with the Compact EFIS display has been resolved.   It was a carrier option introduced by Southwest Airlines because they had a mixed fleet and was then taken up by other carriers, so not all NG's had it.   Rhys Betteridge called in Wednesday and put me right.  So thats why it only appears in some POH and FCTM documents.

21/07/2013  Another one bites the dust :o)  The Simworld Overhead panel set I have been building has gone, so got a clear workbench until Andrew Pringle's arrives in August.    So this has given me some time to look at what I am doing in my own pit.  Going to Fully Integrate the MIP Switches into Prosim, so i've started with the display unit switches.    Got the displays working and positioning on the correct screen, but when positioning the PFD (left), it doesn't change to the Compact EFIS Display (right).   The consensus of opinion is that its a carrier option, so i'll do a bit more research on it and see where we go from there.    Light Test switch and Fuel Flow both working soooperb :o)   I've got to do some work on this website, it's becoming cluttered and untidy !

18/07/2013  Geremy of GLB Flight Products fame was here Wednesday.  On his way from Reading he called in to bring me some of his knobs to complete the Overhead panel.  So he reckoned as he was here, it would be rude to turn down my offer of a spin in the sim :o)
Well impressed with these knobs. Moulded in light grey and 100% accurate with 2 grub screws.  Not backlightable, but the quality is superb.  These are real nice knobs.

14/07/2013  LE Device gauge panel and the DZUS Cups arrived from Simworld (at last, 2 weeks to get here).  It's in, all wiring done and tested and it works :o)   Glued on the Annunciator Legends, that's a real messy job and you have to be so careful.

So, I spent a couple of hours assigning and configuring the setup in Prosim and giving it a real beating to test out all the switches and Led's.   Only 1 issue and that was me having assigned one of the LED's incorrectly.  Took me 2 minutes to sort.

I'll do all the little 'odds & sods' on Monday and then these can go out on Wednesday.  Next set for Andrew Pringle are due in Early August, so I just may get some time to fly now.

Also had four visitors in to fly the sim over the past couple of weeks. 6th June saw Terry Jones (left) from Ellesmere Port here along with his buddy Antony Garner out of Newton Le Willows. To quote Terry "That was an amazing experience and can I come back again".     Also in were Aden Murcott and his brother-in law Andrew.  Here for two days on the 10th & 11th for some 'in depth' experience with the 737.  Can you believe I forgot to take their pictures - DUH!

09/07/2013  Back on the Panels Monday. I'm waiting for some bits to arrive from Simworld, i'm short of some DZUS cups and one of the back plates for the rear panel is missing.  Hoping they are going to be here this week so I can get these done and dusted.  They arrived in the UK today, so here's hoping.
So, while I'm waiting I fitted the knobs to the forward overhead, Fitted the LED64 to the rear panel and wired up the LED's ready for when my panel arrives from Poland so I can connect to the LED64.

07/07/2013  Just back from (yet another) holiday in Zakynthos.  It wasn't so much a holiday as a 'Man versus Food' Trip.   What's happening in Greece given the financial situation is there is now so much competition that you can eat (and eat well) relatively cheaply.   I know its got nothing to do with cockpit building, but I had to pass these on.  Gyro's for 4.50 euro, Double Cheeseburgers for 4.50 euro and the best breakfast I've had in ages for 4 bucks. Now all i've got to do is get rid of the 3 kilos i brought back :o)

26/06/2013  I've come to a stop on the Forward Overhead because I'm waiting for the DZUS Cups from Simworld. So, I guess it was smart to make a start on the rear panel. Here's how it has come together so far.   This set is going to Australia so the Dummy IRS Display is one of the Gates at Sydney.     I'm hoping the bits to complete the set will be here when I get back from Greece 5th July.

23/06/2013  Both LED64ADV Cards in, Tested and configured in Prosim.   Everything works which is always a plus.  As this is a 100% connected panel, there is an awful lot of wiring in there and it's not easy to get it where it's supposed to go without interfering with the backlight cutouts and the DZUS Bolts.  But I'm pretty happy with the end result.   Cant finish it yet because I'm waiting for some DZUS Cups to arrive from Simworld which I hope will be here when I get back from Holidays.

21/06/2013  Finally got the first LED64ADV fully connected up, tested and working, so it was onto the second card.   As previously mentioned, given that there ain't a lot of room in which to work, I decided to stack the cards, putting one on top of the other.   This approach lets me use the available space to bring almost 200 wires together in one place.   And that's a lot of wire - trust me.  So it's onto connecting the LED's to the card.   To save connections, as the LED64AV shares a common Anode (+) across the board, i've made the LED arrays in groups which share a common Anode.  Cuts down on making connections and having two trailing wires per LED.   But still a lot of cabling to hook up.  But at least everything actually works and that's unusual because usually you get one or two LED's that won't play ball (usually because rushing, i may have connected the + & - the wrong way round (well we are all human).

19/06/2013  Well I had a day off Monday because I had two chaps here all day flying the sim.  Left is Phil Savage from Swansea and on my right that's Chris Smetham in from Gloucester.  Well it seems we did the biz because they were well impressed :o)
To quote Phil " Your sim setup was really beyond our wildest expectations and is of such a superior high quality standard.  We do appreciate all the hard work, time and effort you have put into the project.     I guess that means they liked it :o)  These two chaps are Train Drivers.   Phil drives High Speed Trains at faster than the speed of sound (actually about 125mph) and Chris does the heavy lifting, pulling 2000 tons !!!

I've just spent nearly two days, joining LED's in parallel, soldering the wires to the array and then running the leads to the point where I will eventually join them to the LED64ADV cards.    My God, this is 'mind numbing' work.   Sometimes I wonder why I do this to myself :o)    But, it's all done now and the next step tomorrow is to start hooking them up.   This part of the job can only be termed as 'self abuse', i'm sure you know what I mean.   But, it's got to be done and this being a 'FULL' panel, there's 2 LED64ADV cards to connect to and trust me, i know where every single wire goes.   No, I do really :o)

16/06/2013  So, were on a roll.  Needed a day off from soldering LED's, so i decided to make the displays.  First off was to make the Electric Meter displays.  The hardest part of this is to make it so it fits the faceplate SIMWORLD sends.   You have to cut it to allow the digits to fit into it.   They make no allowances in their cut.  They need to make the cutouts a little bigger so when soldered onto the board, the displays are a nice fit in the faceplate.  I have told them about it.  My biggest problem here was that the Black face plate had been glued into the Meter Panel, so to cut it was very difficult - couldn't clamp it in a vice.   But it fitted OK.

Why is nothing ever easy :o)  One of the components to make up the Land Alt/Flt Alt displays did not travel well.  All the pins on it had been totalled !   Last digit should be a Zero, but the only thing I could get working after bending/re-shaping/snapping off pins in the process was a two.  Ah well - life's a bitch.      Make your own displays - SEE HERE.

15/06/2013  Another good day at it yesterday. Managed to get the first LED64ADV in place and the led arrays for two of the 5 columns made and connected.  Been into PROSIM and assigned them.  It's always very satisfying when you get the first light on the panel with no issues :o)   Left the panel on 'Burn Test' for a couple of hours.   Panel now cosmetically complete except for the DZUS and the Voice Recorder Switch and Panel which i have to wire up for the 5vdc.    Wiring LED's is 'mind numbing' work, so i think I'll make the displays next and fit them.   I'm very pleased with the quality and finish on the SIMWORLD Overhead - STUNNING !

13/06/2013  Here's the state of play 13/06/2013.   Third input card installed, all wired up and the inputs tested. Started on the cosmetics as I have to have the annunciators on the panel before I can start making the LED arrays.  Dummy Gauges fitted and most of the lightplates.   Still waiting for the DZUS to arrive, but that can be left until last

11/06/2013  No, I didn't die or run away to sea :o)  Short update to briefly tell whats happening because several people have mailed to see if i'm still of this world.     Just had a couple of weeks in Zakynthos with the family and another Simworld Forward and Rear Overhead Panel Set has arrived for building.   But this one is NOT a Lite Version, this one is the FULL working set.  Here's some pics of progress as of 11/06/2013.    More pics will follow shortly.

Having to get all the Inputs and Outputs installed in what can only be described as a 'tight space' means the only way is up.  So what i have done is 'stacked' the Input cards to give me what I need.  There's no other way to fit them really.  I would have preferred to use BBI-32 cards, but my colleague sent me BU0835X boards, so I had to use them.  BBI-32's would have given me more room to work.

Then, I've had Joe Lavery's clocks since Christmas and I've been looking at the box for 5 months. After coming back off holiday, I had a clear workbench, so I thought to myself,  hmmm this might be a good time to fit them.  I have managed to get one in and running before the afore mentioned Overhead arrived.  Very pleased with it.  Works well and now we have chrono and elapsed and real time in the cockpit.   You just need to feed them with 5vdc for the clock and 12v for the backlighting (although I have used a resistor in that to prevent me getting sunburn - It is a little bright).

Also had a few visitors over since last update and that takes time.   Seems to me that Jet2 pilots have discovered the sim :o)   I've had several over in May and June.  More pics and details to follow because I've got shitloads more news......

04/04/2013  My apologies to everyone requesting to visit for the rejections.  However, my workbench is now clear and we are again taking visitors (and we've added LSZH Zurich to the choice of destinations).
So then it's back onto Tom's Rear Overhead.   Made the display for it (this is a gate at Dublin EIDW) and using 17 segment displays, it's possible to construct a W for West on the IRS Display.   I have a couple of other panels to do later in the year, so I really should look at automating these displays.    But time is a commodity here that is in short supply.  
All the controls including the IRS Keypad are inputting to Prosim.   26 spare outputs from the second LED64ADV can be used to populate what is not already wired in on the Forward Overhead.  I've already drawn up how I will do the next one.
Then April 3rd/4th Tom (left) and Leo arrived from Ireland to collect the panels.  Two lovely chaps, we had a great time.  What a character he is, flown everything from a kite thru 707's, DC8's to 747's.   36,000 hours flight time and a lot of stories to tell.   Very entertaining and a 'damn good egg all round'   :o)  :o)   I'll be popping over to Ireland in the summer to help iron out any issues.

Geremy's had me at it again.  I'm wiring up his 'Plug & Play' Gear Levers for him and several arrived to be hooked upto the 'Bombproof' BU0836 cards.   For the money, these are really good.   They must be, I use one.    Have a look at it if you are in the market for a Gear Lever Mechanism. Lifting 5v off the Card, it allows the Handle Knob to be illuminated for that 'extra something'.   Really looks the part especially in a dark cockpit.

 22/03/2013  Tom's Rear Overhead Panel arrived from Simworld, so i've been cracking on with that over the past couple of weeks.   It is desperately boring and tedious making the LED Arrays and wiring up, so i have to do a couple of hours and walk away from it. Going back when i have a fresh mind.   Since October last year, I have done nothing except build panels for other people, 7 in all and I get 'Panel'd Out'.   Still patience and perseverance pay off because the end result is awesome.

10/03/2013  Another busy week.  Why is it when you are under pressure, things conspire against you?    Rhys Bettridge came over for a 'Ryanair Day'  Id got three sectors planned, but we only got to do two.  Bugger.   No throttle response when landing at LDDU.  Couldn't work it out until i took the TQ out to investigate.   Both the connector lugs had broken off the Throttle Pots.   Cant complain really, this Sim is 'thrashed' and in 2 years, i've never looked at the TQ.
But, it doesn't end there, oh no !  Fixed the TQ and on the test flight the aircraft kept veering to the left when braking.  Odd thinks me.  So I looked in FSUIPC and I cant calibrate one of the Brake Pots.  So goes into Windows and same there.  Bloody Potentiometer gone faulty.   Had to take the Captains Rudders out to fix.  No point in changing just the faulty pot, so I put 3 new ones in.
Had to sort it because with building the panels, i've been putting people off coming, but I had Gareth Carnes  coming who was going for Sim Assessments with Jet2 and Sun Express and I wanted to give him a fighting chance.  Really put him through the mincer. All Raw Data work, no flight director and no autothrottle on approach to EGBB 15 and EHAM 18R.    Once he got comfortable, no holding him down :o)
Tom's Forward Panel Is Finished. All Setup & Configured in Prosim. It's really doing the business.  THERE IS NO PANEL THAT COMES CLOSE TO THIS FOR QUALITY AND REALISM.  Check it out HERE and the build pics HERE

28/02/2013  Colin Batson came over from Norfolk to Pick Up His Panels. He looks a very happy chappie (just look at the grin on his face).    And I've been upto my neck in even more SIMWORLD  Panels over the last few weeks   This one is for Tom McBennett in Ireland.   They truly are magnificent.         There's a Full Set Of Build Pics on This Page as I went along.

21/02/2013    Some of you may remember I was helping Chris Rigby at FLIGHTSIMULATOR MIDLANDS set up his 737 Sim on Prosim.  Well he's gone out and bought a 747 Sim Now.   Chris sent me these pics of the Sim as they were installing it at Coventry Airport. Plan is to have it up and running for 1st April and ready for booking.
Over 400 tons of aircraft fully loaded, how good are you ?

  22/01/2013  Well It's all assigned, configured and working in Prosim.  The Simworld Forward and Rear Overhead panel pair for Colin Batson.    All i've got to do is a little cosmetic work to 'tidy up' a few loose ends.
I've never built a Simworld Rear Overhead before, so this was something of a learning curve for me and there are some things i'll do differently when the next set get here which are due to arrive end of next week.     Again, I cant tell you how good the quality is, just awesome.   Total build time, about 60 hours which included making the displays.   This is how it all came together...

I've really enjoyed building this Simworld Rear Overhead Panel.  From opening the Parts Box to seeing it running has been very rewarding and i've learned a shitload as well :o)   The pictures dont really do it justice because the light in my workshop is OK, but not great.     I'll assemble all the pictures notes onto a page of it's own when I have time which may just help somebody else.

Once the panel was built and wired, it was time to get the IRS Display digits sorted and fitted.    Usually Simworld supply simple 7 segment displays for this, but that's no fun because you can replicate an N & an E with these, but you cant replicate a W for West.  So I got some 17 segment displays and sorted it.   Also configured the LE Device indicator in Prosim and here's the result.  But I had to be quick so i got the shot while the 'In Transit' lights were on :o)

Well I used 1 x BBI-32 from Leo Bodnar and 1 x Phidgets LED64ADV for the Inputs and Outputs on the Rear Overhead.  All the Inputs have been used, but after populating all the LED's there remains 26 spare outputs on the LED64.   So perhaps that will allow expansion onto the forward overhead when the two panels are in place.  Shame to waste them :o)  Here's the finished wiring.  On the next one i'll move the LED64 over to the other side of the panel so there's no long cable run.

11/01/2013  New Year out of the way, so it's back in the workshop and on with the SIMWORLD Rear Overhead.   This is the first one of these i've done, so it's a bit of a 'voyage of discovery'.     First thing I've learnt is that I should have put the LED64 on the other side.   That would have cut down on the long cable run, but it works and when I do the next one for Tom, i'll know better.
I've spent about 30 hours on this upto now, so over the weekend I hope to have all the inputs finished, installed and assigned in Prosim so that early part of the week we will be flying it.

31/12/2012  Well I hope you had a great Christmas and you got all the 'Goodies' you wanted.   Well, look what Santa brought me.  

My mate Joe Lavery (of PCPilot Fame) is making 737 Chronographs and 'quite by chance' two ended up in our house Christmas morning.    These are NOT expensive when you compare them to other options out there.  I don't know exactly what the bride paid for them, but I seem to guess they were about £120 (about 145 euro) each.   Choice of two bezels, one to fit the Engravity MIP and one to fit the FDS.  Or choose the one you want for your home made MIP.    No point me going into 'in depth fitting' here because Jeremy did a how I fitted them thread on MyCockpit http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showthread.php?t=25431   Instructions and Bezel Size .pdf's are above.   Just click on the image for more information. Contact Joe HERE

I ended up with some Christmas Cash didn't I.  So I thought I'd make Mathias a little richer and went over to Aerosoft to spend some of it.   Ended up adding 3 new destinations to the route network.   Bought the EPKK2012 Krakow, LGIR X Heraklion and the BIKF Keflavik Scenery packages.   EPKK & BIKF are AES compatible so that's a plus :o)     By far the best of the three is the EPKK scenery, very detailed and 'busy'.    Dont know what all the hype is about Heraklion, dont get me wrong, it's OK, but just seems a bit 'Grey' lacking colour and traffic.   I prefer the Keflavik because you never know visibility and wind speed going in there :o)
Just doing the 'end of year' round up, so hope to have that uploaded sometime next week.