F14 grip center stick offset angle?

[TrueWeevie]

Yeah, with the number of cases I've heard of with the VFX, where the weapon selector has fallen apart on it I'd not be so quick to jump to Virpil.

I like Virpil stuff but their engineering design and QC is simply nowhere near as good as VKB's.

I'd be more inclined to do a bit of Dremel work and stay with VKB.

[nobuttons]

Now you have my attention... is the angle purely determined by that pin hole?
Drilling a hole in the correct spot should be trivial if it is all solid plastic...

[TrueWeevie]

Far as I know. Probably best to verify that with someone from VKB in the technical support section of this forum.

[OBrandenburg]

So, HAS anybody checked with the technical support, if drilling or enlarging the hole is a viable option?
(I cannot say if setting the grip "off center" might have an influence on /cause an interference at the three connector surfaces...)

[nobuttons]

Well I keep hoping technical support will check in here and respond, but at the moment I (in a fit of madness) decided to just buy one and try it, because worst case I have a small hole I fill with epoxy and have a used stick to sell someone!

I mean, it's crazy that it's not a default option ... but hey we're crazy sim-pitters so what's one more nutso hack?

[OBrandenburg]

ON SPOT, man!
Looking forward to hearing of your results......

[Ron61]

Be careful when widening the hole - rotation will not be possible due to the new plate in the base stem.
By changing the installation node, you break the contact between the boards.
It's like a guess, but it's worth checking beforehand. In the photo SCG.

[OBrandenburg]

Yup, that's what I was afraid of...

But when working with an extension, would it be possible to turn the extension (with the grip mounted on top of it) on the base? That would just be "arkward" when you use a 200mm curved extension...

[Ron61]

I am not categorically claiming that there will be no contact. It depends on the location of the additional hole. Therefore, you need to think carefully about everything and calculate the possible options. With an extension cord, everything is easier - you can turn it and then you do not need to modify anything. Information 100%.

[OBrandenburg]

What do you mean by extension cord? Another system/setup than what VKB uses!? As their grip mates directly to the contact in the base - or in the extension for that matter... Or am I getting you wrong?

[nobuttons]

Welp I did it to my Kosima grip as a test run, and it works like a charm!

The contact pins are each in an arc of 120 degrees, which leaves them 60 degrees of room on either side.
They do not seem to rotate on the contacts when using the z-twist (that mechanism is above the contact point).

To test my theory I put a spot of paint on the pin, then pressed the grip in at the angle I thought I wanted until it picked up the paint. That was a little too close to the exsisting hole, I would have made a channel, so I drilled a hole about 25 degree to the side of the pin - to have a nice solid 1mm wall between the two holes in case this was a disaster and I needed to preserve the original hole's integrity.

I was careful to match the depth by painting a reference of the original hole penetration on the bit I was using, and drilled by hand using a small drill bit grip so I would have control. I drilled a slightly smaller diameter pilot, then went up two sizes carefully to ensure proper radial alignment. The plastic was not very hard and came our easily.

After that, plugged it in and ta-da, works like a charm!

[Ron61]

This is what was meant. Any of them has the ability to rotate.

[nobuttons]

Yeah, these would have been great for me (better actually since I get more stick 'throw'), but the only one I can use in my 'pit is the 50mm and that one is out of stock with no way to back order or ETA for it... so necessity became a mother!

(FYI the reason my simpit is constrained in mounting options is because the whole chair folds up in order to fit a 2'x4' floor foot print and get hidden in the closet... I don't have enough room in my house to dedicate to a permanent seated footprint 'pit)

[OBrandenburg]

This is what was meant. Any of them has the ability to rotate.

Extension.jpg

Thanks, Ron.

But that means that - in case of the curved 200mm ext - by rotating the extension on the base, the curved "S" will not be 360°-180° but (at a -15°-deflection) 345°-165°. A possibility, but not perfect...

[OBrandenburg]

@nobuttons: looks cool! But the contacts (3 pins) in your Kosima grip appear to be different than the "radioactive"-contacts shown in Ron61's photos.....