Saitek evo flaps not working

[KellyB 0]

I have my saitek evo set to control flap extension and retraction. When I click the button to extend them, the indicator moves to the next position, and then immediately returns to zero.

If I use F7, it behaves normally.

 

My saitek setting has worked for every other aircraft in my hangar, so what's up with the 737??

 

Thanks.

[pschlute 37]

How are you setting your evo to control flaps ?  FS controls or FSUIPC or saitek software ?

 

You could assign the F6/F7 keys to the buttons, if those controls work for you.

[KellyB 0]

I have always used FS controls to set the flaps to the EVO buttons, and it has always worked fine. I also have the FSX version of the 737-200, and the EVO settings work just fine there.

 

It's a mystery.

[martinlest2 58]

I too would like to use my Saitek X52 to activate flaps, as usual.  read this post - apparently this can be done via FSUIPC, but I have not been able to get it to work yet (the post says what needs to be done but not how to do it, so would really appreciate more specific instructions! I don't want to do anything in FSUIPC (reg. version BTW) that is going to change the way the X52 controls all other a/c and I am not sure how to make any settings specific for the TM 732...

 

http://www.avsim.com/topic/322942-flaps-w-saitek-throttle-quadrant/?hl=%2Bflaps#entry1904826

 

Thanks.

[pschlute 37]

Open FSUIPC and go to buttons and switches tab.

Tick the box next to "aircraft specific"

Press the joystick button

tick box that says "select for FS control"

In the drop down list below find "flaps inc

Press ok

 

Do the same for your other button using "flaps dec"

 

 

You are now set up with those specific controls for just the tinmouse repaint you have used while changing the settings. Any other controls you have set up without using "aircraft specific checkbox will not be changed. You will be asked if you wish to apply general assignments to this aircraft, select yes.

 

You will want the flap controls to be available for all tinmouse repaints, so you need to do the following:

 

close FS9 and find the FSUIPC.ini file in your FS9 modules folder. Look for this line : ShortAircraftNameOk=No

 

Change the No to Yes or add the line if it is not there at all with a Yes at the end.

 

Scroll down the .ini file until you see your assignments, they will be under a section labled [buttons.Boeing 737-200-YOUR REPAINT NAME]

Edit that line so it just reads [buttons.Boeing 737-200] Save the ini file.

 

If you create aircraft specific controls for axes/buttons/calibrations in the future you will need to shorten the name in the ini file so that it reads the same as the first part of your title= entries in the aircraft.cfg file of all your repaints for a specific aircraft. This way FSUIPC will use those assignments for any aircraft whose name starts with the shortened version you have told it to look for. You only need do this once per aircraft for axes/buttons/calibrations.

[martinlest2 58]

Thank you very much for this Peter, it'll be a great help.

Only problem though, the start of your walk through doesn't quite correspond to what I see: I open FSUIPC (v. 3.999z2) and go to the Buttons & Switches tab. There is no box called 'Aircraft Specific', just one called 'Profile Specific?'. If I check that I am asked to create and name a new profile, or 'new, based on...' I just create a new profile for the 732? There's also an option 'New, based on...'

No doubt, "yes", and I went ahead and made a new profile, but then nothing happens at all when I press switches on the Saitek X52. The option 'Select for FS control' is greyed out anyway...

[pschlute 37]

mmmm

 

Profile specific is a newer addition to FSUIPC than aircraft specific but basically does the does the same thing.

 

Have a look in the manual for FSUIPC User Guide in the modules folder and see if that helps. It appears that Profiles is the new default and it would be best if you chhose that route.

 

If you have created a new profile and all that is in there  is the flap assignments then the other buttons are not going to do anything. Perhaps you should haver selected "new, based on" which would have preserved your general assignments.

The option 'Select for FS control' is greyed out anyway...

 

It will be greyed out until you press a joystick button

[martinlest2 58]

.. as I say, pressing a joystick button does nothing. The option remains greyed out and no other dialogue comes up. ???

 

I'll take another look at the FSUIPC manual, but if anyone can advise further, that'd be welcome!

 

:-)

[martinlest2 58]

I wonder if it would be possible for anyone who has the aircraft's flaps working via a (Saitek X52) joystick to post the Tinmouse profile entry in the  FSUIPC.ini file - I can't get started via the FSUIPC UI (Peter's advice, start of #5 above) as options are still mysteriously greyed out and nothing happens at all there when I click a button in the X52. Maybe if I copied and pasted a working profile into the ini file???

[pschlute 37]

When you open the FSUIPC dialogue box and go to buttons and switches tab, if you press any joystick button the number should appear. Does fsuipc not recognise any buttons ?

[martinlest2 58]

No, nothing happens at all in the FSUIPC Buttons & Switches tab when I press buttons on the X52 (which works fine in FS)..

EDIT: OK, I have tried every switch on the X52 and just a couple of them (hat switches) do create numbers in the two spaces, but the rest either do nothing or make a 'ting' sound when I click them (the 'ping' noise made when for instance, you try to close a window when there is a dialogue box created from that window still open).

As an experiment I tried to programme one of the hat switches which is recognised by FSUIPC to control the flaps up and down. In the .ini file, this creates:

 

[Profile.TM732]
1=Boeing 737-200 Air Zimbabwe
[buttons.TM732]
0=P1,21,C65759,0
1=P1,19,C65758,0

 

However, when I test the switches in FS9, I get the noise of the flaps moving (as I do when I try my usual assigned flaps switches on the joystick), but the flaps handle remains at zero.

 

Wouldn't be quite so bad if the flap handle didn't jump around so much when I try to move it (ever so gently!!) with the mouse. It's almost impossible to prevent it jumping from 0 to 15 as soon as you try to move it. I see Bob explained this in another thread somewhere, but nothing I do resolves it - and as I can't get FSUIPC to work properly, I am stuck.

 

I am beginning to think life's too short for all this. Whatever the merits of the 'realistic' panel design here, the upshot is that I am close to giving up with this aircraft and flying something else - it's hardly worth the frustration. Pity, as it's great to fly otherwise and makes such a nice change from the fly-by-wires I am more used to. Pity too that there's no user option which would get the flaps etc. to work as in other a/c, for those who find themselves in this position.. Such realism is laudable, and the overall design of the panel is an amazing job, but this is at the expense of the aircraft currently being properly flyable for me. 

[pschlute 37]

That is actually normal behaviour for that model. The flaps move and the flap indicator changes but the flap lever itself wont move. It is a quirk of its design when using a joystick control to set the flaps.

 

You have bigger issues at play if some of your joystick buttons are not being seen by FSUIPC. Ask Pete Dowson in the FSUIPC forum for help.

[martinlest2 58]

Yes,quite:  it's that 'quirk' of design I want to get around - it is possible (in theory) according to all the documents.

 

I have already posted a question about this on the SimFlight (FSUIPC) forum, and mentioned that most buttons are not registering from the X52 to the FSUIPC interface. I think Pete is away on holiday for another week or so, so it may take a while to get an answer.

[pschlute 37]

Apologies i gave you wrong info. I assign the flaps to an axis in my setup. using FSUIPC settings for flap axes this leads to the flaps and flap indicator working but not the handle moving.

 

I just tried assigning to a button using "flaps inc" and the flaps;indicator;and handle all move. When you tried your assignment to the hat switch did you have electric and hydraulic power all on line ?

 

Until Pete returns try this to find out what is wrong with your joystick buttons. In windows "Devices and printers" right click your joystick and select game controller settings. Then properties and you will be able to calibrate the device. You should also see a little diagram showing all the buttons. Press the buttons on the joystick and make sure they are all seen by the windows calibration tool.

 

Also make sure you are running the updated tinmouse. In addition to v1_25 and 1_26_266312 there are 1.30; 1.31 ; 1.32; and 1.40 updates.

[martinlest2 58]

Thanks - the buttons all respond properly in game control settings.

 

My aircraft.cfg file indicates v.1.2, so I guess I am a little behind! I am downloading the updates...

 

I just noticed, from a thread I came across on AVSIM, that from v.1.2 onwards, you can control the flaps by clicking on the gauge in the cockpit. This will probably do me, as it is much more reliable than clicking on the flap handle in the throttles quadrant, though I would far rather have the flaps working via my X52.

 

I am pretty sure I had engines (or at least APU) running when I tried assigning flaps to one of the (few) FSUIPC-programmable X52 buttons, or they wouldn't have tried to move, with the correct sound, but I'll try again.

 

Incidentally, I am also having problems with the brakes not responding to input, either via the Saitek or the usual keyboard press.. they work for a while but I usually find they have stopped responding at some stage during taxi: is that something anyone has ever encountered? (Parking brakes remain OK). A key conflict? Can't think of what it could be though. Reloading the a/c fixes it, temporarily, (but that messes up the panel state, and is no 'solution'). Would reloading the a/c work if there were a key conflict? I made a separate post about that (it has happened on and off with other a/c, not just the TinMouse).

 

Meanwhile, I'll get the a/c up to date! (AVSIM really slow - 2 hours to download 65MBs???).

 

:wink: