Thrustmaster MFD Cougar

[Vekkinho]

Thrustmaster produced MFD that might look good on your desktop / home built cockpit especially if you're into F-16...48 fully preogrammable switches and buttons, so no more keyboard to have it all at palms reach! Check it here:

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7929&Itemid=47

 

It's already in sale and isn't expensive:

http://www.simw.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=dsp_product_details&pid=2238

Edited September 4, 2009 by Vekkinho

[CE_Mikemonster]

Thanks for posting # big grin #

 

Why aren't they hundreds of dollars/euro/pounds?

 

Edit; ah, I was being hasty (and lazy) and presumed they were Displays.

Edited September 4, 2009 by CE_Mikemonster

[EinsteinEP]

Mikemonster,

 

Made the same mistake myself. $80 for a set of buttons shaped like an MFD? <sigh> OK, I'll buy it. ;)

[Vekkinho]

Eeeh, now I noticed there's another thread with same title over at Game controllers so let's continue over there:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=44833

[Shaman]

Hmm... putting this frame around a real LCD screen?

[Wags]

FYI, this is basically the same MFCD as in the A-10C.

[Eddie]

FYI, this is basically the same MFCD as in the A-10C.

 

Indeed it is Wags, and I'm sure you guys are giving each button on each of the MFCDs a key mapping so we can use such gucci pieces of kit :smilewink:

[Vekkinho]

FYI, this is basically the same MFCD as in the A-10C.

 

And that's probably the reason for me to order one as I just did! Plus the fact that I'm OF4.5 user!

[Vekkinho]

Hmm... putting this frame around a real LCD screen?

 

Exactly!

[Kuky]

Ordered them myself yesterday, can't wait till I get them

[51GRIZZLY]

Got them installed and working now after getting them replaced cause one of the displays didn't work on arrival ( it took simware 4 weeks to send me a new set) :(.

 

Once the software is installed its incredible easy to program them in LockOn and i have one programmed for flight and navigation and the other for radar and weapons control.

[Feuerfalke]

I also had to send mine back because one of them wasn't working properly. Replacement works fine, though.

 

Please remind that you do not need software for these MFDs unless you want to change button backlighting. There is no software from TM, yet, which with you can program it. Either you look for 3rd party programming tools like "HIDMacro" or "SVMapper" or you have to wait. AFAIK TM is working on a new software that will be able to program most modern TM-Products from just one program, much like the Saitek and CH alternatives I guess.

 

They look and feel great though and it really adds vastly to immersion. Even the rocker-switches (Contrast, Brightness, etc ) are working as buttons. :thumbup:

[wed]

Is it a real MFD or just buttons around pictures on the paper?

[Feuerfalke]

As posted before, just the buttons around - no monitor.

[Vekkinho]

Yeah, but if you get yourself a nice small LCD LEAVU mod and Cougar MFD are gonna rule!

[Icarus2]

Two 7" TFT's behind the Cougar MFD's. Works great. Just have to mount them now.

 

[Feuerfalke]

Nice! :smilewink:

[Eddie]

.....Snip.....

 

 

I hate you :P

[Shaman]

Two 7" TFT's behind the Cougar MFD's. Works great. Just have to mount them now.

 

Tell us the secret where to purchase them and how to configure them :thumbup:

[Icarus2]

Tell us the secret where to purchase them and how to configure them :thumbup:

 

No secret at all. Google is your friend. I got the Samsung 7" TFT's on eBay. I use MFD Extractor to put the MFD's on the screens. Go to http://www.viperpits.org/smf/index.php?PHPSESSID=bfbff052ffeff1d18495f251d8091b07&topic=3376.0 for more info on MFDE.

 

The TFT's are USB screens that run off my kitchen computer in network with my sim rig. Because USB only runs a few feet, I had to get a USB/Cat6 converter and send it over a Cat6 cable (30') and convert it back to USB. The USB screens use two USB ports each and have their own USB hub, so now my sim rig has 34 USB ports (four not in use).

 

Its not that hard, but it takes a little fiddling.:joystick:

[Krippz]

Two 7" TFT's behind the Cougar MFD's. Works great. Just have to mount them now.

 

 

 

Wow that is sick!

[Vekkinho]

Cool setup Icarus2...wish I had the time to make something like that!

 

Tell me, you bought these 7" TFTs, I found something similar on E-Bay but I'm not sure how to connect it to a PC, do they work as secondary monitor and what to do if there's 2 of them?!

[Icarus2]

Tell me, you bought these 7" TFTs, I found something similar on E-Bay but I'm not sure how to connect it to a PC, do they work as secondary monitor and what to do if there's 2 of them?!

 

The Samsung ones I have are USB monitors. They hook up to your PC via USB ports (two ports each monitor). I used a USB/Cat5 converter and ran the signal through a Cat6 cable and back to USB converter to a USB hub which was plugged into its power souce near the sim rig but the USB connection was to the upstairs computer, which runs the left monitor and the two TFT's on the left of my sim rig downstairs 30 ft away (USB cables won't work well at that length).

 

Your PC will detect them like a memory stick and they will appear in Windows display properties/settings as monitors. One or two is the same thing. Go there and check the box enable "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor." and apply for each of them. Then your wallpaper will appear.

 

Then I turn on MFDE upstairs as client and go downstairs and turn it on as server then fly. It sends the data to my kitchen computer (they are networked) and then displays it on the monitor to left and the TFT's, which are next to my sim rig, but wired to my kitchen comp upstairs. Its a b!tch centering them on the screen when the mouse is 30 feet away from the monitors, but you only have to do it once unless you reinstall the software or something.

 

Hope that is helpful.

[CyBerkut]

Its a b!tch centering them on the screen when the mouse is 30 feet away from the monitors, but you only have to do it once unless you reinstall the software or something.

 

Hope that is helpful.

 

Interesting setup. Very nice!

 

Could you have used a USB mouse on one of those cat 6/USB connections to center one screen, and then switched around connections to then center the other one? Would the changes stay in effect if you temporarily disconnected a USB display (for the mouse) and then reconnected it?

[Icarus2]

Could you have used a USB mouse on one of those cat 6/USB connections to center one screen, and then switched around connections to then center the other one? Would the changes stay in effect if you temporarily disconnected a USB display (for the mouse) and then reconnected it?

 

That is a good idea, and they are on a USB hub with 7 ports so I can do both with out unplugging. The only thing is, instead of groping with the placement, I"d be groping with trying to grab the MFD's on the monitor upstairs. Its still a two person job, but at least with your idea the placement would be easier. Thanks, don't know why I didn't think of that.:doh:

 

Yes, the placement stays as long as you do not change anything. When you open MFDE each time, the guages and MFD's are in the position you had them last. You do not have to place them every time. Thank goodness. Unplugging and replugging the TFT's may mess up the placement because the system is seeing "new hardware" every time you do, so be careful if the placement is an issue.