Tighten up looseness/play in stick center?

[JazonXD]

Hi everyone, I have a 3D Extreme Pro, so obviously a bit cheaper stick. There's quite a bit of play in the middle and even with a decent deadzone setting in DCS there could still be some input applied. Is there any way I can open it up and tighten up the center? How can I tell if I need to relubricate the stick? Thanks.

[=Pedro=]

Throw it away than buy Thrumaster T.16000 - problem gone.

[Santus]

Throw it away than buy Thrumaster T.16000 - problem gone.

 

Is it really so much better? I mean they are in the same price range!

[sc_neo]

I have the t.16000 and its great, especially for the price. But, after some month mine developed a bit of centreplay as well. I opend it up and added a small plastic ring cut from a yohgurt cup to push the gimbal upwards so it would make tight contact with its casing in the base ceiling again. There remains just the tiniest wiggle in the vertical axis that you really have to 'hunt for' to even notice. But more importantly, the stick is dead on now. Nor deadzone needed at all. One thing thats nice about it: the Thrustmaseter Target software has a tab called 'Device Analyzer' which lets you look at all axis, buttons, switches and gives you a numeric readout for each position you put it in. So mine now returns to exactly 'zero' or to be exact 8192 of 16383, no matter what. Using it like this for 6 months without issues.

[Sokol1_br]

Problem is that all this joysticks use plastic gimbal, is impossible that don't have mechanical deadzone (play).

 

What some guys do (for 3D PRO) is disassemble their gimbal and add bearings in axis, not properly easy to do. Example there, using Tm Top Gun Afterburner - 3D PRO gimbal is identical (BTW-Google Translator "read" this page).

 

images hostingcertificity.com

Bolts is for support DIY HALL sensor assembly, skip this part.

 

http://il2.skyline.kh.ua/forum/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=176

 

To mask this mechanical play, manufactures add a not adjustable electronic deadzone in firmware.

 

T.16000M use HALL sensor in X, Y axis, so is "miles" ahead 3D Pro low cost/quality potentiometer, but their gimbal mechanics follow the same low cost recipe, subject to mechanical play.

 

In "entry level" category the only joysticks that worth considering - due their better electronics/contacless sensor is T.16000M and VKB Gladiator, the rest is garbage.

 

VKB are truing improve the "entry level" plastic gimbal, be adding grease damper in axis grooves and steel pin in sliding/rotate parts, but still "playing".

Edited April 18, 2017 by Sokol1_br