rocketsmith

I've been wondering about that finish on the plastic gimbal. I was thinking of polishing it smooth to see if it improves operation at all. However, it's always a good idea to stop and consider whether TM (or any other manufacturer) had a reason (other than financial) for the product design they finally went with. While it's true that bearing surfaces are as smooth as we can make them, this is not always the case where reducing friction is the goal, especially in nature. Bird feathers, the fine hairs on insect bodies and the denticles of shark-skin have evolved to retain a layer of air or water next to the body of the animal so that movement through the medium is as "frictionless" as possible. In aerodynamics this surface efficiency is known as the Reynolds number. I wonder if TM's engineers didn't go with the same idea of using a "rough" surface to retain grease on the gimbal surface? What does the inner surface of the gimbal socket look like? Does it have a matching texture or is it smooth? At any rate, mine has no "stiction" issues so I'll leave that part of it alone for now. If anyone has polished the gimbal parts, please chime in with the results.

Nyogel has also been mentioned in discussions of the best grease to replace the "red stuff" in the Warthog base. I don't have the link to the one I remember, but in it was a link to a demonstration video on youtube: [ame] [/ame] Also available here: http://www.riamart.com/product/lubricant-grease-nyogel-2oz-tube-1284888.html http://www.micro-tools.com/product.htm?pid=133280&cat=14183

Mine has a similar defect in the same location, but more pronounced. It also looks like someone at TM was a little too aggressive sanding some of it off. Most of the time it looks like some dirt was in the seam when it was painted, and I don't notice it anyway, especially when using it. Returning it is not an option for me, since I got it second-hand non-working and repaired it, so it is not covered by any warranty. I probably wouldn't return it if it was covered, considering how I plan to modify/upgrade/abuse it and violate any warranty.

I can't see your photos so all I can do is suggest ebay: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2047675.m570.l1311.R1.TR3.TRC1.A0.H1.X37+pin.TRS0&_nkw=37+pin+connector&_sacat=0 I'm guessing you want to install the USB board somewhere external to the throttle, otherwise you wouldn't need a 37-pin connector for a USB line?

Just an update on the throttle. I've tried it in several games and sims and if it has any problems I haven't encountered them. As far as I can tell it works properly. I'll tape the magnet to the underside of the throttle next to the allen wrench- just in case- and just continue to use it.

Don't listen to the neigh-sayers, go ahead and do it! Once you have developed a system to use aircraft performance data to alter a device in the real world, you or some-one else can adapt it to do more. Theoretically there is no limit as to what one could do. How about a 6D motion simulation platform using compressed air from a shop compressor, home-made cylinders from PVC drain pipe and dryer exhaust, model-airplane servo controlled valves and hall effect feedback position sensors. Sized for an ABC pit it would fit in a garage. Project the scenery on a spherical screen (made from a cardboard geodesic dome) with anamorphic distortion and fool the eyes and the inner ear, just like the pros do. Drive it through a USB interface to a PIC that computes the forces a pilot would feel (damped down to what the platform can withstand) and voila! The ultimate in man-cave furniture! Now get started!

Thanx. I hope it helps out others with that problem. Actually the throttle seems to be working properly too. It was described as "Throttle control magnetic sensor bounces between 20Khz - 40khz. Magnet for sensor seems to have fallen out, is included. AS IS: SALE FINAL There is a small magnet taped to the top of the throttle. It is cylindrical, about 3/8" long by 1/8" dia. (about 1 cm by 3.5 mm). The thing is, everything seems to be working properly- at least in Windows calibration. All three axis seem to be steady through their movements. I don't have any diagnostic software to investigate this (possible) issue, unless there is something in the Target programs- I've only had these for 3 days- so I'm downloading all the utilities I can find that might help. If anyone knows where that magnet is supposed to go please chime in. I've just installed the starter for DCS so I might try using the hotas later today. I still need to figure out how to use my CH rudder pedals with Target.

Brewnix- I sent you a message with a link to the original ebay listing. As you can see there's nothing really special about it. I just got lucky- right time, right place. Try using the listing tool set for lowest price with shipping. You should know that, afik, only one other "older" dual throttle was mass-marketed by a company that TM sued into bankruptcy, and everyone here probably already knows exactly what you're bidding on. If you don't win it, just post a message asking if anyone has one for sale. Back in the day, when all the legal crap went down- I bought the last two in a local shop for $14.95 each, along with four more of two kinds of joysticks for future parts needs. Love that single-spring design. I'll probably mod them because the originals are still going strong with an older OS.

It turned out to be a damaged handle connector, a hardware failure instead of a software issue.

I recently purchased a used Warthog Hotas on ebay in damaged/non-working condition. I've been interested in the Warthog for some time, but the price and Thrustmasters's history of shoddy internals always put me off. I am planning to convert several old gameport hotas setups to USB, and have been studying this, so when the Warthog Hotas came up for sale for less than $200 including shipping I realized that, even in a worste case of fried electronics I could replace them with an arduino using MMJoy2. As it turned out that will not be necessary.:) The stick was described as 'not being recognized by the computer'. Well not exactly. The stick was seen by the computer, and I was able to perform the first step in restoring the firmware, the "bulk" status, but the final driver install always failed. Two green checks and a red X- verification time-out failure. This happened using any USB port, on any computer with any OS, following TM's instructions to the letter and after doing due diligence searching the forums for posts from others with similar problems. Nothing. I had always thought that the problem with this stick might be one of quality control ( see Cougar ) so I was prepared to open up the stick and start checking circuit continuity and measuring voltages. In fact my very first step had been to remove the base plate and check the circuit board for any signs that the magic-smoke had escaped- no scorch marks or odor so move on with testing. Since the stick was recognized by any computer I plugged it into It seemed unlikely that there could be a problem with the USB cable. There are more wires inside the stick, and another connector which are also possible points of failure, so some more searches were in order. This turned up an instance where the ground wire had become detached from the connector at the top of the base. Once the wire was re-soldered the firmware installed and the stick was fine. This seemed like an obvious place to start checking my stick.:joystick: I decided to check the connections to the base connector of the modified PS2 by removing the two small Philips screws and lifting the connector enough to see the solder joints. After unplugging the stick, I used a small Philips driver to remove the screws and used a pair of tweezers to grasp the metal housing of the connector and carefully began lifting the connector- completely free of the rest of the stick and the socket side of the connector, which was still in the stick, seemingly hovering there supported by the wires inside. Well, there's your problem. With the guts of the connector loose in the stick there is no way to make an electrical connection to the handle, even if it is attached to the base. I grasped the plastic connector center with the tweezers to try to withdraw it from the base but there was not enough slack in the attached wires. removing the base plate ( it came with only 3 screws ) again I was able to push the ground and cable wires up into the stick enough to raise the connector about 1 1/2 inches- about 4cm. Time for a test. I plugged the connector socket into the base of the handle as far as it would go and, with the top of the stick resting on my desk, plugged the USB cable into one of the ports of the PC. Before I had time to react Windows had found the stick and installed the drivers for a perfectly working device. Checking Devices, I had a perfectly working Warthog stick, ready for calibration! As it turns out, the problem was not a software issue at all, but yet another example of a cheap hardware failure. Unplugging the stick again I proceeded with repairs. I disconnected the handle and examined the two parts of the connector. The metal housing has four dimples that are made during manufacture to "pin" the housing to the plastic center. They are arranged in two pairs with different spacing, and I found matching grooves in the plastic where the two parts had been forced apart. I used a pair of regular pliers as a hand-press to gently force the shroud and the center together again. I used the slip-joint of the pliers to open the pliers to their wide opening, and alternated side to side to join the parts. The overlap is only about 3/32 inch- about 3 or 4 mm- so it doesn't take much. Once reassembled I plugged the connector onto the base of the handle, so the handle side of the connection would properly align the parts. I then used two small drops of thin CA glue on the joint between the shroud and center of the lower connector, being careful to avoid the ground strip that runs up the outside of the plastic center. That's it. I waited 10 minutes to give the CA plenty of time to set, reinstalled the repaired connector in the base, tucked the slack wire back into position and reattached the base plate. I ***CAREFULLY*** aligned and attached the handle and plugged in the USB cable. I am now the proud owner of a slightly used- but perfectly working- Warthog joystick.:thumbup: In retrospect it seems obvious that during the firmware installation process the handle is queried to see if it is operating properly and, if not- or the handle isn't present- the installation cannot be verified. Some conclusions: NEVER force the handle into position. It would only take once to damage the connector and force the plastic socket out of it's housing. This could also happen over time, especially if you regularly disassemble your joystick at the end of each session ( perhaps at the request of your significant other ). When properly assembled, the plastic center of the base-mounted connector should be nearly flush with the top of the metal housing. If it appears to be about an 1/8" lower then the parts have separated and there is nothing to hold the socket in place when the handle is attached. It seems that TM is aware of this problem, and their fix is the addition of the large yellow ( and unsightly ) arrows to the stick parts. If you are experiencing intermitant firmware problems the connector may have partially separated. If you remove the connector base and see a groove where the shroud has begun to pull away from the plastic center then perform the repair as described above. If there is no groove visible then this is not your problem. Of course, this will not be the solution for everyone with firmware issues. YMMV. But I hope this will save some folks some aggravation- and some money- if they have firmware issues like mine. I hate to think of all the sticks that may have been returned when they could easily have been repaired.:doh: Cheers :pilotfly:

#40737 Latrobe Pa USA