CH Products Throttle Quadrant Sensitivity

[Skyseek 18]

I fly mostly twin props. I have the CH Products Throttle Quadrant.  I believe in real world A/C, it is easy using the left and right throttle In sync, keeping the levels so the RPM is equal.  I find it more difficult to accomplish this with the CH Throttle Quadrant levers. 
 

Does it just take more practice, or is the throttle too sensitive? 
 

Do they a make a clip to keep the left and right throttle levers together?

 

Thanks!

[Jim Young 2,356]

First of all, did you calibrate the throttles by using the CH Product drivers before even starting up FSX.  I highly recommend it.  If you are still having problems after using the driver calibration, then you should calibrate it within FSX settings.

Some have tried using the calibration that is within the FSUIPC utility.  It works for some and not for many others.

My Saitek Cyborg X has a button on the side of one of the throttles that I push in so both throttles move together.  Not sure why any controller maker would not have an option to sync both throttles. 

Sometimes an aircraft will suddenly lurch left or right depending on wind conditions.  In the weather setting, I disable turbulence and thermal effects on the aircraft.  Know it is not realistic but so are many other settings and modelling of aircraft in FSX.  You get what you are dealt with.

[Wobbie 938]

Using Windows 7, FSUIPC & FS2004, calibration works perfectlywith both 2 & 4 engined aircraft.. Took time though!

[johncott 177]

I also have the CH Products Throttle Quadrant.  I have never flown a real plane but would assume there is a certain amount of error or play in a real plane, especially the older planes, and that each pair of levers for throttle, prop pitch and mixture would not be exactly the same.  I think a pilot would move them up together and fine tune each one with gauges or a display.  In FSX, I fly regular aspirated engines and older planes.   I use the gauges to match them and it seems to work ok.  For example, manifold pressure for throttle, RPM for prop pitch and flow rate or EGT for mixture.  The newer modern planes that are fly by wire may be more accurate and that each set of levers may match perfectly.

My assumptions could be completely wrong, any real pilots out there that have flown twins care to elaborate?

John Cottreau

[Skyseek 18]

Hi Jim,

I did not load the CH Products Control Manager software or use FSUIPC.  Just the native CH drivers and mapping the axes, etc. 

I think it is a dexterity issue keeping the throttles perfectly even with my two fingers.  I wish there was a T-bar to cover both engine throttles locking them together.
 

I may try wire tying them together to see if that helps...

Thanks!

 

[MarkDH 234]

1 hour ago, Skyseek said:

I may try wire tying them together to see if that helps...

I am a bit confused about what you want. If you are literally going to wire the levers together you might as well just use one lever to control both engines, which you can do by mapping the 'throttle' axis instead of 'throttle1' and 'throttle2'. Likewise the prop and mixture controls. If you are intending to make things more realistic, you need to stick with independent levers and manage the synchronization like in the real world. In an aircraft with constant-speed props BTW, you are syncing the props not the engine RPM. In some aicraft (e.g. the Beech Baron) you have a synchro-scope to fine-tune the prop speeds, and you may also have a prop sync switch to automate this when you have it adjusted close enough. Again, the Baron has this but it may not be implemented depending on which model you're flying (it is implemented in the Carenado Baron with REP in X-Plane, but it may be the REP that adds it).

If you have FSUIPC it has several features designed to make axis synchronization easier. First, you can make the axes correspond more closely by using the 'sync pos' facility on the axis calibration screen for each of the independent TPM axes. And second, you can defined a hot key to sync all independent throttles to throttle1 whenever you press it. And finally, you can click an option on the 'Miscellaneous' tab to make that hot key sync the props and mixtures in the same way.

Edited December 28, 2019 by MarkDH

[Skyseek 18]

Hi Mark,

Thank you for the excellent response.  
 

I think it is just going to take some dexterity training.  I agree, I bought the throttle for realism.  I fly mostly the Flysimware MU2.  It is my favorite airplane.  
 

I would use FSUIPC, but it is more complicated and a little too time consuming to configure.  I am just using the native CH drivers.  Other than the plane moving off center a bit because of the props being off a hair, it’s just going to take some practice.

Thanks again!