Best and/or easiest way to use multiple controllers?

[Alan_A 1,650]

Apologies for raising another question that I know has been asked and answered before. But this is less a "how to?" than a "what's best?"I'd like to be able to use both a yoke-and-quadrant (Saitek Pro Flight) and a joystick and throttle (Saitex X52) - the yoke for most a/c, and the joystick for stick a/c (Cub, Citabria, Spitfire) and maybe, if I get brave, helicopters.Am I better off:1. Hooking them all up and using multiple fsx.cfg's to drive them?2. Hooking them all up and creating aircraft-specific setups in FSUIPC?3. Swapping them on and off the USB port as I need them?How do you handle this? What's best, what's easiest, what's recommended?Thanks in advance.Alan

[sargeski 16]

Alan,Never swap them on and off the USB port as you need them. Plug them into their own USB port and leave them. The minute you start swapping controllers around on ports your going to run into issues.It's best to plug each controller into its own dedicated port and leave it. If you want to get the most out your controls setup, I would recommend you purchase the registered version of FSUIPC, and disable all control input within FSX and let FSUIPC control all of your devices exclusively for FSX. Then as you have stated you can make aircraft specific configs in FSUIPC and those config settings will automatically be applied anytime you use an aircraft that has a specific setting defined for it in FSUIPC. Once you learn how to use FSUIPC you will love it, you will be able to use any and every controller in each aircraft specific config if your heart so desires. With FSUIPC your control programming options are pretty much left up to your imagination. I do not know what I would do without it.I currently have a Thrustmaster Hotas Cougar, Saitek Pro Yoke with Quad, Saitek Pro Pedals, CH Pro Pedals, and an extra Saitek Throttle Quad connected to my FSX rig and to be honest I would be lost without FSUIPC it has made control configuration easy. FSUIPC has a little bit of a learning curve, but once you have configure a few aircraft you'll have the basics learned. IMHO its the only way to go if your are using multiple controlers and multiple aircraft controller configurations.Regards,Bob

[Alan_A 1,650]

Thanks - I've used FSUIPC for years and I agree, it's a lifesaver. But I've never had the physical space for multiple controllers, so I've never used the aircraft-specific programming feature. You make a convincing case, so I'll do that.Here's a detail question - if I wanted to use a total of three Saitex throttles, one in a single-engine configuration and another two combined for twins - could FSUIPC handle that? I'm not sure I have the desk space (will find out soon) but was thinking about that setup.If not, am I correct that FSUIPC will allow me to use a pair of Saitek throttles for either singles or twins, depending on how I program them for each aircraft?Alan

[sargeski 16]

Thanks - I've used FSUIPC for years and I agree, it's a lifesaver. But I've never had the physical space for multiple controllers, so I've never used the aircraft-specific programming feature. You make a convincing case, so I'll do that.Here's a detail question - if I wanted to use a total of three Saitex throttles, one in a single-engine configuration and another two combined for twins - could FSUIPC handle that? I'm not sure I have the desk space (will find out soon) but was thinking about that setup.If not, am I correct that FSUIPC will allow me to use a pair of Saitek throttles for either singles or twins, depending on how I program them for each aircraft?Alan

Alan,All you would need for single and twin configurations is two throttle quads. You would use one for your singles and when you program your twins you would use both. If for some reason you wanted to add a third throttle quad you could utilize that as well.Regards,Bob

[Alan_A 1,650]

Thanks - I'll start with two, and see how that works. If I can make it with two quadrants, that'll leave more room for the Raildriver... :( Alan