Recluse

Sorry if this is a FAQ. I did a search and found some interesting DIY solutions, most of which are above my skill grade So, I am currently running an aging COUGAR with old Thrustmaster RCS gameport pedals. I also have a set of CHPRO Gameport pedals, but they gave up the ghost, but might be resurrected with a new Potentiometer or Magnetic sensor replacement. I just took the plunge and bought a WinWing ORION to replace the Cougar, but the question is how to connect my rudders. I was going to keep them connected to the COUGAR and just remove all axes except the rudder pedals in the Control Panel, (I think DCS would support that) but I wondered if any of those cheap Gameport to USB adapters would work for the RCS or CHPRO. IT would be a PLUS if I could get the CHPRO toe brakes working as well which I could never do with the stock Cougar, but I will settle for just the rudder inputs. Thanks for your advice.

You can try the DICE mod as well to automate this.. https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3312680/

OOPS!! My bad on the ORION with swappable springs.. I missed the line ABOVE the ones I quoted: So I guess with the Orion, you get what you get as far as springs.

Thanks much for the advice!! Now I just have to justify the price tag!!! Looks like the Orion comes with different springs as well Thanks for your feedback! As above they advertise swappable springs, or removable springs on the axes but maybe they don't come standard and they ship with the tougher springs? I realize it is a very personal choice and what you get used to.

Hi, I've read a lot of reviews of the WinWing and Warthog comparisons. I have been using a Cougar for many years and it is overdue for replacement. Thinking about the WinWing Orion. What are the springs like on the stick? I got used to the pretty heavy throw of the Cougar (which I guess is similar to the Warthog). Wondering how the Orion is in comparison. In a lot of videos, it seems like the stick moves around with very little effort.

So for Laser Guided Bombs, you can get close enough that the target is outside Radar Gimbal limits and it is lost. You need to switch to FLIR as the primary sensor. I believe there is still a bug that this happens automatically whenever you have a radar contact and switch to FLIR. Certainly makes it easier, but is apparently not quite right as you should have to specifically designate with the FLIR, which can be problematic to slew around for a PTRK. From a fair distance when the target is within Radar GImbals, when switching to the FLIR you should get a good target picture. As mentioned, you need to use Sensor Control switch to lock a target with SEA radar, otherwise you are just designating a piece of ocean, and it is no surprise that you wouldn't be able to find the target in the FLIR.

I believe the VREST PAGE GWT shows it...

You can only slew with no target designated. When you UNDESIGNATE, the MAV seeker will remain ground stabilized at the former designation point, so if the new target is nearby you don't have to hunt too far for it, but once the missile is off the rails, the next MAV will boresight, so if you wanted to fire another one you either need a large amount of slew or Re-designate nearby. This is with REALISTIC TDC SLEW option checked. You might not need to Undesignate when it is not checked. See for example this GAZACE video. In the comments he says that Realistic TDC SLew is UNCHECKED

See this thread. Maybe it has some bearing (no pun intended)

If the tracking gates haven't CLOSED (good contrast lock) you won't be able to fire. This could be due to many things (and sometimes I cannot figure out WHAT thing is causing it). What I usually do is cycle the Cage/Uncage a few times and often that is enough. If I first lock a target with the TGP and hand off to Maverick, I make sure the Maverick Seeker indicator is right over the Target Diamond. If not, it usually means it is trying to track something else close by that may not have enough contrast. Worst case, you can Target UNDESIGNATE (the Mav will remain ground stabilized (but only the first time you do it) and you can then slew the Mav seeker. Sometimes a little slew to the target of interest (Hold down TDC depress if Realistic Slew is enabled) is all it takes. That said, from 6-8 miles out, you really can't see much in the MAV seeker, so this is a guessing game.

Check your nozzle position.

I just tried it with F10 ATHS markers (from runway) and it worked perfectly (as it has in the past). - Did you hit RCALL on the CAS page? Note for F10 marker ATHS you do not need the Long Press WPINC. Just select TGTS from the JDAM selection in the ODU and hit DESG on the EHSD page to get HUD symbology. (AG Master Mode) If you do it in the AIR, I think you need to hit the USE on each line in order to generate a TGT point.

This is my understanding from Wags' video. But of course, he only showed the F/A-18 as RECEIVER from Allied aircraft (and donor to another F/A-18 wingman) Not sure what A/C were in the Allied Flight in his demo. I've seen SA page icons for Allied F-15C and F-16 in Multiplayer and I THINK that I also saw lines showing what Air threats they had targeted, but I am not 100% sure of the latter. And I don't know if THEY had the TXDSG capability of the F/A-18 to see MY targets. I would guess the F-15 does NOT being an FC3 aircraft, and I don't know what is currently implemented in the F-16

I thought that according to Matt Wagner's video, that the SA PAGE would also show the targets currently designated (TXDSG) by Allied flights on the LINK 16 DL network. I didn't think there was any other way (currently) of "Sharing" targets.

Check for multiple Key/axis binds. Not saying you are wrong, but every time it has happened to me it turned out to be a misbehaving axis or input somewhere.

The way we use them, yeah, but I thought GPS weapons were used more for STATIC targets that don't move (buildings, hangars, POL storage etc..). In DCS Vehicle targets are always the juicy ones, so, of course we use them for those as well, and from what I read that was done as well for things like revetted tanks. I am with @zildac here. Why have a TOO1 and TOO2 if you can't use it in the manner it used to be. Even with Two bombs on a station, when doing sequential drops you could use TOO1 for each. Maybe there SHOULDN'T be TOO1 and TOO2 and THAT is the problem, but, it has never been clarified.

That video shows Sequential attacks: Designate/Drop...Designate/Drop etc.. Previously you could pre-program the JDAM/JSOW with all the necessary targets at once using the Targeting Pod and populating the MSN page with coordinates and then just drop them in sequence. THAT is what is no longer possible. This video shows that METHOD which no longer works because pressing UNDESIGNATE deletes coordinates from ALL bombs.

It seems to be broken, or at least not functioning the way it used to and so far we are unable to get a definitive answer on whether it is being looked at or assumed correct as is. At the moment the only way to Ripple GPS guided weapons in TOO mode is to create MARKPOINTS and toggle through them to designate for each release. Currently, the UNDESIGNATE removes ALL coordinates from all stations, so the method outlined in so many videos is currently not available.

Have had this experience and usually it comes down to the axis assigned to one of the TDC SLEW directions being un-calibrated and drifting or needing more of a Center Dead Zone.

<sigh> nothing yet in the latest Open Beta

Thanks. I think I must have been wrong. I looked up some old YOUTUBE tutorials when the APKWS was added and arming screens only showed the 7 round pods. My mistake!

My recollection was we previously had 19 rocket APKWS pods as well, and now "only" 7 rounders. Same rocket with a guidance kit, right?

Thanks! They look good. In your experience do they have as big a dynamic range as the mechanical pots? As I mentioned, the ViperGear Hall sensors always had a relatively short range (or maybe I got a bad set?)

Thanks Rudel. SO... I replaced the Y Axis Hall sensor with an old Mechanical POT. Calibration works fine!! Should have tried that before posting, but I wasn't sure the old pot even worked, so it might not have been a good test. Odd that the ViperGear Hall Sensor would go bad, though since it is all pretty much solid state. I still have the VIper Gear X sensor (which I swapped out when the magnet shaft broke) so I will try that as the Y axis with the Y magnet and see what happens.

So this started happening recently. When I go to calibrate the COUGAR, I can see the RAW values increase and decrease during Y axis Calibration, but when Calibration is done, I see one of these 3 things: - Most often, (Using the COUGAR HOTAS VIEWER or FOXY JOYSTICK ANALYZER) I got full deflection when pulling stick BACK, but on pushing forward, it only deflects partially. This behavior is observed in game - After the latest teardown, I now see the opposite, with partial deflection pushing forward and NO deflection pulling back (I can see Raw Values changing) -or it is just DEAD with no deflection either way After repeated attempts, I could get it to calibrate, but now it seems totally unable. - Reflashed the firmware -Several attempts at ReStart and or/Plug/unplug For reference, my Y axis is using Viper Gear C-Muk Hall sensors. The Raw deflections have always been LOWER than the RAW values from mechanical POTS, but they ALWAYS calibrated. Was going to try and put a Mechanical POT back in, but not sure if I have one that is reliable (hence the replacement with Viper Gear). Is my Cougar Mainboard shot? Anything I can try?