What's the Thrustmaster pinky switch for?

[Thick8]

I've done all the training mission. Not once did I use the pinky switch. whats it do?

John

[dburne]

Are you talking about in DCS-A10C and the Warthog?

If so, the pinky button is for nose wheel steering. It engages and disengages. I used it in the taking off training mission.

 

Not to be confused with the paddle ( the black lever), that is not used by default in A-10C.

[cichlidfan]

On the ground it used to engage/disengage your Nose Wheel Steering and in the air it is used to fire the laser as well as during AAR.

[Thick8]

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. There is a three position switch on the left engine throttle control. I've played around with it but it doesn't seem to do anything. this is on the warthog controller in DCS A-10. The pinky paddle is not used in the A-10? Why is it there then?

John

Edited March 27, 2013 by Thick8

[cichlidfan]

Page 92 in the Flight Manual

 

5. Pinky Switch.

Forward Default External Lights

Center Exterior lights off

Aft Lights according to Panel

[dburne]

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. There is a three position switch on the left engine throttle control. I've played around with it but it doesn't seem to do anything. this is on the warthog controller in DCS A-10. The pinky paddle is not used in the A-10? Why is it there then?

John

 

Check the manual, I believe it has to do with the exterior lights.

 

The black lever is just an extra button available, lot of folks use the Hog for other flight sims as well, makes a great modifier imho. The Warthog's predecessor - the Cougar, had one as well. I assigned it as a modifier in A-10C.

[Deadman]

That would be the Master Exterior Light switch:book:

[Thick8]

Thank you for your replies. I think the pinky paddle would be good for the trim modifier.

John

[dburne]

I have a Track IR, so I assigned my trim directly to the POV hat as it is in the real Warthog. However I set the POV for panning using the paddle as a modifier, so when I am in exterior view I can use it for panning around by holding the paddle in, without affecting my trim.

[Mr_Burns]

On the ground it used to engage/disengage your Nose Wheel Steering and in the air it is used to fire the laser as well as during AAR.

 

Shhhh - dont tell him about the laser:

 

[Sierra99]

Thank you for your replies. I think the pinky paddle would be good for the trim modifier.

John

 

I use the paddle for TrackIR center.

[mr_mojo97]

I use it for TrackIR pause and CMS down (seen as I never use it) for TrackIR centre

[charlesml3]

There's a very slick way to use the Joystick Pinky Lever for both TrackIR Center and TrackIR Pause. I have mine setup that way.

 

Joystick Pinky Lever Short - TrackIR Center

Joystick Pinkly Lever Long - TrackIR Pause

[MTFDarkEagle]

I use it for TrackIR pause and CMS down (seen as I never use it) for TrackIR centre

 

Soooooo either you have the CMS always in full auto mode, or you are never using your jammer ;)

[Thick8]

I saw this on page 449 "Engage all SAS and anti-skid. Press the paddle switch on the control stick to confirm all SAS and Anti-skid disengage. Engage all SAS for remainder of flight."

I guess it does do something.

John

[CubPilot]

I use the joystick pinky lever for TrackIR also. Short press Centers TrackIR, long press Pauses TrackIR (Pause comes in handy if you still need to use the switchable cockpit for some things).

 

 

 

 

 

 

:pilotfly:

[charlesml3]

I usually Pause TrackIR for landings. It eliminates the tendency to try to steer the aircraft with my head.

 

With the P51D, I look down just a touch so the view grabs the airspeed indicator and then pause TrackIR there. Makes landings quite a bit easier.

 

-Charles

[EAKMotorsports]

Page 92 in the Flight Manual

 

Sorry to ask but where is that manual? thx for the info.

[IonicRipper]

Start>All Programs>Eagle Dynamics>DCS World>Documentation

[NhiTrac]

You folks using the paddle to centre TrackIR, is this through the TARGET program?

 

I love how my TMWH (picked it up yesterday) is PnP for DCS A-10, however I'm struggling to find out how I can map the paddle to reset track ir without using any other program...

 

Perhaps someone has a profile that emulates the PnP function for A-10?

 

Cheers all

[dburne]

You folks using the paddle to centre TrackIR, is this through the TARGET program?

 

I love how my TMWH (picked it up yesterday) is PnP for DCS A-10, however I'm struggling to find out how I can map the paddle to reset track ir without using any other program...

 

Perhaps someone has a profile that emulates the PnP function for A-10?

 

Cheers all

 

Can't you just assign the paddle for reset within the Track IR software?

[CubPilot]

I used AutoHotKey for the TrackIR stuff. That way I can still use the TM Warthog/DCS A-10C plug&play and I don't need to redo all that in TARGET.The AutoHotKey script is small and has no performance hit when using it.

 

d.Burnette - You could, but I wanted to use the same button for TIR Center & Pause. Short press of pinky lever centers, long press pauses, it works as a ON-OFF toggle for Pause, push button for Center. Much like the other WH buttons that do different things with different length button presses.

 

But if all you want is to pause TIR, then all you need to do is assign the pinky lever to that function in the TrackIR software (replace the default F12 with the joy pinky button # by pressing it while the TIR software is open. You can assign a different key or joy button in the TIR software. I did more because I find having TIR Pause available also is very handy for some things already mentioned in previous posts and if you need to use the clickable cockpit etc.

 

I posted the info here for the Short-Long press version if that interests you. It looks more complicated than it is. After it's setup, start the AutoHotKey script, then start the sim, that's it. For a one click start just add a small .bat file and it becomes a one click operation.

 

 

 

 

:pilotfly:

Edited March 30, 2013 by CubPilot

[NhiTrac]

Thanks both, works a treat. For some reason I thought you couldn't assign it like that :)

[cichlidfan]

Can't you just assign the paddle for reset within the Track IR software?

 

You can do that but there is a downside. TIR does not recognize DX codes as coming from different controllers. If you just assign the button it TIR then any other controller which sends out the same DX code (the Throttle Mic switch for example) will also center your TIR, which might be somewhat inconvenient.

[dburne]

You can do that but there is a downside. TIR does not recognize DX codes as coming from different controllers. If you just assign the button it TIR then any other controller which sends out the same DX code (the Throttle Mic switch for example) will also center your TIR, which might be somewhat inconvenient.

 

Yeah I have run into that in the past. A couple of us have been posting about this issue on the Natural Point forums as well.

 

Thanks,