New lease of life for Cougar throttle
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Can you please give some references for the dry decals you used?
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Can you please give some references for the dry decals you used?
Hi, I bought it off eBay. Search for Woodlands Scenics MG738.
Cheers
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My love for the F16 style throttle continues…
… and this time it’s the ancient, all plastic TM TQS!
I’ve upgraded the main throttle axis to hall sensor, using 3D printed parts, Allegro 1324 hall sensor and N52 magnet.
Powered by Leo Bodnar BU836A + matrix board. All 32 digital inputs, 4 POV and 8 analog axis are fully utilised.
Acrylic panels are laser cut/marked. The fonts are not perfectly white, but serve the purpose well.
I especially love the F-ACK and MASTER CAUTION industrial switches… long smooth firm actuation, loud CLICK. I find myself mashing them just for the heck of it LOLThis is WIP…but it’s 95% done. Just need to shorten the bottom row of 4 screws so they don’t stick out.
Not shown in the above pics are 2 additional push buttons + 3-way pinkie switch on the throttle grip, and a PSP ministick replacement for the red “eraserhead” cursor slew. The ministick performs well in testing, but needs a large dead zone.In my design, switches like the LASER ARM/MASTER ARM and autopilot switches are excluded because I feel they are best located as a separate MISC PANEL button box.
I feel this modded TQS looks much cooler than my Cougar mod…what do u guys think?
Will update with more pics soon!
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@aelfewulf This is really cool! I love seeing your work with Viper throttles. It makes me wish I had the knowledge and skills to do things like that. Our hobby is definitely one of those that makes me wish I had an “EECS” degree (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science).
Even if I can’t make things like this, it’s great to see what others can do. And to dream of new commercial products, like an updated Viper throttle from someone like TM, Wingwing, etc…
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Red “eraserhead” slew replaced with PSP ministick. Since this ministick doesn’t have a push button, Cursor Enable is now the added blue Omron tactile button.
Another FUN button is that big black arcade button.
This is a high quality Japan SANWA part, very reliable and meant to be mashed, abused and slapped.
That’s why I designed it as the F16 slap switch (countermeasures program 5). U can literally slap it! Or press and hold to EJECT.EDIT: the stock brake pad mechanism totally removed.
Just the application of Nyogel 767A makes the throttle action feel smooth and dampened. Resistance is easily dialed by tightening/loosening the bottom enclosure screws. Simple. -
@aelfewulf Compliment! It is wonderful
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The biggest weakness with the old TM TQS (not Cougar) is the plastic detents.
Firstly the plastic gets worn down, and the detent becomes soft.
Secondly setting both idle and AB detent shortens the throttle working range.My solution to this problem: digital detents programmed via Joystick Gremlin.
How does it work?
Pushing throttle to the max physical limit gives MIL power. Then by pressing a button, the afterburners are engaged. Throttling back disengages it. Quite intuitive actually.Pros: intuitive, won’t accidentally engage AB or idle cutoff, extended throttle working range + precision
Cons: unrealistic, needs some work to setup via Joystick Gremlin/game controller setup, and AB stages are not simulated
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@aelfewulf said in New lease of life for Cougar throttle:
… My solution to this problem: digital detents programmed via Joystick Gremlin.
…Cons: unrealistic, needs some work to setup via Joystick Gremlin/game controller setup, and AB stages are not simulated…Additional Con:
AB in the F16 is a not a ‘fixed fuel flow’, but a range. It is very useful to have this ‘granularity’ of flow, and can be adjusted according to the nozzle position also.I have removed the idle detent ring (mine is the cougar) as it was too easy to fall over it on throttle back, and cut-off the engine!. With that out of the way and hall sensor on the movement, i get lots of range split between full MIL and AB (probably 85/15% ranges).
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Hi,
I have a same TQS, but my biggest problem is that I don’t know, how I can replace and fit the ministick into the eraser head place.
I have PSP style ministick and I have a Cougar version too but none of them fit properly inside the trottle.
Can you give me some advice for it? -
@aelfewulf said in New lease of life for Cougar throttle:
My love for the F16 style throttle continues…
… and this time it’s the ancient, all plastic TM TQS!
I’ve upgraded the main throttle axis to hall sensor, using 3D printed parts, Allegro 1324 hall sensor and N52 magnet.
Powered by Leo Bodnar BU836A + matrix board. All 32 digital inputs, 4 POV and 8 analog axis are fully utilised.
Acrylic panels are laser cut/marked. The fonts are not perfectly white, but serve the purpose well.
I especially love the F-ACK and MASTER CAUTION industrial switches… long smooth firm actuation, loud CLICK. I find myself mashing them just for the heck of it LOLThis is WIP…but it’s 95% done. Just need to shorten the bottom row of 4 screws so they don’t stick out.
Not shown in the above pics are 2 additional push buttons + 3-way pinkie switch on the throttle grip, and a PSP ministick replacement for the red “eraserhead” cursor slew. The ministick performs well in testing, but needs a large dead zone.In my design, switches like the LASER ARM/MASTER ARM and autopilot switches are excluded because I feel they are best located as a separate MISC PANEL button box.
I feel this modded TQS looks much cooler than my Cougar mod…what do u guys think?
Will update with more pics soon!
This is everyone’s father, that’s when it all started!
I have one of these, it’s all dismantled! -
@repvez said in New lease of life for Cougar throttle:
Hi,
I have a same TQS, but my biggest problem is that I don’t know, how I can replace and fit the ministick into the eraser head place.
I have PSP style ministick and I have a Cougar version too but none of them fit properly inside the trottle.
Can you give me some advice for it?Hi, the PSP1000 ministick doesn’t fit into the square hole of the TQS. To make the hole bigger, simply use a sharp blade. Slice away thin layers of 4 sides of the square, keep test-fitting as u go along to avoid cutting too much.
Then superglue it in place. Hope this helps!
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@fish44 said in New lease of life for Cougar throttle:
@aelfewulf said in New lease of life for Cougar throttle:
… My solution to this problem: digital detents programmed via Joystick Gremlin.
…Cons: unrealistic, needs some work to setup via Joystick Gremlin/game controller setup, and AB stages are not simulated…Additional Con:
AB in the F16 is a not a ‘fixed fuel flow’, but a range. It is very useful to have this ‘granularity’ of flow, and can be adjusted according to the nozzle position also.I have removed the idle detent ring (mine is the cougar) as it was too easy to fall over it on throttle back, and cut-off the engine!. With that out of the way and hall sensor on the movement, i get lots of range split between full MIL and AB (probably 85/15% ranges).
Yes! That’s how I setup my Cougar too.
No idle detent, yes afterburner detent -
@aelfewulf wow, this looks like what the Cougar should have been years ago! Great job!
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@aelfewulf great job!
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@aelfewulf
Hello
Nice job on your Throttle TQS, I have the same and want to convert to Hall sensor as yours, where can I found these parts.
Thanks
Coyotte -
Hi,
All the parts for the Cougar TQS can be bought from a guy called rel4y on the DCS forums. He is based in EU but ships pretty much anywhere.
Thread title is “ TM Cougar & CH magnetoresistive/ hall sensor kits” -
@aelfewulf
Thank you for the answer, I am going to see rel4y as I live en France.
Hope I can find the mods.
Have good flights
Coyotte -
@coyotte I just received the antena and range pots from thuestramster. The may have all the other parts too
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@lcriscola Interesting. Which I approached them last year on replacement pots they told me they were out. I do need to find a replacement microstick cable