The most portable RC heli simulator

[redbird300]

OK, this thread is just for fun. I got this Android smartphone some time ago, and started thinking if I could use it to practice a bit on the road. I found 2 possible solutions until now.

Solution number 1, the most complicated, but also the most realistic, using a RC TX:

What do we need ?

- a rather recent Android smartphone supporting USB OTG (more about that later on). Mine is a LG Nexus 5, and the free app “IndoorHeliSim”. Don’t be fooled by the name of the app, you can also fly outside, and there’s even a cute 450 at your disposal (a JR Forza 450). You can fly using the on-screen controls with your fingers, but that’s not very realistic.

- a USB OTG (“On-The-Go”) cable for the smartphone, which has a micro-USB connector at one side, and a normal (large) female USB connector at the other side. This is NOT a normal USB cable, the internal connections are different: at the micro connector side, pin 4 and 5 are connected. I first made my own cable, that’s how I know, but you can buy them for a few dollars, just Google “OTG cable”.

- a generic RC sim USB dongle which fits the trainer port of your transmitter, which costs a few dollars also, you’ll find them in many online RC stores. It plugs in the female side of the OTG cable.

- a RC transmitter that can produce PPM signals (almost all of them), meaning it has a trainer port. I used my DX8, but we also tried a few others, like an old wrecked DX6, which had no 2.4 GHz transmitter module and antenna anymore, and it still worked as a charm.

- optional: a homemade holder for your smartphone, to fix it to the TX. Here you see the back of the TX with my rudimentary holder: a piece of wood, some plastic clamps that slide over the antenna. In the center the 3,5 mm plug for the TX trainer port, and that goes to the USB sim dongle. Above that, the USB dongle, followed by the OTG cable that plugs into the smartphone.



The app has settings for sensitivity of the individual controls, a few zoom levels, even mappings and calibration, so you can fly any mode you want. It doesn’t feel like a game, and behaves like many other simulators. Tried this myself, we can even sim in the bathroom now…






Solution number 2, even more portable:

A bluetooth gamepad controller with 2 analog (!) joysticks. A wired one works also, but the bluetooth version has the added advantage that you don’t need the cables anymore. I used 2 pieces of plastic tube to lengthen the sticks a bit, as they are extremely short. You could also drill 2 holes in the sticks, and glue some RC transmitter sticks in the holes, for more realism. I just need to open the controller, to try to remove the spring on the throttle channel.

A short demo in HD:

IndoorHeliSim Snakebyte iDroid (0 min 47 sec)

P.S.: the free Android app “PicaSim” also works with external controllers, but it contains only gliders and planes. Have fun !

[Russell Harding]

Very, very nice. I've been thinking about this for a while now myself.

I really hope that we see some new transmitters come out with native bluetooth for simulators! Native USB at least (I think there are a few already).

This is an interesting hobby in some ways... some things are quite high tech, but an analog PPM signal for buddy boxing or simulator is just crazy ancient technology.

[Tomstoy2]

Leave it to you to figure this out, Raf! Quite to grand scheme, I like it. This must be your idea, your partner in crime couldn't be bothered with a sim.

[sutty]

Indeed, very clever Raf. How do you come up with such things. Downloaded the app, and it seems okay, but without the Tx link I can't say how good it is, as it is difficult to piro flip with slidey strips on the screen. Managed some though, albeit a little messy. Had to up the rates quite a bit. Probably won't try the leads though, as wherever I go I have my laptop with me and can use Phoenix, especially when I have my Tx with me, which I usually do.

Great work though.

Cheers

Sutty

[dubkay]

Any specific links for the rc usb dongle? Most of the ones I'm coming across are brand specific: made for a specific simulator

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