Aces High Bulletin Board
Help and Support Forums => Technical Support => Topic started by: SkullAce on November 19, 2010, 11:28:07 PM
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I have a gateway computer running xp, it has 7 usb ports only using three. I purchased a Logitech extreme 3d pro did not load the Logitech software that came with it and it’s been working fine for 6 months, one of the base buttons quit working on it, no big deal so kept using it
then one day I noticed that it seemed to be spiking I could not control my plane. I tried recalibrating it in windows and in the game and did not help.
Decided stick might have gone bad. So got another one and it is doing same thing right from the start.
Tried different usb ports and calibrating but its not working. In the window calibration it seem to look fine, went to the map controllers screen, selected the axis, hit the advanced checkbox, and watched as I move the stick I see the green bar moving axis that are not being move mostly the Z axis. Tried moving the dead bands helped a little but still very hard to control my plane.
Read on the boards that I need a usb power hub so I got one, no change at all.
I tried deleting the logitechextreme3dprousb.jsm file to start over and I loaded up the software that came with the stick this time and in the calibration screen for the stick I do see the stick spiking as well. Have only been playing for a short time and my computer skills are worse than my pilot skills so I could be missing something simple.
Don’t know what to do, I’m I wasting my time with this stick, or can someone help me, I need to fly! lol :cry
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well your issue is strange. mostly because it has continued to happen after many changes in hardware. my thought is that maybe you have one of 2 issues. 1 a corrupted logitech file or 2 a corrupted aceshigh file. i would try these two fixes in this order.
1 i would go to the logitech trouble shooting sight for your stick to attempt to find an answer on how to do a complete uninstall of all of the current files and then do a clean install. (link below)
http://logitech-en-amr.custhelp.com/app/answers/list/section/troubleshoot/crid/441/lt_product_id/291/tabs/1,3,2,4,5/cl/us,en/kw/ (http://logitech-en-amr.custhelp.com/app/answers/list/section/troubleshoot/crid/441/lt_product_id/291/tabs/1,3,2,4,5/cl/us,en/kw/)
2 if number 1 fails then my next step would be to do a complete uninstall of aceshigh and then reinstall it.
if your issue is a software problem then the likely culprit is in one of those two places.
one more thing you actually may want to try.
windows, and from what i have been lead to understand windows vista and 7 are more problematic with this, is trying to take control of your gaming gear and settings for your stick. unfortunately the more complex the stick is the worse windows handles it. when you plug in the stick after doing a clean install of the hardware windows will ask if you want it to install your hardware, tell it no. follow the instruction on the software disk from logitech and then go to logitech to ensure you have the latest drivers. DO NOT CALIBRATE YOUR DEVICE IN WINDOWS> use only the logitech software for any setup and recalibration or reprogramming.
I use a Thrust Master Cougar HOTAS. if i set it up or calibrate it in windows then the stick is almost unusable. i could recalibrate in the game multiple times and it wouldn't help. but TM COUGARS are touchier than most sticks when it comes to programing, so i don't know if it will be the same cure for you.
good luck and keep the board updated on your progress
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If there is a 2nd system you can try the joystick on it can really help in determining if the problem is your computer or the stick itself. It could be possible that you just got a bad stick.
ack-ack
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You may have corrupted drivers for your stick. This happened to me recently with my CH gear. I unistalled the drivers, rebooted the computer,
then reinstalled them. Problem gone. I was installing and uninstalling a few programs and that is when my problem occurred.
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Logicrap is named logicrap for a reason....check the spelling on the box, I'm serious :D I've only bought Logitech sticks twice and had troubles with them both times, once right out of the box. I don't think they build them to have a "precise" calibration that is needed for a top notch flight sim. It sounds to me that you did all the right things. Ack-Acks idea of trying it on another machine is about your only option left. Personally I'd dump the stick and buy CH products. If you can't afford them get a cheap Saitek stick and write Santa a nice note about the Ch gear :D
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Since it's a new stick contact Logitech tech support. If you have a bad pot they'll probably send you a replacement stick. If your other stick is under warrenty they should replace both of them.
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Thanks for the help guys, I tried down loading the latest software and that didn't help the problem. I tried the stick on my laptop and it's doing the samething, going to take it back for an exchange and try that, if that don't work I'll try the game reinstall can some one help me out with that, can i keep my view settings? after that I guess I'll be looking for a differint stick. :cry
Thanks
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Just save your Aces High "settings" folder to a safe place.
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Exchanged the stick and the new one is doing the samething :headscratch:
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Hmmmm, this sounds like an extremely interesting exercise in diagnostics. So just for clarity, you're saying that you are now on your third stick which announces exactly the same problem on two different computers? Unprecedented.
Please for the sake of simplicity do the following test with your newest joystick:-
Take your new stick and plug it directly into your PC without using your USB hub, use the Windows 'Game Controllers' program and observe the white square with the crosshair in it as you slowly move the stick around its full range of movement. The crosshair should move slowly around too, if you observe it jumping quickly across one of the edges or a portion of the edge then please observe exactly what it does and report it here. Repeat this experiment on your laptop with the same joystick.
Don't meddle with any other programs or drivers at this stage. If you still have one of your older sticks repeat the experiment again on both your PC and your laptop and please tell us the results. Depending on these results I will have another test for you.
Diagnostics isn't guesswork at all, but it will be most effective if we can investigate systematically using a top down approach. It is possible that you've ran across a bad batch of faulty sticks but this is not very likely. If it is the case then Logitech are being very sloppy with their in-house quality control!
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I have a Logitech stick myself, and I have alot of issues with spiking too. And this is my 2nd Logitech stick with the same behaviour.. Its called Logitech Freedom 2.4, its a wireless twistystick. The biggest problem with it is the tophat switch though, it gets really floppy after a few months of use and views gets almost impossible to use! :t
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Ok old stick on main computer xp, I move the stick around the outside of the white box looks good and smooth no spiking but the z axis will jump when pull back or roll left with the stick, if I twist the stick I see the x in the white box move a little.
New stick on main computer xp, exactly the same thing.
Old stick on laptop window 7, exactly the same thing plus see spiking rolling right
New stick on laptop window 7, exactly the same thing plus see spiking rolling right
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i have a silly question, you said you had a powered USB right?
did you at some point plub both sticks into this powered USB?
if the powered USB is going bad it can actually over power/surge the stick dashpots burning them out. this may have been the orination of your problem. if it was surging then it damaged the sticks when you plugged them into it, so now your seeing the damage it caused even when they are plugged directly into the computer.
test fix may be to yet again exchange the new stick and test it on your computer without using the powered USB.
just a thought
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The original stick was working fine then it started spiking, that’s when I picked up the usb power hub, I believe I did plug the new stick in to it, but I exchanged that stick and did not plug it in the power hub this time and it’s doing the same thing.
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The original stick was working fine then it started spiking, that’s when I picked up the usb power hub, I believe I did plug the new stick in to it, but I exchanged that stick and did not plug it in the power hub this time and it’s doing the same thing.
roger that
well i am all out of ideas. good luck in your endeavors! remember keep us informed of what you find!
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OK good, we're making progress, there is nothing wrong with your PC, the USB ports, the OS, the drivers or Aces High. The fault lies with one of your peripherals.
What you are describing is strongly suggestive that one or more of your potentiometers in your stick is f.u.b.a.r.
Flotsom may have a point regarding the USB hub, what make is it and is it still under guarantee?
See, here is a feasible explanation for what you have described:-
Your original stick gets used and one or both of the main potentiometers wears and generates a 'spike' (I have had this happen in as little as two months on an economy stick with heavy use). You replace the stick with a new one which spikes right out of the box. This could have been faulty from the manufacturer or as Flotsom states, your USB hub might have surged (I understand this is a slim possibility, but we can't rule it out). You take that stick back and exchange it for another new one, plugging it into the same USB hub and the same symptoms might have the same explanation (either one).
If I were you I would do five things:-
1. Take your newest stick back to the shop and get a refund (take your laptop in and demonstrate the fault if they give you any crap about it). DO NOT MENTION THE USB HUB.
2. Take your USB hub back and ask for a refund.
3. Buy your favorite stick from another store or on line (to avoid the possibility that your store had a bad batch of sticks).
4. Buy a different USB hub. If you can get the dosh together I would recommend a Belkin, they are reputed to have excellent power supplies and be of excellent quality. I'm sure other players here present can recommend a good one in any price range also. Try to avoid non-brand name, powered USB hubs.
5. Consider selecting a different joystick or a different manufacturer, because from what I can see of the internal construction it is not built to last. I went through three cheaper sticks before I realised it was a false economy and invested a bit more cash in a stick I knew would last a long time.
Obviously I don't know how much you know about controllers or electronics, but the potentiometer or variable resistor, as it's also known, is the only analogue component in your stick and more importantly the only electronic component prone to wearing out. That's why I wanted you to check it under Windows 'Game Controllers' first.
I checked up on your Logitech Extreme 3D Pro for you, and it has the kind of potentiometers that one should not expect a long lifespan from if you tend to use the stick a lot:-
http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/23110283/m/369001437
The only technological wonder with that kind of component, is that they keep working for any longer than a few weeks!
Let us know how you get on and good luck.
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Nrshida gave you great advice, I'd recomend that you follow it, exactly.
Logitech makes some great products, unfortunately Joysticks mostly don't seem to be one of them.
They just don't stand up. 3-6 months perhaps. Granted there is 1 in 10 or 20 that lasts for years. But they are the exception not the rule.
If I was looking for a reasonably priced Stick I'd start with the Saitek Aviator.
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Thanks for the help yes I did get a non brand name power hub, I’ll return that and get a Belkin and return the stick, and research a new joystick, thanks I appreciate all the help. :salute
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You are welcome sir :salute
I hope no one thought it was unethical of me to suggest NOT mentioning the USB hub in the joystick shop.
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Not at all Nrshida, good products are worth mentioning by name.
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well skull........?
any difference? did you find a cure yet?
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Darn work not letting me take care of serous stuff lol hopefully after thanksgiving, I’ll let you know :salute