Is it my Saitek X52 or is it AH?

[Gorf]

Hello,
I just dug out my old X52 Saitek and started up Aces High after a 3 year break. Took a while to get everything setup but now when I start flying I barely twist the stick for rudder control and plane flops back and forth as if I was over doing it, the system then gives me a message of "Don't move your controls so rapidly?" I barely touch it. One thing I notice is when I twist the stick the ruder does not react right away and when it does it flops all over as if wiped it quickly to one side. I can't line up for squat with the rudder because of the eratic movements

I went into the advanced control setting for the X, Y, z
I noticed the Z rotation numbers are going nuts.. I barely touch it and the number change, well they are changing all the time. (not sure if this is common with the X52, I bought a refurbished one)

Currently all the stick setting in advanced are as default minus the Z which I set it to "enable scaling". That seemed to help a little , not much though.

So with all this, I really want to get back into AH after 3 years but not sure if its the Stick that is bad, the load, or my PC. This issues existed when I left AH and during my long stint of flying. It just seems like its overally bad now. I have Windows 7 64bit. Don't think that maters but offering it up.
Also, if you all think the stick is bad, what is recommended stick. Don't want the rudders. I miss my old MS Sidewinder stick were everything was in one stick, no separate throttle but I know they don't them anymore.

[Skuzzy]

Did you try using the "Calibrate Axis" button to calibrate the rudder axis (in Map Controllers)?

[Gorf]

Yes I just tried but issue is still there. The numbers are still going nuts.

Also,
I just now noticed the slider is going crazy also.

[Yossarian]

Don't take my word for it (I know very little about joysticks), but if all your axes are going nuts, it sounds like something different...maybe a cable problem, or software?

[Skuzzy]

Did you try for a calibration in Windows?

Are you using the Saitek control manager?

[Gorf]

Been doing in AH and WIndows. WIndows Z axis freaking out also.

I would say is a bad joystick.

Skuzzy and all thanks for the efforts.

[Skuzzy]

Yes, if it is showing the same results in Windows and a calibration does not tame it, then I would suspect the joystick as well.

[Tigger29]

That's not uncommon to happen to a used potentiometer on a joystick after sitting for a long period of time.  You could disassemble the joystick and clean them, but it's most likely only a temporary fix.  You might have some luck by unplugging the joystick, moving the potentiometers back and forth through their full range of motion pretty fast for about 60 seconds (for the rudder, throttle, both trim wheels and slider) and then plugging in the joystick.  If this doesn't cure it I think a replacement joystick is in order.

In the meantime, as a stopgap, you can still use the X and Y axis on the joystick.  These two axis use hall-effect sensors instead of potentiometers.. which won't go bad.

[Bosco123]

Could try deadband, although that doesnt nessisarily solve the problem.

<S>

[Gorf]

THanks for tips, will try them all.
Cheers,