Help please! Saitek controls

[Drewsta]

Hi guys , pulling my hair out here at the moment. I have just spent $600 on the Saitek yoke with throttles plus extra throttles and rudder pedals. They look and feel great but I can't get my head around how to program them! Either i'm brain dead or my cd software is crap because i can't figure out how to make the toe brakes work or how to make first throttle engine 1 , 2nd engine 2, 3rd prop 1, 4th prop 2 etc. I thought the whole programming thing was going to be easy but it's not looking that way for me. Any one have a step through i could use? The manual that comes with it is pretty vague or maybe it's late and i'm not reading it right.
Thanks in advance.

[Drewsta]

I worked out finally how to assign thr throttles etc with the axis assignments which was a start. I notice though that the full travel of some of the axis on the throttles etc is not happening. Throttle 2 for instance starts at about 1/4 and goes through to only about 3/4 travel on the ingame cockpit?? Anyone know a work around for this?

[warvet]

Drewsta,
Go to Start- Settings- control panel -then game controllers, its essential that this is where you configure Joysticks and Rudder Pedals properly to get full movement. I know this sounds like Baby step info but it is essential to getting your stick and rudders to work properly. You can also program them to be even more detailed in FSUIPC. Hope this helps.

Regards

Tim
A340
Canada

[steveeverson]

He Drewsta,
I have a similar setup, 2x saitek yokes 2x throttles and one set of rudder pedals (saving up for another set!)

Couple of things that I found with the saiteks -

firstly in FS9 /FSX DELETE all your joystick assignments inc button assignments.

then Go to FSUIPC and configure them there- eg throttle and flap positions , axes etc.

secondly- make sure that you are not plugging everything into one usb hub. I found that the yokes are quite power hungry and had all sorts of random problems until i plugged one yoke into the PC and another one into a seperate powered USB hub.

hope that helps
Steve:D

[Drewsta]

Thanks heaps for your input guys. I will try those ideas soon and let you know how it works!

[Drewsta]

Hey guys, still haven't got full movement. I have the yoke connected to the computer usb, both throttle quadrants are connected directly to the yoke and the rudder pedals are connected to the pc usb. In start, control panel, game controllers there is no option to calibrate ( only test) but when tested everything has full motion and buttons light up etc. In game some controls only have 25% movement. Not sure what to do now? Fsuipc looks just as hard to configure as the saitek software (at a glance). I was hoping this saitek gear would be a simple plug and play setup. The controls do work just not properly. If i cant calibrate through windows how do i go about setting all the parameters and buttons? If i completely delete all assignments in flightsim and start again would that help at all?

[Adino]

Drewsta,
I picked this one on the net I hope it helps you out:

1) Open FS then open the FSUIPC module from within FS
2) Click on the Joystick tab
3) You'll be at Page 1 of 8 there. Select the box in the lower right corner of that page (I think it says something like "Map to 4 throttles" or something similar). Make sure that is checked.
4) Go then to Page 3of 8 to calibrate the #1 Throttle (top left). Ignore the other throttle setups - they will mimic #1 and you don't need them anyway.
4a) Move your throttle all the way back to the stop. Click the left-most of the 3 "SET" buttons. That maps the full reverse (minimum position) of your throttle control.
4b) Move the throttle to the full forward position and click the right-most "SET" button (remember, this is ALL within the #1 Throttle, so click the right-most of the 3-in-a-row SET buttons). That maps the high for full throttle position.
4c) This is where you set up your "idle" position. Find a throttle position that you would like to serve as an idle point for thrust (ground idle). I put mine about 1/3 of the way up from the full reverse position on the throttle quadrant). Mark it somehow (I used masking tape), then hit the "idle" "SET" button. You aren't done yet there (do NOT move the throttle now!!). OK, you will want a bit of an idle zone, so now move the throttle ahead just a bit so that you will have some leeway in the idle position. Don't move it too far, but enough that you will feel a difference. When you've moved it (say 3 or 4 mm) FORWARD then hit the "idle" SET button a second time.
5) Close the FSUIPC window and give it a try. You will now have reverse thrust on your throttle.

NOW - a BIG caution here!!!! Read this twice, at LEAST!! With this setup, YOU WILL NOW BE ABLE TO MOVE THE THROTTLES INTO FULL REVERSE AT ANY TIME USING THE THROTTLE LEVER. THIS MEANS YOU CAN DO THAT IN THE AIR TOO!! IF YOU DO DO THAT IN THE AIR, THE RESULTS WILL BE RATHER.... "EMBARRASSING", to say the least So, be careful with this setup when flying any airplane that has a reverse setting to it, or you quite suddenly find out what the term "drag" REALLY means <LOL>.

[Drewsta]

A very big thankyou to Adino and all who helped me out with getting my Saitek controls to workproperly. They are fantastic and really do add to the realism. Thanks to that great Peter Dowson FSUIPC program i have everything programmed and running normally.