PMDG MD-11 Throttle and Reverser

[Hoang]

Hi,
I am using PMDG MD-11 with FSX:SE and FSUIPC registered version(4.962) for throttle and reverser. With other aircrafts both settings in FSUIPC work fine(PMDG 737,747,777, FSLabs A320X) but this particular plane keep spiking as shown in the video.

I use 2 Saitek Throttle Quadrant, one for 3 reverser and other one for 3 throttles. Tried to search google and forum but couldn't find the answer.

 

 

 

There is a topic from avsim that I believed he had the same issue but he uses the button under the levels for reverse: http://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/363151-reverser-fsuipc-little-problem

Any idea why this could happen?

Thank you,
Hoang Le

[AKC130FltEng]

17 hours ago, hoang said:

Hi,
I am using PMDG MD-11 with FSX:SE and FSUIPC registered version(4.962) for throttle and reverser. With other aircrafts both settings in FSUIPC work fine(PMDG 737,747,777, FSLabs A320X) but this particular plane keep spiking as shown in the video.

I use 2 Saitek Throttle Quadrant, one for 3 reverser and other one for 3 throttles. Tried to search google and forum but couldn't find the answer.

There is a topic from avsim that I believed he had the same issue but he uses the button under the levels for reverse: http://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/363151-reverser-fsuipc-little-problem

Any idea why this could happen?

Thank you,
Hoang Le

 

I'm not going to claim to be an expert.  But I have the Saitek setup and its constantly jittery like that.  Increase the Delta size on the Axis Assignment page.  I used 420 seems to mellow out the jittery inputs ALOT.  Also make sure you have a decent dead zone for the rerverser.  No need for it to be hyper sensitive to go into reverse so even a knob width of a dead zone will make sure Rev is triggered while your taxing around.
Todo the delta its easier to do it in the ini file to get an exact number or Scan the axis you want then press the Delta button move the axis very slightly then press delta again.  Keep doing that until you get the result you want.  

[Hoang]

2 hours ago, AKC130FltEng said:

 

I'm not going to claim to be an expert.  But I have the Saitek setup and its constantly jittery like that.  Increase the Delta size on the Axis Assignment page.  I used 420 seems to mellow out the jittery inputs ALOT.  Also make sure you have a decent dead zone for the rerverser.  No need for it to be hyper sensitive to go into reverse so even a knob width of a dead zone will make sure Rev is triggered while your taxing around.
Todo the delta its easier to do it in the ini file to get an exact number or Scan the axis you want then press the Delta button move the axis very slightly then press delta again.  Keep doing that until you get the result you want.  

Hello,
Thank you for your help. I have tried your method but the issue is still there. I found out that if the reverser is still functioning(even tiny bit of it), the throttle going to stutter. When there are no reverser deployed, the throttle works normally. So I will just let it to fully in up position (clicky sounds) until start using the throttle. One problem solved.
I try to assign button press for reverser and it still stutter. Because PMDG does not support FSX:SE, I am unsure this is problem with my settings, or because I am using FSX:SE.
Thank you,
Hoang Le

[AKC130FltEng]

After you did my suggestion whats your calibration and delta look like?  You can look into the Throttle Manager plugin.  I tried it out a few days ago and its awesome minus its incompatibility with the new PMDG 747.

[Hoang]

29 minutes ago, AKC130FltEng said:

After you did my suggestion whats your calibration and delta look like?  You can look into the Throttle Manager plugin.  I tried it out a few days ago and its awesome minus its incompatibility with the new PMDG 747.

Hi,

I just went into FSUIPC.ini and change Delta for 3 reverser axis to 420. Everything else I remain the same. Did I do it right?

I try to use key/button function for the MD-11 reverser and found out if I press once, it is going to go into reverser idle (I think so because it always stay at that spot), press again then it moves further without stutter. This could be why it stutter when trying to use the axis because it got stuck at the idle spot.

My workaround for now is move the reverser axis little bit until I here a click sound (which probably reverser at idle) then move it further.

[AKC130FltEng]

Change the calibration also.  You want a deadzone from the max and minimum setting to get away from those jitters also.  The manual describes how to calibrate everything.  The most I can tell you is move the throttle axis just a bit out of the detent Set the minimum.  Advance it all the way then pull the throttle back just a bit and set the maximum.  Now you will reach the minimum and maximum throttle setting before you get to the stops and should take care of the rest.

 

the MD-11 does have a something inbuilt to prevent you from going full reverse to soon after touchdown.  So that might be something also yes.  The nose wheel on the MD-11 is supposed to be on the ground before applying reverse thrust.

[Hoang]

33 minutes ago, AKC130FltEng said:

Change the calibration also.  You want a deadzone from the max and minimum setting to get away from those jitters also.  The manual describes how to calibrate everything.  The most I can tell you is move the throttle axis just a bit out of the detent Set the minimum.  Advance it all the way then pull the throttle back just a bit and set the maximum.  Now you will reach the minimum and maximum throttle setting before you get to the stops and should take care of the rest.

 

the MD-11 does have a something inbuilt to prevent you from going full reverse to soon after touchdown.  So that might be something also yes.  The nose wheel on the MD-11 is supposed to be on the ground before applying reverse thrust.

Hi,
This is what I did earlier today (settings in Joystick Calibration).

"Reverser1=-15000,15000/8
Reverser2=-15000,15000/8
Reverser3=-15000,15000/8"

"Throttle1=-13000,-512,512,15000/40
Throttle2=-13000,-512,512,15000/40
Throttle3=-13000,-512,512,15000/40"

Default all of them were -16380 and 16380.

 

[AKC130FltEng]

Give it a shot like that see what happens.  I still suggest trying the Throttle Manager Lua though.  It will allow you to just turn your throttle axis into the reverser axis by a press of a button.

[Hoang]

Just now, AKC130FltEng said:

Give it a shot like that see what happens.  I still suggest trying the Throttle Manager Lua though.  It will allow you to just turn your throttle axis into the reverser axis by a press of a button.

Hello,
I had a look over that topic and if I understand correctly, move the throttle levers down to press the button under it, then move it up for reverser, so actually we still use the axis for reverser so it is the same as I use the 2nd throttle quadrant for reverse. I will try it later to see how it works.
Thank you for your help so far.
Hoang Le

[AKC130FltEng]

Yes you can do it that way.  Make sure you follow the steps precisely and make sure you have the latest one. 1.3 or something.  

I honestly stopped using my Saitek throttle quads earlier today.  And I stopped using the reverser buttons on them years ago as I found them just to sloppy and always triggering just from taxiing.  So what I did was setup one button on my joystick to enable that plugin and then ran the throttles up.  If you wish todo it that way it is not described in the readme but its easy todo.  Select the button you want to use in the Button assignment table.  Select for FS Action.  Scroll down to LuaToggle ThrottleManager.  Make sure you select the Toggle one.  There are like 9-10 options.  Set it to parameter 1 click okay and exit FlightSim.  Open up FSUIPC.ini and find the entry that looks like this.
54=PA,8,CL3:T,1     -{LuaToggle ThrottleManager}-                            the ,1 at the end is the parameter.

Copy paste that line 2 more times and change the parameter to 2 and then 3.  The parameter assigns the engine.  Should look something like this when your done.

54=PA,8,CL3:T,1     -{LuaToggle ThrottleManager}-
55=PA,8,CL3:T,2     -{LuaToggle ThrottleManager}-
56=PA,8,CL3:T,3     -{LuaToggle ThrottleManager}-

 

Open fs.  Press that button you should hear a ding.  If you don't something isn't setup right.  All done.  I have it setup on my 777, ifly 747, pmdg 747, md-11 and works fine on all of them and more convienent than a seperate axis for the reverser.  Now you should be able to setup a spoiler axis and a flap axis on your quadrants. since you freed up 3 axis assignments.

[Hoang]

32 minutes ago, AKC130FltEng said:

Yes you can do it that way.  Make sure you follow the steps precisely and make sure you have the latest one. 1.3 or something.  

I honestly stopped using my Saitek throttle quads earlier today.  And I stopped using the reverser buttons on them years ago as I found them just to sloppy and always triggering just from taxiing.  So what I did was setup one button on my joystick to enable that plugin and then ran the throttles up.  If you wish todo it that way it is not described in the readme but its easy todo.  Select the button you want to use in the Button assignment table.  Select for FS Action.  Scroll down to LuaToggle ThrottleManager.  Make sure you select the Toggle one.  There are like 9-10 options.  Set it to parameter 1 click okay and exit FlightSim.  Open up FSUIPC.ini and find the entry that looks like this.
54=PA,8,CL3:T,1     -{LuaToggle ThrottleManager}-                            the ,1 at the end is the parameter.

Copy paste that line 2 more times and change the parameter to 2 and then 3.  The parameter assigns the engine.  Should look something like this when your done.

54=PA,8,CL3:T,1     -{LuaToggle ThrottleManager}-
55=PA,8,CL3:T,2     -{LuaToggle ThrottleManager}-
56=PA,8,CL3:T,3     -{LuaToggle ThrottleManager}-

 

Open fs.  Press that button you should hear a ding.  If you don't something isn't setup right.  All done.  I have it setup on my 777, ifly 747, pmdg 747, md-11 and works fine on all of them and more convienent than a seperate axis for the reverser.  Now you should be able to setup a spoiler axis and a flap axis on your quadrants. since you freed up 3 axis assignments.

Hi,
Thank you so much for your help. I think I will use this setting and use the other axis for spoiler and flaps(if it is worth it since it is free-moving levers).

Cheers
Hoang Le