Thrustmaster yoke rudder issues

[BWBriscoe 116]

I use the thrustmaster yoke and throttle quadrant (mostly with the Fenix A320). 

The throttle quadrant works great, but I’ve been having issues with the yoke, specifically the twist “rudder” function. I mainly use the twist function as a tiller on the ground for nose wheel steering but I sometimes get no response, sometimes a random turn to the left, sometimes in the middle of a turn it just stops and I have to use my rudder pedals to finish the turn. 

I’ve noticed when I disconnect the AP (general on finals) that the A320 tends to sway (yaw) from side to side. I assume this is a yoke problem too. In fact, I did a test at FL370, disconnected the autopilot, watched the FCTL page and saw some rudder ‘flutter’ even though I hadn’t given any input. 

When I check in windows game controllers it appears fine. Could this be sensitivity options that I need to change?

All help gratefully received!

[BWBriscoe 116]

Sorry to bring this thread up again, but has anyone got any advice or help on this?

Flying approaches is becoming almost impossible as soon as I disconnect the AP, I get violent yaw from right to left. 

Thanks in advance

[Jazz 1,046]

Forgive my ignorance but how does a yoke have a twist function? I have never seen a yoke with a twist function.

[Indy511 686]

19 minutes ago, Jazz said:

Forgive my ignorance but how does a yoke have a twist function? I have never seen a yoke with a twist function.

I think he means the Thrustmaster Sidestick Airbus edition (T. A320 Pilot). It has a rudder function whereas it can be setup as a tiller also. I use it with my Boeing yoke and quadrant setup it works great.

Edited January 24, 2023 by Indy511

[Indy511 686]

49 minutes ago, BWBriscoe said:

Sorry to bring this thread up again, but has anyone got any advice or help on this?

Flying approaches is becoming almost impossible as soon as I disconnect the AP, I get violent yaw from right to left. 

Thanks in advance

Does Fenix have a calibration procedure? I have the FBW Airbus. These are my sensitivity settings in MSFS for the T. A320 pilot.

 

Edited January 24, 2023 by Indy511

[Jazz 1,046]

1 minute ago, Indy511 said:

I think he means the Thrustmaster Sidestick Airbus edition. It has a rudder function whereas it can be setup as a tiller also.

Ahh, perhaps you're right. If that is true then I have one of those and the potentiometer they used for the twist function is poor and I get lots of noise on mine especially when returning to centre. I'm not the only one either. It seems to be a problem with them from what I have read.

But I see you say that when you look in windows it seems fine. Mine started doing it about two or three months ago and I have been meaning to get onto Amazon about it to be honest. However I have found that when I start the computer I go into USB controller setup and see it is doing it but if I give it a few full twists left and right it stops and that is why I have put off sending it back.

Mine only does it when I move the stick about though. So if I am looking and not touching it all looks fine. So give it a wiggle and twist whilst looking at it and pay particular attention to when you let the twist return to centre.

I should also mention to try changing which USB port you have it plugged into. I found that if I plugged mine into the extra through port on my keyboard the signal suffered interference which ceased when I plugged it into a port on the front panel of my PC. I have another controller that is sensitive in this way which doesn't like to be next to any power cables and that is a set of sim racing pedals.

There is a driver for that stick that you may or may not have installed from the thrustmaster website. Worth looking into.

All that is assuming that you are indeed talking about the stick and not some yoke I have never seen with some odd twist function on it.

 

[BWBriscoe 116]

Thanks guys, yes I am talking about the side stick, apologies. 

I’ve got drivers installed, I may try another usb socket see if that helps. 

[micstatic 4,319]

Like said above.  The twist action potentiometer on this stick is very poor.  Yet the X and Y access are very good hall sensors.  Not sure why they cheaped out.  I (like most) also had my twist fail very quickly.  Though I didn't lose sleep since I use pedals anyway and just turned off the axis completely.  

[BWBriscoe 116]

I think I'll have to just turn the axis off and steer with rudder pedals. Very annoying as the twist does give some idea of a 'tiller'. 

Are there better A320 style sidesticks out there (or do I just need to replace the one I've got with the same?!).

Thanks

[MPL 30]

You're probably having this issue with the yoke

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/tca-320-sidestick-airbus-issue/458124

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/thrustmaster-airbus-joystick-rudder-problem-with-intermittent-flicking-without-input-solved/390799

Edited January 24, 2023 by MPL

[BWBriscoe 116]

So deactivated the rudder axis on the Sidestick and I had my first flawless landing since I started using the sim.

Such a shame I can't bind the twist axis just to the nosewheel steering (and not the rudder) as I am really struggling to steer the aircracft on the ground with the pedals.

[RJC68 823]

I fired up the sim yesterday and when it came time to taxi out to the active runway the Fenix was a nightmare to taxi, it seemed to be really erratic especially when turning left. When I went into the control setup the rudder axis on my Airbus Sidestick was jumping around quite badly which explained why it was so hard to taxi smoothly. I found this post and looked at the links provided and proceeded to take the joystick apart. I took the base off and found the wires going to the handle and gave myself around half inch of slack (They were just taped down and there is plenty of cable) then I gently pulled the wires that sit inside the joystick to make sure they were not too tight but the fix for me was to take some 70% rubbing alcohol on a Q-Tip (Cotton wool bud) and apply it generously to the top of the yaw potentiometer manually turning it from side to side. After I let the alcohol evaporate I put the joystick back together then I recalibrated it in Windows and fired the sim back up. Now the yaw axis is solid as a rock with no noise.

This video shows the exact procedure for a T16000M, the 7 minute mark shows how the pot should be cleaned. The Airbus sidestick is actually easier to take apart and doesn't have the "Nipple Of Doom" mentioned in the video.

Thought I would share this in case anyone else has Yaw problems with this stick. It is a shame Thrustmaster cheaped out and didn't use Hall Effect sensors for the yaw axis