Problems with MS FF2 Pro in FS9

[EHM-0654 Murray]

Hopefully a simple question. Does anyone else out there in EHM land have problems with their Microsoft Force Feedback 2 Pro stick in FS 2004 - Century of Flight?

I find myself having to throw the stick over huge ranges to get it to do anything, which can be a right pain when on final approach, and the force feedback forces seem to be "backwards"... they feel like they get weaker as the stick gets further through travel (whereas it stiffened in FS2K2) but there is almost no FF there anyway...

I have the older model FF2 Pro with the green LED (the pics on the MS website suggest the current model has a red LED) and I am using version 4 of the control software.

Any suggestions/coroborations?

[EHM-0005 Maarten]

I have it sometimes, but it depends on the FF settings for the aircraft. I remember that the FF of the ATR 42 was so huge that I wasn't able to control the aircraft.

So the question is: Do you have this problem with every aircraft or with one in particular?

(I also have the MS FF 2 with green led)

[EHM-0654 Murray]

Originally posted by Maarten Pols
I have it sometimes, but it depends on the FF settings for the aircraft. I remember that the FF of the ATR 42 was so huge that I wasn't able to control the aircraft.

So the question is: Do you have this problem with every aircraft or with one in particular?

Every single plane I have, even the standard FS9 models.

Further setup information; Windows XP Pro, DirectX 9.0b, FS2004...

This will be a placeholder as I'm going to make a few test flights and post the results; first test flight, everything including the sidewinder software was on. Every time I calibrated the FF2 it was good and heavy, but in flight it was ridiculously light (Cessna Caravan Amphibian)

[EHM-0813 Guillermo]

Originally posted by Murray CraneI have the older model FF2 Pro with the green LED (the pics on the MS website suggest the current model has a red LED) and I am using version 4 of the control software.

There are FF2's with green LED's??? I have a red one..

[EHM-0654 Murray]

Originally posted by Gizmo2k4
There are FF2's with green LED's??? I have a red one..

My opinion only, but I think the newer (red) ones look nicer (and match the MS opto mice...).

They blew an opportunity though by not going with a blue LED, I'd have bought a new one if they had blue LEDs in 'em...

[EHM-0005 Maarten]

The FF2's with green led are from the first series. As I said, I have a green one too and I can remember that I paid the thing in guilders, so it's more than 3 years old.

Murray, did you check the FF settings in Flight Sim? If the FF is disabled in FS then it uses the settings that you made in the Sidewinder Game Controller Software.

[EHM-0654 Murray]

Originally posted by Maarten Pols
...did you check the FF settings in Flight Sim? If the FF is disabled in FS then it uses the settings that you made in the Sidewinder Game Controller Software.

Didn't know that... will be my next test flight then. I have tried disabling the SW software, but that made no difference.

I suppose that what I'm after is the same sort of FF response that I got in FS2K2, where after a calibration in FS the FF2 would provide a decent hard centering force.

[EHM-0654 Murray]

Originally posted by Maarten Pols
...did you check the FF settings in Flight Sim? If the FF is disabled in FS then it uses the settings that you made in the Sidewinder Game Controller Software.

Woohoo!!!!

Maarten, you are an FS god! Disabling FF in FS (and then calibrating the stick once in a flight) gets me just what I was after - a stick with bucket loads of centering that acts immediately...

Thanks mate. [End of thread, I suppose...]