One for all you FlightSim Dorks :)
- Thread starter J0hnb0y
- Start date
Howdy,
I made one today
4 x 28p Yellow LEDs with a 60 degree view angle.
1 x 10mm x 2mm Alloy sheet from B&Q
i went for yellow LEDs ans they show up best on my Phillips 840k cam. I did not want to use blue or white as they are too bright and will reflect off my monitor. Also high power LEDs have low viewing angles 20 - 30 degrees. Also my local LED supply place only had 3 5mm IR Leds in stock.
All the rest of the stuff I had in my component box. The alloy was measured, cut and bent to shape. Then Expoxied together. Leds were soldered up and the whole lot is mounted with heat shrink tubing. I also covered it heat shrink to avoid painting the alloy which is shiny and will reflect light.
It looks a bit like a scorpion
I have tested it with FSX and it is awesome! Rather than use the PPJoy interface which I could not get working (hat switch), I am using mouse emulation. While flying hit space and look around - It makes a massive difference to flying.
So now I have to make the decision to get a 3rd 24" 2407 and a Matrox Triple head for amazing gaming!
Here are the pics. If I can I will shoot a video of FSX working with it. BTW I also tried FSX with a single light source, and that worked too Just get a cheap LED keyring torch and mount it on a cap
On my Sea World cap (I don't own any "cool" caps), sadly my NASA cap has a white edge and that reflects light
I made one today
4 x 28p Yellow LEDs with a 60 degree view angle.
1 x 10mm x 2mm Alloy sheet from B&Q
i went for yellow LEDs ans they show up best on my Phillips 840k cam. I did not want to use blue or white as they are too bright and will reflect off my monitor. Also high power LEDs have low viewing angles 20 - 30 degrees. Also my local LED supply place only had 3 5mm IR Leds in stock.
All the rest of the stuff I had in my component box. The alloy was measured, cut and bent to shape. Then Expoxied together. Leds were soldered up and the whole lot is mounted with heat shrink tubing. I also covered it heat shrink to avoid painting the alloy which is shiny and will reflect light.
It looks a bit like a scorpion
I have tested it with FSX and it is awesome! Rather than use the PPJoy interface which I could not get working (hat switch), I am using mouse emulation. While flying hit space and look around - It makes a massive difference to flying.
So now I have to make the decision to get a 3rd 24" 2407 and a Matrox Triple head for amazing gaming!
Here are the pics. If I can I will shoot a video of FSX working with it. BTW I also tried FSX with a single light source, and that worked too
Just get a cheap LED keyring torch and mount it on a cap
On my Sea World cap (I don't own any "cool" caps), sadly my NASA cap has a white edge and that reflects light
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Pinter75 - I am impressed, that contraption actually looks pretty smart.
I remember looking at IR LED's a month or so ago for this and remember them having very poor view angles.
How is the device being powered?
Is it slow to react, or does the screen move instantly?
I remember looking at IR LED's a month or so ago for this and remember them having very poor view angles.
How is the device being powered?
Is it slow to react, or does the screen move instantly?
Its powered by a regualted 5v adapter. I suppose I could plug it into a USB port.
If I can find any highly reflective material, I will stick it to the cap. Then make a high power IR "torch" that sits next to the webcam. The IR will reflect off the dots and make it a totally wireless head unit
Failing that I will just get a track IR, as it is a bit less painless to integrate.
I get 30fps from the webcam (it will goto 90!), so the screen moves smoothly. I will get a video of it all in action, cos that speaks louder than words
One other thing, if you have any lights behind you it won't track correctly. When my GF switches on the hall light it goes bonkers!
Hopefully when I get the 3rd 24" LCD and a triple head, games will be wooha! All I play is flight sims, racing and FPS type games
I have got a 22" but it only has a VGA input, my grand plan is to have 3 2407's. Normal day to day = DVI. Game time = a switch to route video to the triplehead, and then change all the inputs on the LCDs to VGA. I could do it with my current setup, but that means 2 switches which is a bit of hassle. Plus I can never get the colour on the 22" to match the 24"s
If I can find any highly reflective material, I will stick it to the cap. Then make a high power IR "torch" that sits next to the webcam. The IR will reflect off the dots and make it a totally wireless head unit
Failing that I will just get a track IR, as it is a bit less painless to integrate.
I get 30fps from the webcam (it will goto 90!), so the screen moves smoothly. I will get a video of it all in action, cos that speaks louder than words
One other thing, if you have any lights behind you it won't track correctly. When my GF switches on the hall light it goes bonkers!
Hopefully when I get the 3rd 24" LCD and a triple head, games will be wooha! All I play is flight sims, racing and FPS type games
I have got a 22" but it only has a VGA input, my grand plan is to have 3 2407's. Normal day to day = DVI. Game time = a switch to route video to the triplehead, and then change all the inputs on the LCDs to VGA. I could do it with my current setup, but that means 2 switches which is a bit of hassle. Plus I can never get the colour on the 22" to match the 24"s
I work from home, so I have to sit in front of it everyday. My excuse is that I need it to make money (and play games on).
The 3rd 22" LCD was only £149 - and TBH it is a very good monitor, I just can't get the same colours as the 2 24" LCDs, so I have to replace it with one of them. Thats when it gets expensive!
Associate
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Thanks for clearing that up mate, was genuinely lost!
Freetrack can interface with a virtual joystick, Mouse emulation and 6DOF.
I booted up Lock on, and amazingly I managed to look around the cockpit using my hat contraption without doing anything
Also GTR2 has native support for 6DOF hardware. Jump in the car and you can look around it, great for looking into corners
I have tried it in BF2142 uning mouse emulaltion. I can run around looking where I want to go. I need to tweek the respnses, and figure out a way to still target better.
All in all, its a fun weekend project, that costs a quid minimum (you will need to have the webcam and mounting bits already).
I will shoot some video later of each game hopefully
I booted up Lock on, and amazingly I managed to look around the cockpit using my hat contraption without doing anything
Also GTR2 has native support for 6DOF hardware. Jump in the car and you can look around it, great for looking into corners
I have tried it in BF2142 uning mouse emulaltion. I can run around looking where I want to go. I need to tweek the respnses, and figure out a way to still target better.
All in all, its a fun weekend project, that costs a quid minimum (you will need to have the webcam and mounting bits already).
I will shoot some video later of each game hopefully
I knocked up a single point one up myself this weekend for GTR2 it works but I had a few problems the main one feeling seasick after a few minutes play.
I also tried a three point one using invisible IR LEDS from some old remote controls I had knocking about but I didn't get the resistance right and blew one.
I'm not conviced about it for racing sims but for flight sims I think it would be great.
As soon as I get some new LED's and sort the resistors out I'll try again.
I also tried a three point one using invisible IR LEDS from some old remote controls I had knocking about but I didn't get the resistance right and blew one.
I'm not conviced about it for racing sims but for flight sims I think it would be great.
As soon as I get some new LED's and sort the resistors out I'll try again.
Buuump.
Pinter75 - I've never used heat shrink tubing before. It has to be heated to 70c+ in order to shrink, can a naked flame be used, or purely heat?
The best IR LEDs I have found so far have a view angle of 40 degrees and a forward voltage of 1.4v. Just slightly more power than what USB provides.
Pinter75 - I've never used heat shrink tubing before. It has to be heated to 70c+ in order to shrink, can a naked flame be used, or purely heat?
The best IR LEDs I have found so far have a view angle of 40 degrees and a forward voltage of 1.4v. Just slightly more power than what USB provides.
Soldato
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I'm going to build one of these, wonder if the IR Leds are easily available from *** highstreet? Don't want to wait about for online order place to deliver, too impatient. 
Soldato
- Joined
- 25 Sep 2003
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- Manchester
Found this:
http://www.free-track.org/english/freetrack/calcled
shows what resistors you need if you know the correct values to pump in to it. The RS component number for the correct IR LEDs is 585-236. Anyone know what resistors to get for this and if there should be a resistor per led or should it be one per circuit(series or parralel iirc).
I'd like to make up a 5v USB connector if possible or if it needs moer juice get the 489-021 connectors for the square 9v batteries.
EDIT: Went ahead and ordered the LEDS and a 9v battery clip thing. Once i've bodged it together i'll post up some photos.
http://www.free-track.org/english/freetrack/calcled
shows what resistors you need if you know the correct values to pump in to it. The RS component number for the correct IR LEDs is 585-236. Anyone know what resistors to get for this and if there should be a resistor per led or should it be one per circuit(series or parralel iirc).
I'd like to make up a 5v USB connector if possible or if it needs moer juice get the 489-021 connectors for the square 9v batteries.
EDIT: Went ahead and ordered the LEDS and a 9v battery clip thing. Once i've bodged it together i'll post up some photos.
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Soldato
- Joined
- 17 May 2004
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Now ordered a cateye rear bike light. Gonna mod it into a 3 point clip.
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