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#1104944 - 01/31/06 05:05 AM Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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Guest Writer "Bill Son of Hew" Hewett explains all in his step-by-step article here: http://www.simhq.com/_technology2/technology_076a.html


Wisdom is knowing what's enough
Inline advert (2nd and 3rd post)

#1104945 - 01/31/06 06:24 AM Re: Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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Most of the time, I read these articles without reply. In this case I feel compelled to comment. Thank You Bill for the review. Thank You Doug, and Tom for allowing it to be seen by the thousands of members and visitors to SimHQ. I hope that for those that were/are wondering just what a Franken-Potato is, and what makes it tick, well, now ya know.



Originally Posted by Abraham Lincoln
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.


#1104946 - 01/31/06 11:36 AM Re: Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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Thanks Bill and SHQ team for publishing it in the Articles. Being a proud owner of Franken Potato I firmly attest it is an awesome piece of HOTAS. With these analogue programmable wheels CH COMBO has become finally a complete HOTAS solution.

And Ken indeed is a very pleasant person to deal with.

#1104947 - 01/31/06 12:29 PM Re: Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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Happy to do so Ghost. It really is the icing on the CH cake. And Ken is indeed very pleasant to deal with, well, as much as a Marine can be. ;\)

#1104948 - 01/31/06 12:34 PM Re: Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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I think these guys just were envious of all the Cougar Mods :p

#1104949 - 01/31/06 12:51 PM Re: Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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Quote:
Originally posted by RSColonel_131st:
I think these guys just were envious of all the Cougar Mods :p
Ummmm no RSColonel, not to quote myself or anything but;

Quote:
Again, I did this not because I needed to, but because I was havin' some fun.
Let's just leave it at that okay. Now play nice.



Originally Posted by Abraham Lincoln
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.


#1104950 - 01/31/06 02:38 PM Re: Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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Nice write-up, Bill, and nice work, Ken.

For years I have asked how/if the lack of rotaries on the CH HOTAS. Lots of people said it didn't matter. No one was ever able to tell me why. \:\)

I guess this means that they do matter, as IMO there simply is no substitute for true analogue control of something. This certainly takes a wonderful piece of hardware and makes it that much better.

#1104951 - 01/31/06 03:01 PM Re: Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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Quote:
Originally posted by Bill Son of Hew:
Happy to do so Ghost. It really is the icing on the CH cake. And Ken is indeed very pleasant to deal with, well, as much as a Marine can be. ;\)

20mm, thanks for the editing! Only one gaff: Hewett (if I had a nickel ....) There's no "i" in Hewett, team, ...well, you get the idea. \:\)
DOH! Oh my goodness, sorry about that. We looked at that with two pairs of eyes and still didn't catch it. But we shall fix it promptly.

Nice work on the article Bill, and Ghost, what can I say other than what I have said before: Ghost knows.



Pat Tillman (1976-2004):
4 years Arizona State University, graduated with high honors.
5 seasons National Football League player, Arizona Cardinals.
Forever United States Army Ranger.
#1104952 - 01/31/06 04:53 PM Re: Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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Nice idea to redesign the ProThrottle that way.

I would like to see a comparable, picture-rich article on how to replace the Fighterstick's soft springs with stiffer springs! The default ones are the only weakness in this piece of hardware. I use it since many years and despite the soft springs I think it is fantastic.

#1104953 - 01/31/06 07:27 PM Re: Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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I never really got used to the Cougar's heavy springs. So as we know, one man's pleasure is another's poison.

Still, if it can be done, Ghost will find a way. ;\)

#1104954 - 02/01/06 12:08 AM Re: Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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S! 531 Ghost for coming up with a way to make a good piece of kit better and Bill Son of Hew for a well-written and illustrated article.

I have a couple of Q's:

1. Has CH Products considered updating the design of the PT to incorporate some of the elements of the Franken Potato?
2. Would the additional rotaries and switches benefit a propsim like PF, or are they more geared to assisting the gameplay of jetsims?


Learn the history and support the restoration of the Boeing B-17D "Swoose" at the National Museum of the US Air Force

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=12773
#1104955 - 02/01/06 01:36 AM Re: Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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Skybird, yes, the FS can be stiffened up ;\)

Thank you Swoose. As to your questions...

Quote:
1. Has CH Products considered updating the design of the PT to incorporate some of the elements of the Franken Potato?
No

Quote:
2. Would the additional rotaries and switches benefit a propsim like PF, or are they more geared to assisting the gameplay of jetsims?
The additional rotaries and switches can be used to do anything programmable in Control Manager v4.0 + Trim, prop RPM, mixture...



Originally Posted by Abraham Lincoln
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.


#1104956 - 02/02/06 09:13 PM Re: Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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Just to clarify, is the basis of the mod to:

1.) Add the PCB from the Throttle Quadrant, to the innards of the Pro Throttle, giving you 2 USB connectors coming from one unit.

2.) Wire up the Throttle Quadrant's PCB giving you its equivalent analogues and switches.

In which case, is it possible to purchase separately from CH the PCB's for their hardware?

And are wiring diagrams available too?

Cheers

James


James "Nutty" Hallows
ViperDrivers
#1104957 - 02/02/06 10:19 PM Re: Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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James, the TQ has a PCB as does the PT. They are seperate. The PT PCB is in the handle and the TQ one I added into the base. Using both PCBs gives the user the best of both worlds, a PT/TQ so to speak. This does require the two USBs. If I could fit 4 more axis in the PT, with the TQ PCB it would be possible. The CH PCBs are available, in their items, FS, CS, PT,... well, you get the picture. As for the wiring diagrams, I figured it out looking at the circuit board the TQs POTs are mounted to.


Originally Posted by Abraham Lincoln
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.


#1104958 - 02/02/06 10:54 PM Re: Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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Nutty Offline
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Thanks bud. So basically if someone wanted to do this, they'd need to purchase both the Pro Throttle and Throttle Quadrant as complete items, and then basically gut the throttle quadrant and use that within the Pro Throttle I presume? There's no easy shortcut via CH selling the PCBs separately?

Cheers

James


James "Nutty" Hallows
ViperDrivers
#1104959 - 02/02/06 11:11 PM Re: Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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Well, someone with some talent and handy with various hand tools, yes, that's what they'd have to do. Ah, forgot to mention 1 little (well 2 actually) thing, the POTs I used, are not used in the TQ, BUT, they and the switches are 64 bit programmable, as well as 32.

Cheers

Ken


Originally Posted by Abraham Lincoln
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.


#1104960 - 02/02/06 11:31 PM Re: Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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Nice job though Ghost, nice and neat and not a drop of hot glue or insulation tape in sight.

#1104961 - 02/02/06 11:49 PM Re: Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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Sorry Joe, didn't mean to leave you out. Thank you. As for the need, it may not "feel" like it but it is possible to create an axis where there is none.
Quote:
Originally posted by Joe:
Nice write-up, Bill, and nice work, Ken.

For years I have asked how/if the lack of rotaries on the CH HOTAS. Lots of people said it didn't matter. No one was ever able to tell me why. \:\)

I guess this means that they do matter, as IMO there simply is no substitute for true analogue control of something. This certainly takes a wonderful piece of hardware and makes it that much better.


Originally Posted by Abraham Lincoln
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.


#1104962 - 02/03/06 12:34 PM Re: Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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Pro Pedal springs to Fighterstick
CH Parts

Alas James the PCBs are not available, as most likely proprietary.

Quote:
Originally posted by Skybird:
Nice idea to redesign the ProThrottle that way.

I would like to see a comparable, picture-rich article on how to replace the Fighterstick's soft springs with stiffer springs! The default ones are the only weakness in this piece of hardware. I use it since many years and despite the soft springs I think it is fantastic.

#1104963 - 02/03/06 04:43 PM Re: Feature: The CH Products Pro Throttle with the "Semi-Franken Potato" Mod  
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Debby Offline
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Quote:


Alas James the PCBs are not available, as most likely proprietary.

QUOTE] [/QB]
This is correct. Afterall, we wouldn't want to see our "brains" stuffed into a product of lesser quality.


Debby McDowell
Director of Sales and Marketing


CH Products
970 Park Center Drive
Vista, CA 92081
http://www.chproducts.com
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