THrustmaster Warthog

[Hoplite]

The RCS uses a gameport.  I really like the pedal spacing and feel of the RCS compared to CH pedals, but you do not have toe brakes.  The RCS does have issues with springs breaking (had to find an outside spring vendor to find replacement springs) and the stock pot does begin to spike.  A Hall sensor upgrade (google Cubpilot) makes the pedals rock solid and I have not needed to calibrate them in years.  I have seen some gameport to USB converters, but have also read that they have issues regarding accuracy.  I still need to do more research.  I am also modifying my Cougar gimbals using bearings that are designed for R/C micro-helicopters.  I am hopeful this will eliminate any joystick slop and prevent further wear...time will tell.

My apologies for the thread hi-jack....Now back to the Warthog programing. 

Converting an RCS to a USB capable rudder is pretty much child's play for someone with basic soldering skills and access to either an old USB joystick or a dedicated game board like those made by Leo Bodnar's bu0836, the U-HID, or even an Arduino UNO board (if you don't mind a little programming)! 

The RCS is easy to mod because there are no toe-breaks, through I've seen plenty of mods to add those over the years:






The spring can be a problem...but there have been some creative solutions to that as well.  Hydraulic pistons for the RCS:





Where there is a will...there is a way! 



Sorry...didn't mean to hijack the detour of the thread!   

[Flossy]

Thx Flossy, bit wizer now. Printed that map. Funny that you too have no real function for those fuel flow buttons  

OK McShark, YW.  Yeah those two switches aren't in the best position for reaching, especially with the throttle all the way forward, so I've tended to mainly use switches nearer the front. At least they are spare if I need anymore functions to map.  

Thanks Flossy, I will factor in the price of a USB converter or new pedals.  Does the Warthog seem to hold up better than the Cougar to justify the cost?

The Warthog is a massive improvement on the Cougar.  Instead of pots which are prone to wear and tear it has Hall Effect AccuRate Technology using 3D magnetic sensors that don't wear or get noisy over time.  

Found it that way as well.  Thanks!  

[edge12674]

The Warthog is a massive improvement on the Cougar.  Instead of pots which are prone to wear and tear it has Hall Effect AccuRate Technology using 3D magnetic sensors that don't wear or get noisy over time.  
 

I agree about the Cougar pots.  I upgraded my Cougar pots to Hall sensors a couple years ago and it was worth every penny.  My only issue with the Cougar now, is that the gimbals are made of aluminum and the pivot points for the elevator axis begins to elongate over time.  This results in 1/2 to 1 inch free play.  I have drilled out these pivot points and installed the R/C micro helicopter bearings.  Hopefully this will eliminate the problem of wear or at least make it easy to occasionally remedy the problem by a simple bearing replacement costing about $5.

[Getback]

Nice!  I looked at them but wow are they expensive.

[McShark]

Thx on all the hints and tips.

Getback, yes, very expensive toy. But worth every dime.

For anyone who is still scaling / tweaking his setup:

I have a pretty old mouse. It still is driven by a ball inside. So scaling, changing convergence and so on was usually a major PITA. Convergence 325? Not with my mouse. 300 yes, 350, 375 275 but 325? No sir....  Same with the stick scale. I want to raise just a tad... boingk.... 2 inches added....

You can go into settings, find your stick jsm file and edit the scale figures by editing the numbers... 3 decimals  including damping and deadzone 
Which means also you don''t need to ask anyone for a screeny of their scale... just ask for de jsm digits..... great reference for starters...
Who might have this sort of issues as well...

 

[save]

most fighter pilots should use scaling on elevator, else you are over-correcting very easy