Easy Steering wheel idea

[Wade]

I was just thinking the other night how it would be nice to have a steering wheel for my cabinet.  I was trying to think of a way to have one that attaches easily (easier than swapping the entire CP, that is).

This is what I came up with.  I have a trackball right in the center of my CP.  I could attach a steering wheel to the front/top of the control panel and use a couple of clips or clamps to attach it.  There would be some sort of a "box" that covered the trackball area.  Then the axle of the wheel could have a rubber wheel (something like a roller blade wheel) that would fit tightly against the top of the trackball.  Spinning the wheel would rotate the trackball left or right.  The only electrical or software change would be a reversal of the mouse x axis.

Does this sound workable, or does anyone else have similar ideas?

I realize this won't work for all wheel games.  Some games use a pot instead of a spinner style interface, right?

I sometimes see super sprint style wheels on ebay.  I'd want to use something like that (not a hacked PC steering wheel, but something durable and arcade-like).

Wade

[AX]

seems like a very cheap solution to a wheel.  What I use currently is a pc wheel which I have already broken once.  tha paddles needed a stop support becasue when your in a game and get excited you tend to squeeze harder than normal.  oops busted paddle shifter.  andway I stuck a few wooden dowles in the screw holes behind the paddels as a quick fix.  but getting back tot eh wheel.  what TheDemo and I have come up with is a preliminary design for a quick removable mount for a pc wheel.  We intend to use 2 pieces of PVS pipe(painted black of course) screwed to the sides of the CP.  then create either out of PVC or wood a sort of bridge that loops up over the cp with a flat portion to clamp the wheel to.  

[rampy]

seems like a very cheap solution to a wheel.  What I use currently is a pc wheel which I have already broken once.  tha paddles needed a stop support becasue when your in a game and get excited you tend to squeeze harder than normal.  oops busted paddle shifter.  andway I stuck a few wooden dowles in the screw holes behind the paddels as a quick fix.  but getting back tot eh wheel.  what TheDemo and I have come up with is a preliminary design for a quick removable mount for a pc wheel.  We intend to use 2 pieces of PVS pipe(painted black of course) screwed to the sides of the CP.  then create either out of PVC or wood a sort of bridge that loops up over the cp with a flat portion to clamp the wheel to.  

I don't understand, based on your description...  do you have pics of a drawing or something?

I too am trying to figure out how to nicely add removable steering wheel and star wars yoke to my cabinet.  (I don't have a lip on my CP to clamp stuff down)

Wade, that's a pretty novel idea.  And it seems like it *could* work... although my first reaction would be, if you already have the physical wheel, and have found a way to easily make it mount and unmount from you CP, the optics and electronics isn't *that* much of a barrier at that point, is it?

I still think the idea has merit, but that's just my initial reaction.  

rampy

[Wade]

Rampy,

    The basic idea is on the back of the wheel, on the axle, instead of having an encoder wheel, you'd just have a rubber wheel that rests on the top of the trackball.  You spin the wheel and the trackball spins with it (but in the opposite direction).

    You're probably right though.  It wouldn't be that hard to make a hidden connector and switch to share the electronics for the spinner with a steering wheel.  Since the optics are so inexpensive, it probably would make more sense to just wire it up instead of making a mechanical solution.

AX,

    Like rampy suggested, obtaining the wheel and making a way to mount it to the CP are probably the bigger issues.


    On the other hand, if I'm going to go through the trouble of making a steering wheel assembly, I might as well make a cockpit style driving cabinet, right?

Wade

[Rocky]

Driving games (specifically Spy Hunter) is what got me into MAME and building my own cab.  

I considered for a long time how I could have a steering wheel that is durable yet detachable from my main CP. I gave up on the idea and am going with a dedicated driving panel -- pot based wheel with shifter. That is if I ever stop playing pacman and start building stuff again.

Your idea about mounting a wheel to directly move the trackball seems like it would have problems.  I think you would wear out the trackball or the wheel would have slippage problems.  But, I would never have believed that a workable rotating monitor or rotating control panel could be built.  

Good luck,

Rocky

[thedemo]

rampy- here is a pic of what AX and I have in mind for our steering wheel mounts. The whole thing will be removable by just sliding the front part out of the side pieces. The steering wheel itself would clamp onto the flat panel attached in the center.

As AX said it will all be black, I just used green in the pic for demo purposes.

[Dav]

I was just thinking the other night how it would be nice to have a steering wheel for my cabinet.  I was trying to think of a way to have one that attaches easily (easier than swapping the entire CP, that is).

This is what I came up with.  I have a trackball right in the center of my CP.  I could attach a steering wheel to the front/top of the control panel and use a couple of clips or clamps to attach it.  There would be some sort of a "box" that covered the trackball area.  Then the axle of the wheel could have a rubber wheel (something like a roller blade wheel) that would fit tightly against the top of the trackball.  Spinning the wheel would rotate the trackball left or right.  The only electrical or software change would be a reversal of the mouse x axis.

Does this sound workable, or does anyone else have similar ideas?

I realize this won't work for all wheel games.  Some games use a pot instead of a spinner style interface, right?

I sometimes see super sprint style wheels on ebay.  I'd want to use something like that (not a hacked PC steering wheel, but something durable and arcade-like).

Wade

I like it, I might use an idler wheel to get the mouse turning correctly and give you  more options for heighth off the control panel.

Dave

[Analog-X]

If I were to create a CP that would allow the swapping of a Wheel or Star Wars Yoke.
 
I would have a 16pin / 24pin or 32pin Connector that accepts 16awg wire and would have the Female end Mounted on the CP and the Male end onto the Controller with clamps and it would be very easy to remove / add other controls to the CP.
 
When one of these days I get my website up and running I will illustrate what I'm talking about.

[AX]

what we are going to do is make the piece that goes up over the top slide out fromt he 2 Pipes on the side.  it is a USB wheel and I alread have 2 usb ports avail outside the cab.  

I also came up with an idea at lunch on attaching the pedals to a barstool.   or rather placing the barstool into a pedal setup.

[AX]

just thought i would add this link.  not bad if you put a cheap seat cover on them.

[rampy]

If I were to create a CP that would allow the swapping of a Wheel or Star Wars Yoke.
 
I would have a 16pin / 24pin or 32pin Connector that accepts 16awg wire and would have the Female end Mounted on the CP and the Male end onto the Controller with clamps and it would be very easy to remove / add other controls to the CP.
 
When one of these days I get my website up and running I will illustrate what I'm talking about.

Electronically that's pretty much what I'm going to do... (or I might keep the electronics with teh wheel/yoke and just have usb connections to a well hidden hub)

But in my case, I  don't have anything to clamp on to....   unless I get some monster clamps -- so I'm still looking for alternatives.

rampy

[rampy]

rampy- here is a pic of what AX and I have in mind for our steering wheel mounts. The whole thing will be removable by just sliding the front part out of the side pieces. The steering wheel itself would clamp onto the flat panel attached in the center.

As AX said it will all be black, I just used green in the pic for demo purposes.

I had a similiar idea (no really) but I was going to do a more narrow frame.  I was going to have two holes/tubes near the center of the CP's front side.  (although I was thinking of going with copper/steel and thinner tubing...)

I assume you plan to have slightly larger "coupler" pieces attached to the side that the main "chassis" would slide into.  How did you plan on having the innner tube be secured to the coupling piece?  some sort of guide hole with a pin/bolt?  I should take a pic of my bar stool's adjustment so you know what I mean...

I'm hoping to find/come up with some sort of quick release/ quick lock system so when you slide the inner "pole" into the coupling it locks into place... and when you depress the little button that pops up to lock it in place you can pull out the bar/pole/pipe thingie... (does anyone know what I mean, or can think of an "everyday" example of this in practice?)  I know I've seen 'em everywhere, but now that i'm trying to think of it or an example I can't =P

*shrug*  thanks for posting your pic.  BTw they sell grey pvc piping in case that would look better than painted white pvc.

rampy

[thedemo]

rampy- I actually am planning on making the the "coupler pieces" as you called them attached inside the machine under the control panel and the main assembly would just slide into the "couplers" through 2 holes in the front. The pic was just to illustrate the idea. I guess you could mount them on the outside, just would look kinda crappy.

I know exactly what you mean about pushing the little button in and then slide the 2 pieces apart. I just don't know what exactly it is called. I know that the same thing is used in the extendable poles for swimming pools on the switchable ends and they can be bought at any pool place. But they only go up to about 1 1/4inch diameter pipe so that might work for what you are planning to use. Looks like a plastic V about 2 inches in length with a ball on each end.

I hadn't actually figured on using any kind of locking device to hold it in place. Figured that the pvc sliding inside the coupler would be a snug enough fit that it wouldn't come out unless I pulled it backwards. With the wheel in place you would be pushing forward keeping it where it belongs.

[AX]

kinda like the thing that keeps your umbrella up.

[thedemo]

yeah that too... whatever the heck its called

[rampy]

kinda like the thing that keeps your umbrella up.

EXACTLY... duh.. and umbrella is the example I'm looking for =P

Thanks AX!

rampy