guys,

 

I bought the new Saitek X55, I must say it is the best pice of hardware I have ever used for FSX, It add even more realism let me put it this way.

Any other pilots using this rig? I am having a hard time configuring it, the normal FX commands won't do anything on the 777, seems like the 777 has its own key commands.

 

Let me know if anyone else is trying to set this correctly.

 

Danny.

 

 

Any other pilots using this rig?

 

Haven't gotten it yet, but my X45 has lasted for a decade (yes, it's nearly that old - short by 2 months at the moment), and the 55 looks pretty nice.  I'll probably end up getting it for my birthday in August.

I have the Saitek X52. Yes it is a bit frustrating that the 777 seems to have its own set of commands. When you first got the plane you have to find the solution somewhere in the web. (And scandinavian13 don't blame me for not reading the intro... I did, but still couldn't get it.)

 

The 777 is able to detect whether buttons are pressed on the keyboard vs joystick, and they act differently. For me, I mapped a button on the joystick to the [A/P connect or disconnect] function in FSX(default keyboard key is [z]). This will be the autopilot disengage key (but not the engage, you have to press the engage button on the MCP manually with your mouse!). Map another joystick button to the [A/T arm] function. This will function like the disconnect buttons physically present on the real throttle. Finally map another button to the [TOGA] function in FSX. That will be the TOGA switch physical on the real throttle as well.

I have the Saitek X52. Yes it is a bit frustrating that the 777 seems to have its own set of commands. When you first got the plane you have to find the solution somewhere in the web. (And scandinavian13 don't blame me for not reading the intro... I did, but still couldn't get it.)

 

The 777 is able to detect whether buttons are pressed on the keyboard vs joystick, and they act differently. For me, I mapped a button on the joystick to the [A/P connect or disconnect] function in FSX(default keyboard key is [z]). This will be the autopilot disengage key (but not the engage, you have to press the engage button on the MCP manually with your mouse!). Map another joystick button to the [A/T arm] function. This will function like the disconnect buttons physically present on the real throttle. Finally map another button to the [TOGA] function in FSX. That will be the TOGA switch physical on the real throttle as well.

 

True and not true all in the same...

 

It's true that mapping buttons through FSX will give you different behaviors with the 777, but that's because FSX functions aren't like the functions should be on the 777.

 

What you should be doing is using key mappings to different keystrokes entirely.  The FSX commands are too basic to get your the proper result.  The basic FSX command is an ON/OFF toggle.  If you press Z to kill the autopilot in FSX, it'll turn it off.  If you press it a second time, it'll turn it back on.  The plane, on the other hand, has a switch on the yoke that is only an OFF toggle (this is the one you press, by the way - not the one on the MCP).  If you press it again, the autopilot will not turn back on.  It will actually silence the alarm that goes off when you disconnect the AP (this is actually in the intro manual, by the way).

 

In my case, I assigned a button on my yoke to send CTRL + SHIFT + 1.  I then told the PMDG KEY COMMANDS to listen to CTRL + SHIFT + 1 for AP DISCONNECT.  I did the same with A/T (except I used 2), and TO/GA (where I used 3).

 

I must add, however, that this is neither the fault of the hardware (your X52), nor PMDG.  In the end, it comes down to the user not properly configuring the hardware to work properly with the aircraft (sorry, but it's true).

 

Got the X55 and no problem at all. As saifd previously configuring key short cuts on the joystick programming software, and then using that as input you set in the FMC Key Shortcuts menu is the best way to do it. Never had a problem with any controller that way.

I use the X-55 and it works pretty ok. I seem to be having some issues with "phantom presses" coming from the throttle unit which I support has not been able to rectify just yet but I'm hopeful….

 

It doesn't seem like all users are having this issue though so it should't deter anyone from purchasing this unit. I like it a lot!

 

 

X45 has lasted for a decade (yes, it's nearly that old - short by 2 months at the moment)

 

As the old saying goes "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". I used an old cyborg flight stick for the longest time.

 

 

I used an old cyborg flight stick for the longest time.

 

I still have the Saitek Cyborg Evo as well! It's my first joystick and was purchased together with FS 2004, also brand new at the time. It has developed some inaccuracies over the past 10 years or so, and I have applied lubricant to it more than a few times. But if I connect it now I'm sure everything is functional ^_^

 

No offense to scandinavian13, I know why it behaves like that; I've flown a real plane and the real 737 simulator (the ones certified for training). The problem is, pressing "z" twice on the keyboard won't silence the A/P alarm; but mapping a joystick button to A/P disconnect, that button will silence the alarm! I'd have expected pressing "z" twice would do the job as well; they are, after all, mapped to the same function in FSX. If the into ever mentioned that keyboard and joystick commands are treated different then I certainly can't get the message; I read every single word of it many times and ended up searching the internet.

 

 

The problem is, pressing "z" twice on the keyboard won't silence the A/P alarm; but mapping a joystick button to A/P disconnect, that button will silence the alarm!

 

That's why I posted what I did...

 

This is a direct quote:

"The basic FSX command is an ON/OFF toggle.  If you press Z to kill the autopilot in FSX, it'll turn it off.  If you press it a second time, it'll turn it back on."

 

...in other words:

Z won't work correctly.