Chris Catalano

Well you are never going to believe this... since I knew I was CERTAIN I knew how to program the buttons correctly, and since I had done this in the past, I decided to try something for a test. Since I had created several profiles in the past, I decided to load a different profile I created last year and assign it to the particular livery of the PMDG 737-800 I was working with, and guess what?! That infamous "button 07" works perfectly!!! In fact, I have it working in every other former profile I created during the past year! So I guess there was just some sort of glitch with this particular profile that is corrupt, or has become corrupt, because the button seems to work fine in every other profile I have. When I load the newest profile once again, the button ceases working. While I cannot explain this, I am happy nonetheless that this button is indeed configurable. Is that crazy or what? Thanks for all the advice. Chris

Hi Pete: Thanks for the response. Believe it or not, I actually read the entire user guide cover to cover, but that was about a year ago. So I am actually guilty of not remembering the details of some of it. The fact is that my computer got a virus, and I had to do a complete reinstall of Windows 7, and as such, starting over so to speak with FSUIPC has given me some trouble. In fact, I actually got quite good at using FSUIPC a year ago, to the point where (you'll be proud of me) I even programmed throttle cut ranges on my throttle handles and also the reversers. So I was really getting good at using FSUIPC a year ago. So now when I am trying to remember some of the subtleties, I am a bit overwhelmed. Sorry. Last night I did manage to reprogram an entire new profile for the PFC equipment I am using. I have chosen to disable the FSX controls completely, and to send all the inputs direct to FSUIPC. That seems to be working best for me. All of this is for use with the PMDG 737 NGX, the only plane I ever fly. While I am getting some weird results with getting the reversers to activate when I land (they don't spool up unless if I first quickly raise and lower the throttles through my throttle cut zone), I am having a lot of success reprogramming FSUIPC. (BTW, I wonder if there are known issues with the PMDG 737 NGX and FSUIPC, or perhaps Precision Flight Controls equipment? Have you heard of any that you know of?) With regard to the "Button 07" and "Button 08" designations... here is the thing... I am certain I know how to program any and all buttons. The fact is, I can program each and every one of the buttons on my PFC column yoke, and I have. But for some unknown reason, the one button on the back right (whatever it is designated as) will not program any command. I have key commands associated with all the other buttons on the yoke and they are working correctly. It is only that one button on the back right of my column yoke that is not allowing anything to be programmed to it. No matter what I try to assign to it, it will not work, whereas it always used to before my Windows 7 reinstall. Am I to presume there is something wrong with the button itself from a hardware standpoint? However, I doubt this because when I test the buttons in the PFC calibration/hardware tools, it shows that it is responding (although it calls it "button 8 and not button 7). I know the button therefore seems to be functioning, so I presumed it must have something to do with the numeric designation (but now after reading your reply, I see that this seems irrelevant, so thank you for explaining that). So I just cannot figure out why I can program all the other buttons easily and successfully, but not this one button. I don't know if there is something conflicting with it either in FSUIPC or elsewhere, so I am very frustrated at this point. I mean, if I can program all the other buttons, what's one more button? It should be just as easy as all the others. Plus, I used to have this particular button functioning before my reinstall. Is there something that you can think of that I may be simply missing? (BTW, for some reason, the PFC hardware configuration tools let the user select each of the three devices I have as either a Joystick, or as a "PFC USB" input device. Selecting the latter seems to open up other details in a drop down menu that I can further configure, such as: the switch layout style [boeing, SAAB, or Beech/Mooney/Cessna, etc], whether it is for one or two pilots with a pilot and copilot setup, disabling the possible throttle commands for the yoke, and other items such as that. Although you correctly pointed out that today's joysticks are all USB, I have a feeling that PFC has this choice present so you can further configure their equipment, although I am not absolutely certain of this) Anyway, if you can think of anything that I have overlooked with the programming of that one button on my column yoke, I would appreciate any suggestions. Sorry if I have forgotten some of the finer details of your excellent program. I was really getting quite good at using it a year ago. Thankfully, much of it has started to come back to me. Thanks again, Chris Catalano

Hi Everyone: I just got a new Precision Flight Controls (PFC) 737 Flight Yoke with accompanying rudder pedals and throttle console. I am having a terrible time trying to get the equipment to talk correctly to FSUIPC. Most important, when trying to program the button on the back right of the column yoke, whenever I press the back button, FSUIPC automatically senses it as "Button 7", but the PFC utilities that I received from PFC keep indicating that the very same button is called "Button 8". Consequently, no matter what I try to assign to this button will not work. PFC does not seem to know what is wrong, and I am totally confused at this point. Anyone have any ideas? They told me that I am supposed to configure this as a joystick, and not a USB device ion their calibration settings. Also, I am not sure if I am supposed to disable or enable the controls and devices in FSX or not. Lastly, I do not know if it is better to assign this in FSUIPC as a straight FSX input or if I should be using the"Direct to FSUIPC" option. Any help anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! Chris Catalano

Hi Pete and All: I am having a TERRIBLE time trying to get the PMDG NGX to work properly with FSUIPC since I updated to the latest version of the PMDG 737NGX last week. All my Axis assignments seem to be conflicting with one another now. The beautiful Throttle Cut zones I created for the reverse thrusts and the throttles don't work properly any more. It seems that most of the axis assignments are working but they also keep triggering the reverse thrusts. (For example, stepping on the brakes also triggers the reversers). I am beside myself because my beautiful FSUIPC profiles worked PERFECTLY before the NGX upgrade. Any ideas anyone? Anyone having similar problems? :-( I should mention that my registered copy of FSUIPC is version 4.929. I am not sure if there is a later version to FSUPIC, but if there is, and I install a later version of FSUPIC, will it overwrite all my profiles I created? And also, will I have to "re-register" it all over, or will FSUPIC already know I am a registered user? Thank you so much for the help... hope to get my 737 back again Sorry I bothered to update the NGX now :-( I should have left well enough alone. :-( Sincerely, Chris Catalano

Hi Pete: Thanks for all the help. Stephen (above) sent me a very similar solution where I created the throttle cut with the advancing of the reversers rather than the pulling back the throttles, and lo and behold! It works!!! It is perfect now! Thank you so very much for the help and the guidance! I love your program! I don't know how I lived so long without it! Sincerely, Chris Catalano

One user suggested that PMDG recommends holding the F1 key after touchdown to bring the throttle levers on to the stops, thus allowing the reversers to operate. I assigned a hot key to this and had somewhat successful results last night. I am not sure what will get it to ALWAYS operate correctly, but at least I see this solution has potential. I am not entirely sure precisely what I have to do make it work consistently all the time. But I feel as if I am getting closer to a resolution. Thanks for your patience and support. Chris Catalano

Hi Again: OK - getting a little discouraged now - :-( I already had null zones created for each reverser (L and R). I just added a null zone for each throttle too (L and R). Here are the numbers I chose - Reversers - normally the extreme point "off" is at 16,461. Now with the null zone, the reversers do not engage until 14,661. The throttles usually are at idle at -16,383. Now they do not engage or spool up until -14,661. Bt the strangest thing happns. If I am taxiing on the ground, I can try the reversers in conjunction with the throttles and they always work fine. But as soon as I do a landing, they will not engage. I pull them forward and nothing happens. Then I ritard the reversers, then I simple nudge the throttles forward a bit, then cut the throttles immediately back to idle, and THEN I retry the reversers, and they work perfectly! For some reason, I have to first hit the ground, nudge the throttles up and down for a moment, then the reveressers will allow me to use them correctly. I am getting a bit discouraged because everything else is working perfectly right now with my PMDG 737 NGX. Thanks for the help thus far! Chris Catalano

Actually, you will be very proud of me... I was able to make major progress with it all and I have it all working nearly perfectly - except for one thing - (EXCELLENT program by the way!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!). It seems the reversers seem to be somewhat conflicting with the throttles. Can you check out my (only other) post from last week? I have tried everything I can think of, and nothing seems to fix the issue. I believe you are the only one who may be able to guide me at this point. Thanks again! Chris Catalano

Well it seemed to help a bit, but the problem I seem to now have is that both of the Reversers do not seem to work well with one another. It seems that if I pull both reverser levers at the same time, the right reverser overrides the left one, and while they both begin to spool up togeter, suddenly only the right one continues to rise, while the left one stops rising and spooling up. Then the only way to get the left one to rise also is to quickkly retard the left lever (resetting it?) and then re engage it, pulling the left one toward me, and then, since it has now been "reset" so to speak, it begins to spool up as it is supposed to. Not sure if I am making much sense here. Sorry. :-( Thanks for the help thus far! Chris Catalano

Hi Everyone: I am a new user of the payware version of FSUIPC4. I just purchased a new throttle console/flight yoke console setup from Precision Flight Controls. I only fly the PMDG 737NGX. I was mostly successful in setting up all the controls tonight, but one problem lingers. It seems that the throttles are conflicting with the reversers. I have a 6 lever throttle console from PFC (Speedbrakes, Left engine, left reverser, right reverser, right engine, flaps). It seems that whenever I retard the throttles, the reversers automatically come on - even though I specifically made sure I configured it in the settings page to NOT use the reversers for the throttles (there were only TWO settings to "SET" - no middle detene setting.) Then also to make things more complicated, whenever I pull the reverser levers, they spool up, but then they don't "shut off" when I bring them back down to iidle. It seems the only way I can get them to stop reversing is to nudge the Land R engine throttles forward a bit and then retard the engine handles once more. Finally, I might add that whenever I leave FSX and go into the FSUIPC menu, and then I return to FSX, the reversers automatically come on for some reason. I have disabled all controls in the FSX menu and I am running everything through FSUIPC. Can anyone help me to finish configuring this? Otherwise, I am having a tremendous amount of success with the program! Thank you, Chris Catalano

Hi Everyone: I have a bunch of new hardware arriving soon. It consists of the Precision Flight Controls Boeing flight yoke, 737 throttle console, and Boeing style rudder pedals. It is all USB connections. I used to use the PFC drivers for the serial connections for my PMDG 737NGX. I just read through the 59 page FSUIPC manual, and to say the least, it is a bit overwhelming for a beginner like me. Can someone tell me, are there "profiles" available in the FS community that someone may be able to share with me for my setup so that I may not have to reinvent the wheel from scratch? I would be really grateful if someone could share some of their knowledge, settings, .cfg info, etc. so I can begin with a little running start. Does this sort of thing exist in the FS community? Thanks for the info. Chris Catalano