Hello,
Does anyone know where I could buy the analog sticks found on a typical RC radio? The closest thing I can find are the PS2 style analog sticks from sparkfun, but I'm looking for something like the sticks on an rc radio.
Search for "joystick" at any of the major distributors (digikey, mouser, etc) and you'll find lots of "resistive analog joysticks", with and without spring return-to-center and such. (Cheap joysticks used to be pretty common from surplus dealers, but not so much since the mouse age.)
However, as far as I know, the ACTUAL joysticks used in RC transmitters are part of the individual vendor's "secret sauce"; near-miracles of custom mechanical engineering intimately involved with the PCB and packaging, an important part of the "look and feel" that leads aficionados to prefer one vendor over another. Your best bet may be to find a cheap used transmitter and strip it down for parts (aside from the fact that the joysticks are one of the most likely things to have broken.)
There are also articles around on how to convert the PS2-style sticks to NOT have spring return (for example.) Check out the DIY electronic forum on www.rcgroups.com
Great thanks for the sites and advice!