Setting throttles PMDG dc 6 with PFC

[Louis]

I've hesitated buying this bird cause i pretty knew it would be a night mare , and sure enough . I've read post after post on getting my Precision flight control  2 engine quadrant to work with this DC-6 and right now I'm using  F2 and F3 . Is there a clear post with clear instructions here on how to get them working cause I've searched and came up empty .. Thanks Louis 

[Pete Dowson]

1 hour ago, Louis said:

I've hesitated buying this bird cause i pretty knew it would be a night mare , and sure enough . I've read post after post on getting my Precision flight control  2 engine quadrant to work with this DC-6 and right now I'm using  F2 and F3 . Is there a clear post with clear instructions here on how to get them working cause I've searched and came up empty ..

DC-6? Is that a new PMDG development?

What flight simulator and FSUIPC version are you using?
Is the PFC quadrant one of the serial port ones, using my PFCcom driver, or a normal USB joystick type, recognised as such by Windows?
What exactly is the problem with setting up the throttles?

Pete

 

[Louis]

I didn't want to bother you with this Pete so i waited as long as i could . i have version 5.152 . I've never had a problem with throttles in any of my aircraft, including  Pmdg , the general aircraft  like Carenado ,you name it there all ok but i hit a snag here .I'm running P3d version 4 , I have the Controls --DISABLED in P3d setting, the rudders,  the yoke, and brakes, was no problem setting up but i just can't get the throttles to respond no how . In the aircraft they DON"T move , I have the  Precision flight control quadrant i have the 2 engine one . I've read post after post about lots having  the same problem, and  yes it's  the serial port one and never had a problem with it . This aircraft has been out for about 4 - 5 yrs and pmdg quality and very realistic like every thing else they put out. What they are suggesting is setting one throttle that control every thing but don't know if I'm reading the  instructions wrong but  I'm not having any luck .. I go to Axis Assignment   bring up   Throttle  Send direct to FSUIPC  then i move the one throttle up and down  then i go to Joystick Calibration  on page 1  where is says Throttle but using PFC and i tick Map to 4 throttles but nothing works then i go to the ini file in modules i delete it and start over but no luck and I'm using F2 and F3 in the mean time .. It sure been a long time since we were in Seattle ha ----Louis ---Canada 

[John Dowson]

21 minutes ago, Louis said:

i have version 5.152

That's quite old now (24/07/2019) - latest version if 5.157. You should update. Although it won't help you with your problem.
I'm not familiar with that PFC driver so I'll leave that to Pete!

 

[Pete Dowson]

1 hour ago, Louis said:

I have the  Precision flight control quadrant i have the 2 engine one . I've read post after post about lots having  the same problem

Lots of folks having problems with the same throttle quadrant? All with the DC-6? How come you are the first here for support? I'm puzzled.

First, let's separate the components:

1. Is it a problem ONLY with the DC-6

2. Or is it a problem with the Quadrant on multiple aircraft

3. Or is it a problem you have with the PFC driver (PFCcom64.dll)?

1 hour ago, Louis said:

I've never had a problem with throttles in any of my aircraft, including  Pmdg , the general aircraft  like Carenado ,you name it there all ok

So, no problem with the quadrant or the driver?

1 hour ago, Louis said:

.I'm running P3d version 4 , I have the Controls --DISABLED in P3d setting, the rudders,  the yoke, and brakes, was no problem setting up but i just can't get the throttles to respond no how . In the aircraft they DON"T move

Sorry, this is still confusing. Have you just changed to P3D4 and FSUIPC5?  If so is the throttle not working at all in any aircraft?

Or does the "never had a problem with throttles in any of my aircraft" comment apply to P3D4, and you only have a problem with the DC-6?

1 hour ago, Louis said:

I go to Axis Assignment   bring up   Throttle  Send direct to FSUIPC

Most PMDG aircraft don't like that route. you normally have to use the AXIS_THROTTLE in the FS control list instead. And they don't like FSUIPC calibration.

1 hour ago, Louis said:

then i go to Joystick Calibration  on page 1  where is says Throttle but using PFC and i tick Map to 4 throttles but nothing works

Nothing works in the calibration? No changes, nothing happens at all?

Sorry, but I still can't make head nor tail or what your problem is, exactly. 

Please also try to split your posts into separate paragraphs. it isn't easy to read one large block of technical text and make full sense of it.

Pete

 

[Louis]

Yes only with the DC-6 PMDG

Never ever had a problem with multiple aircraft

Been using P3D version 4 since it came out

I'm up to date with the PFC driver, and  In the calibration of FSUIPC when I move the throttle levers they all show up moving fine  but in the sim nothing moves

 I agree with you on why no one has come here for support but doing a search there seems to be multiple questions on the DC 6 --here's one

 https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/538230-pmdg-dc-6-and-pfc-throttle-quadrant/

 

[Pete Dowson]

1 hour ago, Louis said:

In the calibration of FSUIPC when I move the throttle levers they all show up moving fine  but in the sim nothing moves

Well I'm sorry, but I haven't a clue. If everything works in all other aircraft (including PMDG ones) then there must surely be something wrong with your DC-6 install.

1 hour ago, Louis said:

 I agree with you on why no one has come here for support but doing a search there seems to be multiple questions on the DC 6 --here's one

 https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/538230-pmdg-dc-6-and-pfc-throttle-quadrant/

That thread actually talks more about how "BlueStar" got it to work, which does therefore suggest it is more to do with your specific DC-6 install. Hqve you uninstalled and re-installed it, in case? Have you checked for updates?

Pete

 

[Louis]

After about a week I'm one step closer . I have a PFC Yoke and it has a throttle slider on it, and i just noticed on their site the  throttle is not included with a yoke any more. On the P3D axis  page my yoke is in the drop down menu so i set an axis to Throttle 1   Controllers Enabled 

In the DC-6 now the number one throttle only works with the slider throttle on my yoke .PMDG ticket support say they wont help me setting it up cause they don't have support for FSUIPC so I'm on my own to see if i can map then to the  DC-6  throttles. So far i deleted all my DC-6 throttle profile in the FSUIPC .ini  file  to start over .

In  FSUIPC I have  axis Assignment to Throttle 1 set-  send to FS as Normal, then Joystick Calibration page Map to 4 throttles is checked  -go to page 3 

Says Throttle 1 but using PFC and  moving the slider up and down the numbers register fine  but in the DC-6 only the number 1 throttle moves so ill keep playing with it 

 

[Pete Dowson]

35 minutes ago, Louis said:

I have a PFC Yoke and it has a throttle slider on it, and i just noticed on their site the  throttle is not included with a yoke any more

Well, I've been involved with PFC for many years, and i've never seen anything about a yoke with a throttle slider! Are you sure it's PFC? Can you show a pic?

37 minutes ago, Louis said:

On the P3D axis  page my yoke is in the drop down menu so i set an axis to Throttle 1   Controllers Enabled 

So your yoke is a regular joystick type device recognised as such by Windows and not needing any PFC module loaded in FSUIPC? Right?

47 minutes ago, Louis said:

Says Throttle 1 but using PFC

Now that doesn't match what you said about P3D seeing it. "Using PFC" means you have a PFC dll loaded by FSUIPC.  The two things can't both be true, surely.

49 minutes ago, Louis said:

Says Throttle 1 but using PFC and  moving the slider up and down the numbers register fine  but in the DC-6 only the number 1 throttle moves so ill keep playing with it 

And what do the other throttles on that page say after you calibrate? They should all move together!

Sorry, but your post is rather confusing. Please be much more specific on the detail next time you post.

Pete

 

[Louis]

I had this yoke way before i met you in Seattle Pete ,and never ever used the throttle,  but now PMDG said the DC-6 is designed to use the Default throttle .All my aircraft PMDG 737 -777 you name it Aerosoft  twin otter, the Dukes , A2A i never had a problem till this DC-6 came along so here is some pictures . 

[Pete Dowson]

5 hours ago, Louis said:

I had this yoke way before i met you in Seattle Pete ,and never ever used the throttle, 

The only picture showing anything by PFC is the one of the Cirrus console, not just a yoke. You have the incorporated throttle quadrant so why aren't you making use of that?

I've never seen a Cirrus with a slider on the yoke and I don't see one on yours!?

And the only Cirrus I had was the one I needed to develop the PFChid.dll driver, as it was a USB HID device.  Did they make serial port Cirrus before that?

5 hours ago, Louis said:

PMDG said the DC-6 is designed to use the Default throttle

I'm sure they must mean the default throttle AXES -- i.e. the Axis ThrottleN Set controls. They can't expect folks with 4 lever throttle quadrants to control all engines with one lever! That is just not PMDG!

Anyway, the problem with your question here is that you've proven that your controls work fine with FSUIPC and all other aircraft. As we can't support PMDG's aircraft we are unlikely to be able to solve it. and as PMDG sound, if not unhelpful, perhaps misleading, it seems your only recourse is to try the various options till you find what works, starting with the main advice we have to give to all PMDG users:

Assign only to AXIS THROTTLEn SET controls, and don't calibrate in FSUIPC.

Pete

 

 

[Louis]

Just to let you know in case it could help  some one that I found it . You'll see  the pictures ---I  made a user conf7 in the PFC quadrant settings   but  in the DC-6 the throttles would only go to about 60% power  no matter how i tried to calibrate them,  and only the gauges would show movement in the cockpit,   the throttles them selves would not move at all . So for some reason don't know why I  UNticked the "Suppress Interference" check  box and now everything works fine .. Thanks again 

[Pete Dowson]

42 minutes ago, Louis said:

Just to let you know in case it could help  some one that I found it . You'll see  the pictures ---I  made a user conf7 in the PFC quadrant settings   but  in the DC-6 the throttles would only go to about 60% power  no matter how i tried to calibrate them,  and only the gauges would show movement in the cockpit,   the throttles them selves would not move at all . So for some reason don't know why I  UNticked the "Suppress Interference" check  box and now everything works fine .. Thanks again 

Okay. Thanks!

Pete