Finally a Fix for The Saitek Pro Flight Yoke Pitch Axis

[psolk 3,040]

Like others, I would love to know the correct springs to use.  airplaneguru, where did you find those springs?

Thanks!

-Paul

[airplaneguru84 35]

Like others, I would love to know the correct springs to use. airplaneguru, where did you find those springs?

Thanks!

-Paul

The local hardware store. Any good hardware store should have a good selection of springs in the hardware section. Not sure about the 'big box' hardware stores though. The sizes I used are posted above.

[psolk 3,040]

So I managed to find the exact spring from Home Depot (ordered them online) http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-1-4-in-x-1-1-2-in-and-11-32-in-x-1-7-8-in-Zinc-Plated-Extension-Springs-4-Pack-16086/202045462

 

Completed the mod today (really took my time to make sure I was following the vid so spent about an hour on it but the feel is night and day.  No more stupid detent to overcome, much smoother and did not need any recalibration at all.

 

Thanks a ton for this, what a difference!!!

[bk2000 0]

Hello,  :unsure:

I have a Saitek Pro Flight Yoke. I am not a big fan of it's 'spring-back' to the center action.

I know some have said that in the real world the yoke doesn't spring back to the center. 

What if I just 'deactivated' the springs? 

Would that work to allow me to center the yoke manually after I have altered the yoke's position?

I wonder if anyone has done this....

Thanks for any/all comments.

[Mossyfly47 18]

Saitek Yoke Mod

 

I did the rubber band mod worked for a few minutes after  I closed up the case. I think one rubber band may have snapped. It seems like with Fsuipc has and always  shoots from 0-13654. the yoke feels better and even without any rubber bands and now without the original pitch contraption arms. its smoother. maybe the little sensor that sends signal for pitch is poor quality or just made to a price

There is still indent there in elevator pitch. will keep experimenting see if there is anything else that would reduce elevator going up or down with no smooth transition... I have a CH yoke as well it never acted like this. 

 

Its definitely more flyable now. 

[Mossyfly47 18]

http://www.saitekfor...991&postcount=5

 

I did this before but it never worked I think it must have been a Win8 update as it worked this time. Have fine elevator control finally in FSX and FSUIPC.

 

the tip is always follow the step by step way...

[Gregg_Seipp 568]

Was it that bad really?  Just asking.  I've never had a Saitek yoke (though I have a couple of their other products and they're fine). 

 

I have a Saitek Pro Flight Yoke. I am not a big fan of it's 'spring-back' to the center action.

I know some have said that in the real world the yoke doesn't spring back to the center.

 

If I remember (been more than 10 years) it doesn't 'spring' back but it doesn't just stay.  The wind is blowing over the elevator and pushing on it and the yoke has to move with it.  I don't have the yoke (I have a CH) so I can't say if it would be weird or not.

 

Gregg

[nudata 10]

Some experienced pilot's comment on the REAL actions of a yoke in GA (general aviation) aircraft would be valuable. If there is NO artificial centering in a real GA aircraft then the spring loaded things we use are wrong??

 

If I remember (been more than 10 years) it doesn't 'spring' back but it doesn't just stay.  The wind is blowing over the elevator and pushing on it and the yoke has to move with it.  I don't have the yoke (I have a CH) so I can't say if it would be weird or not.

 

Gregg

[Gregg_Seipp 568]

 

 

Some experienced pilot's comment on the REAL actions of a yoke in GA (general aviation) aircraft would be valuable. If there is NO artificial centering in a real GA aircraft then the spring loaded things we use are wrong??

 

I'm not saying it's wrong.  It may be, perhaps, overdone on our less expensive yokes (I have the CH).  The pipe that connects to the yoke is shorter than in the RW and that's probably why.  In a real world airplane it's just the force of the air on the control surface that moves the yoke.  To me it was a softer, less forceful feel.  Having said that, I don't really think it matters that much.  Your mind adapts readily.  When I was flying I'd always spend an hour on the sim to tighten up procedures before I went up...knock the rust off the brain.  I noticed it for a couple of minutes but, after that, I just didn't think it very much so long as the airplane did what it was supposed to do.  Nothing wrong with working to make it better, though.  I'd hope that Saitek would integrate this fix into their yoke themselves.

 

Gregg

[psolk 3,040]

Just a heads up, GoFlight is having a sale right now, their yoke is marked down from $749 to $560...  I am VERY tempted right now!

[Jetblst 23]

I'm not saying it's wrong.  It may be, perhaps, overdone on our less expensive yokes (I have the CH).  The pipe that connects to the yoke is shorter than in the RW and that's probably why.  In a real world airplane it's just the force of the air on the control surface that moves the yoke.  To me it was a softer, less forceful feel.  Having said that, I don't really think it matters that much.  Your mind adapts readily.  When I was flying I'd always spend an hour on the sim to tighten up procedures before I went up...knock the rust off the brain.  I noticed it for a couple of minutes but, after that, I just didn't think it very much so long as the airplane did what it was supposed to do.  Nothing wrong with working to make it better, though.  I'd hope that Saitek would integrate this fix into their yoke themselves.

 

Gregg

 

Hi Guys,

 

I am a line pilot for a jet chart company, ATP and I was a CFI in days gone buy.  I fly the Simuflite (KDAL) or Flight Safety simulators a bunch. 

 

Now I have an X52 as well as a relatively new Saitek Pro Flight Yoke.  I find the detent not annoying at all.  I have never flown an aircraft where you would pull back on the controls and have them merely stay there.  IN FACT they will spring back to center just like the Yoke or X52 does.  It is the Aerodynamics (Positive Dynamic Stability) that brings us back to SnL over time.  Unless you are in a fighter and then it's Negative Dynamic Stability controlled by onboard computers then.

 

Sol to have totall accurate feedback would be costly.  To me Saitek has done a good job since (as all of us simmers know) there is a huge plethera of models out there for us to fly.

 

What you guys might want to do is go into FSUIPC registered versions and calibrate the yoke so that you don't move the yoke so much to turn, climb, etc  How you do that is to move the yoke back maybe 1/4 travel or whatever your needs are and press the max button or min button etc wash rinse repeat.

 

Another item may be of interest, is that many of the jets out there are hydraulically operated.  They have a system onboard called an Arthur Q (google it) and that gives us "feel" ha ha so to speak in the cockpit.  So to expect feedback from a controller here in FSX is a little odd.  To expect NO feel is simply gaming then at its best I'd go fly Xbox at that point.  Real World.  The feedback you feel from a Piper Navajo is a world of difference away from say a Cessna Caravan.  Both of which I have over 1,000 PIC.  Not trying to toot the horn here but simply giving you some real world input.

 

On a last note,

 

I was just speaking with the techs out at Simuflight Dallas while I was there for training in April.  The programming involved to give us the full motion experience takes (servers) to get it even close to being right.  And I still laugh when I train at the 1/4 to 1/2 second delay for the motion to catch up with my control inputs.  :)

 

I sorta like my cheap springs in my new Saitek Wonder box!  :)

 

I would bet that everyone wants the controls to "feel" like they feel while on the ramp.  My thoughts are Saitek designed this yoke to give the BEST of all realms as it cannot be all things to all models to all people and all their wants wishes and desires.  My two cents.

 

Have a great day. :)

 

 

When I was flying I'd always spend an hour on the sim to tighten up procedures before I went up...knock the rust off the brain. I noticed it for a couple of minutes but, after that, I just didn't think it very much so long as the airplane did what it was supposed to do.

 

Well said.  I use FSX just for that too.  It actually is that good.  We have 8 aircraft of the same make and model on our line that I fly.  Every single one of them flies different, feels different, sounds different, etc.  For me I don't get all into the "enth" so to speak here in FSX every RW flight is different, FSX might as well simulate that too.  :)

[Pe11e 812]

Bought Pro Flight Yoke system two days ago, and I was very very disappointed with it, pitch axis was catastrophic, and it has a decent deadzone on the roll axis. Tried to land NGX with one hand on the yoke (other hand is on the throttle), it was very frustrating and difficult. So after only 24h after purchase I decided to open it and to try this mod with rubber bands. Took out one spring on pitch axis, and that black ring closest to the yoke, much better now, even without rubber bands. Without one spring and with that problematic black ring had still huge detents, without black ring it is acceptable. It still has sticky movements on pitch axis, but only during turns. I will try to open it again to get rid of sticky movements, but the truth is, Saitek designed the whole thing badly, very complicated design inside with only 3 springs and 2 pots. Must get rid of that friction in the rings (bearings), just I don't know how at the moment, except taking out that first black ring on the shaft.

 

Any ideas?

[Mossyfly47 18]

Do you have FSUIPC what do the readings give you on elevator calibration 0-13653. rising numbers increasing steadily?

if it shoots up from zero to max figure then theres problem. I had this happen for two months then did a few changes as recommend on earlier posts earlier the rubber band fix did nothing to massive elevator movement in up and down. Then suddenly one day to stopped don't even know what it exactly stopped. http://www.saitekfor...991&postcount=5 I believe this solves a lot of problems springs or rubber bands have no influence on massive elevator deflection. Theres plenty of internet sources that recommend this a  windows related but some whizz will nail the connection  between drivers to windows issue.

 

Took me two months and frustration ..... Only elevator thats what bugged me tried everything ..

Keep persevering..

[jimmy64 43]

I found a perfect fix for this yoke. I sold it on ebay and bought an X-55!

[Pe11e 812]

I found a perfect fix for this yoke. I sold it on ebay and bought an X-55!

 

Thank you for your helpful comment. By the way if you didn't knew, X-55 is not a yoke. I have Saitek Cyborg, I'm happy with it, but did you saw stick controls in Boeing or Cessna?

 

On he other hand, I'm on the edge to solve problems with my Pro Flight. Opened it 3 times already, and found the solution for everything, even for roll axis deadzone. 

Main culprit for huge friction and detents on the pitch axis are not barings, it is a shaft inserted in the main yoke shaft. This little shaft is practically attached to the main shaft, controlling the mechanism of the pitch potentiometer. When you push or pull the yoke when making turns, that little shaft will apply force on the main yoke shaft, causing a bit of friction, that's the problem.

Yesterday when I opened it again, I collected all left lubricant inside and applied it inside the main yoke shaft near that little shaft, and it's a bit better now on turns. But I have a friction problem on the roll axis, something is causing it between the barings, probably I will add some lubricant there.

 

The solution for the roll axis deadzone, is to add some piece of wood in length of 3.5cm or something rigid between the top clamps on the baring where the spring is located, to disallow the clamps to go back to their original position.

 

The thing that is driving me crazy is that when you buy Pro Flight, you must open it and risk to void the warrant if you want to make it usable. 150 or so euros for something that is not usable because of the friction is not cool at all, Saitek.

 

After all these years with this bad design of the yoke, Saitek didn't bothered to find a solution for this issue, or even to redesign mechanism. I have at least one much better solution for pitch axis than theirs. But hey, how can I be smarter than Saitek?