Limiting movement?

[culler]

Hi all

I've just bought a Combatstick USB off eBay and am finding it difficult to get used to huge range of movement in the axes. My previous joystick was the original Logitech Wingman Extreme, which had a smaller angle of variation which I quite liked / got used to.

Is there some kind of kit or modification to limit the throw of the CH?

While I'm here, tall order, but can you get a replacement, *smaller* grip?

[Revvin]

You might want to try increasing the sensitivity on the stick but limiting it physically is not something I've seen before.

The handle size can be cured with a piece of water pipe insulation, the foam type you can find at a DIY store. Cut a small section of that and then place it around the bottom of the stick to raise your hand slightly. Joystick positionng also help. If you're using a standard desk you might find that with your hand on the stick your forearm is angled down due to the height of the desk surface, this leaves your hand resting too far onto the bottom of the stick and makes the POV hat harder to reach. Try mounting your stick on a lower surface and see how much better your hand fits when your hand is on the grip and your forearm is horizontal with the stick grip, you should find the POV hat much easier to reach.

[culler]

Actually I'm finding it too sensitive, I've gone into Control Manager and created a new map to actually lower the sensitivity on the X and Y axes. I can't seem to hold it steady enough and any slight movements throw me off target.

[RW-1]

CH sticks are well known for being sensitive (in a good way) ....

You may find that when you lower the stick or apply the hand fix Rev posted that it may be better for you, other than that, practice practice practice, it will make a better pilot out of you .... :)

[Bob Church]

For the X/Y and other axes that have trim wheels, be sure they are centered before you calibrate. With USB, if you look at the Raw Data display in Direct Mode, the axis should be showing something near 128 when it's centered. If your raw center values are much off that, the sensitivity will go up after calibration. Note that in Mapped Mode, the Control Manager devices should show 128 centered because that's what the calibration routines do. You have to make the trim checks in Direct Mode to get accurate data there.

Once it's calibrated, there is no way to increase the overall sensitivity. The sensitivity adjustment only goes to 100%, and with normal calibration that will produce the full range of values that Windows will accept. You can move the sensitivity around with the gain adjustment, making it more sensitive near center, less so at the ends (or vice versa) but at full stick deflection you'll get the same values. Sensitivity can only reduce control authority, and it reduces it at the end points, so it's generally not desirable in fighter aircraft. It cuts your maximum roll and turn rates. In GA aircraft where you don't normally need to maneuver wildly it may be acceptable, but cutting sensitivity in a combat simulation only puts you at a disadvantage. OTOH, a gain setting that's flat in the middle and more vertical on the ends give fine control for aiming, but if you need to move quickly you still get full deflection at the end points of stick travel. Steeper curves near center are more useful if you're using a yoke as a driving wheel, the response is more like a car there, with less movement necessary to make the car turn.

If the stick is too touchy at center making it hard to fly straight and level, try increasing the Deadzone setting. It should be set wide enough to cover any mechanical play. If you've got enough deadzone and look at the Raw Data display for the Control Manager device (in Mapped Mode now), you should see the 128 center value no matter where in the center zone you are. It shouldn't come away from 128 until you start moving against the spring force.

To answer Culler's original question, I don't know of anything available to limit the travel physically, though I'm sure something could probably be worked out. Try using a Gain curve that's steeper in the middle, flatter on the ends. That will move the active control area nearer the center of stick travel and you won't have to move the stick so far initially. You can also "calibrate short" and increase the sensitivity too. To do that don't go all the way to the stops during the left/right/forward/back calibration, take it halfway maybe and then click the button. The output will hit maximum at wherever the stick was when you clicked the button and the rest of the travel will result in no further control surface movement. It makes fine control more difficult since it cuts resolution, but it will jack the sensitivity up. It basically produces something similar in response to a gain setting where the curve goes all the way to the top at the calibration point and then is just flat out to the ends as opposed to having it curve and moving gradually to full control deflection at the very ends. Maximum control authority shouldn't increase in any case, though.

- Bob

The StickWorks
http://www.stickworks.com

[culler]

Thanks for all the great help guys, I'll play around with Control Manager a bit more to see if I can tweak it to my liking a bit better.

I've come to the conclusion though that as much as I practice, the stick might be too big for my Asiatic hands. There's no way I can reach the bottom button and the very top button without changing hand position, and even the POV hat is a bit of a stretch.

[BLAZERBRUCE]

culler,

We'll if you really want to modify the physical throw of the stick, I can think of a few ideas that may work B). I used some old joystick rubber feet, scissors, and a little imagination :lol:

[BLAZERBRUCE]

Oh yea,

Hey Michael, This new gimbal is defintly 100 times better then the old gimbals used. Only thing I wondered is if CH thought about using rubber bumpers to absorb the noise?

-Bruce

[culler]

Thanks a lot Bruce, I'd been thinking along those lines too. I didn't think of using old joystick feet though, great idea :)

[Revvin]

Nice idea Bruce! :salute:

[BLAZERBRUCE]

Thanks Guys,

Now if only my classes were this easy and fun :lol:

-Bruce

[MichaelCHProd]

Nice job Blazer

I don't think we have given any thought to silencing the gimbles movements but I will mention it next time we talk about controller designs.