martinlest2

I think, as I am not sure that this will help, I don't want to dive in with a top-end, expensive model. Not sure which Anker you are referring to above.. several on Amazon.co.uk but they don't seem to be right...

Hi. I am having problems with USB devices freezing or not being powered at all through my USB ports. I have been looking for an a/c powered hub (USB 2.0 is fine) to power game controllers and the like (such as the Razer Tartarus/ Saitek X52) - they freeze up when I use them together via the PC's USB ports. But I can't seem to find one that's recommended. Nothing will ever get 100% 5* reviews of course, but comments (on Amazon.co.uk) such as 'this device burnt out my motherboard', 'lasted six months then stopped working' and the like are not to be taken lightly! So any recommendations welcome. Thanks!!

This is getting worse - more frequent, and just now, when I disconnected the X52 and the Razer, and plugged them back in, I got a BSOD. First in some years. Aaaagh! Any way I can troubleshoot what the problem is while everything is frozen up? I tried moving the devices to different USB ports on the PC... no change at all. M

I'll have a look, but I don't think so - in any case, the devices freeze up even when I have just used them a few seconds before. Don't think I have a powered hub anywhere... I changed my power settings so that the USBs aren't turned off - made no differences: two freezes this last flight. Very annoying (though, as I said) pulling the USB cable out and plugging it back in clears the problem. The freeze doesn't happen upon any particular button press as far as I can see, things freeze up during the short intervals (usually no more than a minute or so) when I am not using the devices at all. My Saitek X52 is new - I just bought another one, as I live abroad but come back to the UK quite often and fly FS in both countries; so now I don't have to put my FS hardware in my suitcase! - I wonder if that could be faulty?? I need to experiment a bit, but am leaving the UK tomorrow, so it'll have to wait till Christmas... I've sent an email to Razer support meanwhile.

I'll check the power settings, thanks for the reply. However, the devices freeze while I am using them, so Windows should definitely not be turning off power to the USB ports... M.

Thanks. The devices plug directly into the PC, not via a hub. I am pretty sure that the Razer keypad doesn't have anything set to axis, they are all buttons running with programmed macros or key commands. I will try to watch out though for whether one particular button or switch on either device causes the problem each time. M

I just added a Razer Tartarus to my system, and although I am happy with the device itself, I now have some USB problems. Alongside the Tartarus, I have a Saitek X52 plugged in. At some stage during most flights, both devices now freeze up - I can't change between keymaps on the keypad, or change modes on the X52 - and neither has any effect on the sim. If I unplug the X52 from the USB port and then plug it back in, thing are OK again, with both devices, which suggests that it is a USB problem rather than one of them malfunctioning (or why would both stop working simultaneously?). I didn't have this problem with my Nostromo N52, at least only rarely. Any ideas? Thanks, Martin

There are multiple versions: http://www.razerzone.com/gb-en/store/razer-orbweaver-2012 http://www.razerzone.com/gb-en/store/razer-orbweaver-stealth-2012 http://www.razerzone.com/gb-en/store/razer-orbweaver http://www.razerzone.com/gb-en/store/razer-orbweaver-stealth The only one at ₤89 is the first. As I say, people seem to recommend the stealth version over the normal one, but maybe I should just go for the one on offer: I have no idea how the later version differs from the 2012 product (Googling this now). Don't really want to spend ₤119... M.

... but re. the stealth version of the Orbweaver? M.

Seems the stealth version is the one to get (does anyone agree/disagree?) but it's out of stock!!! :( Should I hold out for the stealth version or is the standard version pretty much the same? I did see comparison videos on Youtube and the stealth is definitely preferred there. M.

Thanks for that - I guess the Orbweaver is the one to go for!! Does everyone recommend this? It seems the top of the pack. Need to order it soon as I am just passing through the UK in a week or so and can pick it up then (post to here in Sri Lanka where I work is not a viable option I think!),, M.

Many thanks for the replies. (I use FSNav for flight planning - I fly FS9 mostly rather than FSX and PFE for ATC etc.). M.

Thanks for the reply. If I purchase a new AIRAC cycle, any idea if I will get mdb or fdb files for Wilco/Feelthere aircraft?

A number of devices available of course. As my N52 is still working I might wait until I can get another on eBay - all y profiles will then be valid. If I buy a Razer products I'll have to programme the whole lot again, not a HUGE deal I guess. If Amazon give me the Tartarus at the old price, I may go for it anyway... M

The Razer Nostromo looks good, but is pretty expensive - £189.99 on Amazon! I sent an email to Amazon.co.uk and they will let me have the Razer Tartarus at the old price, but why is the Razer Nostromo so much more expensive than the Razer Tartarus? The latter looks more sophisticated, but??... If Amazon is offering the Razer Tartarus at under £50, I guess that's what I should go for??? (Am getting a second Saitek X52 too - anyone would think Christmas had come!!). Comparisons here: https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=50&safe=off&site=&source=hp&q=razer+tartarus+vs+razer+nostromo&oq=Razer+Tartarus+Razer+Nostromo&gs_l=hp.1.1.0i22i10i30j0i22i30.6774.14628.0.18038.3.3.0.0.0.0.319.707.0j1j1j1.3.0....0...1c.1.53.hp..0.3.703.GaMRe8NORxE Any comments re. FS9/FSX welcome thoufh. Thanks. M.

Thanks for the link - will have a serious look at this option!

My Nostromo N52 is quite old now and the button which switches between key profiles (red, green, blue, grey) is acting up so I thought I'd get another similar device in case the N52 dies totally one day soon. (I would ideally like another N52, as I am very used to using it, but the used ones that occasionally come up on eBay UK go for more than I think I want to pay, so....). Anyone use the Razer Tartarus for FS9/FSX? I have looked at a Youtube video and read the pdf manual - seems pretty neat. I notice that Amazon.co.uk have put the price up from £45 yesterday to £62 today however, so I am less inclined to get one than I was 24 hours ago, but maybe I can find one cheaper elsewhere. Or any other recommended replacements for the N52? Must be able to programme at least as many macros as I can with the N52... Thanks, Martin

Thanks. I have never had Feelthere E-170, so I don't think it came from there. Was really just wondering if anyone knows the difference between mdb and fdb. Are these files only for Feelthere products then? Can one be converted to another? I see that the Feelthere 737 uses an mdb ND file... M.

I have two AIRAC database files archived, one is some years old - I am not sure where it came from but I think it's for a Wilco/Feelthere aircraft. It is called nd.mdb I also have a later file, still a year or so old (from Navigraph I think) but I wanted to use that instead of the older one. This has an fdb extension however. Are these not compatible - I assume that if FS9 is reading the mdb file OK, replacing it with the fdb file won't work? I can't see anything on Google - it says these are Microsoft Access files (a different file altogether I presume).. I may experiment meanwhile, but thanks for any insight into this! Martin

No ideas?? :huh:

...swings & roundabouts. If only there were a FSHotSFX alternative for FS9 in Win7!!!!

Thanks for the replies. I'll have a look at the zip file mentioned, maybe a payware a/c... Sorry for the delay in replying. Martin

Thanks. (I did exactly that Mithras, but it didn't really prove anything. I only posted my own reply as the thread was, oddly, stuck on zero people reading it - zero people replying is OK, but no one even looking at it was odd. Seems to have cleared now). Thanks for the replies.... Pity about the Varig livery. The Gol/Varig colours were nice! If anyone sees, or is aware of, any a/c with 'Varig' still written on the fuselage, I'd be interested to know. M.

This problem only started today - a system restore back to when all was working fine didn't fix it.... Before today I always had the square, green Saitek icon in the system tray at startup, but now it doesn't appear. So with no profile loaded, the X52 does nothing. It is all lit up and ready to go, but unplugging it and plugging it back in (to any USB port) doesn't help. The only thing that fixes this - but only until I reboot - is to reinstall the X52 drivers (not the SST software) - although the installation informs me the files are already there and asks me if I want to overwrite them - then the icon comes back and I can go ahead with my flying. But how do I get the icon back automatically at every boot, as before. I read on the Saitek site something about going into Windows/Temp/Saitek folder and running one of the msi packages there, but that didn't fix things. Clicking on the Profilereditor.exe file in the Program File folder (/Smart Technology/Software) brings up a message saying no controller is detected - though it's there, all lit up, as I say. Clicking ProfilerU.exe does nothing. Which exe file is supposed to load the icon into the system tray? Maybe those exe files aren't what I am supposed to be using. What's gone wrong all of a sudden?? Help appreciated.... I am using WinXP x64 for this FS9 setup (it's not my main FS PC, which is Win7 x64 but is back in the UK whilst I am working abroad) .... Thanks, Martin

Wonderful!!!! Thanks a lot Tom!!! I am sure plenty of folks must use this feature, even if they haven't come forward to say so... M.