My DIY H-Shifter

[ACCAkut]

I thought I post some pics, now that I finally got it running :)
If anyone has questions just post them here.

http://www.lfsforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=104425&stc=1&d=1272193649
older pics from here on
http://www.lfsforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=103331&stc=1&d=1270219265


I made my own design up cause most I found online lacked this certain "in-gear" feel. I tried different designs (one using clothes pegs :D), but now I ended up forging some clamps myself.
http://www.lfsforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=103327&stc=1&d=1270218497


The Electronics are from my old non-FFB Microsoft Sidewinder, the Clutch is wired to the former wheel poti connection, using a 3,5" audio cabel and a microphone jack sourced from a CD drive.
http://www.lfsforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=103326&stc=1&d=1270218497

The hanger assembly for the Acrylic thingy is made out of two of these
http://www.lotex24.de/images/product_images/popup_images/210_0.jpg

http://www.lfsforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=103324&stc=1&d=1270218322
http://www.lfsforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=103325&stc=1&d=1270218497

The only piece with some racing background is the gear stick itself, it was the rear axle of one of this :tilt:
http://www.dldb.de/joomla/images/stories/Wettkampf/bobbycar.jpg


My future plans are adding some springs/bungees to keep the stick in the middle, a longer cable to the clutch (1.50m is too short), and I need to think on how to mount it to my desk, most likely via a screw clamp of the right edge next to the mousepad.

I changed the cable and added some grease, feels like the real deal now. The range and angle of the stick and the space between the gears were taken from our Golf Plus. I change between 1-5 and reverse and 1-6 via scripts depending on the driven car.

[Zipppy]

Looks good, I would've never have the time to that kind of thing.

[ACCAkut]

Took me like ~2 years, spent like 10-30 min a session on it, when i had time and mood to do it. Planning began way earlier. Almost all the materials were found in our cellar, only things I bought extra were the switches and a 50x50 piece of steel

[jrd.racer]

Real nice man.

[ACCAkut]

just found the first ever "study" in my desk :tilt:

http://www.lfsforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=103583&stc=1&d=1270653842

[shaun463]

Nice. /me wants one :D.

[logitekg25]

how does it feel compared to a real shifter"?

[ACCAkut]

Really good, especially after greasing. The one thing that's still missing is the bungees, so atm its not self centring. I really like the way it feels, the resistance of the springs is good, this *clack->in gear* feel :D And its sturdy enough to really race with it, you don't have the feel that it will fall apart next corner:).
I like it more than the G25s little knob (my mate has one)

[Demon Illidan]

Very nice kit ! Ur "Home Shifter" is very nice too :P
Im using G25 , alot expensive :/

[logitekg25]

now that im thinking, if you add some sort of bracket where you are able to push down the gearshift and slide into where 6th is, as in push down reverse, like the g25; then you are probably going to have working 6 gears and reverse.

what im thinking, once you have the mechanism done, you can get a microswitch, and attach it to the bottom of the shifter, so when you push down, it will get pressed and when you slide it into the spot where 6th is, then it will register as both being pressed, which i am not sure if you can make that a whole seperate thing where you can make it reverse, but you can probably figure something out.

under the shifter would have to be metal so it is slippery enough, and that will press the switch :scratchch

[ACCAkut]

Well, that pics do not show that the stick is now fixed in the acrylic center block with some epoxy :o I thought about a diffrent system, similar to what is used on cars from Opel, where you have a lever on the stick itself, and an electronic that engages Reverse instead of 6th if you pull it up. But its really complicated and for me not necessary, all cars in LFS that eventually need Reverse (rally, derby, autoX) have only five gears :shrug: And for the rare occasions driving the FZs I may add a simple button on the H-gate. For now Reverse is (for them) assigned to the Triangle button on my DFGT

[logitekg25]

believe me, one day boredam will fuel it :tilt:

[DragonCommando]

You have the same setup I have, a DFGT and a microsoft sidewinder. I even use the sidewinder pedals as a clutch and foot rest.

I like how you used the push buttons, so you can seperate both the negative lines they used on the sidewinder board. My first shifter I had to actualy switch between the negative lines using a custom switch at the bottom of the stick, so I could use all eight buttons. Made things realy complicated and unreliable. But that thing was made of lego and a knex set, so it was garanteed to be unreliable.

I'm actualy working on the design for a very simple DIY shifter that I can post building instructions for, I want it to be reliable and simple to build, as well as feel realistic. I already have the designs on paper, it's just building it so I can hammer out the details before I put it up for other people to use.

[ACCAkut]

I like how you used the push buttons, so you can seperate both the negative lines they used on the sidewinder board. My first shifter I had to actualy switch between the negative lines using a custom switch at the bottom of the stick, so I could use all eight buttons.
Sorry, I don't understand you here. I just bridged the existing mini switches with the new ones, the original ones still work. The Sidewinder PCBs are really easy to work with, in fact I took it apart only because I couldn't find a sub-10€ gamepad in town. Was surprised how small (but "readable") the boards are.


I'm actually working on the design for a very simple DIY shifter that I can post building instructions for, I want it to be reliable and simple to build, as well as feel realistic.

I can recommend my clamp design, easy to make if you have a metal saw, a brazing torch and a bucket of water. :tilt:

[DragonCommando]

ah, I just looked at the image again and you didn't tap into the wires like I did, I did away with the wheel board and just used the wires directly. As it turns out there are only six wires for the eight buttons.

The board is designed so that it has two negative wires instead of one. Each button doesn't have it's own negative wire. Depending on which negative you ground one of the four leads to determines which button it registers. Negative one makes 1,3,5 and 7. Negative two makes for buttons 2,4,6, and 8.

The way you did it means you don't have to deal with any of that nonsense, The design for my shifter meant that I would have to deal with it either way, because there are no push buttons, instead there are metal prongs on the gates and stick that make the connection. I had to figure out how to switch the prongs on the stick from one negative to the other for all eight gates to work.

Edit: I should add that after figuring that out, my new design is going to be set up to work with the wiring scheme of either a usb game pad, or the six wire setup the sidewinder uses.

[ACCAkut]

some finishing touches (the wooden ball is somehow exactly as big as the seq-shifter ball of the DFGT)

http://www.lfsforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=104425&stc=1&d=1272193649

[PDR]

Hi.
I have one question. Every gear have a button that when you put a gear you will gona press the button right? But how do i make it? Can you assign 1 key for each gear?

Sorry for my bad english.
Thx.

[ACCAkut]

Exactly, the button has to be pressed to keep the gear engaged. Select "H-Shifter" in LFS, you can see the button assignment for each gear then. Or assign them to the Num-Pad for a laugh and try to make a fast lap like that :razz:

[PDR]

Thanks. Thats it. Now i understand how people do. Every key is for every gear as you said. Its simple but make it not so easy..
I tried in game that help me to understand :)

[Zoig]

Why not use a gear linkage, knob and surround from some car?
All the mechanics are allready there, depending on the donor 6 speeds+ down-left-front reverse gear. Only thing to build is gear selector switches onto the car linkage.
the base would be lot thinner, but longer because of the linkage.

[ACCAkut]

well sure it would work, but need a hell lot of more space (this is a simple shifter from a campervan)
http://www.jktowers.fsnet.co.uk/motorhome/TalbotExpressGearbox_files/Talbot2.jpg
maybe doable for a full cockpit build tho

btw. I can't use the shifter at the moment. The acrylic block thingy has so much play now that the gear stick can move like 2 centimeters to the left, so that 1st and 2nd aren't engaged anymore. Need to find someone who makes me that thing from solid metall :)

[JasonJ]

..
..
btw. I can't use the shifter at the moment. The acrylic block thingy has so much play now that the gear stick can move like 2 centimeters to the left, so that 1st and 2nd aren't engaged anymore. Need to find someone who makes me that thing from solid metall :)
3mm Aluminium from hardware store (or off-cut from junk/recycler-shop) is very easy to work with, you could even use course sandpaper to finish edges if you don't have a file tool. Make sure you mark out the pattern first. The "white one" is pretty mangled.

The pressure clips were a super idea, I wish I could just add them to my G25. :smileypul

[ACCAkut]

the Alu is not the problem, I just don't have the right tools to do it right this time (a drill press would be handy) . I'll ask an uncle of mine (freelance designer), but he is very busy atm and I can wait. As I know him I will end up with it being made from Titanium or stuff like that :D (he builds e.g prototyps of medical devices, his scrapbox contains a lot of fancy materials)

About the disfigured Acryl block, thats what happens if you try drilling without a drill press :D Its a pain in the butt to work with

This is what the block should ideally look like, added a bore to secure the shift stick (hot glue/epoxy won't really work)
http://www.lfsforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=106720&stc=1&d=1278353486

[blakehoo88]

solidworks?

[ACCAkut]

Pro Engineer Wildfire 4.0

[[RCG]Boosted]

If anyone has questions just post them here.
make one for me? :p
actually, no.
my wheel broke so i wouldnt have a use for it.
but id be interested to see it "running" ;)

[ACCAkut]

All last year I had to clamp the shifter on a small table that someone once thought would fit good in my room since I'm rarely here anymore. That was far from perfect, the shifter tended to move, the whole table was wobbly and I want to be able to use the shifter at my uni flat, where I have less space (and no spare table...)

well, yesterday I felt that typical after exam urge to fabricate something, and this is the result. (the shifter itself still works perfect, whenever you saw me race in the last twelve months I used this thing (except on derby servers, where I race with a gamepad)):


http://www.lfsforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=115918&stc=1&d=1310652402

http://www.lfsforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=115919&stc=1&d=1310652402

http://www.lfsforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=115920&stc=1&d=1310652491

http://www.lfsforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=115921&stc=1&d=1310652491

btw, the whole contraption is heavy as **** :D

[ACCAkut]

Winter break in a couple of weeks, and I start thinking about what to cobble together this time. I'd like to do something about my pedals, cause the two pedal set solution I use now is not really perfect. The MS Sidewinder Clutch Pedal likes to slides around, and both sets (MS and Logitech) are not build for feet as big as mine, so whenever I lift both heels of the pedal base while pressing the pedals, the whole set will tipp on its back.

http://www.lfsforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=119602&stc=1&d=1326214649

So I think, I will either:

Get a G25/27 pedal set and wire it up tp both PCBs, or:
Build some pedals myself


http://www.lfsforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=119603&stc=1&d=1326214649



I'd rather do the first :schwitz: so whoever has a spare G25/27 pedal set, lives in europe and would like to sell it may pm me :thumb:
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[ACCAkut]

http://www.lfsforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=120405&d=1329410067

http://www.lfsforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=120404&d=1329410019

hello folks, I have been busy. I started building one pedal myself, out of profile sections from the hardware store. the first pic in the attachments shows how far I got. the problem that stopped me was how to get the movement translated into something electric. stan.distortion sent me a link to some guy using hall sensors, a method that was pretty expensive, and the needed sensors are somehow not available anywhere for sale (in Germany) :confused:

so, the other day I walk over a small flee market, and stumble over a G25 pedal set :thumb: (the seller switched to a FREX set, GT Legends player)

Gas and Brake are connected with the DFP/GT loom, the clutch will connect to the Sidewinder like the old one.

I extended the pedals by ~5 cm, now the height seems pretty comfortable for me, like a real car, could not test it ingame yet, when I'm back at college next week I will post some first impressions.

[Thunderhead]

snip

If I were you, I'd reverse-mount the pedals. Even more realistic and easy to do. But that is just me.:shrug:

[stan.distortion]

Very nice work :) Pivot point are nice and close to your heel so should feel good, would second Thunderhead though, reverse mounting just feels more natural for some reason.

Cant see how you have done your travel stops, worth spending time making good solid stops as calibration will wander if there is any inconsistency, also worth using a large area and nylon on 1 side to keep them quiet as metal to metal stops are annoyingly noisy.

For the hall effect sensors, you can pick them up on ebay for about 1.5 euro each, you have used steel though which may cause issues with magnetism reaching the sensor and with getting a linear signal. Your axis pivots on the pedal, if it had pivoted in the mounting you could have attached a magnet to the end or a linkage for a potentiometer. I had the same issue with potentiometer rotation before, used cables to get around it. You could run a cable from somewhere near the pedal side spring mounting, fit a pulley to the pot shaft and mount it behind the spring. With a double row pulley you can use the second row for another cable with a return spring. That gives good, accurate movement but will bend the pot shaft so it needs to be bearing mounted both ends, 6mm ball bearings are on ebay for about 1 euro each.

Simply mounting the pot on the pedal axis would work if you can get 10bit or higher resolution, mjoy or many of the arduino projects would give you this and give plenty of scope for expanding with handbrake, balance valve etc. They are AVR based, worth checking out PIC based projects too, if you need to get into the code they might suit you better (I dont like PIC's, ymmv) but you wont need to code to get things working, mjoy give 8 analogue inputs, a shedload of digitals (think its 64) and costs less than 10 euro to put together.

Sorry if it sounds like I'm preaching, just suggestions based on past experience and IMHO. Really nice job so far, you know what your doing :)

[ACCAkut]

these are just the G25 pedals without the plastic shell and my extension, the travel stops should be inside the red tubes, I didn't change anything.

I took a good look into the site you send me, there is one type of sensor that gives out a signal similar to the 10k potis, any other type (= those that I found for sale) needs some kind of amplification, and I have no experience with that sort off electronic at all. The cog-wheel actuation Logitech uses imo is a good way to use all available rotation out of the potis.

About reverse mounting, I thought about that, but the whole contraption would get pretty big. I'm building this at my parents house, and carry it to my Uni town next week, where I use it at a desk that is used, well, as a desk mostly. I don't want anything that I have to screw to the wall.


And those real racecar pdeals are floor mounted too ... :schwitz:
http://ll.speedhunters.com/u/f/eagames/NFS/speedhunters.com/Images/Rod09/Cars/Hi%20Octane%20R34/IMG6673.jpg

[stan.distortion]

Lol, thought the work was far to detailed for DIY, but then thought maybe that's the way Germans do DIY, an Englishman would have used lumps of cast iron and a bakelite on/off switch for a sensor :P

[ACCAkut]

give me a workshop with tools not meant for wood, and some CNC machinery, and I may end up with something as detailed as those Tiltons in my last post, after all, I'm becoming an engineer at the moment :razz:

[ACCAkut]

so, after two weeks of casual usage I can say it was a good investment. It took some time to get used to, but I like it so far. The pedals are more precise (= longer travel), and you push them horizontally like in a car, not down like in a bus :razz:

I added another layer of wood to get the base up by 15mm.
And I trimmed down the carpet stoppers (exactly the same on both G25 and DFP, down to the serial number) from the old plastic casings and screwed them on both ends. No movement whatsoever.


http://www.lfsforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=120686&stc=1&d=1330713800