Scott-S6

The win wing ffb base is just weird. It's not a correct implementation at all and it just doesn't work well in my opinion. The lack of an angle adaptor is also a major negative. If you want force sensing the realsimulator is the only good one, imo.

Doesn't solve the problem. The classic example is the trim hat - it is shaped and positioned to be a 4-way, when you make it 5 way it is easy to get an inadvertent push. If it was intended to be a 5-way it would be shaped and positioned differently. Disabling the push just means that sometimes you get nothing instead of the input you wanted rather than getting whatever push is bound to instead of the input you wanted. Not an improvement at all since you could just not bind it. The only fix is to very deliberately not use the hat how it was intended - pushing on the sides of it rather than resting your thumb on top.

You'll get a better answer in the correct section - this is F16 controller bugs. Yes, you'll absolutely need the keyboard as well. There is no stick+throttle with enough buttons to eliminate the keyboard. If you want to eliminate the keyboard then get a touch screen or some MFD bezels and one or more stream decks, etc.

Virpil always make all the hats +press. I'm not a huge fan of it but I get why they do it.

This has been a problem for years now. It's worse in some aircraft but it's really bad at night for most.

The glare shield is a classy touch.

The default port 7676 isn't used for anything on your PC which is probably why they selected it. Have you tried it? You probably don't need to configure anything. If you do need to configure anything on your router it will be to permit use of this port on internal networks, this only affects devices inside your network, not external devices.

The main axis are hall effect so will be fine as long as the circuit board and mechanical parts aren't being corroded. If you're cleaning parts with isopropyl - i.e. degreasing them - then they'll be left vulnerable. There are greases specifically for tactile switches, I'd suggest starting there. And covers are definitely worth trying. Just drape a cloth over them and see if it helps.

There are options where the main axis are alu or stainless with hall effect sensors. I'm not aware of any where the small axis are also hall effect. The problem you'll have will be buttons and hats. You can replace TM buttons and hats with Otto ones which ought to help but I'd start with a good coat of grease on anything and go from there. Tough problem. Do you keep your controls covered when not in use? What's making your environment so corrosive? Sea salt?

Now do the same for the axis on the front of the grip. Many throttles have a mode toggle switch so that's really useful.

The most recent update on the project is that it's dead. The guy doing most of the work has pulled out. ETA - they're trying to keep it going and find people who can do the design/dev work. I hope they can but it's definitely in a shakier place at the moment.

There's a thread about this. Having tried damper, counterbalance and both, counterbalance is definitely better.

Putting your controls on top of a height adjustable desk does not allow you to position them well. You want the underside of your controls to be lower than the tops of your thighs. Clearly this isn't possible.

Take the screenshot of RAM usage while DCS is running, sort it by usage and show everything. Your first screenshot shows DCS using 20GB. Your idle screenshot shows 7GB being used. What is using the rest of your RAM? This is the question you need to answer. I can see from your idle screenshot that you have a lot of unnecessary stuff running. Your first action if you're running out of RAM (which you are) is to close everything that is unrelated to DCS.

That doesn't answer my questions. DCS is using far less than 98% of RAM, what is using the rest while you're running DCS? You are out of RAM so you either need to stop the other things that are using it, get more RAM or make sure your swap file is properly configured on fast storage. Take that first screen shot again and don't cut it off - let's see everything because you have other apps using 12GB of RAM (far more than 10%). What are they? 4GB is very likely not sufficient swap file if you're maxing out RAM. You need to increase it if you can't reduce RAM usage or upgrade RAM. What storage is it on and what else is on that storage? The NS430 behaviour is not new, it's been happening for a very long time. Check out the thread that was linked, it was started in 2018.

In your last screen grab your RAM is 98% utilised which is absolutely going to cause performance issues but DCS is only using 20. What it using the rest? How is your swap file configured? Also, the NS430 is VERY memory intensive, especially with the moving map, and absolutely will cause stutters with 32GB of RAM even if your system is otherwise very healthy.

The hydraulic system diagram doesn't show a flow regulator for the speed brake so unless there's something built into the actuator itself in that scenario you'd risk having the speed brake crash down if you could override the control valve lock. That could be pretty bad. You'd also get a sudden jet/spray of hydraulic oil from wherever the leak is which would also be less than ideal. If you no longer have functional control surfaces you probably have bigger concerns than the speed brake. (the control surface valves also have pressure sensors so losing both engines is pretty bad)

Not in the case of the eagle and subsequent US aircraft. One innovation used in the eagle was the use of control valves that include a pressure sensor. If the sensor detects a drop in system pressure then the solenoid which actuates the valve is overridden, locking the valve closed.

I think this is correct behaviour. A loss of hydraulic system pressure won't cause the speed brake to collapse if the control valve is closed. The control valve for the speed brake on the F15 has return pressure sensing which closes and locks out the control valve in the event of hydraulic system pressure loss.

Are you running DC's full screen or windowed? (Check the graphics settings) If it's full screen then this is expected behaviour.

The mounting plates are literally just alu plates with holes drilled in them. Just buy some alu stock and make your own.

The weight certainly implies that it isn't zinc (only 100g more than nylon)

Cast zinc, as used by TM and WW is an inferior material compared to a good glass filled nylon like virpil use. (Before anyone says it's aluminium - it's "aluminium alloy" which is marketing talk for 95% zinc, 4% alu, 1% various) The only benefit to it is that it provides a wow factor to people that don't know any better, hence why it's TM and WW using it. Making the grip from zinc reduces longevity (zinc is prone to developing stress fractures over time and is less impact resistant), the weight can negatively impact performance in some applications and, for many aircraft, it would be a less realistic feel since grips are mostly not metal now. Making the shell from machined alu would solve those problems (it's a good material for the application, it will be only slightly heavier than nylon, it's lower thermal capacity Vs zinc makes it feel less different) but would be much more expensive to make in reasonable quantities Vs moulded plastic or cast zinc.

I made one from scratch for the F-GT and it's very similar...

No noise cancelling needed. Just play ambient sounds through speakers and helmet sounds through your headset. You can then easily adjust the volume of headset noises, just like you would be able to in the jet. Hearing radio traffic and cetera is now no problem and the ambient sound is significantly quieter. But a mixer for ambient Vs helmet would be a relatively simple thing to implement given that they already have the two sound sets separate.