Bittersweet moment? Updates and me!

[Rooster]

Alrighty folks - First time poster long-time reader here..

After a few years of on again off again flight with a joytick (actually used a dual axis stick, so it wasn't "that" bad to control!) but I came across a controller that google says was made for a specific helicopter (RC of course). It has the Futaba rectangle on the back for trainer hookup, so I took the chance and bought it (yard sale fodder) hoping that a once seen site about hooking a controller up to a mic input on an audio card would work and bring me "real" control over my RC's.

I ran by the local hobby shop to pick up the trainer plug (to then hack up with a audio plug, heh) and while there I noticed (for the first time) the RealFlight simulator (they have a kiosk there). Not important for the time being..

First, my success.. I successfully hacked up my cord and wired it properly and after the driver install for FMS it runs just great! Couldn't be happier that an internet-found project worked flawlessly! (and such a unique way I might add, the mic port on a sound card, the oddest place you'd look for a controller to be hooked up to, rofl).

Now my bittersweet moment. I ran to the website here in search of updates/new stuff. Shockingly, no updates in over 2 years, which must've been about the time I discovered FMS. Has the community run over to another freeware application? Is FMS technically 'dead'? I mean, believe me, I totally get that it's done by programmers in their spare and free time as a free service to all of us in the community, don't get me wrong. I just don't understand why there hasn't been any change in so long. There's no mention of looking for programmers to help out, there's no mention of really anything cept the last update date Is this going to go opensource / sourceforge? Is there any hope at seeing new versions?

Rooster

[shaul_eiz]

Glad you have managed to hook-up your transmitter using the microphone input. I think you will be a bit more informative if you share the details with others.
As for FMS - please contact Michael for info. Many people are wondering ...

[Rooster]

Share the details? Oh, sorry, I was under the impression that this was a fairly (very) common thing to do..

Well.. Details...

First, once in awhile I hit the local yard sales (usually looking for old PC's, console systems to part out). I saw a "tactic" radio control there. Caught my eye because it actually had the shape of a real radio control, not a New Bright kiddie unit.. Was 4 channel and they wanted $3.50 for it. The mom counldn't remember if it was for her son's plane or heli, but both craft were long gona, and he was off to college.. Figured what the heck, had a plug on the back, and I remembered reading here that FMS could use 'real' controls if there was a plug on the back.. (exact model btw is the TTX401, which internet searches told me was designed specifically for ONE type of heli).

Sure enough, the plug is known to you experts as the 'new Futaba' square (rectangle, to be honest). Searches here again to find that thread pointed to this website: http://www.smartpropoplus.com/BlueAndGrey/default.asp

Where following the directions could NOT have been easier. I was torn between cracking it open and wiring directly or using a cable, and opted for the cable on the belief that if this works well, nothings to stop me from ebaying a better (futaba-style) radio down the road. So a Sunday stop to HobbyTown USA for a $14.95 trainer cable, and a $4.00 stop at Radio Shack (for 2 mono mini-stereo plugs) later, and about 5 minutes of reading and soldering later and I was plugging it in. Truth be told, I could NOT understand how a radio control (or ANY device) other than a mic could possibly do anything in an input to the audio card of a PC, but I love tinkering, and this seemed interesting.

Again, following the directions I downloaded the FMS variation of the latest driver (which actually contains both versions in the install package and I later went and installed the other version since I had PPJoy installed already just to tinker with it in other games as well). Fire up FMS and FMS automatically senses the mic/radio unit.. Simple control configuration and I was in business.. Not sure what else to say on the matter really, I mean like I said, I really thought this was a pretty simple thing to do, and from the looks of searches I'm by no means the 1st to do this But for what it's worth, if you have any questions, fire away.. Love helping people, and I have to say it's one of the cooler little projects I've done, tnx to alot of people's trial and error I'm sure.

As far as contacting Michael.. You said many people are wondering... Have any of them asked? I ask this because no one hates anything more than opening their mail and getting like 100 "so what's up with FMS" mails..