Sidewinder users...

[nrshida]

...I don't know if there are many still among us, but do you ever lose a channel of Force Feedback, especially when loaded and firing? Could it be a bug?

[Shane]

There would be apparent random situations where I would lose the trim/centering force, sometimes even in flight, but it more often when logging in or changing arenas, especially if I didn't fully shut down the game instead of just going to the arena selection screen.  It didn't occur frequently enough to become an issue beyond, ugh, gotta relog.

Thinking back when losing centering forces while in flight it was most often the roll forces as opposed to elevator so it might have been a certain control/aoa angle that spazzed it out those times. Sort of like you mentioned.

I've since replaced the ms FFB2 with a precision pro 2 - same stick, no force feedback - since the trigger and hat were starting to spazz out too.

...I don't know if there are many still among us, but do you ever lose a channel of Force Feedback, especially when loaded and firing? Could it be a bug?

[nrshida]

Yeah I've got the same but on the elevator channel. It's a persistent but not-predictable problem. Often happens during a fight but then reloading AH fixes it for me so I suspected a bug.

Could be I'm the last rat standing with a Sidewinder then. I really like the centring force, the loading at speed and the buffet shaker. How did you manage to make the transition back to non-Force Feedback, do you miss it?

[Shane]

The MS PP2 is the exact same stick, just no force feedback motor so it has a much smaller/lighter (base.)  It's not as firm in the centering forces (wish it were), but there's no trim wobble at slower speed.  The only forces I had enabled on the FFB2 were trim and stall, like you, and adjusting to the PP2 was easy.

I was expecting to stall more, but I'm not since the screen shudder is a good enough indicator. I was hoping my gunnery would improve without the trim force wobble, but the PP2 has it's own stability issues having softer centering springs - hard to micro-aim.

I may cannibalize the one of the 3 PP2 I ordered used and try and replace the trigger/hats  in the FFB2 (the supporting holes are plastic and they got worn an unable to make consistent contact (spazzy trigger and hat views.)

I found the 3 used PP2's on Amazon with varying prices - one came already pre-spazzed, but the other two are working fine.

I was considering getting one of them newer fancy virpil/vkb sticks but $$ and supply issues and an uncertain fate with AH2 made the PP2 more viable.

I think Eagler mentioned he was happy with a warthog's centering springs.   

Yeah I've got the same but on the elevator channel. It's a persistent but not-predictable problem. Often happens during a fight but then reloading AH fixes it for me so I suspected a bug.

Could be I'm the last rat standing with a Sidewinder then. I really like the centring force, the loading at speed and the buffet shaker. How did you manage to make the transition back to non-Force Feedback, do you miss it?

[nrshida]

I've had tremendous success revitalising duff switches and pots with a good contact cleaner.

Had a lengthy discussion with an academic once about the phenomenon of perceiving you are feeling feedback from actually a dead (non-force feedback) device. There was a name he proposed but I've forgotten now. Well there it is.

Have a look what this resourceful person did with their Sidewinder:-

[Shane]

it's not so much the contact that is the issue as much as getting the switches to actually make contact.  The trigger is held in place by two little plastic nubs fitting into two holes... over time the plastic gets worn so it's not held in place as when freshly made.  This causes the trigger to "slip" and miss the contact in a sporadic manner.   It's a physical fix as opposed to an electrical one.

I've had tremendous success revitalising duff switches and pots with a good contact cleaner.

Had a lengthy discussion with an academic once about the phenomenon of perceiving you are feeling feedback from actually a dead (non-force feedback) device. There was a name he proposed but I've forgotten now. Well there it is.

Have a look what this resourceful person did with their Sidewinder:-

[Shuffler]

it's not so much the contact that is the issue as much as getting the switches to actually make contact.  The trigger is held in place by two little plastic nubs fitting into two holes... over time the plastic gets worn so it's not held in place as when freshly made.  This causes the trigger to "slip" and miss the contact in a sporadic manner.   It's a physical fix as opposed to an electrical one.

So in fact you have a nub and hole issue.... got it. 

Would this be considered pathological, clinical, or immunological? I really don't know as I have not stayed at a Holliday Inn Express in some time now.

[Shane]

One would think you'd have the solution in hand considering you fly a plane with three little nubs and a hole. Where do you get your flyagra from?

So in fact you have a nub and hole issue.... got it. 

Would this be considered pathological, clinical, or immunological? I really don't know as I have not stayed at a Holliday Inn Express in some time now.

[Shuffler]

One would think you'd have the solution in hand considering you fly a plane with three little nubs and a hole. Where do you get your flyagra from?

 

[nrshida]

I once put a 3-round burst of 30-mm right through the pontoons of a P-38. Wasn't even awarded a goal. 

[Shuffler]

I once put a 3-round burst of 30-mm right through the pontoons of a P-38. Wasn't even awarded a goal. 

We like to refer to that as part of our AIR frame.