Author Topic: Fed Up with Spiking. (Read 776 times)

eskimo2 · « **on:** January 11, 2003, 10:46:34 AM »

I have CH Pro: Throttle, F-16 Fighterstick and Peddals. All are gameport.

Every 6 months or so spiking gets pretty bad, so I order new pots, swap them out, and things are fine. I used to try cleaning them, but they would spike again in a few weeks.

I've had to crank up the deadband and dampening and would still get "Don't move your joystick like such a tard" message.
So I just ordered 2 pots for the joystick, and 1 for the rudders.
Replaced all three pots, and if anything, things are WORSE.

The graph in AH calibration shows HUGE spikes, as much as 25 to 50% of the entire movement travel. So I still have to crank deadband and dampening way up higher than is usable. Autopilot won't stay on. "Don't m,ove your joystick like such a tard" message still comes on. I can't even shoot a tanks main gun at range... can't hold on one spot.

I'm running Windows ME, and I calibrated in Windows and in AH. This is the first time that I've replaced the pots since I got my "new" hand me down machine (Athelon 1400, Geeforce 4200, 256 DDR RAM)

My input stuff is pretty old... maybe 3 years. I've replaced the pots on everything several times already.

My question(s) are;

1. Is there some kind of a setting in Windows that could be adjusted to help this?

2. Can there be something else wrong with my input stuff that could cause spiking besides the pots? (Other than spiking, everything seems to work fine.)

3. Is there a stick out there that is not prone to spiking? (Everything that I've ever had has had a problem with this; 4 TM devices and 4 Saitek devices, and my current CH stuff)

Thanks,

eskimo

mrsid2 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 11, 2003, 11:58:25 AM »

Ive used MS PP1 for 2 years and never had to dampen it or see a single spike (optical) so I'd go that way if I were you.

Too bad they quit making the pp1, I hear pp2 isn't as well planned (button placement etc.)

SOB · « **Reply #2 on:** January 11, 2003, 02:13:48 PM »

You're obviously mistaken Eskimo, CH Products pots never spike.

Seriously tho', if you have another joystick and could stand using it for a week or so, you might wanna try that and see if the other joystick develops the same type of problem. If it does, then it could be any number of things, including your game port.

SOB

eskimo2 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 11, 2003, 02:51:40 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by SOB
You're obviously mistaken Eskimo, CH Products pots never spike.

Seriously tho', if you have another joystick and could stand using it for a week or so, you might wanna try that and see if the other joystick develops the same type of problem. If it does, then it could be any number of things, including your game port.

SOB

Hmm...?

Integrated game port on an El Cheapo MotherBoard.

eskimo

SOB · « **Reply #4 on:** January 11, 2003, 05:06:38 PM »

That's a good thing...makes it easy to try an alternative if you have another sound card you can pop in there for a test. It's a long shot, but I've seen stranger. Oh, and if you do this, be sure to disable the on-board game port...it WILL cause weirdness to have two game ports set to 0201...and Windoze won't really do anything with a game port set to any other address.

SOB

woodfordb · « **Reply #5 on:** January 11, 2003, 06:00:34 PM »

I also like monkeys.

riplip101 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 11, 2003, 06:01:13 PM »

mke sure that you have your stick calibrated in the stick settings. Also new pots would do it.

funkedup · « **Reply #7 on:** January 11, 2003, 10:06:43 PM »

I've had a bunch of CH USB stuff that doesn't spike. The only gameport stick I've had that didn't spike was a MS Sidewinder Precision Pro.

Basically the problem is that the analog/digital converters in gameports SUCK, and also there is a lot of interference created when transferring the analog signal from the pot to the gameport. The inside of a PC is a rough environment for analog circuitry.

USB sticks have the A/D converter built into the stick so they don't experience the interference. Also I bet the A/D converter in the stick is better than the one in the gameport. I don't know much about current gameports but the classic PC gameport was based on an incredibly crappy IBM design.

SOB · « **Reply #8 on:** January 11, 2003, 10:37:46 PM »

Yeah, I'm like 99% sure that the game ports you see today are the same pieces of toejame than the original IBM spec.

SOB

funkedup · « **Reply #9 on:** January 12, 2003, 02:32:17 AM »

If your gameport is using the Windows gameport driver (the one that ships with Windows), then it is the same old piece of toejame.

eskimo2 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 12, 2003, 09:31:06 AM »

So going to all USB really helps? Alot?

BTW SOB,

I still like pizza,
but I may like monkeys more...

eskimo

Griego · « **Reply #11 on:** January 12, 2003, 02:08:24 PM »

I like to spank the monkey.

SOB · « **Reply #12 on:** January 12, 2003, 02:42:41 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by funkedup
If your gameport is using the Windows gameport driver (the one that ships with Windows), then it is the same old piece of toejame.

In case you were in doubt, my last post was not sarcasm...I was serious. They are aniquated turds.

SOB

Eagler · « **Reply #13 on:** January 12, 2003, 03:21:50 PM »

USB

no spikes since I switched over years ago

funkedup · « **Reply #14 on:** January 13, 2003, 11:25:00 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by SOB
In case you were in doubt, my last post was not sarcasm...I was serious. They are aniquated turds.

SOB

Amen brother