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Saitek Throttle Mod

Discussion about special hardware
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lesoreilly
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Saitek Throttle Mod

Post by lesoreilly » 20 Apr 2019, 17:50

Hi,

I made a video on how I used a Leo Bodnar BU0836X to replace the controller boards in my 2 Saitek TQs and combine them into a single unit. Plus I added the B737 handles (pro version) that have the AT/TOGA and Reversers in the handles....needed more buttons for those and thought might as well just mod the whole thing.

I have them in a "throttle box" that puts them on the angle like a 737 would be. Also I Mod the box so that I could add some additional Switches and a Rotary encoder to house a trim wheel (knob for now need to 3D Print the wheel). Best of all this board has 12-Bit Resolution for the AXIS which it has 8 of....This give a much larger step range than what the original Saitek Board can do. Giving much finer detail on things like Throttles, Prop and Mixture adjustments.

Well worth the money to give some longer life and functionality to the boxes....

Here is the video that I made along with Programming in Spad.Next to show how it is just like any other "Joystick" controller.

https://youtu.be/EtUoKm0jHTM

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thedazman
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Re: Saitek Throttle Mod

Post by thedazman » 25 Apr 2019, 08:14

I’m a big fan of bodnar boards, I have 4 of them in my system and also being able to design and print 3D parts for the controls is also epic. Flight simulation has definitely brought out the creativity in me not only in coding gauges but I never get bored designing and adding to my sim hardware.

Thanks SPAD.neXt for giving us an awesome platform to build on.

I built my own throttle before I got a nice 737 one last year at the Birmingham flight sim show and will check out your video when I get home from my day job

Daz
"theDAZman" aka "theGFXguy"
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krono
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Re: Saitek Throttle Mod

Post by krono » 25 Apr 2019, 16:09

Well put together video. I also use the bodnar boards in conjunction with PacLed64 and the same as Daz a 3d printer it is a win win situation. I think it is the original pots in the Saitek unit that will still give you trouble as I find they wear very quickly.

Ken

Sky Blue Flyer
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Re: Saitek Throttle Mod

Post by Sky Blue Flyer » 31 Jan 2021, 10:05

Great video and inspired me to go ahead and do the same mod, thanks Les ( and Leo!)

The Achilles heel for me is the Saitek throttle pots. They are unreliable and can wear or fail prematurely. I have tried fitting replacements that are as close to original as possible from a new game controller by extracting the pots and replacing the faulty ones (I have 3 out of 6 that are bad). The range is only 60 deg. compared with the 80 deg. originals and they do work but linearity is an issue and the output is far from smooth. Has anyone found a source of decent replacement pots or is there any way to smooth the output and add a curve to sort the linearity issue?

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