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Honeycomb yoke - is it worth it? If so best place to buy

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On 12/29/2019 at 1:49 PM, tttocs said:

You're blaming a technology that can actually be quite serviceable (again I have pots that are older than me that work just fine), based on an implementation of that technology that was of poor quality from the start.

+1


Frank Patton
MasterCase Pro H500M; MSI Z490 WiFi MOB; i7 10700k 3.8 Ghz; Gigabyte RTX 3080 12gb OC; H100i Pro liquid cooler; 32GB DDR4 3600;  Gold RMX850X PSU;
ASUS 
VG289 4K 27" Monitor; Honeycomb Alpha & Bravo, Crosswind 3's w/dampener.  
Former USAF meteorologist & ground weather school instructor. AOPA Member #07379126
                       
"I will never put my name on a product that does not have in it the best that is in me." - John Deere

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On 12/29/2019 at 2:14 PM, Ray Proudfoot said:

I’m surprised spraying into the slots manages to reach the pots.

I have used contact cleaner for many devices over the years, but not for my quadrant as I do not know where to spray.  Any videos on a Saitek quadrant disassembled so we can see the "target" location?  Might be a moot point for me as my Saitek Pro Cessna yoke with DIN quadrant is packaged and will be listed on ebay Friday.  But I am now reliant on a Saitek USB quadrant with nearly as much use.  The left (throttle) lever location on this USB quadrant takes time to settle down after in-flight adjustment, and is no longer linear through its range.


Frank Patton
MasterCase Pro H500M; MSI Z490 WiFi MOB; i7 10700k 3.8 Ghz; Gigabyte RTX 3080 12gb OC; H100i Pro liquid cooler; 32GB DDR4 3600;  Gold RMX850X PSU;
ASUS 
VG289 4K 27" Monitor; Honeycomb Alpha & Bravo, Crosswind 3's w/dampener.  
Former USAF meteorologist & ground weather school instructor. AOPA Member #07379126
                       
"I will never put my name on a product that does not have in it the best that is in me." - John Deere

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2 hours ago, fppilot said:

Any videos on a Saitek quadrant disassembled so we can see the "target" location?

Frank,

A Youtube search will bring up a number of Saitek TQ 'fix it' videos that will show you the pots are located at the 'end' of the TQ levers. So it seems you want to slide the contact cleaner 'tube' down along the edge of the throttle levers as best you can.

I've taken the pots apart and cleaned them as shown in the first video below. You just have to go slow and be careful and pay attention to how the parts of the pots are oriented (or else the 'reverse' switch at the bottom of the lever range may not work correctly). It helps to take pictures along the way so you can recall how it all fits together. However, I would certainly first just try spraying the contact cleaner a few times.

Al

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOw9Cu_-cEI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oADlYf1rrJI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NscBtACM1E8

 

Edited by ark

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14 hours ago, fppilot said:

I have used contact cleaner for many devices over the years, but not for my quadrant as I do not know where to spray.  Any videos on a Saitek quadrant disassembled so we can see the "target" location?

Frank, as Al mentions, the pots are basically at the bottoms of the throttle levers.  I simply slide the straw all the way down into the quadrant to where the lever ends.  I generally give a quick squirt from both the top side and then the bottom side of the lever and then work the lever through the full range of motion a few times.  Repeat for each lever (I have two quadrants for six total).  Both of my quadrants had become unusable before I resorted to this, with major spikes on all of them.  I won't say the treatment made them "good as new", but pretty doggone close.

Scott

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On 12/27/2019 at 11:20 AM, tttocs said:

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts Frank.  Thanks much!

 

Scott,
If you are still following this I have some additional thoughts after a few hours of actual flying with the yoke.

Still working out my button assignments.  Different enough from the Saitek:

  • Glad the hat switch is on the left yoke pod like the Saitek.  I used to favor a right pod placement like my now-ancient CH yoke, but I recall how much I labored to adjust from right to left pod.  Happy I do not have to now revert back. 
  • The yoke is considerably stiffer both on the X and Y axis.  The X axis requires no adjustment on my part and feels more natural.  The Y axis (elevator) has a strong return to center, more so than the Saitek.  Perhaps my Saitek had some wear that loosened up the rest-at-center. 
  • Also, using the yoke's left pod elevator trim switch (and I use the left switch only of the two available), I have found the need to adjust down already the elevator trim sensitivity in a couple of aircraft.cfg files.  For instance I have adjusted the "elevator_trim_effectiveness" to  0.7 from 1.0 for the Milviz B55 Baron.  Prior to that chance small yoke adjustments in elevator trim were causing too much porpoising when the control inputs were too small to realistically cause that.  I believe I also changed my setting in FSUIPC for the elevator trim switch to single click from continuous.  Those two smoothed it out.  
  • Egg on my face: I was not able to retain the FSUIPC profiles for my separate aircraft models.  Why did I try?  Two different yokes....  The first time I took the Milviz Baron off of autopilot on an IFR (IFR conditions) approach the plane rolled sharply left and I had to hold the yoke 30° to the right to stay on course and land.  I tested the Milviz Cessna 310 and found the same was going to happen.  I have (8) different FSUIPC profiles (some assigned to multiple aircraft) and I will obviously need to re-establish each of them.
  • It is taking some time to figure out all of light switches.  Three of the five are working as expected.  But the Taxi lights switch only works after I switch it On, then Off, then back On.  Scratching my head.  The assigned command is "Toggle Taxi Lights" for both the up and down positions.  The appropriate "Toggle" works for the Beacon, Nav, and Strobe lights, and on the Milviz Baron works for the Landing Lights.  But is not flawless on Taxi.  Then, the Milviz C310 side panel has a three position Landing Lights switch.  Off, Arm?, and On.  Cannot figure that out.  
  • As others have reported, In a dark room or during night flight the five light switches are not illuminated in any way.  A Braille method is needed, and a recollection of the left to right order of the switches.  I am using a small USB powered adjustable stiff goose-neck LED book reading light, turning it on and off as needed.  This was a design oversight (or undersight LOL) fault.  With all those stylistic red lights they placed behind the yoke's "styled" panel, placement of some of them would have precluded this issue.
  • The clamped desk mount is well thought out and rock steady.  My desk services multiple purposes and is an attractive piece of furniture with a bull-nosed leading edge.  The only step I have taken is to install some adhesive mounted padding on the inside of the two metal clamps to protect my furniture.  The clamp's jaws are wide enough to accommodate even a thick door blank (otherwise called door slab) if one is used as a desktop.  When I had a CH Yoke it could not mount to one.
  • I love the overall style and feel of the yoke, including the stiffness (other than the hard Y axis center).  It is excellent in fit and finish.

 

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Frank Patton
MasterCase Pro H500M; MSI Z490 WiFi MOB; i7 10700k 3.8 Ghz; Gigabyte RTX 3080 12gb OC; H100i Pro liquid cooler; 32GB DDR4 3600;  Gold RMX850X PSU;
ASUS 
VG289 4K 27" Monitor; Honeycomb Alpha & Bravo, Crosswind 3's w/dampener.  
Former USAF meteorologist & ground weather school instructor. AOPA Member #07379126
                       
"I will never put my name on a product that does not have in it the best that is in me." - John Deere

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On 1/4/2020 at 5:50 PM, fppilot said:

Scott,
If you are still following this I have some additional thoughts after a few hours of actual flying with the yoke.

Sorry for the delay in responding... Thanks much for the followup, Frank.  Still on the fence for now, as I've actually not had any time for simming of late, but the information is still much appreciated.

 

Scott

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11 hours ago, tttocs said:

Still on the fence for now, as I've actually not had any time for simming of late

I have been in the same mode.  Only 5 hours logged since the first of the year.


Frank Patton
MasterCase Pro H500M; MSI Z490 WiFi MOB; i7 10700k 3.8 Ghz; Gigabyte RTX 3080 12gb OC; H100i Pro liquid cooler; 32GB DDR4 3600;  Gold RMX850X PSU;
ASUS 
VG289 4K 27" Monitor; Honeycomb Alpha & Bravo, Crosswind 3's w/dampener.  
Former USAF meteorologist & ground weather school instructor. AOPA Member #07379126
                       
"I will never put my name on a product that does not have in it the best that is in me." - John Deere

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