FSX-MS Locking Engine Axis together

[DarrianCZE 6]

Hello guys!

 

I have a 2 Saitek Throttle Quadrants, and I am using separate levers for each engine.

 

However, I have noticed some problems with calibrating them. Which basicly means that when I will align the levers perfectly next to each other, there is a significant N1 difference between them. Tipcally 3 - 5%, and sometimes more. In the end I have to hold one lever little bit backwards in order to get a symethrical thrust.

 

This is really annoying especially during taxi, where I have to compensate it with my pedals. When I am busy during taxi. Let's say... looking into the maps... it's annoying. And it's even worse when landing with PMDG 737. Even those few percents are noticeable, and I end up with aircraft not perfectly aligned with the runway.

 

So... my question is... is there any tool which can lock these axis together? That will make an instant locking into the one axis, and when... let's say... hitting some key on the keyboard.. it would unlock them back to the two separate axis? Let's say... when backtracking or making a really sharp turn on the taxiway, when I need to raise power only in one engine?

 

Thanks for your response guys :-)

[BeechPapa 32]

Well, there's a plastic part that comes with Saitek throttles that locks 4 throttles together for quad engines. You could cut that down to fit 2 throttles, but since you said N1 is off even when perfectly aligned, that really wouldn't fix the problem. It appears to be a calibration issue. The sensors in those throttles can vary in their linearity. They're the same a 0% or 100%, but the point where 50% or 75% is can be down to slight variations in the sensors. If you lock the throttles together in software (I don't know if that's even possible - perhaps it is with FSUIPC) then there would have to be a master throttle lever that dictates the other's position. But that would pretty much defeat the purpose of having two independent throttles levers. If the variation annoys you too much, it might be a better idea to just have 1 throttle lever mapped to both engines. 

[Pete Dowson 558]

However, I have noticed some problems with calibrating them. Which basicly means that when I will align the levers perfectly next to each other, there is a significant N1 difference between them. Tipcally 3 - 5%, and sometimes more. In the end I have to hold one lever little bit backwards in order to get a symethrical thrust.

 

That's quite realistic. Watch some cockpit videos some time. The levers are often not aligned even for fully symmetric thrust.

 

 

This is really annoying especially during taxi, where I have to compensate it with my pedals. When I am busy during taxi. Let's say... looking into the maps..

 

 

Using the pedals during taxi is also normal. If both you and your copilot are heads down, you should stop and apply the parking brakes! ;-)

 

So... my question is... is there any tool which can lock these axis together?

 

FSUIPC does offer a calibration facility which allows multiple points along the axes when the result must match, then interpolates between. That would get over your calibration differences, but I fear the way PMDG's aircraft read throttles tends to prohibit the use of FSUIPC's throttle calibration.

 

There is a Throttle Sync hot key option (in FSUIPC's Hot Keys tab), which toggles on and off the sort of sync action you want. That's controlled by an assigned keypress, but there is a throttle sync assignable control in the Button & Switches tab too, so you can use it on a button.

 

Again, however, it may not work on PMDG aircraft, though it's more likely to than the calibration way, I can't test it as I don't have any PMDG stuff these days.

 

Pete

 

[Capt Speirs 52]

 

 

This is really annoying especially during taxi, where I have to compensate it with my pedals. When I am busy during taxi. Let's say... looking into the maps.

 

Hope you don't drive like that. 

[DarrianCZE 6]

Heeey Driving is another story

[duckbilled 310]

I had a similar problem with two Saitek TQ's. When operating a 4 engine aircraft, I could never get them close to matching. 1 TQ would advance at a much higher percentage than the other. If I moved the levers on the 2nd TQ 1 inch and the levers on the first TQ 1 inch, the first TQ would advance 5% and the 2nd would advance 20%. The levers in each TQ matched each other reasonably well, but the two TQ's were way off. I have two new Saitek TQ's right now and they are much better.

 

Honestly, I think it is the TQ's. Typical calibration in FSUIPC didn't make a difference, but I probably could have set up something more exotic with FSUIPC. In the end, I usually fly 2 engine jets, so I didn't have the patience to get really deep into FSUIPC's options (like setting up detentes).