CH Products - Installation

[Jockos 6]

Folks, I have spent considerable time in configuring CH USB devices, Yoke, Pedals and Throttle Quadrant. Having read quite a lot on this prior, I guess I knew it was not going to be too easy. Well the configuration has turned out OK with just some fine tuning to do.However, and this is my real issue, somehow I have corrupted something in the start up during the process. When selecting an airplane and model and hit 'fly now', in 'cockpit' view, the panel is not displayed, only the inside of the cockpit roof or in the case of the 737NG, lovely blue sky. If you go to the views menu for 'cockpit' and look at 'view direction', I find the 'look back/up' view is locked in. When you attempt to change to 'look forward' and hit OK, momenterily, you see the forward view and panel and then it reverts to 'look back/up'. OK, this happens with all aircraft in the menu so it looks like a FS9/CH issue, however, with other aircraft, the change in 'view option' does take and you can use the aircraft. (This is how I know my CH equipment is basically working OK.) With the PMDG 73, I can never get a panel. It always goes back to the 'look back/up view. So I am devoid of flying the best add-on available!! Incidentally, when you change the views with other aircraft and get a panel and forward view, when you exit FS9 and then come back in, this situation is not saved and you are back with 'look back/up'.I could have directed this to at least two other forums but there is at least something unique with the PMDG NG 73 and the co-operation and help I see with this forum is also commendable and I was hoping I could call on some assistance here. I have spent some 10 hours trying to sort this and am becoming quite tired.I am running FS9 (ver 9.1). Everything was fine before I started configuring the CH USB devices. (I was using gamesport CH joystick and pedals prior) I am not running Active Sky or the like. Apologies for the long post and any assistance would be appreciated.RegardsJock McIntyre (YMML)

[Guest Buck Bolduc]

I could never use the C&h control manager. If I did I would load aa plane and be looking out the left side window, the hat switch acted like it was stuck.After using the Win control panel and playing with the other swiches, gear, flaps, it would become unstuck? It would then be OK. I have no idea why this is>Best

[Guest rds_mcleod]

>Folks,> I have spent considerable time in configuring CH USB>devices, Yoke, Pedals and Throttle Quadrant. Having read>quite a lot on this prior, I guess I knew it was not going to>be too easy. Well the configuration has turned out OK with>just some fine tuning to do.Jock:I have been down this road a dozen times, and basically what I've learned is this: using FSUIPC can totally screw up your CH Products default FS9 install. Likewixe, CH's Manager has some valuable possibilities, but FS9 will fight them unless you REALLY know what you're doing. If CH does cause heartache, at least it will quickly remove itself. I've found on numberous occassions that FSUIPC (incorrectly setup) will really mess up the show.So, sometimes you're better off to delete the fs9.cfg and start fresh. That's usually what I do when I'm stumped, and nothing works correctly. Once you get what you want, avoid playing with your CH setup. For views I used the FS9 defaults, except for eyepoint up, down, elevator trim, wheels, and so on. I PAN views I use the right Yoke PAN key. You get look left-rear/right/back wing views that you can view by cycling through views using the yoke, whatever. Still, (sigh) - every now and then my pedal settings (USB issue) get messed up, but if you unplug/re-plug from the USB HUB they usually find the settings again. ;-) I don't think there's any real science to this other than once you've got it set, SAVE the FS9.cfg for reference.

[JSACKS 0]

You can configure all CH equipment successfully by using the tabs for such functions within FSUIPC. CH confirmed to me that it is NOT necessary to load any of the Control Manager software for this purpose. I have the throttle quadrant and configured it fine using FSUIPC. I have had their yoke and rudder pedals in the past and I uninstalled all of the control software because it did nothing for me. Their control manager software is for esoteric stuff such as programming macros and scripting functions.You must instal and test each item of CH hardware one by one over a period of a week or two. You must run each hardware item a half dozen times with different settings and scenarios to ensure it works right and if it goes wrong, you can isolate the trouble more easily. It is often maddening troubleshooting hardware instal problems. I suggest you uninstal any CH software, unhook any CH hardware, get straight first, and then start all over again. This way you will have an orderly instal (using FSUIPC to configure the CH hardware!) and be able to see what goes wrong, where, and when.Hope this helps.Jonathan

[Jockos 6]

Folks, Thank you all for your input.I believe that I have resolved the issue. I think I have a hardware problem with the CH USB pedals. It will be back to PC Aviator on Monday with the goods.I completly deleted all CH Manager software from my system. Backed up FS9 config and then deleted. Unplugged all the CH devices. Started FS9 which of course took all the defaults. While sitting at KSEA in a 182 in cockpit view, I trusted all the wonderous things about USB and plugged in the yoke and configured in FS assignments. Thought pedals should be next and as soon as I plugged in, cockpit view turned to 'look up/back' direction. Bingo, as they say in the classics. Unplugged pedals and rebooted FS9. Plugged in the quad throttles and did the FS assignment stuff. No problems. Tried the pedals in another USB port with the same result. Unless FSUIP is doing something strange with my pedals I think I have a hardware issue. I really believed that it could have been the CH Manager software, but I think not. I will give FSUIP a shot to fine tune the yoke and quad throttles especially (I have the latest payware version).Thank you all again for your assistance, it is appreciated.RegardsJock McIntyre (YMML)

[Mats_J 2]

Jock,Before you return the pedals. Check the FS assignments for the CH pedals as FS sometimes wrongly interprets them as a Yoke and assigns the yoke axises and buttons to the pedals as well. FSUIPC has nothing to do with this unless you have it registered and have manually tweaked the settings in FSUIPC.Hope it helps,

[JSACKS 0]

My CH USB pedals were touchy. I had them for 1-2 years and finally gave up. The alignment often went out even with FSUIPC and I often got a hardover left rudder for no apparent reason on the ground or the rudder failed in flight randomly. Jonathan

[Mats_J 2]

Jock,Are you using Active Camera? If so you might wanna check so you dont have the Active Camera option Exterior View ticked in 2D view. That will wreak havoc with your outside view and end up showing the sky.I encountered this during taxi in at KSFO today. Might be worth to check.Hope it helps,

[Jockos 6]

Mats, Thanks for response. No I am not running Active Camera. During this drama, I have actually configured the 3 CH devices (using FSUIPC) and flown - other than PMDG 73NG - bit hard without a panel!! So all devices work, it is just when the pedals are introduced that you get this weid 'Cockpit View'. Got me tossed that hardware could manifest itself this way. I have not got anyone close to try the pedals on their system to prove that it is my setup that is causing this. Will sort with PC Aviator.So, in the meantime I have a yoke and quad throttles configured for reverse thrust through FSUIPC. Got the ailerons coupled up with the rudder and at least I can steer the PMDG 'Mother' on the ground.I will get a few hours flown over the weekend.Thanks for your attention.RegardsJock McIntyre (YMML)

[Guest tmetzinger]

I've been flying with the CH yoke and pedals for years and been great - today I added the throttle quadrant. Spent a good 2 hours getting it tweaked so that I could get the detents correct and have reverse working the way I want.What I ended up doing was finding a good guide from stickworks (do a google search on stickworks and CH throttle) which helped me create a map in the CH driver and tell FS9 which functions did which. I found that creating the map and using the CH control manager 3.6 really helped get things calibrated.Once I had the map built and all the axes assigned in FS9, I used FSUIPC to set up the reversers/prop feathers/mixture cutoffs the way I wanted. I was also able to use FSUIPC to assign the buttons to various functions, including the START LEVERS (which is the Toggle Fuel Valve) and all the lights.I'm really happy.One other thing to note, the CH control manager is a run it and forget it thing, once the map's loaded into the USB drivers you're done - there's no little applet running in the background - I found no performance hit with the control manager and using the devices in map mode (on XP Pro).