Hardware & Technical CH Pro Throttle dead zone?

[FloydDroid]

I have been using the throttle in the Elite default mode which is Full, meaning forward and back are at opposite ends of the main throttle slider; this works fine but I'd much rather use the Forward Only setting so that the full length of the slider is for forward (reverse with a toggle button), but the end closest to me doesn't bring the throttle to zero, it hovers around 10 which is useless when landing or taking off.

Does anyone else experience this, and is there a way to fix it in the Elite control settings? I have tried removing the dead zone but it has no effect, this is the only thing I can think that it could be though.

This is on the Mac (in Mac OS) but wasn't sure at this stage whether it was a general settings thing. I have tried connecting the throttle to Windows 7 in VMWare but it fails to connect due to a driver error (I have let Windows download and install the drivers, it reported success). So, because it fails to connect I cannot use the CH utility to test the throttle. I'll have to try connecting to a real Windows box but that won't be until next week.

 

[prasak]

You have to set a deadzone in your CH manager, I needed to do the same and also for the thumbstick.

 

[Cmdr. Numa]

I'm using my CH kit with no deadzones at all and throttle on full. It centers so beautifully, no deadzones needed. I did configure a bit of a curve for the thumbstick, so my thruster strafing is less extreme when I only slightly nudge the stick. Pedals got deadzones set for SRV driving though.

 

[Gray Lensman]

Have you calibrated the throttle using CH manager?

 

[Wicz]

Use the CH manager in Windows and calibrate the throttle to zero at either end of the scale. When you do it, set the throttle about half a millimetre from each end and the problem will disappear.

 

[ElectricZ]

I have been using the throttle in the Elite default mode which is Full, meaning forward and back are at opposite ends of the main throttle slider; this works fine but I'd much rather use the Forward Only setting so that the full length of the slider is for forward (reverse with a toggle button), but the end closest to me doesn't bring the throttle to zero, it hovers around 10 which is useless when landing or taking off.

I had this same exact problem. Your throttle is out of calibration and no matter how much you fiddle with the dead zone you won't be able to fix it.

If you can't use the CH manager you may have an issue. The Windows built in driver can't do calibration. Can you load the CH utilities and driver from their website in Windows? If you can re-calibrate using the utility and upload it to the memory in the stick, it might carry over to the Mac OS side.

 

[FloydDroid]

I had this same exact problem. Your throttle is out of calibration and no matter how much you fiddle with the dead zone you won't be able to fix it.

If you can't use the CH manager you may have an issue. The Windows built in driver can't do calibration. Can you load the CH utilities and driver from their website in Windows? If you can re-calibrate using the utility and upload it to the memory in the stick, it might carry over to the Mac OS side.

I really hope that is the case, it's just a matter of using a Windows computer at work as I don't have one at home. At the very least I just want to see that the throttle itself is fine and if it's just software then I can live with it until I move to running Elite on a Windows computer (coming soon).

Thanks all for your advice, fingers crossed I can sort it out.

 

[CMDR NightsLong]

I really hope that is the case, it's just a matter of using a Windows computer at work as I don't have one at home. At the very least I just want to see that the throttle itself is fine and if it's just software then I can live with it until I move to running Elite on a Windows computer (coming soon).

Thanks all for your advice, fingers crossed I can sort it out.

As all above have said. Of course (obv) to check the throttle is functioning correctly which I expect it is, take it to a windows machine (friends etc.) and test using the CH tool.

 

[RipperJack]

I really hope that is the case, it's just a matter of using a Windows computer at work as I don't have one at home. At the very least I just want to see that the throttle itself is fine and if it's just software then I can live with it until I move to running Elite on a Windows computer (coming soon).

Thanks all for your advice, fingers crossed I can sort it out.

I can fully and peace of mind confirm it just needs calibrating in the CH control manager. When i first got mine the thumbstick was awful, some directions barely gave me 30 on the thruster speed where as when calibrated i got the full 150 or so. While i used your original setup of full and all the way down i wasnt able to go in full speed reverse, about 90%.

You need to load the device, calibrate it so it knows the distances on the axis' and then "download map" which i ASSUME writes it to the firmware otherwise your problem will still be the same (once i did this i've never needed to run the firmware again except to assign some hats to keyboard keys for head tracking reset etc). The ui is good, very good and friendly so its a simple thing of just following it, dont use the wizard though imo.

One tip i found, dont goto the far edges when calibrating the thumb stick. Where it says left, go all the way left, then lean off it a micro-meter and hit the next button, same with the throttle, goto its peaks and then back a teeny tiny bit and ok/confirm. This way its max is just a tiny bit off its physical map so you always get the full movement at the extremes. I originally had a few niggles but when reading this on the hardcore flight sim sights and doing it myself, all those minor niggles immediatly went. (While they are probably the best pots out there, theyre still pots, they have a big of give/leeway compared to the previous hall sensors i was used to so overtime there is a minor variance here and there).

Hope you get it sorted as while my warthog throttle feels all nice, it does not compare to a ch pro anyday of the week for me, best throttle to exist imo.

 

[CMDR NightsLong]

I can fully and peace of mind confirm it just needs calibrating in the CH control manager. When i first got mine the thumbstick was awful, some directions barely gave me 30 on the thruster speed where as when calibrated i got the full 150 or so. While i used your original setup of full and all the way down i wasnt able to go in full speed reverse, about 90%.

You need to load the device, calibrate it so it knows the distances on the axis' and then "download map" which i ASSUME writes it to the firmware otherwise your problem will still be the same (once i did this i've never needed to run the firmware again except to assign some hats to keyboard keys for head tracking reset etc). The ui is good, very good and friendly so its a simple thing of just following it, dont use the wizard though imo.

One tip i found, dont goto the far edges when calibrating the thumb stick. Where it says left, go all the way left, then lean off it a micro-meter and hit the next button, same with the throttle, goto its peaks and then back a teeny tiny bit and ok/confirm. This way its max is just a tiny bit off its physical map so you always get the full movement at the extremes. I originally had a few niggles but when reading this on the hardcore flight sim sights and doing it myself, all those minor niggles immediatly went. (While they are probably the best pots out there, theyre still pots, they have a big of give/leeway compared to the previous hall sensors i was used to so overtime there is a minor variance here and there).

Hope you get it sorted as while my warthog throttle feels all nice, it does not compare to a ch pro anyday of the week for me, best throttle to exist imo.

What this person said. There is also a really good pdf you should find it on the ch products (sticks etc.) forums.

 

[Ozram]

I know this is a necro but I found the advice useful currently so thought I'd say hi. Recalibrate do Fighterstick and pro throttle. Will see how things go in game momentarily. Cheers

 

[Baron Rigel]

I use a Fighterstick and Pro Throttle as well. The only thing I used the CH manager for was to combine the 2 devices into 1 large device. I did all my key bindings using Elite's option menu. Everything works great. My only complaint is not having a "bump" at zero throttle setting. That's only ever an issue when taking off though and I've gotten used to having to press X (zero throttle) as soon as my ship comes up on the pad.

 

[Ozram]

I use a Fighterstick and Pro Throttle as well. The only thing I used the CH manager for was to combine the 2 devices into 1 large device. I did all my key bindings using Elite's option menu. Everything works great. My only complaint is not having a "bump" at zero throttle setting. That's only ever an issue when taking off though and I've gotten used to having to press X (zero throttle) as soon as my ship comes up on the pad.

Well, after calibration now ED won't even recognise that I have any devices. Not sure I have the time to fix this now but a little frustrated as I'd taken so long to get all the binds the way I wanted them. Not sure when I'll have the time to do it all again. Maybe next year? O well

 

[Baron Rigel]

Well, after calibration now ED won't even recognise that I have any devices. Not sure I have the time to fix this now but a little frustrated as I'd taken so long to get all the binds the way I wanted them. Not sure when I'll have the time to do it all again. Maybe next year? O well

I'm not positive, but I think anytime you do a download to device from CH Manager, ED recognizes it as a completely new device. It seemed that way to me when I was initially setting mine up. I have also lost my bindings just by changing which USB port the device is connected to. Now, the good news is, you don't have to re-download just to do a simple recalibrate. I think someone said you do have to earlier in the thread but it doesn't seem to be true. I recalibrate as needed, exit CH Manager and my devices hold the calibration fine.

 

[Ozram]

I'm not positive, but I think anytime you do a download to device from CH Manager, ED recognizes it as a completely new device. It seemed that way to me when I was initially setting mine up. I have also lost my bindings just by changing which USB port the device is connected to. Now, the good news is, you don't have to re-download just to do a simple recalibrate. I think someone said you do have to earlier in the thread but it doesn't seem to be true. I recalibrate as needed, exit CH Manager and my devices hold the calibration fine.

I'll check it out when time allows. On another forum someone said I had to switch the mode on the ch manager. Hopefully that will fix it. It may take me a while before I can do this but when I do I'll post the results back here.

 

[Ozram]

I'll check it out when time allows. On another forum someone said I had to switch the mode on the ch manager. Hopefully that will fix it. It may take me a while before I can do this but when I do I'll post the results back here.

Well, it would appear that my beautiful CH Pro Throttle is faulty which is ironic as I got them based on their spotless reputation. The throttle doesn't register every time that I move it so fine control is out of the question. Must be a loose wire somewhere. O well, no elite for me for some time now.

 

[jgm]

Well, it would appear that my beautiful CH Pro Throttle is faulty which is ironic as I got them based on their spotless reputation. The throttle doesn't register every time that I move it so fine control is out of the question. Must be a loose wire somewhere. O well, no elite for me for some time now.

What exactly is it doing? There's a software issue out ther somewhere that maks the throttle response lag significantly, making it look jumpy and feel horrible.

Although the CH products are good they aren't perfect, and it's entirely possible that you have a hardware issue. But try using the calibration screen of the software to see if it really is the hardware or if it's Elite not procesing the input.

--

Oh, and perhaps not to your taste but if you need a quick start for some more binds you could try grabbing those at https://www.mcdee.net/elite/binds/jgm

 

[Ozram]

What exactly is it doing? There's a software issue out ther somewhere that maks the throttle response lag significantly, making it look jumpy and feel horrible.

Although the CH products are good they aren't perfect, and it's entirely possible that you have a hardware issue. But try using the calibration screen of the software to see if it really is the hardware or if it's Elite not procesing the input.

--

Oh, and perhaps not to your taste but if you need a quick start for some more binds you could try grabbing those at https://www.mcdee.net/elite/binds/jgm

Thanks for the tips. Have some well deserved rep. Yeah, I'm not agro on CH or anything. The issue is largely as you described it. There's a lagging response but there's also a complete lack of response around the middle and it has trouble both zeroing and going full despite calibrating it both with the built in windows software and (after uninstalling everything so it's clean) the CH Manager. In fact, the very issues we've described (nice to know I'm not the only one) are mirrored in those tools. I'm not giving up on it. I love the layout and don't want to do without the ministick (I had every command I use set to that hotas) so I'll continue to troubleshoot as time becomes available. Real life keeps me from giving it more than staggered goes though and I'd really like a six to eight hour effort but that won't happen anytime soon. I'll check out the link you posted regardless. Cheers!
Edit:
I found this:

Actually, after opening it, i realized that the wires happened to be in the way of the throttle, so the slider always hits the wires during the movement of the throttle, which might have caused some form of signal disruption.
So after bending the wires to some extent that prevents the slider from hitting it after putting them back together, the slider is as smooth as a desert again.

From here:
http://www.ch-hangar.com/forum/index.php/topic/8440-ch-pro-throttle-z-axis-jitter/

I suppose if I can't find a software fix I may give it a try (and void my warranty). I live in Australia so sending it oversees to CH seems like a hassle.

 

[Ozram]

Ok, not to keep necroing here, but I had to share. I tried using ch manager and I tried recalibration and I persevered but the spikes and valleys never let up on the throttle... Until yesterday. Wife came in struggling with shopping bags and I jumped up to give her a hand... And my foot got caught on the throttle cord. My laptop was dragged half off my desk and the throttle was on the floor. Worst still, the USB was bent. Needless to say, it was one of THOSE moments for me. Tentatively, I bent the USB back into position (sort of) and replugged the CH Pro Throttle in, to see if I'd busted it completely. The end result is that all those issues are now gone. Somehow the accidental beating it took fixed it and now it works perfectly. Fingers crossed it stays that way.


Wow I had to edit this over and over thanks to iSiri the intrusive servant thinking she has a clue about English.

 

[bkrownd]

Mine gets "noisy" regularly, but living in a high humidity environment I expect that. I slide the thing back and forth a dozen times to wear off the oxidation and it's usually better. However it never does fine throttle adjustments well. Mine has a particularly annoying habit of hanging in the 100-105 speed range when I try to throttle down to 90-95 for the no-fire zone. I try to throttle down smoothly but it hits 103 or so and hangs there, and I have to jiggle it a bit to get it under 100 without going straight to 75. An annoyance, but not a big deal for what I do.