HOTAS Cougar Radar Cursor modification
-
Hi all,
About 3-4 months ago i acquired my first Cougar with the FCC1 mod and i am in love with it. At the first usage i found out that i needed to change/modify the throttle pot as it was slow and sluggish in response. I made a not-so-professional hall mod and it works like a charm (not the full range-0-571-but about 90-444 in ccp). Although i solved the throttle axis problem, some drifting started to show on the radar cursor.
I can use the cursor as it is now (with a lot of axis tuning) but i feel like it won’t be long before i need to replace it.
While looking for solutions i stumbled upon a mod for the warthog throttle which replaces the traditional pot joystick with a force sensing miniature thumb stick. The product image of the said modification includes a drop in thumbstick module, some cables and a controller card. I believe that the extra cables are to add a push button (as the thumb stick doesn’t have one) and the card is to make the tumb stick act like a pot (in terms of electrical response).
Has anyone tried to make such thing for the cougar? If so, how can one make a controller board to make the force thumb stick compatible with the cougar?
Thanks in advance.
Ps: said modification —> https://deltasimelectronics.com/products/force-sensor-uprade-kit
-
I think it is in the wish-list / 2-do-list of many of us here…
I’ve searched a lot, except finding and aquaring the real tqs/buttons, alternative would be a test-and-trial process finding and modding any similar microsticks to work with the Cougar throttle, electronics, and finally pc/bms.
Some quick gadgets from my search-db:
https://www.liveelectronics.co.uk/products/j2-series-joysticks/
https://www.liveelectronics.co.uk/products/j4-series-joysticks/
https://www.otto-controls.com/products/joysticks/j4%20transducer
http://www.atoms-monaco.com/joystick-controllers/miniature-joystick/
-
I think it is in the wish-list / 2-do-list of many of us here…
I’ve searched a lot, except finding and aquaring the real tqs/buttons, alternative would be a test-and-trial process finding and modding any similar microsticks to work with the Cougar throttle, electronics, and finally pc/bms.
Some quick gadgets from my search-db:
https://www.liveelectronics.co.uk/products/j2-series-joysticks/
https://www.liveelectronics.co.uk/products/j4-series-joysticks/
https://www.otto-controls.com/products/joysticks/j4%20transducer
http://www.atoms-monaco.com/joystick-controllers/miniature-joystick/
I bet it is. It is clear that some time later we will have a big replacement famine. On some other forum I’ve read that the original force transducer of the SSC assembly works like a “pot” but the output is so low that it is very hard to accurately read and use effectively. Also on the same forum i’ve heard that people were able to use “pull-up”s (As far as i can recall they were pull-ups but i am no electrician, so) to bring the output to more useable levels. Looking at the catalog/data sheet of the product in the first link you posted i believe they (atleast that OTTO part) works like a pot. The only real problem would be making the output more usable (it might be easy but as i said i am no electrician). I guess i will have to get my hands on one and experiment. Time to save up :P.
Also i am planning on replacing the antenna elevation and manual range pots with contactless pots but i couldn’t find any with detent and same working range (in terms of rotation). I can replace both with 270 degree contactless ones and add a small button under the whole “pot” to add deprees but i don’t know if the full travel range on the cougar pots are needed.
Is it necessary to have pots that turn well above 360 degrees and have some free play on the axis ends? (By freeplay i mean the area where the pot still turns but doesn’t get recognized by the cougar)
Can i make it with 270 degree pots? Will i lose any functionality other than sensitivity?
-
the antenna elevation
IIRC the real antenna elevation travel is very small, some 60; degrees in total…
-
Has anyone looked at this microstick from Otto?
Hall effect with pushbutton: https://www.otto-controls.com/htlt4-4-way-finger-joystick-with-pushbutton-option-2
But I would have no idea how to interface this with the Cougar TQS.
Any wizards here would like to give it a shot?
*edit: oh my, expensive! https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/OTTO/HTLT4-821131GG12?qs=%2Fha2pyFadugmCaxI653u9eZuCSdoauHnktAA03TWYE6anPl4mZcuTQ==
*All those Cougars out there with bad microsticks, what a shame Thrustmaster, if you were’nt so greedy!
-
…that’s actually not as expensive as I might have thought they’d be.
My preference for replacing the Cougar micro-stick is the little nub from a laptop keyboard. You used to be able to get those direct from the OEM, but they got discontinued and now they have to be wrangled from a keyboard. But electrically, they are the same as a micro-stick.
-
…that’s actually not as expensive as I might have thought they’d be.
My preference for replacing the Cougar micro-stick is the little nub from a laptop keyboard. You used to be able to get those direct from the OEM, but they got discontinued and now they have to be wrangled from a keyboard. But electrically, they are the same as a micro-stick.
Forgive my ignorance please (my first Cougar TQS hasn’t arrived yet,) but doesn’t the mini-stick need to have a button also? I never came across a laptop nub that had this. How do you solve that problem @Stevie?
Much thanks in advance
-
Yes - it needs a button. I’ve seen some laptops that do incorporate a click ability that would/could be used as a button.
This is the gizmo you’d want -
https://www.sprintek.com/en/products/pointing_stick/SK8702.aspx
Note that it can do click and drag…but as you can see this one is OOP.
-
Yes - it needs a button. I’ve seen some laptops that do incorporate a click ability that would/could be used as a button.
This is the gizmo you’d want -
https://www.sprintek.com/en/products/pointing_stick/SK8702.aspx
Note that it can do click and drag…but as you can see this one is OOP.
I couldn’t find any similar components except for a replacement trackpoint keyboard - https://www.amazon.com/Keyboard-Trackpoint-ThinkPad-Compatible-04Y0116/dp/B01MXXFVAL/ref=sr_1_73?dchild=1&keywords=trackpoint&qid=1600361290&sr=8-73
Do you think this might work?
-
I couldn’t find any similar components except for a replacement trackpoint keyboard - https://www.amazon.com/Keyboard-Trackpoint-ThinkPad-Compatible-04Y0116/dp/B01MXXFVAL/ref=sr_1_73?dchild=1&keywords=trackpoint&qid=1600361290&sr=8-73
Do you think this might work?
Possibly…but I’d have to see the specs on it to know if it has a mouse click function - if so, I should work. That’s the key - it has to have a click function to be able to wire to Cursor Enable.
I also see that the Sprintek part I originally posted/wanted is listed available on Alibaba (not AliExpress), so I’m wondering if I could order a couple from there…I’ve bought things from AliExpress before, but not AliBaba so I’m not really sure how they operate or what the real differences are.
-
-
https://deltasimelectronics.com/products/cougar-throttle-radar-tdc-slew-upgrade
Hi Nigel,
This looks interesting. I have heard that most ministicks of this type are a little too big to fit in a classic (plastic, not Cougar) TQS.
For example, https://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4324529/re-f16-flcs-tqs-original-usb-conversion#Post4324529
Does this one fit inside a plastic TQS and replace the little trackball?
My post may not belong under “Cougar”. Sorry if this is the case - I just learned that a pre-Cougar TM TQS exists and that I had bought one via eBay.
-
Sixpack
I have no idea. I am the type of guy that is willing to take apart anything and try my best to make it work. For the little bit of money he is asking, buy one and try it. It will be WAY easier to mod a plastic handle than a metal one. If I had no money for a Cougar, I would by the TQS and keep it alive. They are stupid cheap and that and the Cougar are really your only options for a realistic F-16 throttle. IIRC, I do have an old plastic one, it feels a bit lightweight of course but it is totally useable. -
https://deltasimelectronics.com/products/cougar-throttle-radar-tdc-slew-upgrade
Just installed it, it is a drop in replacement and took my about 10 minutes! Stick seems to have some hysteris though. Still puzzling how to introduce a deadzone in MMjoy2.
-
Just installed it, it is a drop in replacement and took my about 10 minutes! Stick seems to have some hysteris though. Still puzzling how to introduce a deadzone in MMjoy2.
https://i.postimg.cc/Bbfs8DpD/image.pngMaybe it’s the board.
-
Maybe it’s the board.
Don’t think so, it’s a pretty tight fit. The installation procedures suggested a 15% deadzone and with something similar set in MMjoy, it works like a charm. So far I can highly recommend this replacement of your original ministick is beyond repair.
-
I have one coming. So can’t wait. I also converted mine to a LeoBonard board.
-
_Hello !
visit this page, go to the end! -
Sweet I may have to hit him up for the pots he’s building. My delta sim stick is here in my town but sadly sitting at the facility…
-
Installed the replacement stick yesterday and ran into it drifting like the original it replaced. I think by adding a dead zone seemed to do the trick. Has anyone else experienced this and have a solution?