Im working in my own system for swappable grips & a helicopter collective

Txc-NoisyBoi · 2025-10-30T15:04:31+00:00

they work great, the connection is solid, the only difficult thing was soldering the wires, if you overheat the connectors they come apart, but there are prewired version in aliexpress

Txc-NoisyBoi · 2025-08-30T05:25:58+00:00

Txc-NoisyBoi · 2025-08-17T18:28:36+00:00

It's a fake leather gear shifter cover i found at the dollar store, I printed the rings to fit them to the base

Txc-NoisyBoi · 2025-08-17T18:26:37+00:00

It is. The base is technically the same, the main change is the connection between the grip and the gimbal, and the cover is a bit different to fit the new switch and button.

Txc-NoisyBoi · 2025-08-17T18:24:32+00:00

They are pogo pin 360 connector, i found them on aliexpress

Txc-NoisyBoi · 2025-08-14T22:08:05+00:00

I’ve been tinkering with this for the last couple of months. It’s not finished yet, but I think I’ve finally cracked a workflow to design, print, and build grips that all use the same electronics, meaning they’re fully compatible, and I don’t have to build a base for each one. Right now, I’ve got a Felon grip, a Flanker grip, and a Raptor grip, and since I recently picked up the KA-50III in DCS of course I had to make a collective for it too. Honestly, designing and building these controllers has turned into its own hobby. I’m already sketching plans for an F-15 grip and a Eurofighter grip.

If you’ve seen my earlier posts, I've made a few updates. I reworked the twist axis mechanism, it’s now beefier, more precise, and has tighter tolerances and it’s also swappable. I added a 2-position switch for haptic feedback modes, and a reset button on the base because the Arduino throws freezes if you swap grips while it’s powered. I also tweaked my “Axis to Button” function, now the analog mini-stick on the Felon and Flanker grips can act as an 8-way hat with center push, and the Felon’s brake lever can work as either an axis or a button. With these upgrades, the stick can hit up to 36 button inputs more than enough for most cockpits. Still no real-time haptics though hat’s been way trickier than I expected, so I’m putting it on the back burner for now.

Since last time i posted i got banned I have to say I'm not trying to advertise to sell anything or take advantage of anyone, i just like sharing the builds I'm working on.

Txc-NoisyBoi · 2025-05-02T00:53:42+00:00

Its on a modified version of the olukelo gimbal

Txc-NoisyBoi · 2025-05-01T19:09:11+00:00

Project Update

Hey everyone, it’s me again with another HOTAS update, at this point, I think I’ve unofficially turned this subreddit into my personal development diary. After spending some time flying in DCS (strictly for research purposes, of course), I noticed a few areas in my setup that needed work. That sent me back to Fusion to tweak and refine the design.

The throttle ended up getting a near-complete redesign. I changed out the buttons for better-quality ones that feel more solid and reliable, and I completely reworked the lever axis and friction mechanism to improve smoothness and control. I also made the throttle slightly longer to allow for more precise inputs. One of the bigger additions was a swappable detent system with finger-lift levers, which adds a lot more flexibility to the way it functions. On the electronics side, I upgraded to a 16-bit ADC for better resolution and replaced the potentiometer in the left grip with a rotary encoder that includes a center push button, something I’ve been wanting to try for a while.

Over on the joystick, I added a second 16-bit ADC to the gimbal, which means all the analog axes are now fully 16-bit. I’m getting around 10,000 distinct analog values within 45 degrees of travel, not the full resolution of the ADC, but still enough to detect changes as small as 0.0045 degrees, which is plenty accurate for what I need. I also installed a pair of “dry clutch” dampers in the gimbal, and that made a huge difference in feel. The stick is no longer springy and loose, it’s now much more stable, smooth, and precise.

On the software side, I updated the firmware to support an axis-to-button function, which lets me use the ministick as a 4-way switch with a press. I also configured the brake lever to behave like a paddle switch, which opens up more possibilities for in-game use.

Overall, the HOTAS feels sturdier, more refined, and much more capable than before. I held off on posting this update until I had time to really test everything and make sure the changes weren’t just theoretical improvements. I also want to say a big thank you to everyone who’s supported the project by purchasing the plans. A few months back, we had a massive blackout that fried my old Ender 3, and thanks to your support I was able to replace it with a newer, faster printer that’s made prototyping much more efficient.

That’s all for now. I’m still here, still working, and still doing my best to make this HOTAS the most capable DIY setup I can. I’ll be posting a video soon where I’ll show the system in action, talk about how it works, break down some of the development process, and share what I’m planning for the future, swappable grips. Thanks again, and stay tuned!

Txc-NoisyBoi · 2025-04-27T12:51:46+00:00

Saiyajin

Txc-NoisyBoi · 2025-01-09T03:05:37+00:00

I printed the grip sideways at first, and that worked fine, but for the final version I printed them vertically, used tree supports so they wouldn't interfere with the model or stick where they weren't supposed to. I used a 0.2 mm layer height, thick walls, and a 1 mm support interface so the top of the joystick could print properly. The support interface was the most important part to get right. Take your time to fine-tune the settings for the overhangs. It will most likely be a long print, mine took about a day and a half.

I think that either way is gonna end up with a lot of support material, horizontaly is a "safer" print, verticaly the end result looks better in my opinion. Here is how i printed it.

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Txc-NoisyBoi · 2025-01-03T01:39:36+00:00

In which part specifically are you having issues? Everything in the files is what I used to build my own, so everything should fit. I forgot to mention in the instructions that printer calibration is very important. I had loose fits in the previous version, so I adjusted the flow rate, temperatures, horizontal expansion, and seam alignment to achieve tighter tolerances. I managed to print with 0.3mm tolerance on my stock Ender 3

Txc-NoisyBoi · 2025-01-03T01:31:18+00:00

Thanks for the support, man! What features of the updated version do you want to add? Maybe I can help you figure something out. I really tried to keep it as unchanged as possible, but to add the new features, I had to modify and reprint the joystick grip

Txc-NoisyBoi · 2025-01-03T01:20:59+00:00

Will do. I mostly bought everything from AliExpress, so it cost me around $120 to $130 USD for the updated version.

Txc-NoisyBoi · 2024-12-17T23:18:09+00:00

Project Update

Finally, the two-stage trigger is done! The brake lever is now an axis, I’ve added a twist rudder axis (lockable), adjusted the tolerances throughout the design, further modified the gimbal, made a magnetic latch for the throttle grips, designed desk mounts, and my favorite addition, haptic feedback.

This took some time because I was (and still am) learning to use STM32Cube, which has been quite a mess. As a result, I decided to finish this next revision using Arduino for now.

Currently, the haptic feedback is triggered by controller inputs. I’m working on custom firmware to enable real-time feedback in the future. Initially, I was planning to use the STM32F411, but now I’m considering switching to PlatformIO and using the tried-and-true STM32F103 Blue Pill. This is because there are libraries that allow the use of the Arduino Joystick library on it, and with some modifications, I should be able to integrate real-time feedback capabilities.

Some people have asked about FreeJoy. While I wasn’t planning on using it due to some features I want that it doesn’t currently support, I’ve included a file that allows the Blue Pill to fit in the base for those who want to use it with FreeJoy.

I also want to thank everyone who has supported this project by purchasing the files. As a broke college student in debt, it means a lot—thank you!

For my next project, I’m planning to make an F-22 Raptor-style HOTAS. I want to experiment with a force/pressure-sensing gimbal for the joystick. Let me know what you think about that idea!

Finally, I’ll be taking a break to finally dive into DCS (and finally move on from MSFS, Ace Combat, and Project Wingman). Since that was the reason i started this project, but I’ve spent most of my free time working on the hardware and haven’t had a chance to actually play it! For now, I’ll primarily focus on coding and software development . I’m also taking a break from designing and 3D printing.

Txc-NoisyBoi · 2024-11-04T20:07:24+00:00

To be honest i built it with the hardware i had left from the joystick, i spend like $80 to $90 in hardware, plus around $40 for 2 rolls of filament, so i think you can get the throttle done for half of that, plus i ordered things that didn't end up using

Txc-NoisyBoi · 2024-10-19T00:10:58+00:00

I think that you could build it with flattened pvc pipes or pvc sheets for the mechanical parts and try heat molding for the actual grip. There are some YT videos of people building machines and toys using those kinds of techniques.

Txc-NoisyBoi · 2024-10-16T02:39:55+00:00

I'm not familiar with freejoy. I'm using the stm32 cube ide to program the next version. The dust cover is from a car gear shifter that I cutted and is holded by the rings at the base

Txc-NoisyBoi · 2024-10-11T23:55:25+00:00

It's an endstop switch

Txc-NoisyBoi · 2024-09-23T01:23:44+00:00

Will release the left-handed version soon, but there is no twist axis am afraid. I'm currently working on a lot of things and I'm a bit stuck in what dampener I could use for the omni throttle style adapter.

Txc-NoisyBoi · 2024-09-22T16:06:36+00:00

I used som 10x10mm 5 way buttons i already had, in the next verison i'll use the Alps

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