Raydon Abrams control handles

[ZebraRose]

Hey there,

I emailed Raydon Corporation regarding their Desktop M1A1 Abrams Gunners and Commanders control handles. I exchanged emails with their proposal manager and was quoted the handles as being approximately $5,000 each.

From AVF Sim page: http://www.afvsim.com/Product/M1A1-Abrams.aspx

"Available to defence industries in the USA and to the USA military worldwide from Raydon Corporation."

That's significantly more than the earlier price I thought I saw from a while back of $1500.

The proposal manager did mention that the handles are USB "plug and play" devices which would need no additional software.

I've long sought after these controllers. Given that these particular products from Raydon are made specifically for use in simulation equipment for the U.S. Military, I can understand the price.

Just thought I'd pass along my journey to folks here. I'm really excited to see the upcoming release and hope to experience it soon!

:-)

Z

Edited August 2, 2013 by ZebraRose

[Gibsonm]

I'm hoping these are made under licence from AFV Sim because they look very familiar ...

http://www.steelbeasts.com/sbforums/showthread.php?t=19317

Crusty?

[Rotareneg]

I'm hoping these are made under licence from AFV Sim because they look very familiar ...

Considering that AFV Sim's page for the M1A1 controls says they come from from Raydon Corporation, I don't think that's an issue.

[BigBadVuk]

Im probably seeing too much zeros here due to beer consumption....

5000$ each, used to be 1500$ !!!???

What can be inside that is so much expensive..... Diamond buttons , and platinum contacts? :biggrin:

150$ - ok, but even that is insane for Joystick or any kind of controller. You can get excellent joystick for that money.

[Homer]

Considering that AFV Sim's page for the M1A1 controls says they come from from Raydon Corporation, I don't think that's an issue.

... Or it can be just a legal issue behind the partnership with Raydon. The aforementioned Crusty, the man behind the camera and who also works for AFV Sim, should be able to clear this up.

P.S. I'm still waiting for my booth babes Crusty.

[Crusty]

... Or it can be just a legal issue behind the partnership with Raydon. The aforementioned Crusty, the man behind the camera and who also works for AFV Sim, should be able to clear this up.

P.S. I'm still waiting for my booth babes Crusty.

Raydon have the production and distribution rights in the USA for M1 control handles, as to their pricing policy, well that's up to them.

Sorry Homer, I brought two Booth babes back from Rome for you,

but I just can't seem to bring myself to send them to you :biggrin:

[Crusty]

Im probably seeing too much zeros here due to beer consumption....

5000$ each, used to be 1500$ !!!???

What can be inside that is so much expensive..... Diamond buttons , and platinum contacts? :biggrin:

150$ - ok, but even that is insane for Joystick or any kind of controller. You can get excellent joystick for that money.

Yes you can, but you can't get a limited production very high quality

replica gunners control, that will out last any Joystick, and that the crews of the actual vehicles can train with to get up to speed with the real vehicles or to help keep their skills fresh.

[Sean]

Low volume production = Big money. It's a fact of life in manufacturing.

Afvsim is probably much cheaper than raydon, because their overhead is going to be much smaller than a big company.

[daskal]

Well I'm hoping to make my own someday, I've managed to build an arcade controller pad from scratch (Mortal Kombat) - there are some older arcades with similar controls like a gunner handle which I hope to refurbish into a proper SB one. Getting the proper 2 axis movement translated into a handle like this is actuall not a big issue anymore nor is the addition of the buttons. And with a proper IPAC connectivy to a computer is seamless.

In fact disassembling an XBOX or PS3 controller and building it around a layout of a proper gunner handle is also a good option IMO.

[daskal]

Or rewamping an another classic arcade design:

[daskal]

Anyone know the price of these beauties - I fear its up to the same price tag as that of AFV sim's:

http://www.snt-defence.com/products/training-and-simulation/simulation-hardware/rocke

[Tjay]

Gunner handels?

[BigBadVuk]

I agree that they are not "originally made for M1.." but im quite sure that 85% of good flying wheels ( used by FsX fans for example to simulate big aircraft controls) will do more then ok for lot of ppl even in SB Pro PE.

For 150$ you can get really good model.:biggrin:

I know you will have to remap them, to set sensitivity, they wont handle probably as real thing..but - we are sitting in our rooms, not in 1000000$ simulator with hydraulics suspension, and all other system simulated.

[Azure Lion]

... - we are sitting in our rooms, not in 1000000$ simulator with hydraulics suspension, and all other system simulated.

Beer is cheaper, and you get all the simulated movement one could ever ask for... maybe not in the directions you'd expect, and with a slight side effect later. :biggrin:

[Gibsonm]

I know you will have to remap them, to set sensitivity, they wont handle probably as real thing..but - we are sitting in our rooms, not in 1000000$ simulator with hydraulics suspension, and all other system simulated.

And that's the point of these things.

For 95%+ of the people on this forum you don't need this because:

a. They are expensive

b. They are single purpose (so a CV90 handle is only an accurate depiction of surprisingly a CV90 handle), and

c. Most people are here for "fun" (albeit serious fun).

The Armies that buy these do so because they need to maintain a high standard of crew training without necessarily the cost in fuel, ammunition and wear and tear of driving around the range. Two of these (Gunner and Commander) work out a lot cheaper than live training time (at roughly AUD$1,000 per Km for an M1).

They require an exact replica in turns of look and feel, performance, etc. so they can maintain muscle memory, do drills in the dark, etc.

You can't do that by giving say a M1 gunner a joystick and telling them that the palm switches are no longer under his palm but a key on the keyboard.

Similarly they want the gunner to have a replica of Gunner's controls and the crew commander at a different desk having a set of Commander's controls which are unique and do their one job very well, rather than two identical desks with generic joysticks in front of them.

So the intended market for these things (by and large) are Governments, not individuals.

But if you want to buy say six of them (one each for say M1 Gunner, M1 Commander, Bradley Gunner, CV90 Gunner,....) each at a lot of money then feel free.

Edited August 3, 2013 by Gibsonm

[Tacbat]

$5000? I guess I'll only take two then.

[OnAlienware]

There's enough to fight in SB without needlessly fighting the interface. Seriously, stick to the mouse.

[Brun]

Well these things are being sold to Governments so it makes perfect sense to jack the price as high as possible.

[Assassin 7]

Well the actually Gunner's palm switch that is made for the m1 is not made by Raydon. It is made by Cadillac Gage Corp.

Example: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Abrams-Tank-Gunners-Control-Cadillac-Gage-PN-12283113-for-Parts-or-Nostalgia-/111119682198

[outontheop]

I agree that they are not "originally made for M1.." but im quite sure that 85% of good flying wheels ( used by FsX fans for example to simulate big aircraft controls) will do more then ok for lot of ppl even in SB Pro PE.

For 150$ you can get really good model.:biggrin:

I know you will have to remap them, to set sensitivity, they wont handle probably as real thing..but - we are sitting in our rooms, not in 1000000$ simulator with hydraulics suspension, and all other system simulated.

I tried that; had a flight yoke I'd bought to use primarily with Microprose's B-17: Mighty Eighth back in the day. Problem is that it's not the right motion: a flight yoke pushes/ pulls to "slide" forward and aft, while gunner handles pivot to "tip" forward and aft

[Phantom12]

There are a couple of guys over in the Eagle Dynamics forums who 3d print flight sticks that aren't available on the market. If you know how to do that sort of stuff it might be cheaper to print the handles, palm switches etc and put it together yourself.

Heres a link to a guy who makes F/A-18 handles for the TM warthog stick:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=104154&highlight=3d+printer

Only one of several examples.

[Guest theGUNSLINGER]

that just blows my mind away that that can be done in your home for the right price

[Tjay]

The price of 3D printers is falling all the time and more and more CAD/CAM files are becoming available on the internet so this looks like becoming the way to produce 'one-off' items for personal use. (But you wouldn't bother if you simply wanted a door knob - cheaper to buy from a store). But standby for loads of fuss over intellectual property rights when people start scanning and copying stuff like, err, tank gunner control handles.