Steering Wheel

Description

Steering wheel for the commodore 64/128. Home-built in 1988.

The steering wheel was taken from an unidentified wreck found in the woods around 1985. My best guess so far is that it was a 1960 BMW Isetta. At least it looks exactly like that one and from what I remember it was a very small wreck indeed.

A ball-bearing was put on the wheel axle to hold it in place in a wooden frame. The frame could then be fastened to a table with clamps.

Further down the axle is a small wheel which drives a multi-turn potentiometer. The potentiometer is then connected to an ADC on one of the Commodores joystick ports.

To calibrate, the wheel can be slightly lifted to decouple it from the potentiometer.

Sewing machine foot pedal can be used for the accelerator and break. The idea was to connect them to ADCs too. But since the only software that was adapted (see below) had only a binary accelerator/break, the pedals were connected to the joystick up/down lines instead.

Coincidently, the steering wheel has the same color beige as the C128 itself.

Condition

The wooden frame is somewhat broken and fragile. Turning the wheel must be done with some care, which is not really the object of a racing game...

Apart from that, it is (again) in working condition.

Software

Test Drive was adapted to make use of the steering wheel and accelerator pedal.

I have made a fresh backup of the adapted Test Drive floppy, including d64 images.

TODO

Attach a pedal to a joystick for the accelerator (port 2 UP).