Hardware & Technical Problem with joystick - rolling to the right

Agony_Aunt

Agony_Aunt
So, this problem has slowly gotten worse. When flying it keeps trying to pull to the right. Not always. It can work ok for a while, then it starts up again.

Tried to use Joystick Curves to set a deadzone, but either doing something wrong or its not helping.

I'm wondering if its one of my other devices conflicting, but moving them doesn't seem to affect anything.

The joystick otherwise seems fine. I've had it since ED released and its been a loyal stick (Hotas X by the way). The stick itself feels fine.

Someone already suggested a cable problem, maybe a frayed cable, but wiggling the cables did nothing. Its working fine right now, and wiggling cables or the stick didn't produce the problem.

[video=youtube_share;4louOPqkH7Q]https://youtu.be/4louOPqkH7Q[/video]

Any thoughts anyone?
 

Zieman

Zieman
Thoughts?
Potentiometer starting to fail. Or just getting dirty (slowly accumulated dust) if you're lucky.
 

Asp Explorer

Asp Explorer
run joy.cpl and, without moving the stick, see what noise the inputs give.

x52static.png
 

Zieman

Zieman
Agony_Aunt said:
Hmm.. you mean under the stick in the greasy area?
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Somewhere there, yes - I don't know where exactly Hotas-X potentiometers are located, but Google probably does.

Asp Explorer said:
run joy.cpl and, without moving the stick, see what noise the inputs give.
Click to expand...
Looking at the video (after 5 sec mark), assigned roll axis gives sporadic input to right. To me that looks exactly like a failing or dirty potentiometer. Could be also worn out wiring insulation inside the stick.
 
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m0rl0ck

M
I just replaced an extreme 3d pro that was doing that. Sometimes, as someone mentioned, unplugging it and plugging it back in helps, or reinstalling the driver, but in my experience when a stick does that its at the end of its life.
 

Agony_Aunt

Agony_Aunt
LAB RAT said:
My x-52 hotas does that, I just pull the cable out then put it in again.
Click to expand...

Interesting.

Asp Explorer said:
run joy.cpl and, without moving the stick, see what noise the inputs give.
Click to expand...

Gives the same noise.

ebbrell said:
Set deadline in Windows joystick management or in game controls
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I don't see an option for that in windows management, but in game controls... i forgot that option exists. Ill take a look.

Zieman said:
Somewhere there, yes - I don't know where exactly Hotas-X potentiometers are located, but Google probably does.

Looking at the video (after 5 sec mark), assigned roll axis gives sporadic input to right. To me that looks exactly like a failing or dirty potentiometer. Could be also worn out wiring insulation inside the stick.
Click to expand...

Thanks, i'll have a google.
 

DaggerSnake

DaggerSnake
my x-52 did that on occasion. Unplugging would reset it, but finally nothing would work to fix it. That was after about 1000 hours of play time. It was out of warranty. I took it apart and traced the issue to a bad chip on the little circuit board. Nothing I could do about that. I had to get a new one.

Hardware just goes bad. It maybe time for a crispy new one if you can't find a software solution.
 

Asp Explorer

Asp Explorer
Ok - so if you get the same noise in control panel, unplug it and try a different USB port, preferably one that is directly on the board itself. Also update your motherboard chipset drivers and then check in Device Manager it's been updated for that port.

One of my rigs has such a poor USB implementation that it's completely unusable with the default windows drivers.
 

Agony_Aunt

Agony_Aunt
So, tried various things and came to the conclusion that its not fixable. So thrown the stick. So now reduced to using a controller *shudders*

EDIT: Done some flying with the controller. Its horrible! I feel like i've lost a ton of control, less buttons, and my fingers are all in the wrong places.

How the hell do people fly in ED with a controller?

I'll give it some hours playing, see if i can adapt, otherwise ill probably switch to M&K. Wish i could afford a new HOTAS but we are in the process of buying a new car at the moment and the 20% downpayment is taking all the spare cash. Its going to be a while before i can afford a new HOTAS.
 
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Zieman

Zieman
Agony_Aunt said:
So, tried various things and came to the conclusion that its not fixable. So thrown the stick. So now reduced to using a controller *shudders*

EDIT: Done some flying with the controller. Its horrible! I feel like i've lost a ton of control, less buttons, and my fingers are all in the wrong places.

How the hell do people fly in ED with a controller?

I'll give it some hours playing, see if i can adapt, otherwise ill probably switch to M&K. Wish i could afford a new HOTAS but we are in the process of buying a new car at the moment and the 20% downpayment is taking all the spare cash. Its going to be a while before i can afford a new HOTAS.
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You could open the stick (methodically, so you can put it back together ;) ) and try to clean the pots. CRC 5-56 & clean paper towels work fine.
 

Stigbob

Stigbob
I had that issue for a while, with a really simple problem and solution.

Windows 10 zero's the stick to the position its in when your system starts up and I keep my joystick down the side of the monitor so the throttle was pushing against the stick. Make sure its clear before you switch on.
 

TorTorden_VR

T
There is no point in chasing down driver flaws or different USB ports, I guarantee there hasn't been any changes there for years.

The intermittent nature experienced by OP and that it is present in visualisation software means this is a hardware problem.
Dirty pot or faulty wiring, which often becomes a problem with these cheap sticks, and since it is just presenting on the one half axis I would say internally to the device and not the main cables.

Thustmaster is notorious for cutting corners on the internals, this is even prevalent on the Warthog, although the X might break after a year or two, the warthog normally lasts 3-4 years.

Considering the price of the X it's often not worth the hassle of going beyond even a most basic cleaning.
 
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