Ahoy! I started building the V2 here and I wanted to share some edits I made to help assembly. And since I bought the cheaper eBay dual encoders that didn't come with knobs I modeled some up. I also needed to model a knob for the 4-way joystick encoder. On my FDM printer I printed the frame in black PETG, then I smoothed out some of the print lines with putty and painted satin black. The rear supports/Arduino holder were printed in PLA. I resin printed the button backs in black ABS-like resin, and the knobs in F69 black flexible resin (to give them a more rubbery feel. The faceplates and button centers I laser cut and engraved. The faceplates I cut, then painted the tops, then engraved. A satin clear on top brings it all together. I am also topping the buttons with a resin pour to give them a nice domed top.
I am happy to share my files if that's appropriate here, and links to the encoders and display I bought.
I have completed this build, and got the Mobiflight part configured (all of the inputs register in the debug mode!) I found a 12v pad to wire the backlights to.
The side hotkeys look nice with the thin clear plastic I found to glue over the etched lettering. This should offer good wear resistance too! Very minor flaws where there are some air bubbles when you look very close.
The only problem I saw in the MobiFlight debugging was in the joystick input. When moving to the right or left it also registered the push. This may be an flaw ih the joystick itself, or its clamped in too tight? I don't usually use the panning so it might be ok for my purposes.
I'm excited to take this home and take er for a test flight! Then mount it in a box or stand to fit on my desk 😄
Hi Andrew! I really enjoyed reading your write-up and appreciate your willingness to share your expertise with others. Your build looks amazing and very well done. If you don't mind, I have a suggestion based on the photos you shared. When laser cutting your panels, consider angling the laser head by 1-2 degrees and cutting the panel inserts from the bottom. Once cut, spray the top sides as usual. This will result in the laser-cut panels having a slight chamfer on the smaller side facing the base, making them a tighter fit into the 3D printed parts as they are inserted. This creates an almost invisible join, enhancing the overall look of your project. Its just a sugestion, perhaps not for this design as you have already completed that part, but its how i have managed to improve my designs overtime. Hopefully you can use this moving forward too. Kind regards, Karl