Autopilot blues

[Cecil]

Hi
I'm returning to AH after a 15 year absence. Having a lot of fun on the offline practice arena trying to relearn the basics - like how to take off and land. Mechanically everything seems fine - the Sidewinder is doing what it's supposed to do and all of the commands mapped on the stick or keyboard do what they're supposed to do.

I have one very serious problem. I cannot get autopilot to stick in any mode - angle, level, speed. It will activate for perhaps a second, but immediately goes off and the plane must be controlled by hand. Obviously I have to get this fixed. Years back when I was playing AH, I would often take off from a somewhat distant field, put the plane on autopilot angle and let it climb to 15,000 ft (or more). While that was happening I'd do errands, read emails or whatever. As it stands, I can't do this. I'm sure this is something simple. But if I can't get this in order, I'm basically screwed and the Bishops will have to wait for a new uber-ace.

Help much appreciated
Eric Bergerud - Cecil (after Cecil Lewis - author of "Sagittarius Rising" - the best RAF memoir from the Great War)

[FLS]

Sounds like you may need some deadband in the joystick settings.

[The Fugitive]

Log on to the game and go to options/controls/map controllers. Select your joystick in the top dropdown box.

When you look in the main window, you'll see the axis your stick has. Just watch the numbers in the list. One axis, or maybe more will have number jumping around with out you touching the stick. They should be steady. If you have one that isnt steady.... which Im sure you will.... click on that axis, then click the advanced button. When that page swings out, there is one column that is labeled "dead band". At the bottom grab the slider and move it up a bit. click the OK button and the numbers should stop jumping around for that axis. You want to keep that slider as low as you can WITH OUT the numbers jumping around.

Once you get the axis set so the numbers stay steady you should have no trouble setting the auto pilots. What has happened is that the stick getting old and it is wearing out, or if it has the old style "rheostats" they may need cleaning, dust build up from sitting so long.

Welcome back !  <S>

[Eagler]

 Welcome back!

Be sure to calibrate your hotas ...

I get that sometimes and calibrating all of my devices fixes it..

Eagler

[SIK1]

Welcome back.

If that's an MS Sidewinder you're talking about it's not old, it's ancient. Microsoft hasn't made joysticks in more than twenty years. I had a Precision Pro way back when, and it was a good stick in it's day.

Follow Fugi's instructions and you should be able to get it settled down enough to use. Also calibrate it, as Eagler said.

If you need any help with any of this I can meet up with you in the TA, and help walk you through a lot of it.

fyi: you don't need a paid subscription to use the TA.

 

[fuzeman]

Welcome back <S>