Anyone own a Saitek aviator?

[Rich46yo]

Is this thing as big a piece of garbage as both of mine are? Ive had a re-occurring problem of the stick swinging the plane around when I go to gun in my bombers. What happens is I switch from plane to gun, track with the gun, and for some reason swinging the stick around on the enemy also bounces the planeup,down,left,right, and its impossible for me to track and defend myself. I just flew 40 minutes to a refinery and couldnt fight off two bogies because of my bouncing bomber.

                         I thought I had the problem corrected by increasing the dampen, or dead zone, or whatever. I flew for 40 mins swinging the guns around with no problem, but for some reason when an actual enemy approaches this problem crops up. Now I'm thinking its more then just the stick. Why would it happen only when an enemy approaches.

                          I go into controls/map controller and stabilize it and it crops up again and again. I'll be frank I dont even feel like flying anymore because of this. Thanks for any help.

[Lusche]

Just a question, did you increase the deadband of your Z axis? Because that's the rudder you seem to move unintentionally while gunning.
And the reason it only happens when an enemy approaching is most probably because you are moving your stick faster and more sudden when gunning in the heat of a fight. Your sticks characteristics can't change just because there is some enemy icon on screen.

[Rich46yo]

Originally posted by Lusche
Just a question, did you increase the deadband of your Z axis? Because that's the rudder you seem to move unintentionally while gunning.
And the reason it only happens when an enemy approaching is most probably because you are moving your stick faster and more sudden when gunning in the heat of a fight. Your sticks characteristics can't change just because there is some enemy icon on screen.

                        First off thanks for the response. Yes I increased the deadband of my Z axis as well. Ive tried everything, I even tried shuting the fan off thinking that little air flow might be causing it.

                        It just happened again. I took off in an A-20 and enroute to my attack I swung the #2 gun around harder then I ever would in combat with no problems, then as soon as I got into the mix the same damn thing happened. I dont know what to do. Its 1944hrs here now and Im going into the training section to try and figure this out. If anyone is in there maybe they can help.

                        At this stage I simply cant fight in the game and will never improve.

[Spikes]

I has one...works great.

[Rich46yo]

I just did a kamakazi over an airfield in a B-26, didnt even bring bombs. Everything worked great until combat and then the airplanes and the guns swerved all over the place. The bottom line is there is a bug somewhere that is maing the stick control both the guns and airplane whenever Im attacked. It amazing Ive shot anyone down at all. After an attack like this I'll go into controls and the X & Z, mostly X will be jumping around. I'll recalibrate and everything will be fine until the next time it counts.

                      Im so disgusted right now. I cant even join a squad.

[Rich46yo]

Yep, thats what happens. Everything works fine until I get an enemy in red coming at me and then everything goes haywire. Is it normal for a bomber on auto pilot to swerve like that when a gunner has an enemy inbound? The only good thing I can say is the airplanes swerve so much they make a harder target. Tho in the end I almost always lose.

                      Is this a AH bug?

[Eagler]

try a powered usb hub for stability

[The Fugitive]

It is your system for sure, if it wasn't you would see hundreds of complaints about it here.

As to a fix, I'm thinking that during your "testing" with out enemies around your very deliberate with your movements, but when an enemy is around your a nervous wreck and yanking that thing all over the place to get the kill.

First, get a powered USB hub. The extra power used only for those things plugged into the hub stabilizes joystick great.

Second, in the joystick set-up, set up a third "mode" (mode 1 is for planes, mode 2 is GVs) Make the third mode accessable by a hot key on the stick, or keyboard, and in this third mode set it up just like the first, but don't use the "z" axis. This way you can't add rudder while using your stick to gun. Just be sure to switch back to mode 1 when you jump back into the pilots seat

[Rich46yo]

Originally posted by The Fugitive
It is your system for sure, if it wasn't you would see hundreds of complaints about it here.

As to a fix, I'm thinking that during your "testing" with out enemies around your very deliberate with your movements, but when an enemy is around your a nervous wreck and yanking that thing all over the place to get the kill.

First, get a powered USB hub. The extra power used only for those things plugged into the hub stabilizes joystick great.

Second, in the joystick set-up, set up a third "mode" (mode 1 is for planes, mode 2 is GVs) Make the third mode accessible by a hot key on the stick, or keyboard, and in this third mode set it up just like the first, but don't use the "z" axis. This way you can't add rudder while using your stick to gun. Just be sure to switch back to mode 1 when you jump back into the pilots seat

Its not my system. First off the system was entirely trouble free before I joined AH, or bought the stick, or both. And since it only happens when actual enemies attack me, and are in my gunner sights, why would the system cause that?

I dont get that nervous in real gunfights so why would I in a computer game? Im 49yo why would anyone doubt all this is happening exactly as I said it is?

I have a USB hub. No good.

I tried the third mode. No good. And there is no way I can jump to and fro like that. It wouldnt work anyway. Its a AH bug. No doubt about it. Unless its common for bombers to jump around like that when enemy planes are coming in. Im right in using "X" for auto pilot right? Or shift X to climb. Its even worse when I have two drones, man those 3 planes are bouncing all over the place.

I just got murdered again in a B-26 and a 110.

Thanks for the replies.

[The Fugitive]

Don't get so defensive. I've been flying this game for years and have flown 1000's of hours in bombers and have NEVER had this happen. If it was a bug, more than just you would have this problem and there would be tons of posts. This is why I say it has to be something in your system.

I suggested the couple of things I could think of. Twisty sticks are notorious for having rudder input when you don't even think your doing it. Dead bands and damping settings are tricky and tough to set up some times. This the "most likely" problem your having. With out coming over and checking your system out personally, all we can do it give you things to try.

USB hubs are great, but not to throw you over the edge, is it a powered hub? Powered hub have their own power plug, much like the one on your printer cord. A regular hub isn't going to help because if your loosing power to your stick (marginally) a non-powered hub won't help boost it.

Another thing you could try is to disable the "Z" axis all together and fly your bombers into enemy territory. If you don't get the bouncing around while in a fight then, you know its a setting on your system.

[Krusty]

I think we need a full rundown of your system.

List the specs here, and the first 1/3 of the DX dialog as well.


Could be it only happens when red icons are in sight because of a major lag or resources issue, also (unrelated to the stick)

[Rich46yo]

My apologies. I meant nothing and do appreciate your help. I agree it would be an awfully strange bug in the game for it to only affect me. On the other hand why would this problem only occur when a bogie is IB, in the sights, and even then only when they go red?

                          I did a search and I'm not the only one whos been affected by it. There have been a few others bothered by touchy sticks in gunner mode, tho I seem to be the only one that it affects when a bogey goes red.

                          Again, thanks for your help. And apologies again for sounding snippy. Its just like your the fifth guy who said I'm maybe getting to excited behind the stick. I'm gratefull for your input.

Originally posted by The Fugitive
Don't get so defensive. I've been flying this game for years and have flown 1000's of hours in bombers and have NEVER had this happen. If it was a bug, more than just you would have this problem and there would be tons of posts. This is why I say it has to be something in your system.

I suggested the couple of things I could think of. Twisty sticks are notorious for having rudder input when you don't even think your doing it. Dead bands and damping settings are tricky and tough to set up some times. This the "most likely" problem your having. With out coming over and checking your system out personally, all we can do it give you things to try.

USB hubs are great, but not to throw you over the edge, is it a powered hub? Powered hub have their own power plug, much like the one on your printer cord. A regular hub isn't going to help because if your loosing power to your stick (marginally) a non-powered hub won't help boost it.

Another thing you could try is to disable the "Z" axis all together and fly your bombers into enemy territory. If you don't get the bouncing around while in a fight then, you know its a setting on your system.

[Rich46yo]

Its an Intel dual core/1.80 GHz with 2 gigs RAM running 32 bit Vista with a Radeon X1550/dual monitors. Its a cheaper Power Spec computer but its fairly brand new. I actually didn't buy it for gaming but for general computing, in fact I didn't optimize for gaming as well. But its a fairly robust system and the reason I didn't hone down resources for AH is because other then the "bogey in the red" issue the game has run very well.

                        Thats an interesting theory. I have my video settings in the game set for unlimited frames, hardware vertex checked, optomize objects/terrain, and 1024 X 768, textures unchecked. ASctually when I check my DX system, DX-10, Im showing 1485 MB used out of 2829 MB page file. I have all accelerations enabled.

                          Thanks for the help.

Originally posted by Krusty
I think we need a full rundown of your system.

List the specs here, and the first 1/3 of the DX dialog as well.


Could be it only happens when red icons are in sight because of a major lag or resources issue, also (unrelated to the stick)

[Krusty]

How do you connect to the internet?

Does the con warp around, or just you?

Are your frames per second smooth while this happens, or do you also get the stutters/jitters?

[Rich46yo]

Originally posted by Krusty
How do you connect to the internet?

Does the con warp around, or just you?

Are your frames per second smooth while this happens, or do you also get the stutters/jitters?

                    I have the puter plugged into a Wireless N router. It is not itself wireless, I just have my sons computer on thw wireless network.

                    Ive only had video stutters on one occasion for about 1 second , and that during heavy AH log on usage. Otherwise the video has been fine.