X-31_VECTOR

I had a similar problem to @CommandT and found exactly what you describe -- if you just flip the collective and mount it on the other side, the angle is all wrong... provided you use the screw holes that are currently drilled in the steel mounting plate. The easiest options are to either drill new holes into the (steel) Virpil mount, make your own, or to do as @SharkWizard suggests and cut the mount. I opted for a variation of the latter as best for my setup.

I'd suggest a left-handed Virpil Constellation Alpha grip... it has an analog thumb stick as well as a thumb wheel. The thumb stick of course springs back to center, and if that doesn't bother you (i.e., for momentary zooming), then the new Virpil Apache collective grip also has an analog thumb stick. The thumb wheel on the Constellation Alpha doesn't recenter, but it's also not a true axis; it's a radial switch that gives a series of presses of either an "up" button or a "down" button. However, you can program it in the Virpil software to essentially mimic an axis. It's a little fiddly, but I got it to work and use it for zoom myself (on my right-hand Alpha that I use as stick/cyclic grip). The thumb wheel can also be pressed down (like a mouse wheel), and I use that to recenter/reset the zoom.

The switches are worse than on my left-hand MongoosT-50CM from about five years ago, for that matter. I'm so annoyed by the garbage switches that I was going to return the Apache grip, but I decided that they would bother me less in practice than they do in principal (provided I don't try to use the push on most of the hats). @Vakarian, I kind of see what you mean, but the stems themselves can also be displaced a considerable distance from center before the actual switch engages. I hope your fix provides some improvement for you, but I fear that the bigger issue can only be solved with different switches. I wonder if we will see a design change in later iterations of this grip (in which case a retrofit might be possible). Probably wishful thinking...

Thanks both. I’m on Win 11. I’m running the latest stable version of DCS, and SimAppPro is up to date, but I haven’t updated the firmware on the displays. I’ll try that this weekend and update here with results.

We’re living somewhat parallel lives. I checked a stock tracker on a whim yesterday and also got a Gigabyte 4090 (the OC) from Newegg. And my 3080 is now going to my son, who has the 1080-based system I replaced last year. He is lucky that I am a flight simmer or I’d still be driving that 1080, and he’d be gaming on an Atari 2600 or something.

Anytime I shut down/ restart my computer, I have to go through the whole setup procedure for my MFD screens again in SimAppPro and in Windows (changing the orientation from landscape to portrait, positioning them in the display layout, etc.). No matter what I change, Windows just does not retain the new settings after shutdown, and SimAppPro acts as though I am setting up the screens for the first time. All my drivers are up to date (both NVIDIA for my main display and the DisplayLink drivers for the MFDs). Has anyone else encountered this issue and/or have thoughts on a solution? Many thanks!

I submitted a Customer Service ticket and got a prompt and nicely worded reply that essentially said they had oversold the last restock (or more specifically, that suppliers did not deliver in the needed quantities to fill all the orders). They said my order will be filled at the next restock, unless I’d prefer a refund. I’m fine to wait. Lord knows my own company is struggling with supply chain issues, so I’m inclined to empathize.

Has anyone who got an order in on the last restock received their units yet? I placed my MIP order on November 20 and it still shows status as “shipping in-progress,” but under tracking number it shows “wait for shipping,” so I assume it has not actually shipped yet. (I’m in the US btw). Just wondering if this is normal, or if maybe they oversold the last restock and some orders won’t be filled until the next restock.

I know the MIP has native support for the F/A-18, F-16 and AH-64, but does anyone know how to export other instruments to the display screens for other modules? It would be great to use them to display the basic instruments in warbirds, older helos, etc. Would something like Helios work for that purpose, or could it be manually done via LUA edits? Or would the module have to have the ability to export instruments programmed into it already, the way it is in general aviation sims? Any insights are much appreciated, as my MIP is inbound and I have never before dabbled in the dark arts of display exports.

Amazing work on this project. I assume that when you use a Virpil grip, you lose the ability to program anything in the Virpil VPC software? Also, for the Alpha grip, will functions like the thumb wheel, the brake lever axis and the thumb stick axes be recognized? Any other limitations on button recognition? Thanks.

I'm happy tp report back once I get the Brunner and the time to set it up. Meanwhile, there are folks in this community who I'm pretty sure use the Brunner and Virpil grips already and can comment on what's possible without the work-around I'm going to try. My understanding is that a) you lose the ability to program in the VPC software, since you're not attached to a Virpil base, and b) some of the buttons/axes are not recognized, depending on the grip. But I defer to the folks who have actually done it of course.

Happy to post pictures. I've ordered the Brunner, extension and the Arduino, but it may be awhile before I can get everything together given a lot of travel over the next month. I'm using the shortest extension I can get, and I'll try to stabilize the cable connections on each end as well as putting in some sort of strain relief or abrasion protection where the cable exits. We'll see...

Yeah, as I understand it, the Brunner does not natively support DirectX Force Feedback, so the Force Trim (or as they call it Mechanical Trim) has to be set in the Brunner software using a button connected to the Brunner. That said, there is a modification using an Arduino Micro and software created by @Chuls that may make it possible to do exactly as you describe: pass the DIN-5 connector cable out the side of the extension tube directly into the Virpil base, bypassing the Brunner base altogether and only using it for the X/Y axes. I may just bite the bullet and give it a try soon. I'll report back on my success of failure regardless.

Thanks for the feedback. The only issue with that solution is that I think for the force trim features of the Brunner to work (e.g., to hold the stick in a new center position when flying helicopters), you have to program a trim switch in the Brunner software itself, rather than just programming the trim function in DCS. So I need the Brunner base to see at least one switch on the grip, in addition to seeing the axes. (And yes, that was my bad: PS/2 uses a 6-pin DIN rather than the 5-pin used by TM, Virpil etc.)

I want to switch from a Virpil VPC WarBRD base to a Brunner CLS-E force feedback base, but as I understand it, I will lose a lot of functionality in my Virpil Alpha grip (scroll wheel, analog stick, several buttons, and all the programming flexibility of the VPC software). I've got an idea for a work-around that seems like one of those "if it were that simple people would already be doing it" kinds of things, so I'm hoping for feedback on whether this might actually work. The idea: 1.) Mount the Virpil Alpha grip to the Brunner base via a short extension, with a hole drilled/cut in the side of that extension. 2.) Instead of using a normal PS/2 extension between the grip and the base, connect the single end of a PS/2 Y-splitter to the grip, and connect one of the two dual ends to the Brunner base but run the other one out the hole in the side of the stick extension. 3.) Connect that second end of the Y cable into the Virpil WarBrD base (which would be mounted to the side of the Brunner base with no grip attached. 4.) In this fantasy of mine, DCS would see two devices (a Brunner and a Virpil) and receive button inputs simultaneously from both. I would only assign functions to the X and Y axes and trim button(s) from the Brunner, and I would assign every other button/switch/encoder/min-stick axes etc. through the Virpil like normal, with no button/switch assigned in both devices. So... dumb idea, or do you think it could work? And if you do think it would work, any idea where to order a single female to dual male PS/2 Y-adapter? Most I've found online are the single male to dual female. I'd prefer not to trust to my crappy soldering skills. Thanks as always for any feedback!

Thanks very much for these helpful insights! As it turns out, I am installing a flight simulator in one of my company's facilities, and I've purchased a Brunner CLS-E that I plan to try there. Thus I'll get to test drive it (once we have it up and running). I suspect I'll wind up getting one of my own. Thanks for the tip on the extension. I had initially purchased a Thrustmaster F-18 grip to use with it, but I think it's too heavy and I'll wind up going with a Virpil grip simply to avoid overtaxing the motors. I had purchased extensions as well, but it sounds like I'd do well to avoid using them.

I get the sense that if a third-party developer can meet the technical and quality requirements, they can create a map of just about anywhere in the world as far as ED is concerned. That's not a bad thing of course, assuming it does not tax ED resources, as in the end the DCS community will vote with its wallets. If someone wants to make a West Virginia/Kentucky map to recreate the war of the Hatfields and the McCoys, I guess we'll have the option to buy one. I wonder to what extent the success of the South Atlantic map is driving third party developers to take more leaps of faith on passion projects. I was very dubious of that one when it was announced, but it wound up being a day one purchase for me.

SOLVED: I went into the Windows joystick settings and calibrated in Windows. After that, everything behaves correctly in the VPC Direct Input Viewer and VPC Joy Tester, as well as in DCS. This is surprising to me, as I was always under the impression that one should calibrate in VPC and only in VPC. I didn't calibrate my other WarBrd in Windows and it worked just fine. It's also odd to me that Windows calibration affects behavior in the VPC Joy Tester and VPC Direct Input Viewer, both of which I thought displayed the raw output being sent to Windows, and wouldn't be affected by calibration in the Windows interface. Clearly a misunderstanding on my part on multiple counts. Hopefully this thread helps someone else in future.

I updated to the 20220407 software and updated all my firmware, and now one of my two WarBrd bases is only outputting values for half the range of each axis. What's really odd is that in the VPC Configuration tool, all axes calibrate normally and appear to be returning normal values through their entire range. The "Axis Logical (output) reads 50%/30,000 at center, 0% /0 at full deflection on one end and 100%/60,000 at full deflection on the other end. "Axis Source (input) values look normal too. (See example below) But in the VPC software's Direct Input Viewer, in VPC Joy Tester and in DCS, each axis only reads value for half its range. It's as if the midpoint/center of each axis is outputting at 0% (or 100%, depending on the axis). One half of the axis provides 0-100% of the output, and the other half of the axis does nothing. What's really odd is that it only does this with one of my two WarBrd bases (I use this one for a DIY collective I made before Virpil sold collectives). I would revert to the older firmware, but as I recall it doesn't work with the new software. And I don't want to revert to the old software because of the functionality in the current build. I'm hoping there's just something I'm missing. Thanks in advance for any advice!

Thanks Don. For me it’s more an issue of my arm position when the stick is centered. I’m using a Virpil WarBrd base and even with it sitting against the front of my current chair (which is fairly deep) it feels like the natural position my hand wants to be in is about three inches short of the center of the base. An S extension might be a more economical way to get to the same ergonomic solution, though.

Hi all, I'm thinking about taking the plunge on the Monstertech Flight Chair, mainly for the center cutout (which I don't feel like DIY-ing into an existing chair). For current owners, are you happy with your purchase? Any less obvious pros/cons to be aware of? Also, how easy are the armrests to remove and re-attach? I've modified my current chair so I can swap the left armrest on or off in about 30 seconds, since I prefer it on for throttle flying and off for using my homemade collective. It looks like the Monstertech armrests wouldn't be a quick change, but it's hard to tell from the images. Thanks in advance for impressions/advice!

Very helpful, thanks!

Hi all. I've got two 15-button Stream Decks that I used to have mounted to the side of my Warthog throttle base with something I custom made. I've switched to a Virpil Throttle, and my previous solution doesn't really work with it. I'd like to mount the SDs either near the edge of my desk (ahead of/above my center-mounted stick) or forward of the throttle, and I can attach the mount either to the desk or to the Wheelstand Pro mounting plate that holds my throttle. I'm wondering if anyone has found a creative mounting solution for your Stream Decks that might not be on my radar yet. Ideally, it would be pretty adjustable but solid once everything is locked down. Thanks for your suggestions!

Thanks for your post -- very helpful. I hadn't really been paying attention to what the SCAS was doing in the mix. I had a very gratifying flying session last night with stable HOGE and HIGE, and I think what ultimately helped was to stop expecting it to be one way or another and just let my hands and feet figure out the right way to fly this aircraft, without my brain getting a vote. I'm sure I'll be terrible the next time I hop in the Huey. As an aside on taking out control inputs, I once got about 15 minutes at the controls of a blimp, and you had to take our your turn about 20 degrees short of your desired heading. I'm sure it looked from the ground like a drunk was flying. Apparently if it flies, I can find a way to over-control it.

To the OP, I likewise had the expectation that the Apache would be easy to hover coming from the Huey, and am currently being humbled by it. I've been sttuggling for an analogy to describe the differences, but to me the Apache feels more... slippery. If the Huey feels like trying to balance a broomstick on the end of your finger, the Apache to me feels like trying to stand at the top of an ice-covered mound. Everything is smoother; I try the old "put it in then take it out" trick on my cyclic inputs to avoid overcontrolling, and she just keeps gliding along away from center. This then baits you into more and bigger inputs, when in reality I think the aircraft just hasn't quite responded yet to the initial input. I applied curves at first, but I mostly took them out because it felt like my corrections were too small and ineffective with them. I'm beginning to think, however, that the curves are great for maintaining a hover, but maybe work against you when trying to restore a hover that you've already let go all goofy on you. Like the Huey though, I'm having those moments where suddenly the aircraft is dead rock steady in a hover, like magic. Unlike in the Huey, I'm not yet sure how I got it to do that.