Thrustmaster Warthog question

[Will]

This question was inspired by the recent thread about flying straight and level.

In PSX, when I look at the USB page, I see that the vertical axis on my Warthog joystick sits perfectly at 0. Therefore, I keep the neutral zone in PSX at zero, and I've never had any uncommanded movements of the yoke along the vertical axis.

However, when I let go of the stick, the aileron returns to a random value from 0 to 15 or -15. If I give the aileron the slightest nudge, it will change by a number or two before the centering springs kick in. It's like the centering springs kick in at 15 or -15, instead of precisely at 1 and -1. So I keep the neutral zone on that axis at 20, and I've never had any uncommanded movements of the yoke with that number.

I suppose this isn't a problem, but it does make me wonder why the aileron axis has that tiny bit of play in it. Do other Warthog users see this? Is it something that can be adjusted?

[Off topic, I know. Probably should have posted in the Accessories forum, please feel free to move it there.]

[Hardy Heinlin]

Not sure what you mean by "I let go of the stick", but what I don't like on the Warthog is this: A disc sits on a disc platform. Both axes are perfectly on the null when the one disc sits flat on the other disc, like a clutch. But as soon as the stick is off-center, i.e. when the disc is tilted, there is no x-guidance and no y-guidance anymore. There is no 2-dimensional feel anymore. You can't even set full x-deflection and full y-deflection at the same time. You only get the sine of 45° then. Max deflection on one axis is only possible when the other axis is centered. This is because the whole design is based on a disc.

The principle is like a round christmas tree stand. As soon as the tree is tilted, there is just one centering force; there is no side force, nor towards any x nor to any y axis. It can be tilted in any direction -- the centering force is always the same and always towards the center.


|-|ardy

[Will]

Well, I was going by memory and posting at work. Now that I'm home, I see that the variance is always on the positive side, so 0-15. And what I mean by "I let go of the stick" is that I move the stick about 25% of its travel in any direction and simply let go, by which I mean that I please my grip and let the springs return the stick to the neutral position.


When I do that, the Elevator deflection as viewed on the Preferences > USB is always zero, but the Aileron deflection is some random number between 0 and 15.