Woe is me...

[mtnman]

I'm on my third X52.  On the first two, everything worked fine initially, but on both the pinky shift button died very quickly.  It lasted about a week on the first one, about a day on the second.  In "properties" it appears to flicker...

No real problem, I buy the exchange/replace deal, so just take 'em back to Best Buy and get a new one.

Here's my problem-

I use button "D" on the throttle for my "look up" control, and the center HAT switch on my stick as the normal views.  Coupled together, they give me the "up left", etc views.  That has worked well on the two previous sticks, but not on my most recent replacement.

On my new stick, I can't get the "up" view to couple correctly with the normal views.

It works as it should for the first command (up back left, say) but as I track a bogie it will only allow me to move my HAT switch one position before it "locks", forcing me to let go of the up button and reset it.

For example, if I spot a bogie at my "high back left", I can hold my up button as he moves into my "high left" position, but as he moves into my "high front left" position I can no longer track him.  The view stays locked on "high left" until I let go of the up button and then depress it.  This will give me two more moves before it locks again.  But it flips my view back to front before I can look for him again...

This is driving me nuts!  I normally keep the bogie in sight as I manuever, but this forces me to look away from him multiple times in a fight and then forces me to re-acquire him again.  It's getting me kilt!

Any ideas?  I re-installed the drivers with no effect.

MtnMan

[Obie303]

For example, if I spot a bogie at my "high back left", I can hold my up button as he moves into my "high left" position, but as he moves into my "high front left" position I can no longer track him. The view stays locked on "high left" until I let go of the up button and then depress it. This will give me two more moves before it locks again. But it flips my view back to front before I can look for him again...

Good to know since you shot me down last night.    

Seriously though, I'm not too familiar with the Saitek line so I can't offer you too much advice there.  I have talked to many people here regarding the reliability of Saitek sticks and everyone says that they don't last compared to others.  I've been using a Microsoft Force Feedback 2 for almost 10+ years and I haven't had an issue (besides my wife sucking up the USB cable with the vacuum).  Of course, there is the CH line.  Everyone says those sticks are the best.

Hope you get it sorted out.  


Obie

[A8TOOL]

Buy Ch Products and you will not have these problems and a few more buttons to boot.

They last YEARS not Days, Weeks or a Few Months like most of the other stick manufactures.
I've read over and over again how some guys just keep buying the same crap until it's discontinued or the new version comes out. Just because it's been replaced does not mean it's any better. I realize the X52 is popular but if you need to buy 2 or 3 a year whats the sense.

Ch Stick peds and throt will cost you almost 300 if you shop right for it.... 320 if you don't. If your running an operating system lower than xp you could buy the old CH hotas stuff for under a 100 complete but used. I used mine for 4 years and never had a prob until I switched to XP. Old Ch stuff does not work with it.

[Spikes]

I use the "F8" function more that setting all my hat positions...it seems to work well.

[Rich46yo]

I have the X-52 and I'd agree to buy CH. I'll never buy Saitek again. For one thing I cant get Hat-1 to map at all in SST. I use it for views too. So I use the AH software to map views in Hat-1.

                            But....I cant map look forward, which I use for bombers/bomb sights, in one AH plane-1 mode, and then map the same forward hat-1 to look up in a different plane mode, like 3 or 4. So everytime I want to fly a fighter I have to manually switch look forward to look up.

                         As for the SST? They are still in a beta release that first came out in May. So hats that tell you about Saitek? Ive had enough of them and their products and this one is the last straw.

                        My rudders lock up all the time, causing me to take them apart and unstick them. They said they were going to send me a fix but never did. Enough.

[betty]

Originally posted by mtnman
I'm on my third X52.  On the first two, everything worked fine initially, but on both the pinky shift button died very quickly.  It lasted about a week on the first one, about a day on the second.  In "properties" it appears to flicker...

No real problem, I buy the exchange/replace deal, so just take 'em back to Best Buy and get a new one.

Here's my problem-

I use button "D" on the throttle for my "look up" control, and the center HAT switch on my stick as the normal views.  Coupled together, they give me the "up left", etc views.  That has worked well on the two previous sticks, but not on my most recent replacement.

On my new stick, I can't get the "up" view to couple correctly with the normal views.

It works as it should for the first command (up back left, say) but as I track a bogie it will only allow me to move my HAT switch one position before it "locks", forcing me to let go of the up button and reset it.

For example, if I spot a bogie at my "high back left", I can hold my up button as he moves into my "high left" position, but as he moves into my "high front left" position I can no longer track him.  The view stays locked on "high left" until I let go of the up button and then depress it.  This will give me two more moves before it locks again.  But it flips my view back to front before I can look for him again...

This is driving me nuts!  I normally keep the bogie in sight as I manuever, but this forces me to look away from him multiple times in a fight and then forces me to re-acquire him again.  It's getting me kilt!

Any ideas?  I re-installed the drivers with no effect.

MtnMan

i know how ya feel mtnman! my x52 givin me problems also...the other night 420ace and i were in pony's i had 2 kills and 2 assists and was rtb and mind u...excited as hell cuz it would have been FIRST time i landed kills in a pony....so anys i'm flyin around all the sudden plane noses down and i couldnt gain control...got the " dont move controls rapildy...blah blah blah" as this was all happening the rest of my ammo was shooting out by itself....i was hella mad and logged for the night..

[bongaroo]

isn't yours busted cause verbal spilt soda all over it?

[betty]

well....that is possibly why...not sure...but...it still sucked hehe

[splitatom]

longitecs work fine after a about a year they have a dead spot wich the thing doesnt pick up any movement but it isnt that big it cost me $45 to get it it works great

[The Fugitive]

Originally posted by splitatom
longitecs work fine after a about a year they have a dead spot wich the thing doesnt pick up any movement but it isnt that big it cost me $45 to get it it works great

So at $45 a year, for how ever long, or $300 up front for a CH set-up and maybe never have to buy another set. hmmmmm I stick with my CH stuff  

[SKJohn]

I've been using my X45 for about 3-4 years with almost no problems.  I also ditched my CH rudder pedals and bought Saitek rudder pedals because I got tired of sending the CH pedals in every 6 months for repair.  The Saitek pedals are also wider and more comfortable for someone who is "horizontally gifted" as I am.

I realize that my experience with the CH pedals defintely is not the norm - for most people they work and work and work.

I feel like the Saitek products give people a more affordable alternative to the CH line, yet better quality and durability than, say, Logitech.  Sure - If I had the money I might invest in a CH stick with all the good things I've heard about them - but the X45 works fine for me, I have no problems mapping it to do what I need, and it fits my hand (and budget) perfectly.

[Latrobe]

Apparently I'm the only one with a good X52 controller . Everyone saying they break easy, mtnman on his 3rd, Rich46yo can't get his hat switch to map correctly. I've had mine for a year now and still have no problems with it.

[mtnman]

The two sticks I had previously (both X52's) worked fine apart from the shift button failing, which I don't use anyway.  This current issue is a problem though.  Any button I use on the throttle seems to be over shadowed by the buttons on the stick.

I'm currently using the shift button as my "look up", with ok results.  I'm concerned it will fail on this stick though too.  Right now the new arrangement does feel kind of awkward, and I died once last night due to that.

I paid $100 for the new stick, with a two year replacement for $20.  I didn't replace it when the shift broke, because I didn't care (I didn't use it).  I replaced the first one after a year, when the HAT switch started to go bad.  I replaced the second one after 11 months because the trigger started going bad (and I wanted a new stick before the warranty ran out).  I bought another replacement warranty for $20 again.

Replacement is easy, walk into the store, give them the bad stick.  Grab a new one off the shelf, walk out.  No wait.  No downtime waiting for a repair or replacement. Effectively the cost for a replacement is $10 (two replacements over a two year period for the $20 warranty.

A CH stick would be nice, but I've heard of problems with those too.

At the current rate, to equal the $300 cost of a CH stick I'd have to replace Saitek sticks for twenty years.  Will the CH stick be worth it in the end?  After 19 years I'll theoretically be on my 19th brand new Saitek stick.  

How will the CH stick be looking then?  Do they have a replacement plan too?  It would need to be free, or wouldn't be equal to the plan I'm on now.

I would like to figure out why my buttons don't work on stick #3 like they did on stick #1 and #2.

MtnMan

[betty]

maybe ur too hard on ur sticks mtnman! u need to be gentle with ur stick...become one with it.....and it could also b that damn corsair flying u keep doing! hehe

[Dutchie]

I have my second X52 now and setup most functions in the AH joystick configuration page, I only use the SST software to configure the 4-way throttle "mouse" switch (that one wont configure in AH).

I set the up and down views on the 4-way throttle switch located on the front on the throttle (above the rudder rocker, and configured from AH joystick conf page) -> view up on 4 way switch up, and down on 4 way switch down, they combine nicely with HAT-1 on the main stick for looking around.