Which HOTAS (Rz-axis issues with Thrustmaster)

[Fat_Dave]

Dear community and fellow commanders, I need your help :-)

I am using a Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One, and I suffer from the quite common Rz-axis issue when playing Elite. Very frustrating...

After some research, I find that Thrustmaster T-1600 users experience the same problem... on Elite... always on Elite.

Here are my questions:

1- Is there any HOTAS that don't get this Rz-axis problem?
2- Are we 100% sure it's a hardware problem? Couldn't it be an Elite bug?
3- What about using Thrustmaster rudder pedals? Does it solve the problem?

(hope I'm clear enough)

[Dolphin Bottlenose]

1. Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS doesn't have that problem. It doesn't have the Rz-axis. :)
2. Yes, 100% sure. The T16000 joystick, while having very good sensors on main axis (Hall effect sensors), still has a cheap mechanical potentiometer on the yaw axis. I have a T16000 one, too, with the same problem. So I checked its internals.
3. Yes, it will help to solve the problem, as long as your pedals don't have the same cheap pots.

[Fat_Dave]

Автор сообщения: Dolphin Bottlenose

1. Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS doesn't have that problem. It doesn't have the Rz-axis. :)
2. Yes, 100% sure. The T16000 joystick, while having very good sensors on main axis (Hall effect sensors), still has a cheap mechanical potentiometer on the yaw axis. I have a T16000 one, too, with the same problem. So I checked its internals.
3. Yes, it will help to solve the problem, as long as your pedals don't have the same cheap pots.

Many thanks Dolphin, your answers sound very right... unfortunately...
So what to do? Jumping from my cheap T.Flight Hotas One to a nice Warthog with rudder pedals is a 1100€ investment :-(
feels a bit disproportionate for a video-game for me

[Crimson Echo]

I would suggest rebinding the twist axis to the hat.

The CH fighterstick USB or the CH hotas are good options (no twist stick at all, but lots of hat and buttons.) They are a bit old fashioned and clunky, but generally reliable/durable.

Dual sticks are also an option.

I use the T16000M as my left stick and it had the same rz issues with elite and other stuff.

Rather than a hotas I would suggest getting the CH fighter stick USB and use it with the T16000m (or the t.flight throttle) with the twist axis turned off (not bound to anything). Note: the CH stick does not have a twist axis. (i use the side mounted 'thumb' hat' to control the 3rd rotational dof (specifically roll in my case))

[Dolphin Bottlenose]

Автор сообщения: Fat_Dave

So what to do?

If you have pedals - rebind the game yaw axis from your joystick to the pedals. It may help you for a while.

But in general, mechanical pots fail with time, and those joysticks have to be replaced (unless you want to try to replace the pot, itself). You might buy another T.Flight Hotas One, or a similar not very expensive joystick, and have a few hundred of hours more out of it.

[TommyFresh]

Автор сообщения: Fat_Dave

Автор сообщения: Dolphin Bottlenose

1. Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS doesn't have that problem. It doesn't have the Rz-axis. :)
2. Yes, 100% sure. The T16000 joystick, while having very good sensors on main axis (Hall effect sensors), still has a cheap mechanical potentiometer on the yaw axis. I have a T16000 one, too, with the same problem. So I checked its internals.
3. Yes, it will help to solve the problem, as long as your pedals don't have the same cheap pots.

Many thanks Dolphin, your answers sound very right... unfortunately...
So what to do? Jumping from my cheap T.Flight Hotas One to a nice Warthog with rudder pedals is a 1100€ investment :-(
feels a bit disproportionate for a video-game for me

I'd suggest holding off on any flight stick purchases for now. With the release of flight sim a few months back the market for them has exploded increasing the prices by up to 300%Normally the warthog can pe purchased for around a 3rd of that price (without rudder pedals)

With xmas just around the corner I imagine demand and pricing is going to stay high.

If you have racing pedals you can convert these to rudder pedals using some free software if you want to save a bit :)

07

[Agony_Aunt]

Same issue here. Not happy. I've had similar problems with my HOTAS X as well, but at least that happened after years of use. With my T1600 it started after a few months. Not happy, and i won't be buying another one.

Ended up moving the yaw to the flipper thing on the throttle. Its not ideal, but works as a workaround.

I might go back to the HOTAS X for my next stick. Its not the best, but its robust, and it has a thottle with a halfway point, something the T1600 is also missing.

[Moniboi]

I personally enjoy my X52 a lot. Doesn't have the rz issue so far.

[funkynutz]

1- Is there any HOTAS that don't get this Rz-axis problem?

What's the actual problem you're having? Not responding, drifting slightly, wobbling, or something else? Have you got "yaw into roll" switched on or off?

2- Are we 100% sure it's a hardware problem? Couldn't it be an Elite bug?

If it's only happening in Elite, it's not a hardware issue. Test it in other games to check...

[Agony_Aunt]

Автор сообщения: FunkynutZ

1- Is there any HOTAS that don't get this Rz-axis problem?

What's the actual problem you're having? Not responding, drifting slightly, wobbling, or something else? Have you got "yaw into roll" switched on or off?

2- Are we 100% sure it's a hardware problem? Couldn't it be an Elite bug?

If it's only happening in Elite, it's not a hardware issue. Test it in other games to check...

In my case, and i've had this with different sticks, is that you are not putting any input on it, and, in my case, even adding deadzones didn't work, the stick thinks it is being twisted (or windows thinks it is being twisted).

As an example, i'd be playing, and suddenly my ship would start massively yawing to the left. If i twisted to the right about 50% it would cancel the yaw, and if i went 100% to the right it would yaw 50% speed to the right. On occasion, i'd have to raw 100% to the right to cancel the left yaw. In other words, just to fly straight.

This is not an ED issue, since deadzones make no difference and joystick.cpl shows the same inpiut the game is getting.

[Tokfan]

If you are SUPER lucky, then the twist potentiometer is only bent a little (quite common) and if you carefully bend it upwards a bit it will be fine and dandy.
HOWEVER:
The cables and the fitting itself is a tight squeeze so you might want to to one or both of these ghetto fixes;
carve out a bit on the fitting to relieve some vertical pressure on the potentiometer.
move the darn cables, yeah make a new hole.
Should give you a few more hours worth of use.
Do keep in mind not to lean your masculine arm on it in the future, seems the T1600M was made for either having it in a lower position - no arm weighing it down, or for people with tiny lightweight arms.

Now you might not be super lucky and have a bent potentiometer, in that case you have to open the sucker up and adjust it manually.

OR you can just say to heck with it all and order a new b104 potentiometer and replace the old.

[lx]

"quite common Rz-axis issue", what is that?
i have t.flight stick x. seems ok

[Agony_Aunt]

Автор сообщения: Tokfan

If you are SUPER lucky, then the twist potentiometer is only bent a little (quite common) and if you carefully bend it upwards a bit it will be fine and dandy.
HOWEVER:
The cables and the fitting itself is a tight squeeze so you might want to to one or both of these ghetto fixes;
carve out a bit on the fitting to relieve some vertical pressure on the potentiometer.
move the darn cables, yeah make a new hole.
Should give you a few more hours worth of use.
Do keep in mind not to lean your masculine arm on it in the future, seems the T1600M was made for either having it in a lower position - no arm weighing it down, or for people with tiny lightweight arms.

Now you might not be super lucky and have a bent potentiometer, in that case you have to open the sucker up and adjust it manually.

OR you can just say to heck with it all and order a new b104 potentiometer and replace the old.

All beyond me.

[lx]

just say "broken potentiometer" next time

[jerrimiahjonson]

Автор сообщения: Fat_Dave

Dear community and fellow commanders, I need your help :-)

I am using a Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One, and I suffer from the quite common Rz-axis issue when playing Elite. Very frustrating...

After some research, I find that Thrustmaster T-1600 users experience the same problem... on Elite... always on Elite.

Here are my questions:

1- Is there any HOTAS that don't get this Rz-axis problem?
2- Are we 100% sure it's a hardware problem? Couldn't it be an Elite bug?
3- What about using Thrustmaster rudder pedals? Does it solve the problem?

(hope I'm clear enough)

Have you looked to make sure they don't need binding again ? Sometimes things become unbound and need to be rebound.

[funkynutz]

Had a bunch of Thrustmaster sticks and never had that problem... I tend to wear out the buttons instead...