Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: Xasthur on February 16, 2008, 11:25:37 AM

Title: X52 Problem
Post by: Xasthur on February 16, 2008, 11:25:37 AM

G'day guys, I've recently purchased a Saitek X52 set-up and it has been great apart from two things.

1: It squeaks like a mouse on ecstasy

2: (and more seriously) It has a tendency to completely flip out about once a week.

Everything is calibrated as it should be and the stick works better than fine for a week or two and then without warning it seems to instantly recalibrate itself in a strong nose-down manner.

I'll be engaged and pulling through a turn and all of a sudden the nose will drop and all inputs on the vertical axis will become very twitchy making it impossible to fight and difficult to maintain level flight.

An in-game recalibration will fix the problem and restore it to perhaps 90% performance but this will only last long enough to RTB and does not suffice for further fighting.

Someone was kind enough to post a Saitek recalibration pack which completely re-writes its directory or something of this nature.

This requires un-plugging the stick, running the re-cal. then plugging it back in and recalibrating the stick through AH (for trim and RPM sliders mainly).

I've had Saitek sticks in the past and I never had a problem like this. My Evo's vertical axis gradually degraded over time, so I replaced it. The just X52 goes haywire every now and then.

As it is now I have a fix for the problem but it is frustrating at times.

Has anyone come across this before?

Any input is much appreciated.

Cheers,

-Arch

Title: X52 Problem
Post by: zmeg on February 16, 2008, 11:47:36 AM

Assuming the stick is not defective, there are two possabilties I can think of. First your motherboard may not be able to supply enough power to operate the hall sensors properly, a power USB hub will fix this problem. Second a strong magnet, such as a subwoofer, too close to the stick will interfere with the magnetic hall sensors.

Title: X52 Problem
Post by: Eagler on February 16, 2008, 06:39:43 PM

powered usb hub

Title: X52 Problem
Post by: SD67 on February 16, 2008, 07:00:23 PM

Hey Arch.
I'd look at the powered hub (though I've used my X52 and pedals via the on board USB without any issues for over a year now) too and to fix your squeaks get some 3in1 silicone spray and using a cloth apply it to the underside of the centring cone.

Title: X52 Problem
Post by: Xasthur on February 17, 2008, 02:42:00 AM

Thanks for the responses guys. Before I realised the pots were magnetic I had the stick resting on top of a studio monitor speaker. It's not huge but it is a speaker. Is it possible that a couple of months exposure to this has created some sort of permanent magnetic 'footprint' on the pots?

The stick now sits next to a very small desktop speaker and I expect any magnetic output from that would be minimal.

I will try the powered USB hub as I have been meaning to do that anyway.

Cheers for the silicone suggestion too.

Much appreciated lads, thank you.

Title: X52 Problem
Post by: SD67 on February 17, 2008, 03:58:26 AM

I think you should be OK.
:aok

Title: X52 Problem
Post by: Xasthur on February 17, 2008, 06:08:07 AM

It seems like it might be a power problem, it got bad enough for me to have to stop playing tonight, happened 3 times.

The lights all flick off and on quickly when it happens.