Ideas wanted for recycling an old wheel.

[R0adrunner]

I have a sort of a positive problem at hand and since i've noticed here's a lot of creative and skillful diy-guys posting their cool stuff, i thought i'd ask you all for opinions/ideas.

I have a spare Logitech Driving Force wireless wheel. It's been mostly collecting dust for some years now. The wheel is originally for a PS3 console and it's more a useless toy than a highend controller imho. For some reason i recently tried to connect it to my pc and right away, as i connected the USB-dongle, it was recognized by Windows and the Logitech profiler. No need to download drivers etc.

I took the wheel apart as i was only interested in the "button-panel" and this is what i have now:

[ external image ]

It would be so cool to make use of this somehow and that's where i'd appreciate your thoughts and ideas. Atm i'm using a G27 along with a DSD P2 button box for ETS2. There's also a simple joystick with a few buttons in use, but i'm not so keen on that (other than using the "joy back" for the parking brake ).

EDIT: If someone knows (or can point me in the right direction) of how to find out which button uses which wire, that would be most helpful too!

[Axel Slingerland]

The first thing I would do is contact Logitech and ask them if they would be willing to give you any technical documents and a schematic for it. That will tell you everything you need to know about the circuitry IF they can and will give it to you.

But even without that I would just try to build a custom button box with it. Looking at your photo, I see 13 buttons and a D-Pad, not all of which are most likely useable without the rest of the assembly. So if it connects to the Logitech Profiler ok, I would replace those buttons listed there first and label them all accordingly.

I would start by disconnecting one of the buttons mounted in the wheel framework and replacing it with standard button of the same type, then repeat that process, replacing one button at a time and labeling each one as you go until they're all finished. The ones that don't register in the Profiler I would just cap off with electrical tape, then test to make sure that doesn't mess it up. If it does, you'll have to connect buttons to the leads, but you can just hide them inside the finished box.

Once you have replaced all the buttons, find an appropriate box to mount all the button in. That could be a small plastic box, of if you're into woodworking you could make one however you like.

Good luck with it... [ external image ]

[Cadde]

If it were me i would use it as is. Just make a stand or similar for that part and attach it someplace.

[R0adrunner]

Yeah, a custom made button box would be cool. Just to see if i can make it work, if not for anything else. Too bad i'm so crap at soldering though. Maybe some day. In reality i'll probably use it at is with a custom made stand, as Cadde suggested

[Axel Slingerland]

I think soldering is a lot easier than a lot of people think. The key is making sure to get what you want to solder together hot enough to melt the solder, then apply the solder to that, and not the soldering iron. So many people get the iron hot, and then melt the solder over what they want to solder, but all they're doing is making a cold solder joint...

For anything electronic, I've always used a low power soldering iron designed for printed circuit boards and integrated circuits. I have a Weller 12W and it works great... Not that I can use it anymore, now that I can't see worth beans.

[Cadde]

As far as i am concerned (i actually don't know how to solder well either) one also needs a good soldering iron to make a good solder.
And it's a skill as far as i am concerned. Some people got it and others don't. You have to have a good hand and "feel" how the solder is going to melt before you do it or you might end up with solder everywhere and frying something because of a short or otherwise.

This is why i don't solder. I don't have a good iron and i don't trust myself to not mess it up ferociously. I am more of a "connector" guy and would rather tape something on there than solder it.

[Reef]

The biggest mistake people make when attempting DIY soldering is using one of those generic cheapo fixed temp soldering irons with the angled flat tip, what you need for electronics is a variable temp soldering station with removable precision tips that come to a fine point.

[R0adrunner]

I've soldered my good share of instrument-, mic-cables and such back in the day and believe it or not, they've all worked just fine Them tiny circuit boards and cables are really something else though. My eyes are surely not the same these days either. But yeah, all you said about proper tools, pre-heating the connections and so forth is the key to solder properly. I might just plan, design and mount myself and then bribe someone to do the soldering