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Apron => Accessories => Topic started by: Ton van Bochove on Mon, 8 Feb 2021 18:45

Title: Thrustmaster Warthog joystick sensitivity
Post by: Ton van Bochove on Mon, 8 Feb 2021 18:45
I should have bought that joystick years ago...what a joy and precision. I love the chunk of metal in my hand but...
I find the aileron too sensitive. I think a bit more sluggish would give a better resemblance with the real steering of the plane and make it less nervous at the landing.
I read the calibration tutorial but I could not find the answer. On the moment the joystick is calibrated 1000, 0, -1000. I think I get it more sluggish to alter the zero to a certain range but I don't know how to do this and I don't know if this is the right thing to get a more sluggish feel. Any help is appreciated.
Title: Re: Thrustmaster Warthog joystick sensitivity
Post by: Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers on Mon, 8 Feb 2021 20:57
First, the recommended way to calibrate is to make sure that the joy stick indicator at the top-left of the windshield follows your stick input exactly and to the limits. If you get this right, then the airplane responds in the best possible realistic way for your hardware.

If you have it all calibrated like this and it still feels a bit over-sensitive, and you want to change the aircraft instead of train to it, you can play with the min and max values to see whether you can artificially reduce the throw of your hardware, or extend it. For example you can set the values so that you do never reach the outer limits of the display indicator, so you give away authority, but you get back better precision in the lesser extension areas.

The null zone is basically the skip. Zero means you get the full precision/resolution of your hardware. More than zero and it starts to become staircased. This is to calm down nervous hardware that vibrates around even if you leave it alone. Good quality hardware needs no such harsh treatment -- leave it at zero.


Hoppie
Title: Re: Thrustmaster Warthog joystick sensitivity
Post by: Hardy Heinlin on Mon, 8 Feb 2021 21:20
You can only make the stick more effective, not less effective. You can't set the outer values beyond +/- 1000 as this is the USB limit. You could set it lower, e.g. to 800, then your PSX yoke would already reach full deflection when your USB stick is only 80% deflected.

If you reduce your yoke control authority, you will get problems in situations when full deflection is actually required. Note that the aileron roll rate and inertia depend on airspeed and gross weight and the rate also depends on certain system modes (aileron lockout etc.). I wouldn't make it less effective than Boeing has designed it. You'd have to retest your modification in countless different situations and configurations.

I have the same stick and I find the aileron control pretty good for that price. As this stick uses a very precise Hall sensor system, the USB calibration setting should be exactly -1000, 0, 1000.

If you've used a lighter stick before, perhaps you just need to get used to these heavier controls.

However, I understand that this stick requires a high break-out force from the center position. Once it is off-center, the force feedback is lighter. Maybe that's the point you mean, Ton. Indeed, this effect is not so realistic. It feels a bit like a switch in the center area. But thanks to that, the center neutral zone can be set to 0. And you can't eliminate this switch effect in the hardware anyway by making the overall aileron control less effective.


Regards,

|-|ardy
Title: Re: Thrustmaster Warthog joystick sensitivity
Post by: Ton van Bochove on Mon, 8 Feb 2021 23:09
Thanks for all the input. It is clear to me now that fiddling on the calibration make it probably worse than better.
Title: Re: Thrustmaster Warthog joystick sensitivity
Post by: United744 on Tue, 2 Mar 2021 14:51
I removed the big spring from mine. It still has a bit of force from the remaining springs, but nothing compared to the big spring.

I found it greatly improved my flying as I could feel the stick better. Putting too much pressure asgainst a spring actually reduces the ability to judge where the stick is, I find. It also feels more natural, and eliminates the forced stick center.
Title: Re: Thrustmaster Warthog joystick sensitivity
Post by: Ton van Bochove on Tue, 2 Mar 2021 20:22
Quote from: United744 on Tue,  2 Mar 2021 14:51
I removed the big spring from mine. It still has a bit of force from the remaining springs, but nothing compared to the big spring.

Now I am used to the heavy spring I really love it!