Help with SAITEK

[Alias]

Hi,

I hope someone can help me. I have just bought the package Saitek, yoke, throttle and pedals. I'd like to know how to set up FSUIPC (registered) to assign each throttle to a different engine and configure revers properly; I'm using DF727. I know where to look at but I don't know what to do. :oops:

Thanks a lot

Lorenzo

[Pete Dowson]

Hi,

I hope someone can help me. I have just bought the package Saitek, yoke, throttle and pedals. I'd like to know how to set up FSUIPC (registered) to assign each throttle to a different engine and configure revers properly; I'm using DF727. I know where to look at but I don't know what to do. :oops:

Can't you do it in FS itself? It provides the facilities too. For FSUIPC the best place to find out is in the User Guide.

If you really don't want to use FS but FSUIPC instead, at least try to follow the instructions. By all means ask specific questions if you get stuck or don't understand something specifically, but i really cannot give more general instructions here that i do in the documentation, which is far more extensive and even has illustrations and simple steps!

Pete

[Alias]

Thanks Pete,

oh..well I would do it in FS if I knew where to go. Under "Settings" I can't find any option to assign throttle to engine (at least that I know).

Lorenzo

[scott967]

I'm not Pete, but I also recently bought the Saitek yoke and throttle quads (6 lever axis total) and have started to investigate how best to use. So far I've been playing with only default AC (baron and 737).

Here is what I'm doing on the 737 and probably will work on the DF727. Right now I am working just on FS9, though FSX probably is about the same. I have FSUIPC 3.82 registered installed. At this point I am not using the Saitek drivers or profiler at all, just the generic MS HID driver.

1. Using the control panel game controller applet, calibrate the axis levers. For me, I found the quad a bit of work, as the first 2 levers are interpreted as x y joystick, and the calibration assumes they have a "centered" position. I tried to approximately place both the levers in their midpoint position. This isn't a problem for the yoke axis levers, since the calibration will set the actual "yoke" to the x y joystick axis.

1. Start FS, load your 727, then go to the control assignments. remove all axis lever assignments, both yoke and quad. You can leave the aileron/elevator if you want. Also, go into the button assignments and remove all button assignments for the yoke and quad. Most important is buttons 8-10 on the yoke, but get rid of all the rest while you are at it. You can replace them later one at a time. Leave the yoke POV assigned as-is.

2. read the FSUIPC user guide. Make sure you are in normal (not slew) mode. open FSUIPC from the menu. In axis calibration move your throttle 1 axis lever so FSUIPC sees it. Set it to "aircraft specific". select the "send to Fs as a normal axis. In the boxes below, check the top one and select Axis Throttle 1 Set (NOT THROTTLE1 SET!!!)

3. Repeat for the other 2 axis levers, except select Axis Throttle 2 set and Axis Throttle 3 set of course.

4. Go into calibration. Go to the throttle 1-4 page. On throttle 1 click on "set" move the throttle all the way up and click the max "set". Move the throttle all the way down (but do not push it into the button position) and click the nin "set", then click the idle "set ONCE. MOve the lever up slightly (maybe about to -15700 or so) and click the idle set once again. This will set your throttle idle band at min lever position and give no reverse.

5. Repeat the calibration for throttles 2 and 3.

6. Go into buttons + switches. once again check aircraft specific. Pull throttle 1 lever down so that it activates the "reverser" button (all the way to the stop). Check the "select for FS control". In the box below, select Throttle 1 Decr. Also check the "control to repeat while held".

7. Repeat for the buttons on your throttle 2 and 3. Setting them to throttle 2 decr and throttle 3 decr of course.

That should be it. Note that with engines in reverse, you have to move the throttles slightly out of idle to cancel the reverse. Note that when you set your idle band, it is impossible to get all three the same and it might be a good idea to open up fsuipc.ini in a text editor and find the right section and set the idle the same on all (like -15700 on all 3):

Throttle1=-16384,-16384,-15700,16383

Throttle2=-16384,-16384,-15700,16383

Throttle3=-16384,-16384,-15700,16383

scott s.

.

[Alias]

Thanks Scott for your long explanation, shall try ASAP what you suggest.

Cheers

Lorenzo

[Pete Dowson]

oh..well I would do it in FS if I knew where to go. Under "Settings" I can't find any option to assign throttle to engine (at least that I know).

It is under "Settings", but in the Options menu: see Settings then Controls then Assignments. Click the "Control Axes" tab and you'll see at least 5 throttle controls you can assign to, one generic one and one for each engine.

The assignments system in FS should be far easier to understand than FSUIPC's as it was designed by professionals in the User Interface field, and has withstood the test of time over many FS releases. If in FS you cannot find out how to scroll down the list of controls you can assign to and select the throttle for each engine then I'm afraid FSUIPC will be a step too far for you. User Interface design isn't my strong point and it is not going to be anywhere near as easy to do as in FS.

Pete

[Alias]

Hi,

finally I got the set up working, but I'm having problems with revers. Following point #4 above I have set max value - which works fine - but when I try to set idle -min position- I got a "dling" when saving. As per Scott's advice I have set idle at a level slightly above the stop but when I go back to the plane I find myself that revers are already working with my throttle at the stop (idle was placed slightly above the stop).

Can you please tell me how to have idle exactly at lever stop, and revers triggered when pushing the button down (and not before that point)?

Thank you

Lorenzo

PS:...forgot I'm working under FSX now.

[Pete Dowson]

... when I try to set idle -min position- I got a "dling" when saving.

That only happens when the values, from left to right, are not in ascending order. If you need to reverse the operation of the throttle (quite a common need) you have to select REV first, before setting the values.

As per Scott's advice I have set idle at a level slightly above the stop but when I go back to the plane I find myself that revers are already working with my throttle at the stop (idle was placed slightly above the stop).

You couldn't have calibrated with the lever above the stop, because if you had every position below that calibrated position would result in zero 90) being sent to FS, and zero (0) means "idle".

Possibly your lever is misbehaving to the extent that it sends slightly different values each time to come back to the same place. If so you'll just have to set a larger "idle" region.

Can you please tell me how to have idle exactly at lever stop, and revers triggered when pushing the button down (and not before that point)?

Calibrating in FSUIPC does not program buttons for reverse. That's a completely different matter -- you'll either need to use your Saitek software for that or program the button separately in FSUIPC to set reverse (usually using the THROTTLE DEC control with repeat enabled).

Regards

Pete

[Alias]

That only happens when the values, from left to right, are not in ascending order. If you need to reverse the operation of the throttle (quite a common need) you have to select REV first, before setting the values.

Pete

That was the issue, now everything is fine.

Thanks a lot.

Lorenzo