Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: pzvg on February 21, 2001, 12:33:00 PM

Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: pzvg on February 21, 2001, 12:33:00 PM
Well folks, looks like after being back a short time, I'm thinking of leaving, Not anyone's fault, ('cept mebbe the cheapasses at Thrustmaster) I simply cannot fly for more than 1 minute without my joystick going south, And to respond beforehand, yes I've done all my homework, eg; recals,clean pots, etc, it doesn't help. Spoke to the wife about buying new stick, let's not go into that conversation (loose term for it) at all.
This sucks, the environment has cleaned up in here a lot, (reason I left before) It's fun again, But I can't get the friggin' hardware to cooperate,
will be in TA later this evening trying to work it out, failing that will bid all goodbye  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/frown.gif)

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pzvg- "5 years and I still can't shoot"
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: Servo on February 21, 2001, 12:38:00 PM
C'mon! Just get a 'pretty good' joystick. Compromise. I got this 30 dollar MS Precision Pro 2 and it works great!
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: fd ski on February 21, 2001, 12:39:00 PM
You see people post about sticks they had for 3 - 5 years and how much they love them... well, remember - those are old, well made sticks. None of the today stuff will last much longer then a year even if maitained properly ( maybe with exception of CH stuff )

I had TM stuff go south on my within 3 weeks of it being out of the package.
Invest into a good gear ( Suggest CH here ) and it will last... but don't expect it to last for more then a year..


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Bartlomiej Rajewski
aka. Wing Commander fd-ski
Northolt Wing
1st Polish Fighter Wing
303 (Polish) Squadron "Kosciuszko" RAF
308 (Polish) Squadron "City of Cracow" RAF
315 (Polish) Squadron "City of Deblin" RAF

Turning 109s and 190s into scrap metal since 1998

Northolt Wing Headquarters (http://www.raf303.org/northolt/)
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: AKSeaWulfe on February 21, 2001, 12:54:00 PM
Actually Ski, I've had my SaitekX36F/X35T combo for a little over a year (USB version) and the only problem I've had with it is the rudder and I fixed that by taking the centering spring clip and the spiking went away. Very good stick, well made. Oh, I also had a spring break, but I jury rigged an old spring from a CH stick to work in it (snipped it to the right length and bent it around so it would work).

When I had a CH F16 Fighterstick I had nothing but problems with it for the year and a half I owned it. Something always broke on it. It finally broke when I slammed it into the table dogfighting someone (bad joystick spike).

For 99$ it's been great to me! Now I think they are around 70$ or something and they are well worth it.
-SW
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: Moose11 on February 21, 2001, 12:54:00 PM
Hey,

If you're looking for a decent cheap stick, check out the refurbished Saitek x36 setups listed on their website here. http://www.viaweb.com/saitekusa/x36consysusb.html (http://www.viaweb.com/saitekusa/x36consysusb.html)

This is how I purchased my stick - from what I can understand, these are new sticks that just had a rough time at the factory and cannot be sold new. Definitely worth the $40 for a fully functional HOTAS though.
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: flakbait on February 21, 2001, 01:06:00 PM
I'm one of those guys with a 3 year old stick and I love it to death. It's a MS Sidewinder 3D Pro, picked it up for about $35 brand new. I've yet to have a spike, glitch, problem, or major issue yet. I've been thinking about getting my hands on a Precision Pro 2 or some other MS stick since this one has been good to me. No force feedback though since I've never been a fan of a vibrator stuck inside a piece of computer hardware.


-----------------------
Flakbait [Delta6]
Delta 6's Flight School (http://www.worldaccessnet.com/~delta6)
Put the P-61B in Aces High
"For yay did the sky darken, and split open and spew forth fire, and
through the smoke rode the Four Wurgers of the Apocalypse.
And on their canopies was tattooed the number of the Beast, and the
number was 190." Jedi, Verse Five, Capter Two, The Book of Dweeb

 (http://www.worldaccessnet.com/~delta6/htbin/delta6.jpg)
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: Swoop on February 21, 2001, 01:53:00 PM
pzvg, I had the same problem as you (using a MS PP), damn thing kept recalibrating itself mid flight (usually just when aiming).

Got a MS PP 2 at Xmas, all my problems gone.  Im pretty sure the cable had a break in it, new stick cured everything and I still love Precision Pro's.


 (http://www.swoop.com/images/logo_small.jpg)

[This message has been edited by Swoop (edited 02-21-2001).]
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: Jigster on February 21, 2001, 02:14:00 PM
I have a two button CH Jetstick from the early 90's, a MS Sidewinder in '95,
A CH Combat Stick, Pro Pedels and Throttle, in mid '97 and a CH Flight Sim Yoke last year.

Yet to have a failure with anything. Bout time for another stick though, looking forward to that new all metal thingy from the TM owners. I like to think of CH stuff as a good investment but then again maybe I'm just lucky   (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/tongue.gif)



[This message has been edited by Jigster (edited 02-21-2001).]
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: -towd_ on February 21, 2001, 02:26:00 PM
got to be gettin close to two years on this satik usb one of the first ones out , a 100bucks and was worth it. mow a yard spend the 40 bucks. really
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: iculus on February 21, 2001, 02:48:00 PM
My logitech wingman has been doing great for the past two years. (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: Eagler on February 21, 2001, 03:25:00 PM
pzvg
take the dough your wife spends on her hair in a month, tell her she looks great and go by a $50 stick... if she wins on this issue, she'll win on all of them  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
if that doesn't work, withhold sex until she caves  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
good luck on that one
Eagler
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: pzvg on February 21, 2001, 04:32:00 PM
Ok first off, I've had this TM topgun with attack throttle and elite pedals for roughly 9 months, It's the second TM rig I've owned, the first being MkII FCS/WCS with RCS pedals,
Those lasted 6 years, I know how to tweak,clean,scale and even rebuild the things,but this has me stumped, especially since it doesn't act up offline nor in that other online sim, Oh and eagler, wife brings home 85% of the budget, and hasn't had her hair done,or makeup, in over 6 years (and she doesn't need either) as for withholding sex, MUhahaha I'd cave in long before she did  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif)

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pzvg- "5 years and I still can't shoot"
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: SOB on February 22, 2001, 02:03:00 AM
How's it "acting up"?  Is it sending out random keystrokes, or is it losing calibration?  If it's the latter, I can't imagine that it'd be a problem with the stick...if it works fine offline and in other sims, that is.  If it's the former, I suppose something that's loading when you go online could be messing with the keymapping software, but I kinda doubt it.

Have you asked HTC if this is something they've seen before?


SOB
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: Nash on February 22, 2001, 02:19:00 AM
I think I've got the answer yer looking for.

Check this..

For only 19 dollars and ninety five cents you can lay yer hands on the magic that is the Radio Shack AceMaster 16. AceMaster!! And let me tell you... this thing is a miracle worker... you'll never go back. That's right... 19 bucks... *Canadian*. And it's got 3 buttons! Look out enemy pilots!

Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: lasse on February 22, 2001, 03:23:00 AM
I`ve used a MS Sidewinder Force Feedback for several years now, I bought it the day they came out, not had a single problem with it, ever.  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/biggrin.gif)

I just bought the new MS Sidewinder FF 2, not because I needed, but because it looked so cool, and it appears to be of the same quality as the old one, maybe even better.

So if just HTC would let me have two accounts for the price of one, I could be my own gunner at the same time as I pilot the plane. (I got two PC`s next to eachother)  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif)

Or maybe if a friend is on a visit he could be gunner for me without have to sign up for an new account.

I can dream, can`t I ?  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: NHMadmax on February 22, 2001, 03:34:00 AM
Get rid of wife and get a new joystick and you are sorted
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: pzvg on February 22, 2001, 04:52:00 AM
Update: problem is random keystrokes, and perversely seems related to HTC's inhouse calibration program, I don't think it reads the attack throttle right, dunno if I can overcome that.
And to the comment, get rid of wife.
read again the part about her bringing in 85% of the household income, yeah that would be sheer genius to dump her  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/biggrin.gif)
(Must be the new math, drives kids crazy I hear)

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pzvg- "5 years and I still can't shoot"
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: SOB on February 22, 2001, 05:03:00 AM
If you don't use the thrustmapper software do the buttons on your stick and throttle show up as regular ole buttons in the windows calibration?  It wouldn't be as functional, but if it did, you could just set up the buttons with the mapper in AH.


SOB
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: pzvg on February 22, 2001, 06:17:00 AM
there's an idea SOB, will give it a try.

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pzvg- "5 years and I still can't shoot"
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: Servo on February 22, 2001, 06:27:00 AM
pvzg,

I think I speak for everyone here when I say you need to be more independent.  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)

Honestly though, there are a million solutions to your problem. Many of them pretty strightforward and easy.

If your wife says, "NO MORTAL! YOU MAY *NOT* HAVE THAT SLIGHTY BETTER THAN STANDARD AND HIDEOUSLY INEXPENSIVE JOYSTICK!"

Then you need to:

A) Go get it anyway. (Like she'll notice a few extra dollars on the credit card bill.)
B) Break the other one in a more 'significant' manner. Then lay on the guilt while you desperately try and fix it. (Only works if your wife has a conscience.)
C) Pay for it yourself.
D) Learn to use the mouse...

Servo
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: pzvg on February 22, 2001, 08:57:00 AM
C and D are workable, A and B?
My wife is a general manager for a restaurant,
she notices CC bills in her sleep, and being a GM, of course she surrendered her humane side when taking the job, (ask her employees)
Kidding aside, I agree with her that putting aside a costly joystick to buy another costly joystick on account of one game is not in the families best interest.
I'm gonna struggle on for a while, see what I see, Thanks for advice though,

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pzvg- "5 years and I still can't shoot"
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: blitz on February 22, 2001, 11:48:00 AM
Hi pvc,

try an MS FFpro (altho ff not supported ) i love that stick w all forces turned to zero.

blitz
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: rzch on February 22, 2001, 01:19:00 PM
GL pzvg!

I'd hate to see ya go. =(

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Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: Duckwing6 on February 22, 2001, 01:43:00 PM
What lasse said .. MS-Precision Pro never had a single glitch ,and it's still as responsive as it was at the first day (the centering mechanic has a bit more play tho after 2 years of constant use...

DW6
Title: Not having good time:(
Post by: J_A_B on February 22, 2001, 03:21:00 PM
Buy a 10 dollar K-mart joystick


Seriously.  It's dirt cheap and is better than using a mouse.  

J_A_B