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Guest quink99

Sperry Autopilot Problem

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Guest quink99

Hello all,I've already posted this at The DC-3 Airways Forum but I thought I'd throw it in here also. Some where I read the solution to this problem but I can now no longer remember where...it's #### getting old!Problem: When ever the Sperry autopilot is engaged on the MAAM DC-3/R4D (FS2004 version)and I try to make a small heading correction, say one or two degrees using either the heading bug on the directional gyro or the heading knob on the Sperry autopilot the unit, followed immediately by the plane, turns a minimum of ten degrees in the direction called for with a passenger horrifying lurch. With the auto pilot disengaged I have no problem reseting very small corrections on either the DG or the heading window of the Sperry (DG part).Question: How can I make very small course changes such as drift corrections with the Sperry engaged?Any help will be most appreciated.Frederick

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Hi Fred,Easy - use the thumb-wheel on your mouse and that will give you single-degree control. However, if you read the Sperry manual, it was never intended to make in-flight corrections while engaged. You are supposed to make heading, pitch, and yaw corrections by hand, then engage the AP. Bill Rambow MAAM-SIM - Rambow, Visser, Banting, Young, Womack, Sodja & Beaumonthttp://www.fssupport.com/maam_sim/maamsim_logo2.gif


Bill Rambow

MAAM-SIM

www.maam.org

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Guest kennethg

I was going to say the same thing about the Sperry only being intended to keep the plane steady, not to turn it. When I want to do any heading changes, I disengage the autopilot, adjust it, turn the aircraft manually, then re-engage.I actually really like using the Sperry, it's got such an archaic feel to it because it doesn't use the trim setting to contol the plane, it's perfect for the R4D. If the plane isn't trimmed right before you engage the autopilot, you get the same trim setting right back at you when you disengage. That can life very interesting, particularly if you disengage after a high speed descent. :-eek

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Guest quink99

Bill and Ken,I most appreciate both of your prompt responses.While I realize that large changes in heading or, for that matter pitch, should be made in the real aircraft, as well as our MAAM DC-3/R4D, by first disengaging the autopilot and then making the required change, page 64 of the MAAM DC3/R4D Manual in a section from the original C-47 manual says in paragraph 13), "After the autopilot takes over, it may be necessary to rotate rudder, aileron, and elevator knobs slightly to get exact course and altitude."This is exactly what I'm trying to accomplish WITH THE AUTOPILOT ENGAGED; small changes of one, two, or three degrees. When I hover the arrow over the rudder knob to effect a course change it becomes a small hand showing an upraised finger, index actually, and either a plus or minus sign. When I roll my mouse wheel nothing at all happens; no heading change of any amount. Am I missing something here? Is there some menu item I should change or maybe something in some .cfg to bring this feature of the mouse wheel to life?Thanks in advance for any efforts you may bring to the problem.Regards, Frederick

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Hi Frederick,Strange! When the hand appears, turning the scroll wheel should cause that knob to spin, slowly.I have no experience or reports of the scroll wheel not working on rotating controls. I thought at first it might be related to the way your scroll wheel settings were configured in Control Panel, but I have been unable to find a seting that will cause mine not to work to either of my computers. Does your mouse wheel scroll web-pages normally? Sorry. Perhaps someone else has an idea.Bill Rambow MAAM-SIM - Rambow, Visser, Banting, Young, Womack, Sodja & Beaumonthttp://www.fssupport.com/maam_sim/maamsim_logo2.gif


Bill Rambow

MAAM-SIM

www.maam.org

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Guest quink99

Good evening, Bill,Thanks for the extra effort! My stubborn little mouse scrolls everything including the page on which this is being typed perfectly except the MAAM DC-3/R4D DG and the heading knob on the autopilot. Maybe he doesn't like flying.When you mentioned the mouse settings in control panel I went there and checked them all but none seem to apply, to or have any effect upon, this situation.Can you think of any other aircraft or control on our DC-3 that functions by scrolling it? Beside the defaults, and our MAAM DC-3/R4D, I've got almost all of Tom Gibson's California Classics props and the FSDZigns 049 Constellation as well as some others. I'll see if I can find one that uses scrolling and see if it works there.Meanwhile, thanks again for the effort.Regards,Frederick

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Hi Frederick, Yeah, virtually all rotating knobs in the R4D's 2D and 3D cockpits operate by the scroll wheel, as well as left and right mouse clicks. These include:Altimeter setting knobDirectional Gyro knobDME knobsVOR knobsADF knobAI "airplane" adjustment knobClockFuel Gauge tank selector knobIn the Overhead Electrical Panel:Magneto leversAll Radio knobsOn the Full Quadrant pop-up:Trim cranksFuel Tank Selector levers...and, of course, the three Sperry knobs.Don't know about Tom's planes, but on the default DC-3, most of the correspoding knobs also are wheel controllable, including their AP.Bill Rambow MAAM-SIM - Rambow, Visser, Banting, Young, Womack, Sodja & Beaumonthttp://www.fssupport.com/maam_sim/maamsim_logo2.gif


Bill Rambow

MAAM-SIM

www.maam.org

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Guest quink99

Bill,I most appreciate your time in responding to my mouse problem with a most comprehensive answer. Since last I posted I have uninstalled and reinstalled my truculent little mouse. I have then gone to the Logitech site and combed it for FAQ's and used their search engine on this subject. I have downloaded and installed the most recent drivers and their latest "MouseWare" software and........no joy.The furry little fiend still refuses to cooperate. Interestingly enough, he performs perfectly on all other mouse wheel scrolling functions. This mouse is a USB trackball device with two buttons...left and right with a scrolling wheel between them. The left and right buttons will move most rotatable knobs on the MAAM-SIM R4D/DC-3 panels as they are supposed by clicking on them but the scrolling wheel which performs any other scrolling function perfectly has no effect on the rotating knobs in FS2004. This problem is not limited to our MAAM-SIM DC-3. I also tried it on the Flight 1 Cardinal yesterday which I hadn't used in almost a year and the mouse had no effect there either. Their manual also indicates many scroll wheel controlable rotating knobs.Before I take an axe to the little monster I was wondering if prehaps your lead gauge guru might be able to explain how the mouse wheel controls the gauges and, prehaps, offer a suggestion of some .cfg or something i could tinker with as a less bloody solution to this problem then the axe.On the other hand if this is getting to tedious just forget it and I'll certainly understand and most appreciate your efforts up to this point.Regards,Frederick

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Guest allcott

Fix the mouse, not mess with the aircraft!I am concerned about this installed mouse bit - the USB mouse is default to the Win XP structure and will auto-install with no outside intereference on your part - you can plug and unplug it at your leisure (I do it all the time on the laptop). Sounds like whatever software Logitech want you to install is pigging about with the centre scroll wheel function. Too clever by half, Logitech, with all this `context sensitive` settings.Uninstall any/all Logitech software and let Windows recognise the mouse directly. Go into the mouse control panel and ensure the scroll wheel is set as `middle button`, 3 line scrolling. That should fix it.Allcott

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Hi FrederickFollow Allcot's suggestion and remove all your Logitech software before you get the axe out. There is no cfg tweak for the mouse wheel, and it should scroll by default without any "Mouseware".The fact that the problem exists with aircraft other than ours, and that we have had no other such reports, indicates that the problem lies elsewhere. If the mouse wheel scrolls properly in other applications this suggests to me that FS has an issue with Logitech.CheersFred Banting

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Guest quink99

Fred and Allcot,Please forgive my delay in responding to your kind offers of help. I,ve been blissfully away from the computer for two days due to other priorities. I've completely removed both of the Logitech drivers using START/SETTINGS/CONTROL PANEL/ ADD-REMOVE PROGRAMS and then verified the complete removal by using START/FIND/logitech and RegEdit by Norton to remove any trace in the registry of Logitech. I then removed the mouse and shut down and restarted and went to check the mouse properties and sure enough any mention of Logitech drivers was gone. The only problem here is that now the properties screen shows only a TWO button mouse whereas when the Logitech drivers were installed it showed a THREE button mouse which would, at least, allow various setting for the mouse wheel. When I tried Windows default driver's effect on the mouse wheel in the Flight Simulator, guess what happened?....Voila! Absolutely nothing new. The mouse would still not turn any knobs. What do you think, Fred? Is it time for the axe now?Allcot, My operating system is Windows 98SE, not XP, if that makes any difference and my mouse is listed in DEVICE MANAGER as "PS/2Compatible mouse port" and not USB.I imagine you're justifiably ready to let this slid by now but if you have any other ideas they'ed be most appreciated.Thanks to you both,Frederick

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Hi Frederick,It is an unfortunate fact that the USB support within Win98 is far poorer than within WinXP. It should be "plug and play" for both, but a huge number of devices aren't recognised. You probably do need the Logitec software to get it to work, and even this may not give you 100% functionality.As for suggestions, here are two, for what they're worth.1. Upgrade to WinXP. Expensive and (ideally) requiring you to reformat your PC and re-build it from the ground up, but it will give you a far more stable system.2. Failing that, purchasing a Microsoft Mouse may get you more compatible results (especially if its a PS2 rather than a USB mouse. I can recommend the Imtellimouse Optical.) This would have to be a "proper" PS2 connection, as my experience is that Win98 doesn't always like USB adaptors.Hope this helps,Alastair

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Guest quink99

Alastair,Thanks for your help. It's most appreciated.Your suggestion 1., " Upgrade to WinXP. Expensive and (ideally) requiring you to reformat your PC and re-build it from the ground up, but it will give you a far more stable system." is currently out of the question.I will, however, try suggestion 2., "Failing that, purchasing a Microsoft Mouse may get you more compatible results (especially if its a PS2 rather than a USB mouse. I can recommend the Imtellimouse Optical.) This would have to be a "proper" PS2 connection, as my experience is that Win98 doesn't always like USB adaptors.". That may well be the answer.Regards,Frederick

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Hi Frederick,Let us know how you get on. As with monitors, the mouse is something you use all the time, and I think is something not worth skimping on. I've used both Logitec and MS mice, and both are among the best regarding build quality. However the MS ones seem to have a slight edge in compatibility. Optical mice also have the huge advantage of not having a ball to get clogged up with dust, and, assuming that you are working on a surface with some variation in texture, don't need a mousemat. A wood-textured desktop works just fine.In my case, as a "leftie", its also nice to have a "symetrical" mouse, as the "ergonomic" mice are all shaped for the right hand .....Cheers,Alastair

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Guest quink99

Good Evening, Alastair,Since I live in a small Mexican mountain town I'll have to wait a week or two until I can get to a larger town, Queretaro, near here where I can get a new mouse. Since most Mexicans seem to have four or five names I've decided to name him after you and all the others who've tried to help me here. His last name will, of course, have to be Microsoft.Following the various suggestions has been quite an adventure! After uninstalling the Logitech MouseWare and installing the MS Intellipoint software and seeing no improvement in the original problem, i.e. inability to rotate various gauges in FS2004 with the mouse wheel, I decided to go back to the Logitech software. On attempting to remove the Microsoft software using "ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS" I got a computer crash to "black screen freeze". Upon restarting I found that everything had now been wiped out of "ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS" except the two mouse software programs. No other of the many programs on my computer were showing in the screen box any more...............and the beat goes on! Anyway, thanks to all for you for your attempts at solving my problem. I'm sure some day soon I'll again have a functional mouse installed although I think that, prehaps, Fred Banting may be correct. It may be an interface problem between the mouse wheel and FS2004, in which case a new mouse won't solve the problem. The line of least resistance is a new mouse and then, as a last resort, a reinstall of Flight Simulator.Blue side up and many thanks, Frederick

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