DIY Yoke - Throttle Quadrant and MY HOME COCKPITS

Thank you for your wonderful comment.

Since I am retired now, I have plenty of time to create whatever I want.

I have enjoyed making things since I was a child, and even as an adult, I have continued to enjoy building electronic and computer-related devices as a hobby.

About 40 years ago, I discovered flight simulators (flight sims). At that time, devices for flight sims were not commercially available in Japan, and there was no internet or information, which led me to start building my own control devices. That was the beginning.

Now, I truly enjoy the hobby of making my own flight sim-related devices. I do all the construction myself, and since I often use spare parts from old PC component upgrades, it surprisingly doesn’t cost much money.

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I absolutely love your work. Wish I had your talent and patience!

Whenever you post a new video I’m always watching it and thinking to myself, one day when I retire, I’ll hopefully have the time and money to be able to do something like you do.

These days it’s so easy with the internet and A.I to learn something new. Just don’t have the time at the moment. But in the future who knows. Technology along with A.I is growing at such a fast rate these days, so in 10 or 15 years who knows what we might be able to accomplish.

One day I will build my own VR cockpit as others have done on this forum. But for now I’ll just keep watching the videos you post and keep dreaming of the possibilities.

Thanks for all your posts and keep them coming!

Edit: I keep forgetting that you are on YouTube and I’m subscribed to your channel but I never turned on Notifications, which I have done now :+1:

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Thank you for your kind comment.

I am truly astonished by the recent evolution of AI and technology, and as someone from the analog generation, I find it quite challenging to keep up.

For a generation with slightly older ways of thinking, like myself, we enjoy the process of manual creation, from using a hacksaw to cut materials and filing to shape them, to machine processing with tools like drill presses and lathes.

In today’s world, it seems that amazing devices for flight simulators can be made using modern tools like 3D printers and NC lathes. Honestly, my personal feeling is that this sometimes feels like it takes away the joy of making itself. I intend to continue creating handmade devices, utilizing the remaining time I have in my life effectively.

Also, thank you for watching my YouTube channel. I occasionally upload things I’ve made on a whim, so please feel free to take a look when you have some time.

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I totally agree with everything you say.

I’m not a young man anymore although I still feel young and sometimes feel that the world is moving far too quickly for me to keep up but I do try.

I already have :grinning_face: and I’m still amazed at your talent. I was particularly impressed with your video of flying in Tokyo on your Laptop setup. I left a comment on it :+1:

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■ PC Upgrade Summary: Xeon CPU Replacement
I replaced the Xeon E5-2650 v4 CPU with a Xeon E5-2680 v4
in the PC custom-built into an MZ-80B chassis.

Old CPU (E5-2650 v4): 12 cores / 24 threads @ 2.2 GHz
New CPU (E5-2680 v4): 14 cores / 28 threads @ 2.4 GHz

■Benchmark Results
PassMark
Single Thread Rating: Up 14%
Multithread Rating: Up 30%

Other Benchmarks
Final Fantasy XV (FF XV): Approximately 10% increase
SUPERPOSITION BENCHMARK: Approximately 11% increase

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MSFS2020)
FPS (Frames Per Second): Felt like an increase of about 10%.

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[SATA SSD to M.2 SSD Upgrade]

I feel that the startup time for the OS (Windows 11) and MSFS2020 (Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020) on this PC is slightly slower compared to other PCs.

Additionally, while running MSFS2020 in complex flight areas, I noticed a slight stutter or hitching during data loading.

Since I felt the SSD speed was slow, I measured it using the disk benchmark tool CrystalDiskMark, and the sequential read speed was around 280 MB/s.

Although this seemed slow for a SATA SSD, the reason is that the specifications of the motherboard for this Intel Xeon E5-2680 v4 are old, resulting in a SATA 2.0 specification.

I decided to switch to an M.2 SSD.After moving the OS from the SATA SSD to the M.2 SSD, measuring with CrystalDiskMark showed significant improvement.

The M.2 SSD I installed this time is PCIe Gen4, but since my motherboard is only PCIe Gen3, the speeds are not as impressive as the latest M.2 SSDs.

However, compared to the original speed, I am satisfied with the better numbers achieved.

The OS startup time has improved by about 20%.
The MSFS2020 startup time has improved by 20% to 30%.
The stuttering caused by loading in complex metropolitan areas has been resolved.

*SATA Generations and Theoretical Max Transfer Speeds
Each generation of SATA has a different theoretical maximum transfer rate.

SATA Revision 1.0SATA I.5Gbps1.5 Gbps 150 MB/s
SATA Revision 2.0SATA 3.0Gbps3.0 Gbps 300 MB/s
SATA Revision 3.0SATA 6.0Gbps6.0 Gbps 600 MB/s

The following is a description of the video.

It seems that some recent motherboards have adopted a lever-style mechanism for securing M.2 SSDs. However, this particular motherboard uses the more conventional method of securing the drive with a small screw.

When attempting this installation without removing the motherboard from the chassis as in this case, it can be very difficult to properly fit the tiny retaining screw. I’ve tried various methods, including using tweezers, but the screw sometimes falls inside the computer case.

In such situations, I apply a tiny amount of rubber cement, such as “G17,” to the tip of the screwdriver to hold the screw in place while I work.

Only a very small amount of adhesive is needed.

As shown in the video (or as you would demonstrate), align the cross-head of the screw with the screwdriver, and while the screw is held like this, insert it into the screw hole and fasten it.

Note that a rubber-based adhesive like “G17” is suitable for this, but super glue is not appropriate.

While removing the motherboard from the case would make the job easier, this method is useful when removing the motherboard is difficult. I do not recommend this technique, but if you choose to perform it, please proceed at your own risk.

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Based on your previous sharing and benchmarks, I’ve investigated a bit, so although I thought of a future improvement to my own rig going the Xeon way and wondering on adding NVME part, I’ve discovered Xeon motherboards and architecture are not laying at the cheapest entry.
Eventually, going your approach is probably the best to enhance current perfs, without busting the bank and however providing a substantial refresh of perfs and allowing to track down some existing stuttering if any.
Great and very interesting sharing you are providing to us, as always ! :+1::clap:

Really amazing increase …

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This is the fabrication process for a Boeing 767-style throttle quadrant I built previously. Except for a few specialized parts like switches, small bearings, and the USB controller, everything was constructed using materials easily found at local hardware stores.

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Still always amazed by the easiness on building anything :open_mouth:
This is actually like a second nature … something I never reached at this level … :pensive_face::wink:

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Thank you for your comment!
I don’t have any professional knowledge or technical skills, but I’ve been enjoying building these for years, learning through my own mistakes and setbacks. Of course, they can’t compare to high-end commercial controllers or pro-grade cockpits. However, the joy of flying in a virtual world with a controller I built myself is a truly irreplaceable experience for me.

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A 4-lever throttle controller powered by the BU0836 USB controller. Fully compatible with MSFS.

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This experimental video from about a decade ago shows a modification of a standard commercial 3-axis analog joystick. I replaced the X/Y potentiometers with two pressure sensors per axis. The hardware features an internal centering mechanism that holds a 50% neutral equilibrium when the stick is idle. The circuit maps sensor pressure to a 0–5V analog signal. The goal was to test the control response and behavior of this setup in a flight simulator environment.

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This is the final stage in the production of the cyclic stick unit. We have built a dedicated helicopter cockpit using this cyclic stick.

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This is a dedicated helicopter cockpit utilizing a pre-fabricated cyclic stick. In addition to the cyclic, it features a collective pitch lever and anti-torque pedals. It includes a seat and a 17-inch LCD monitor for instrument displays; you can move and display various undocked gauges directly onto this screen. The base of the cockpit frame is equipped with casters, making it easy to move around the room. Since it does not have a built-in PC, it is essentially a large, ride-on style controller.

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I’ll say this again, very very impressive work that you do! Thanks for sharing these videos :+1: And your other videos on YouTube that aren’t flight sim related are just as impressive!

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I’ve just finished my second Xeon-based PC build specifically for MSFS 2020!
This project actually started because I upgraded my first Xeon rig to an E5-2680 v4, leaving me with a spare E5-2650 v4 to build around. It took about a month to complete the assembly.

■System Specifications
・CPU: Intel Xeon E5-2650 v4 (12 Cores / 24 Threads)
・GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1660 SUPER 6GB
・Memory: 32GB RAM
・Storage: 512GB SSD
・Monitor 1: 16-inch (1920 x 1200)
・Monitor 2: 10-inch (1920 x 720)

■Chassis Physical Specs:
・Dimensions: W365mm x D460mm x H240mm (Closed) / 485mm (Open)
・Weight: 10.6kg

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The video shows a multi-monitor setup in MSFS 2020 with the instrument panel moved to the second screen. Even though the hardware is a bit older, it runs smoothly on Medium settings at Full HD—perfect for enjoying a flight!

*I’ll be uploading a video of this Xeon PC build process to YouTube at a later date.

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Great setup, really like the instruments popup above the keyboard, the layout is adding for immersion like in the reality
I guess this setup would be somewhat transportable while moving outside, if it would not be the weight perhaps ?

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Thank you for your comment. You’re absolutely right—this PC system weighs over 10kg, making it quite difficult to carry around as easily as a laptop. Because it packs two displays, a keyboard, and the main unit all into one small chassis, the sheer density and the structural design make it a bit too heavy for true portability.

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