Hot or Stuck Microphone

[mndless]

Pete,

Over the past two months I have had my mic get stuck or go hot three different times. Once it starts I can do nothing to make it stop.. my only solution so far has been to re-install FSUIPC and start all over.. this does work.

I use a CH projects yoke with SQ running on a client PC using the Keysend function for PTT.

Re-starting the computers, reinstalled SB, tried a different client computer... always the same and nothing I do corrects it untill I start over with FSUIPC... which requires programming all my buttons and switches again... has to be a better way...

I can go direct to the server with the yoke and make it work... but if I go back to the client... stuck...

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Pete Dowson]

always the same and nothing I do corrects it untill I start over with FSUIPC... which requires programming all my buttons and switches again... has to be a better way...

Since FSUIPC does not dynamically change anything, but simply reads the INI each time it loads, this really cannot be happening the way you say. Simply putting in the same parameters as were there before would make no difference whatsoever. It simply cannot do so.

It sounds more like you have done something strange, such as selected "repeat" or similar on the button programming.

Tell me more details about exactly what you are doing and I'll see if I can spot anything wrong.

Pete

[mndless]

this really cannot be happening the way you say

That isn't what you like to hear!! :D

Well... let me elaborate as best I can. This has happened not less than 3 times over the past couple of months. Each time, I can correct it only by uninstalling and then re-installing FSUIPC.. on doing so, all works fine. But, as I said, it keeps coming back. And, it is important to note that the PTT function will be working fine for weeks. I will have made no changes to any setting, not even opened FSUIPC during this period.. and the issue will abruptly return.

What is happening is that the microphone goes hot, or continually transmits, via SB, and I can do nothing to make it stop.

FS9 and SB are running on the server computer. CH products yoke is attached to the server computer. The functional instance of SB is running on a client computer. I am using the keysend function/control for PTT... parameter 1 when pressed, 2 on release. The control to repeat when held has been tried checked and unchecked with no change when the issue surfaces. It must be checked to repeat when held for the PTT to work properly, when it is working :)

On a potentially related note: I have numerous GoFlight panels also attached to the server. Recently, the throttle movement started giving me rudder and elevator imputs. Through discussions with GoFlight I learned that FS will, on occation, take it upon itself to assign functions to the GoFlight joysticks... in this case, it assigned the rudder and elevator axis to the throttle inputs. I am currious if something similar might be happening with the CH yoke... might FS be assigning an input to the PTT button that once accuated cannot be terminated. If so, I have not been able to find it and am not clear on how reinstalling FSUIPC corrects it... which it does each time.

I use the Project Magenta software with the GoFlight panels, so each time I reinstall FSUIPC I have to go back through and setup the button assignments again... is a time consuming process. I assume if I keep the INI file, even though I remove FSUIPC that I could retain the button assignments?

Anyway... unless I am not being clear in my description, it is happening as I describe... but the source of the issue may not be at all associated with FSUIPC... but re-installing FSUIPC does indeed correct it..

Hope you can recommend some course of action to track down this odd and recurrant problem!!

Thanks!

Tony

[Pete Dowson]

What is happening is that the microphone goes hot, or continually transmits, via SB, and I can do nothing to make it stop.

I've no idea how SB works nor what it is doing -- have you had any answers from SB support? I've never used it at all I'm afraid, so I don't know anything about it. The PTT controls sent by FSUIPC are simply those defined by the SB programmer.

FS9 and SB are running on the server computer. CH products yoke is attached to the server computer. The functional instance of SB is running on a client computer. I am using the keysend function/control for PTT... parameter 1 when pressed, 2 on release.

Why are you using KeySend still? Since version 6.50 of WideFS last August) and version 3.50 (also August 2005) there has been direct support in FSUIPC & WideFS for PTT on/off controls with no need for any action in the WideClient parameters, and certainly no need for KeySends for this action. Are you using very old versions by any chance?

The control to repeat when held has been tried checked and unchecked with no change when the issue surfaces. It must be checked to repeat when held for the PTT to work properly, when it is working :)

That definitely sounds completely wrong. Even the "RWon" and "RWoff" facilities originally provided for PTT via KeySend used two special commands for RW & SB -- one to switch the mike on and another to switch it off. You should certainly NEVER have any KeySend set to repeat. I think that may cause problems with WideFS in any case.

Through discussions with GoFlight I learned that FS will, on occation, take it upon itself to assign functions to the GoFlight joysticks... in this case, it assigned the rudder and elevator axis to the throttle inputs.

Really? How odd. I don't know how FS would be doing that, unless it thought your joystick was newly connected -- i.e. didn't have the same ID as the last one, as defined in its FS9.CFG. If the ID is changing it sounds like a problem in the GoFlight drivers. FS will do auto-assignments if it things it's a new device.

I am currious if something similar might be happening with the CH yoke... might FS be assigning an input to the PTT button that once accuated cannot be terminated.

No. Even if FS was doing something with the button as well as FSUIPC, if it is assigned in FSUIPC then FSUIPC will act upon it.

If so, I have not been able to find it and am not clear on how reinstalling FSUIPC corrects it... which it does each time.

It cannot, as "reinstalling" FSUIPC isn't really possible. You can disable it by removing it and re-enable it by putting it back, but if the parameters are the same each time you have returned to exactly the same state, so there's no difference.

Hope you can recommend some course of action to track down this odd and recurrant problem!!

Well, there appears to be a great deal of information you are not telling me -- first, if you are really using such old versions of my software please update to the latest. Even get the interim versions from this Forum (see Announcements). Then program the PTT correctly using the PTT controls, and delete the KeySend assignments in the WideClient INI file(s).

The fact that you say you have to enable Repeat to make it work even when it does suggests that, even with the old KeySend method, it was most certainly not set correctly in the first placeperhaps you could tell me exactly what versions you are using and how you attempted to program PTT some time?

Regards,

Pete

[mndless]

Hey Pete... well if there are many things I am not providing, it is because I am not an expert at this stuff and dont know to include them!! :)

I have posted this question to the SB forum... that is where I got the idea of uninstalling and re-installing SB... the forum moderator described a similar problem and said that was the only solution he had to resolve it.

However, with it being recurrent like it is, I

Why Keysend?... because! :) ...not sure... The version of FSUIPC is the most recent, I'll have to review the docs for the other method... obviously I have missed that somewhere.

GoFLight... might well be a driver issue, the guys at GoFlight were familiar with the issue and responded as if they get asked this question on occasion.

Repeat when held... my memory might be incorrect here, but with the keysend set as I have it... I think it does have to be checked...

So.. yes I do have the most recent version of FSUIPC.. my va ACARS program requires the most recent version to work... obviously, I am using an old method for PTT, I'll search the docs to get current on that and let you know if that solves the problem!!

There used to be a pdf file in the download that gave instructions for setting up PTT. I don't see that doc in the current download...

Thanks Pete... you are a great help!

Tony

[Pete Dowson]

I have posted this question to the SB forum... that is where I got the idea of uninstalling and re-installing SB... the forum moderator described a similar problem and said that was the only solution he had to resolve it.

That's different from your "reinstalling FSUPC", then, and makes it start to sound a lot more to do with SB's behaviour than anything in FSUIPC or WideFS.

Why Keysend?... because! Smile ...not sure...

But thenin the KeySend parameters in WideClient.INI did you use the RWon/RWoff facilities (which have been there for years), or did you assign keystrokes and tell SB to use the keystrokes? There's a lot of difference.

I'll have to review the docs for the other method... obviously I have missed that somewhere.

Yes. Please try it. It does not use keypresses, it uses direct commands into SB, provided by SB (to match the erstwhile Roger Wilco).

Repeat when held... my memory might be incorrect here, but with the keysend set as I have it... I think it does have to be checked...

Sounds like you must be using keystrokes then -- but even then, repeating is not a good idea. It should have been "press key" for one and "release key" for the other -- the standard keyboard driver in Windows does the repeats.

There used to be a pdf file in the download that gave instructions for setting up PTT. I don't see that doc in the current download...

Because it was only relevant for versions before August 2005. That complicated method has been obsolete since then.

Regards,

Pete

[mndless]

Thanks Pete, I'll post back after I get the current PTT method set up...

I mis-typed above... I did not re-install SB, the SB forum moderator recommended uninstalling and re-installing FSUIPC... and that process has corrected the issue everytime... for whatever reason.

I'll go through this tonight and let you know if the current method resolves it.

Thanks again for your comments.

Tony