Transponder Model 104

Transponder Model 104 was developed to give a companion piece to the Dual NAV/COM so that simmers had an operating panel for the old style analog transponders.

In last June we attended FlightSimCon and took some of our ideas along like, Flight Simulator Compact Input Controls and Joystick to see if we could get any feedback from the flight simulator enthusiasts.  We were very surprised at what we learned and the response we received.

Every Christmas Brian sets up an elaborate train layout. The wiring for this layout was underneath the setup and as Brian got older, wiring this way became more and more difficult.  Being innovative by nature, he designed small control boxes that could be wired and placed in front of the layout which saved a lot of aches and pains at setup time. Using this basic idea, Brian thought pilots might interested in having the same type of small control boxes to place conveniently in back of their keyboards to enhance their experience. These boxes would include a variety of controls and arrays to meet the pilots’ needs (i.e. encoders, potentiometers, toggle switches, push button switches, etc.)

While loading the car, Brian decided at the last minute to take along some 3-D printed boxes that he had made.

We opened the box with the 3-D printed experiments in it and were not prepared for the excitement they created.  Soon we were surrounded by simulation pilots that had all kinds of ideas for control configurations. Some of these pilots were standing and some ended up sitting on the floor just to join the discussion.

When we returned home Brian decided to follow through with this idea and proceeded to design a series of control boxes in anodized aluminum cases with assignable controls that would fit conveniently on a desk behind the keyboard. These boxes are self-contained so they can stand alone or be mounted on a piece of wood. He has also designed brackets that can be used to mount the controls.  These brackets place the controls at a convenient angle and lift them above the back of the keyboard. The brackets can be used singly or coupled together to create an array of controls.

We’re anxious to hear from users so that we can effectively expand the variety of modules offered.  If you would like to participate in a discussion please go to https://truflights.com/blog/ .

Until next time…

Sue

PS:

The trip to Connecticut was not without challenges. Our dog jumped his fence and decided to roam the neighborhood while my daughter (our dog sitter) was at dinner, our Explorer decided to throw a major bolt which necessitated finding a garage that was open on Saturday and ended up with the purchase of a new vehicle, the air conditioner on the floor above decided to leak dripping through an electrical box in our closet and onto the shirt Brian was going to wear creating the biggest rust spot you have ever seen. Of course these distractions caused us to miss most of the first day of the show.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

“Look for something positive in each day, even if some days you have to look a little harder.”