Radar Antennae Elevation meant for thumbstick instead of rotary axis?

Does anyone know if this is intentional? I know the Mirage had this issue for a while before it was corrected.

Say you have an axis with +/0/-. If the axis is centered, there's no movement. If the axis is rotated to +1, the radar elevation carat starts moving upward at a constant rate until the axis is returned to 0. This absolutely does not work well with a rotary axis.

Does the real Hornet radar elevation work via a spring-to-center control? I thought it was a wheel just like the F-15, F-16, etc.

F-15 is a momentary switch...spring loaded that returns to center after release

The real F-15 throttle or the Suncom throttle?

Real thing...from what I remember, the Suncom as well.

Real thing is basically a spring loaded rocker switch to center

I can't say for sure just by looking at it, but in pictures of the F-18 throttle, it certainly looks like a rotary wheel...

I can't say for sure just by looking at it, but in pictures of the F-18 throttle, it certainly looks like a rotary wheel...

I’m speculating here, but I would imagine they operate in much the same way. Both MD, now Boeing, creations so stuff usually doesn’t fall too far from the same tree.

You aren't just going on the Suncom throttle for this, are you? Because I could easily see how that could be incorrect. The Suncom Throttle was made back when not as many axis were supported and the wheel mechanism on it was essentially just an up switch and a down switch.

This is not a real throttle, but the replica shown here has the elevation control resting in an off-center position:

http://throttletek.com/f-18-throttle/

You aren't just going on the Suncom throttle for this, are you? Because I could easily see how that could be incorrect. The Suncom Throttle was made back when not as many axis were supported and the wheel mechanism on it was essentially just an up switch and a down switch.

No...I worked the real thing for a lot of years.

You give me enough dead time and I could probably get you a part/stock number for the actual switch

I think the real one is not an on/off switch, but a spring centered axis. The more you displace it, the faster it will change the elevation. Otherwise the real controller wouldn't be so big.

So the current axis implementation may be technically correct, unfortunately there is no hardware on the market that works this way, which makes it a rather useless feature.

I think the real one is not an on/off switch, but a spring centered axis. The more you displace it, the faster it will change the elevation. Otherwise the real controller wouldn't be so big.

 

So the current axis implementation may be technically correct, unfortunately there is no hardware on the market that works this way, which makes it a rather useless feature.

Partially there. I was curious so I looked it up. Switch is a potentiometer actuated by a switch on a centering spring, so more travel would be faster movement, but, it will center back to null when released.

This is -15 stuff of course, I’m going to bet -18 would be similar but don’t know that to be fact.

I assigned it to the slider on the Warthog and it doesn't really do the job. I'm setting mine to the red China hat since it's spring loaded. None of this would be much of a problem if the TDC slew axis worked and I didn't need to use a hat for it.. But hey.. It's beta..

I assigned it to the slider on the Warthog and it doesn't really do the job. I'm setting mine to the red China hat since it's spring loaded. None of this would be much of a problem if the TDC slew axis worked and I didn't need to use a hat for it.. But hey.. It's beta..

You’re drunk... :)

You’re drunk... :)

Haha! Not in over a year! Rather boring.. ;)

Lol. On a serious note...good for you!

You should swing by the 107th. It's got a Multiviper kind of feel..

You should swing by the 107th. It's got a Multiviper kind of feel..

Sounds complicated. :lol:

No...I worked the real thing for a lot of years.

 

You give me enough dead time and I could probably get you a part/stock number for the actual switch

Thanks man. That's the info I was looking for. It can be hard sometimes to tell via text who knows what they're talking about and who's spouting BS.

Yeah im hoping it will get changed so it works the same as in the mirage. The current implemenation would only work if the rotary was springloaded ^^

If they really want to keep the real axis they should just make 2. 1 for the "real" and the second one as used in the mirage radar elevation.

Yeah, I'd like to see both options.

Now that I know that the wheel has spring-to-center tension, I want to try and implement it. The Suncom F-15 throttle's pinky wheel has a mechanism that could be copied to accomplish this.

Rainmaker, thanks again man. Experience-based information like what you shared is rarely obtainable unless someone like you comes along and shares it. Thank you.

Hoping that an option will be made to map it like an F-16 elevation control so that it makes sense on my throttle (and in my brain lol)

This is still an issue for me.

I understand that the elevation control in the real thing works differently, but can we please have the option to use our existing controller axis (i.e. the further you move the axis, the further radar elevation changes, like it is implemented in all other jets with radar in DCS).

I guess most of us don't plan to mod our hardware to exchange the axis control with an encoder or something spring loaded.

So the current axis implementation may be technically correct, unfortunately there is no hardware on the market that works this way, which makes it a rather useless feature.

^This.:doh:

Second this, X52 Pro user here, there's no other logical mapping for radar elevation on this stick than one of the rotaries. And due to residual drift on both of them, the antenna elevation slowly drifts into full down position with the rotary centered.

I am using the scroll wheel for this. It's not perfect, but it does work. You may need to adjust the delay.