General help please

[James Stephen]

I have the registured FSUIPC with FS9.

I have the Saitek X45 that I'm trying to set up. And I'm not using the Saitek programing software.

I have been working with it, but I'm getting erratic behavior in my pitch axis, the trim is extreamely sensitive and the elevevator when moved swings greatly up or down and the trim is constantly twittering and I have to constantly over correct to keep the plane level. Last night I was flying the PMDG B1900 and it was a real chore.

Also, the throttle is behaving erratic, as I push the joystick throttle, the graphic throttle on the panel is bouncing up and down and jittery?

Few questions:

1) should I just unistall all the Saitek drivers and use just FSUIPC to program?

2) should I delete all assignments, incuding axis assignments in FS, and program in FSUIPC only?

3) can I use FS to program some assignments and FSUIPC to program others, it seams that some work just fine in FS settings, but others need FSUIPC to work? Or should I just use one or the other?

4) I use Active Sky 6, can I use FSUIPC weather settings to enhance this, or does this cause problems.

I don't understand why it's so difficult to get Saitek products to work correctly in FS, I just sent back their Yoke system because it was impossible for me to get set up, even using FSUIPC

Any help would be appreciated greatly,

- James

[Pete Dowson]

I have been working with it, but I'm getting erratic behavior in my pitch axis, the trim is extreamely sensitive and the elevevator when moved swings greatly up or down and the trim is constantly twittering and I have to constantly over correct to keep the plane level.

Is this with straight-forward use, assignment in FS and nothing in FSUIPC? Do the axes show this sort of irregularity in the Game controllers calibration? Have you actually calibrated them in Windows first?

1) should I just unistall all the Saitek drivers and use just FSUIPC to program?

don't they need Saitek drivers t be recgnised by Windows? FSUIPC is not a joystick driver in any way shape or form. It simply reads the axis values either through FS assignments or assignments in its own "Axes" tab which (in FSUIPC3) uses Windows basic joystick interfaces.

4) I use Active Sky 6, can I use FSUIPC weather settings to enhance this, or does this cause problems.

Active Sky provides a lot of options itself. You can use the FSUIPC ones as well -- the most useful normally are those which smooth the changes.

I don't understand why it's so difficult to get Saitek products to work correctly in FS, I just sent back their Yoke system because it was impossible for me to get set up, even using FSUIPC

I don't understand either. To me a joystick axis is simply a source of an analogue input signal. It should be providing smooth changes in values from one extreme to another, and calibration is merely the act of matching its range of values to those acceptable to the flight control you wish to apply it to.

Unfortunately (or not, as it seems) I do not have any Saitek (nor CH) gadgets so I can't realy comment on them specifically. Maybe others here can contribute. I assume you've scanned the other threads on these units?

Oh, one thing to note. Heading your thread "General help please" won't easily attract any specific help from those who might actually know Saitek stuff. It might be a good idea to re-post you real questions on your equipment with a title which reflects that

Regards

Pete

[James Stephen]

Hi Pete, thanks for getting back to me.

The calibration when I do it in FS is smooth and looks fine, when I try it in FSUIPC it appears to be smooth also. Yes, I have tried to calibrate in the windows or in FS first.

I deleted all button assignments id FS and left the axes alone. A programed the buttons in FSUIPC and left the axes alone. But now I'm wondering if I should delete the axes in FS?

In fact, the X45 worked fine until a few months back when I "updated" my computer, the Windows update site had a "driver update" for Saitek, and when I installed it, it screwed up my joystick, so I uninstalled the new drivers and reinstalled the old, but it never worked properly so I decided to use FSUIPC , and I got it to work. But then, I purchased the Pro Flight Yoke a few weeks ago, and installed its drivers but it was impossible to program, sent it back, and now I'm trying to resetup the X45.

So now Im not sure if I have conlflicts between the FS settings and FSUIPC?

I read on one of the posts here that you can delete the drivers completely, but that was a little strange to me, so I thought I'd ask?

My Active sky question is related to visibility settings. I like keeping the visibilty lower for frame rates. So in FS you can set it to 30 miles or what ever. But then Active Sky will overide this with real values, which it should, but I would like to keep it lower. I see that you can set the visibility in FSUIPC and I wondered if this would overide the Active Sky while keeping the other Active Sky settings unchanged?

[Pete Dowson]

The calibration when I do it in FS is smooth and looks fine, when I try it in FSUIPC it appears to be smooth also. Yes, I have tried to calibrate in the windows or in FS first.

Well if the axes behave smoothly, they must operate smoothly. Where's this jitter (is it jitter?) coming from?

If you are simply tending to over-control, if you calibrate in FSUIPc you can use the "slopes2 option to change the rsponse -- flatten the curve near the centre so that is is less sensitive.

You also probably want to add that "STICK_SENSITIVITY_MODE=0" line to the [CONTROLS] section of your FS CFG file, as suggested in the FSUIPC user guide. In my opinion that always helps, no matter how you calibrate.

I deleted all button assignments id FS and left the axes alone. A programed the buttons in FSUIPC and left the axes alone. But now I'm wondering if I should delete the axes in FS?

Axes and buttons aren't related.

In fact, the X45 worked fine until a few months back when I "updated" my computer, the Windows update site had a "driver update" for Saitek, and when I installed it, it screwed up my joystick, so I uninstalled the new drivers and reinstalled the old, but it never worked properly so I decided to use FSUIPC , and I got it to work. But then, I purchased the Pro Flight Yoke a few weeks ago, and installed its drivers but it was impossible to program, sent it back, and now I'm trying to resetup the X45.

What a complicated story! Sorry, I've no idea how all those changes managed to muck things up.

So now Im not sure if I have conlflicts between the FS settings and FSUIPC?

That could only be the case if you have axes assigned in both places. Just delete anyy [Axes...] sections in the FSUIPC INI file -- that will make sure you've none assigned in FSUIPC.

I read on one of the posts here that you can delete the drivers completely, but that was a little strange to me, so I thought I'd ask?

well I really don't know the saitek units. If they look like standard joysticks then no doubt Windows would pick them up via one of its default joystick drivers. But i wouldn't guarantee it. normally you need specific drivers for each specific hardware add-on.

My Active sky question is related to visibility settings. I like keeping the visibilty lower for frame rates. So in FS you can set it to 30 miles or what ever. But then Active Sky will overide this with real values, which it should, but I would like to keep it lower. I see that you can set the visibility in FSUIPC and I wondered if this would overide the Active Sky while keeping the other Active Sky settings unchanged?

Yes, they can do. Bt doesn't Active Sky also provide limits?

Regards

Pete

[James Stephen]

OK I'll try your suggestions.

The jittery behavior is seen on screen. The throttle bounces up and down like someone is moving it fastly. The pitch wheel on the panel is rolling up and down irregular. And even when I sit on the runway, out side view, I notice the rudder flapping back and forth and the alerons are tweaked.

It's as if there are random inputs being sent to the control or conflicts as if multiple inputs are being sent, I don't know :(

I over control because the plane will not fly level - it used to. I level it out and cruise, the all of asudden the nose pitches up or down quickly, like a gremlin got a hold of it :(

I'll experiment and read more. It's a bummer that it is this difficult to just get a flight controller set up.

Thanks for your input.

[Pete Dowson]

The jittery behavior is seen on screen. The throttle bounces up and down like someone is moving it fastly. The pitch wheel on the panel is rolling up and down irregular. And even when I sit on the runway, out side view, I notice the rudder flapping back and forth and the alerons are tweaked.

That sounds like a lot more than jitter! Sounds definitely as if you've got the axes assigned twice via different routes. Try disabling the joysticks completely in FS. If the problem stops but you still have some movement it will be obvious you've gone and assigned them in FSUIPC and simply forgotten.

Alternatively delete your FSUIPC INI file and start again. Easily the easiest way to start again when you make a mess of things. ;-)

I'll experiment and read more. It's a bummer that it is this difficult to just get a flight controller set up.

It isn't. It is dead easy. Too easy. It is evidently so easy you are probably forgetting what you've done!

Pete

[JSkorna]

James,

Make sure auto-pilot is not On on your plane.

Yes, you can set maximum visibility in Active Sky. On the Options screen make sure Enforce Visibility Limits is checked On and then fill in your minimum and maximum visibilities. Save your settings and make sure you re-start AS and FS to see your new limits.

Thanks!

[James Stephen]

I think I found the problem.

FS reassigned all the buttons. I had deleated all the assigments in FS before and programmed with FFSUIPC and it worked. But I guess FS didn't like that and reassigned causing the conflict. I went through and deleated the key assignments in FS again and it's working great.

How do you prevent FS from taking over again once you deleated? FS also asigns random commands to my Saitek pedals? Is there a way to keep FS from doing this?

Since I have been using FFSUIPC more and more, I am learning how powerful and useful it is! Thanks so much for this program!!!

[James Stephen]

Thanks Jim for the tip in Active Sky!

[Pete Dowson]

FS reassigned all the buttons. I had deleated all the assigments in FS before and programmed with FFSUIPC and it worked. But I guess FS didn't like that and reassigned causing the conflict. I went through and deleated the key assignments in FS again and it's working great.

That may explain buttons doing the wrong things when you press them, but it certainly doesn't explain your problems with the axes misbehaving. Remember? You said this:

The throttle bounces up and down like someone is moving it fastly. The pitch wheel on the panel is rolling up and down irregular. And even when I sit on the runway, out side view, I notice the rudder flapping back and forth and the alerons are tweaked.

Now throttle, pitch trim, rudder and ailerons are all axis controls. They can be influenced by buttons too, if so assigned, but only when you press them. You certainly shouldn't be getting anything happeining on its own. [That said, there was a fault on some early Saitek yoke systems which did cause random spurious button presses].

How do you prevent FS from taking over again once you deleated?

Normally it won't do this UNLESS you unplug the controls and plug them back in again -- FS will see them as new controls and try to assign them for you according to the information it gets from the units and from the data files it has on disk.

Also check that you haven't got Windows set to do any power saving on your USB ports. If that's on it may be powering off the joysticks so they look like new connections when you start using them..

FS also asigns random commands to my Saitek pedals?

They certainly shouldn't be random, but according to what it knows about the controls and what it is told in its files. Check out the "Devices.CFG" file in your main FS folder. It lists the default assignments for each recognised joystick -- either by generic type, or by its actual name. I doubt whether it has Saitek stuff in there, so it may pick the closest generic set it can find.

Regards

Pete

[James Stephen]

Thanks Pete,

I think I learned a lot about what I'm doing here from your help. You are right, I do unplug the joystick from time to time so that's why there are reassignments as you mentioned.

I also looked into your other suggestions and everything seams to be working now!

Thanks so much!

James :)