I was off-line last night and may be out of action for a day or two.
My new PC was making a knocking noise, loud enough to make my wife complain even louder. The Corsair Hydro 75 cooler I had installed had a faulty pump (see video below).
[video=youtube;WeIrmndp_AE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeIrmndp_AE&feature=youtu.be[/video]
Sadly the motherboard mounting plate has lock-nut sockets, which means it doesn't come off! Once screwed in they lock and when you try to unscrew them, the socket simply rotates in a nylon washer, so they can't be over-tightened, or undone. So in my attempts to remove the damn thing, I killed my motherboard. £75 of added misery.
Ordered a new motherboard from Scan this morning and the Hydro is on it's way back to Ebuyer. :ranting2:
Oh dear, the noise its making sounds like the powerhead is now missing a few fins....
Ouch :sad:
Bad news Arithon, hope you get it rebuilt in double quick time!
Sounds nasty! Hopefully see you back in space soon!
It's ALIVE!!!
Thanks to a quick delivery from SCAN I have a new motherboard and PC is back to life. Stock cooler, but hey, it works.
Some fluids docked with my gaming PC tonight ..... it's not good.
Turns on for 2 seconds and then powers right down :(
beer or something worse. turn off let it dry out and use anti static alcohol wipes to clean (by dabbing not wiping)the board in a few days, if its coolant it should evaporate in a day or so, just replace the coolant seal up the leak and you should be ok
had experiance of both these issues and both solutions worked fine
It worked fine after wiping the excess up with a tea towel and letting it dry for an hour.
I think I'm very lucky!!!
After turning it on before letting it dry up, and using a tea towel on it?
I'd say extremely lucky..
To continue the thread i too have problem
While out exploring in my Asp i got in to a particular nasty dog with with a viper, and my HOTAS decided to make an audible "CLICK" sound...
After that all right roll was disabled, where as the left roll was on 100% !!!!
So if left alone the ship would perform a very smooth left barrel roll... unless held completely right and it would fly straight..
What ever when click, has clearly broke something inside the stick base, as it now rattles.. nicely...
So its back to Amazon and a full refund on route..
Now to shop for a replacement..
looking at a x52 or a x52 pro... cant really decide atm..
Edit i have found that the X55 Rhino is basically the same price as the x52 pro..
So guys, what hotas stuff do you use - yes i want one with 3 axis- pitch roll and yaw as there`s no room for pedals (leg support under desk)
For the lefties of our wing i have discovered this flight stick
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ThrustMaster-2960706-Thrustmaster-T-16000M-Joystick/dp/B001EAWNKK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1431038966&sr=8-3&keywords=thrustmaster+joystick (http://www.amazon.co.uk/ThrustMaster-2960706-Thrustmaster-T-16000M-Joystick/dp/B001EAWNKK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1431038966&sr=8-3&keywords=thrustmaster+joystick)
X-55 here and it the nuts!!
I decided to use my hard earned cash on a X55 Rhino, as a lot of reviews said that the x52 & pro had limitations on the thruster block set up.
So the X55 has buttons, lots and lots of them.. i foresee myself spending "some time" mapping them out to suit my bear paws.
now to play the waiting game!
some time next week... ghaa
Quote from: BrotherTobious;398891X-55 here and it the nuts!!
Well lets hope it lives up to the hype, as i dont fancy shelling out £310+ for the warthog...and she who must be obeyed has said so!
Quote from: Ranualf;398895I decided to use my hard earned cash on a X55 Rhino, as a lot of reviews said that the x52 & pro had limitations on the thruster block set up.
I'm curious, what are the supposed limitations? I'm on an X52 Pro and i've not come across any issues. I ummed and aahed over the X55 but decided I preferred something that looked more 'space age' than 'modern day aircraft' :)
just a personal preference with the button set up on the control unit itself (as in it has buttons and a toggle on the rear side of the claw grip)#
And for me paying the extra £1.50 was worth it...
Either way, once it arrives i`ll be able to set it up and get to grips with is (geddit)
In the mean time i`ve been playing wolfenstein - New order, fun manic violent and full of Nazi`s to shoot... if your into that thing...
Ok my new HOTAS arrived this morning, a few days early- glad i didn't pay for express delivery!
1st impressions, box is fairly heavy..
Out of the box its a pretty hefty piece of kit, base is longer, than my previous set up, but not as wide, seems fine on the desk.
Key point, it is in fact two (2) separate items, no annoying serial cable
1st thing i did was lube the base of the joy stick with some of the wives vaseline, to help eliminate "stickation" (go watch the vids) and the same for the top and bottom of the spring to prevent squeak.
onto the download and install, then i`ll set it up in game..
and take it for a test flight..
seems i have a glitch..
For some weird reason, the game does not reconise the flight stick.. (lol ***)
so i`ve uninstalled the drivers, pulled both units in and out of USB2 (not 3 due to the other glitch) and still no joy..
Its getting weird now.... weird!
Hmmm
Seems i got a dodgy joystick as part of my hotas set up...
The thruster control block worked great, and would accept input commands when setting up my profile, except the joy stick refused to do so... i could move it up, down left with and twist for yaw for the settings, but that's where it stopped, the game refused to reconise the HAT controls or the trigger commands..
What set this off.. well i suspect i had received a RMA item, as the security seal on the box was broken and this made me "sceptical" about the items authenticity .... further to this the part for the HOTAS were sealed with sellotaped plastic bags, not package sealed.
So its been returned, and let see what happens next..
starting to be annoyed now ..grrr online shopping is great when it works, but when it goes wrong its a pain in the asp!
Sorry to hear this mate :(
Quote from: BrotherTobious;399114Sorry to hear this mate :(
I know i need my space flight fix :P
But hey i get to play other stuff now!
The waiting game has started... your move (creep)
Bonus cookie for naming the film (easy)
Quote from: Ranualf;399203The waiting game has started... your move (creep)
Bonus cookie for naming the film (easy)
"Dead or alive, you're coming with me..."
"Can you fly Bobby?"
"Please put down your weapon.
You have thirty seconds to comply!"
"I'd buy that for a dollar!"
The film you were thinking of was 1988's futuristic revenge western, Robocop, but the
original quote was from 2000A.D.'s "Judge Dredd".
Quote from: Robocop co-writer Edward Neumeier“I was one of the young guys at Columbia so someone decided to give me a bunch of comics and I was told, ‘Have a look at these and see if there are movie ideas in there.’ I remember reading Iron Man, which I liked, and Judge Dredd â€" which was just starting to do the rounds in the US at the time. There was a short time when everyone seemed to think Robocop should be serious, just like other Eighties action movies, and I always argued, ‘No, no â€" it has to be funny. It needs the sort of humor that you see in the Judge Dredd comics.’ I remember giving Paul Verhoeven some issues of the comic to read, and he really liked it.â€
Quote from: ArithonUK;399209"Can you fly Bobby?"
The film you were thinking of was 1988's futuristic revenge western, Robocop, but the original quote was from 2000A.D.'s "Judge Dredd".
Well done here`s a cookie for you :dmw:
"Can you fly Bobby?" was really funny
[video=youtube;IT2lcMe4HZw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT2lcMe4HZw[/video]
Although i`m note that much of a film buff, the additional information was a revelation!
Still waiting to hear back from my supplier.. /sigh
You need to call them man! Taking too long!
Quote from: albert;399377You need to call them man! Taking too long!
Well they recieved my parcel on the 15th (posted on the 11th) and i tracked it, yes i need.
So i sent them a nice email thanking them for their quick turn around and return post. Also asking about what will be happening next.
Then had just finished testing the "defective part" (aka the joy stick) and guess what- its broke /shocked & stunned!
so a few emails traded and they asked if i wanted a refund or a replacement.
Asked for the same item, although preferably one that worked..
So they are going to sort one out for me.. this one had better have its security seal in place outs its getting put in the return post :taz::taz::taz:
The HOTAS saga continues.. now into its 3rd episode!
So to recap, this is whats happened thus far:
1st hotas broke, sent back, full refund - happy customer
Ordered a new shiney X55 HOTAS- as recommended by several people
New x55 arrived- broken security seal- slightly damaged box- i discovered it to have a defective joystick. Sent back (not happy customer)
Today (21/5) received "new x55"... opened package- NO security seal.. i am now really suspicious - i set it up- seemed fine..
Took the asp out of the dock and discovered that the right twist yaw was permanently on! Makes for flying like a fish out of water..
I decide to give them a "generous benefit of the doubt" and do some troubleshooting
a few hours later- troubleshooting is complete- various USB ports tested, software/ driver tested- same issue spinning ship
I rebound the yaw to another key- no spin, hmmm
Decided to take the Anaconda out for a spin (literally)
Tried to rebind it to the joystick- not accepted! Some time later- i manage to dock (like a complete scrub dock- messy and inept)
So, i contact seller, ask for a post it sticker, and a full refund (really miffed at them now)
I also decide to contact Amazon and complain about the seller, stating that both items have the security seal broken / missing and that this is proof that they have not been "tampered with" or been opened previously.
Now it may be that i`m just unlucky to receive two broken joysticks (sods law and all that), but to receive two items without security seals is not. As i stated to amazon, they are in place to provide the consumer proof that they have not been tampered with or opened , and that the item has come directly from the manufacturer. With broken/ missing seals this greatly weakens the trust between buyer / seller and should an item be broken, the fault then lies with the seller. They agreed that this was unusual and are investigating the seller (Box Limited)
Me, personally i think that the supplier is getting RMA items and flogging them on as "new", just a personal thought, but i could be completely wrong...
Of course i can't come out and directly say that to amazon, but i indicated to them that i had suspicions about the "items authenticity as advertised".
No i am confident in that amazon takes such issues seriously - Why you may ask. Well the good/ bad news scale is a factor of 15:1, meaning it takes 15 good things said about a seller to counteract 1 bad thing, and amazon are a very large company.
So lets see where we go from here, back to square 1... /sigh
My X52 Pro (directly from Amazon) also came with no security seal and a tatty box. Seems OK although I suspect it's not new.
My "new" STXII soundcard was also 2nd hand from Amazon. The mod chips had bent pins and the security sticker was nowhere to be seen. Luckily the card itself works fine and sounds excellent so now that miffed, but still.
These days I use Amazon as a last resort if nowhere else stocks it because i can normally find it cheaper elsewhere these days.
The problem with all these used goods being passed off as new is you may have an invalid warranty, have accepted a used good and are happy with it so Amazon think they can get away with crap like this and lastly someone sent it back for a reason. I'd never accept this.
Quote from: albert;399444The problem with all these used goods being passed off as new is you may have an invalid warranty, have accepted a used good and are happy with it so Amazon think they can get away with crap like this and lastly someone sent it back for a reason. I'd never accept this.
Seconded. Remember, you're giving them good money so expect good new and sealed objects. Unless it was marked as second hand.
if i buy from amazon i always buy the new, never the used, yes u pay a little extra but at least u know its not 2nd hand
Quote from: Gorion;399450Seconded. Remember, you're giving them good money so expect good new and sealed objects. Unless it was marked as second hand.
Quote from: Sneakytiger;399455if i buy from amazon i always buy the new, never the used, yes u pay a little extra but at least u know its not 2nd hand
In the case of my soundcard, it was definitely a new item, but from an amazon shop rather than amazon itself.
On the other hand, it was markedly cheaper than elsewhere at the time.
That's why i reported the seller to Amazon, they are advertising them as New unused items, not 2nd hand.
I am aware of the consumer good act, and that the security seal is proof of tamper free handling, thus this is why i complained to both the seller and the marketplace owner (Amazon).
Now just awaiting my refund so i can buy one else where...
New x55 rhino ordered...
So "hopefully" i`ll be online for friday... do not hold your breath...
also ordered directly from saitek.. so there should be a seal!
New X55 arrived yesterday.. /CHEERS
Set it up, profiled it, and had a "teething issue" with the joystick- did some trouble shooting, and got it sorted..
However, in game software seems to have a small issue with my thruster control unit.. Specifically a power band "dead zone" from about 35% throttle to 70%ish throttle, meaning its push, pull, push pull in order to set a mid range speed (going to keybind something speeds)
to make it worse, when docked, upon clamp release i usually start to reverse, immediately great fun in a large ship!
Anyhow i went out in the asp to fix the issues, then took the anaconda out for a good old fight jolly, and earned 1.5 mill in the short time that was left on the mission!
We`ll see how it performs today.
TLDR
Thruster block control unit misbehaving, has deadband issue mid speed...
I have performed several profile tests, and attunements for the pc- inc the saitek software- everything seems fine, just in game is misbehaves... /headscratching :ranting2:
If you use a mid point forward reverse throttle setup then a 10% deadzone makes it easier to hit zero but that's in direct mode without using the Saitek software just raw mappings in game. I felt the control software was plain and simple rubbish.
It's possible to do a DIY mid point sensor, i.e. some physical marker so you know when you're at zero. Worth a shot. Sound like the stick you got this time is actually technically fine.
Quote from: albert;399720I felt the control software was plain and simple rubbish..
Aye your spot on man!
Oldie suggested last night that i uninstall the Saitek software as it may be interfering with the elite control software..So it got deleted, I reinstalled the drivers, and set it up from scratch...
BEHOLD IT NOW WORKS!
So yea, the saitek software "may" be good for other stuff, but it is PANTS FOR ELITE!
SIGH.........
The 3rd x55 Rhino from Saitek has decided to glitch out- seems that the yaw sensors inside it have has too many happy pills and are jumping all over the place....
Needless to say i am rather unimpressed with the overall build quality of their items, seems that since saitek took over from Mad Catz, the QC has gone out of the window.
I did the usual- check connections, check drivers- remove & reinstall drivers... run a reconfiguration on the joystick- BEHOLD in the configuration window, the + in the middle of the box is jumping all over like a bag of lemmings with firecrackers tied to their tails... when it should be dead centre and not moving at all. Additionally it is not sensing any twist yaw...
Currently i am in talks with saitek- to say i`m "miffed" about the situation is a slight understatement, having spent a fair bit of cash on this thing, not once, twice, but 3 times is trying my patience....
So i`ll be off line again until its resolved
Annoyed CMDR Ran.. grrr
That defies belief. I know joysticks are rather unreliable beasts as technology goes but 3 premium level HOTAS is real bad luck.
Suggest the CH Products Fighterstick and Pro Throttle as a replacement :)
That does surprise me mate mines be rock solid. And I am sorry for recommending them to you
Sent from my Nexus 5
Quote from: Ranualf;400361Needless to say i a rather unimpressed with the overall build quality of their items, seems that since saitek took over from Mad Catz, the QC has gone out of the window.
Unfortunately, this is the sad reality of the issue.
Do not buy Saitek stuff. It's a roll of the dice now.
It's either CH products as albert said (no twist though and fairly unattractive), or Thrustmaster. I just got myself a T16000m after reading tons of favorable reviews, especially on its hall sensor.
I do hope that SC didn't choose Saitek as their hotas partner..
Yea, well we`ll see what happens when the refund get back...
TBH i AM rather annoyed, as they are supposed to be a "premium product" but like loads of people have said on the various forums, it seems that their reputation means nothing and as such are willing to use dirt cheap components that break easily..
And Gorion is spot on, its just luck of the draw if you get a good one/ cak one... seems i have crap dice rolls :P
never had any problems with my x52 pro but i guess i got mine before they got bought out.
Quote from: Sneakytiger;400374never had any problems with my x52 pro but i guess i got mine before they got bought out.
You've had you joystick since 2007? Madcatz bought Saitek nearly a decade ago so I think legacy QC issues may have died out by now.
Have you tried it in multiple rigs Ran?
Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD using Tapatalk
Guess the build quality on the x52 is better than the x55 then
You might have managed to buy one from the old saitek stock sneaky. The common consensus is that saitek products pre madcatz were good.
In fact the current X52/pro batches also have issues.
Ok all refunds have been completed..
The 2nd one i returned was marked as refund completed, until i contacted them a few days ago (Box limited on Amazon) and they were very surprised to hear from me. After looking into my claim, it appears that it was marked as complete but no transaction had occurred, as in the tried to rip me off...
While this was going on the wife got me a 3rd x55, and it was ok until the yaw sensors went on a trip..
So this now left me with a hard choice..
What HOTAS to buy..
Having looked, looked and looked more.. i came down to a few choices, remember i`m disabled and cant use foot pedals.. so anything without twist yaw was a no.
CT stuff- yep, good reviews, fairly solid built kit, and pretty much utilitarian in appearance - no twist yaw :/
Thrust master- off basic entry kit (which broke) and i didn't want to go back to, as the cheapo plastic made my hand really hot - NO buy.
Or the Warthog- she who must be obeyed said no to this, and i agreed with her on this matter.. weird, but you know keep the peace and all that :P
Saitek.. yes.... they offer the x52, x52 pro, x55 Rhino...
Several of the team have the x52 pro and love it and it was really tough choice as if i was going to buy one of them or (yet) another x55 Rhino. What clinched it for me is the thruster set up, as the X52 Pro has a few buttons, the x55 has a LOT.. and i already have them mind mapped and can use them without really thinking about it...
So the choice was made... i bought my 4th X55 Rhino- lets hope this effing thing work or i swear i`ll boot it out of the window!
See you in the void in a few days... and lets hope i don't get a dud one again...
Oh, i bought this one directly from Amazon, so there is a no hassle guarantee refund
I bought a T16000m. No complaints so far.
Its stick only and comes with twist. It's a bit stiff at first but then you get the hang of it, plus its comfy and supports left/right hands (you can move around some of the stuff attached to it). Last time I used a joystick was back in 1995, so it was pretty weird at first. Now it feels good.
Add a CH Throttle to it and you're done.
Another idea would be to go with CH stick, and use a head tracking thing to yaw (if that is even possible).
There are 3 buttons that lie perfectly under the 3rd, 4th and 5th finger of the left hand of the CH Products Throttle. I basically gave up on my pedals, they were uncomfortable and aggravated a bad ankle I have. I've back using the buttons which I have to say are by miles the easiest Yaw I've used excluding the X.45 Saitek which had an analogue rocker switch where my buttons are located. You don't need a twister on a CH Throttle or stick.
I`ll admit i looked at the CH range, but there`s only a few downsides to the CH products range.
1. They are a US based company, and thus getting a hold of one in the UK is tougher, and vastly more expensive if you use their vetted provider.
2. 20% import duty on anything outside the EU making anything from the USA Very expensive
3. There's not much price difference in ordering separate products.
As the shopping list stands:
CT Thruster controller is £124.99 from their vendor here in the UK! I can source if from Amazon.com for £78 ish, but the tax beefs it up to £94 ish.
Thrustmaster T.16000M Joystick is £36.60 here in the uk.
This means the overall cheapest cost is going to be roughly £130.20 and i bought the X55 Rhino for £140. With a lot less hassle and delays in shipping, delivered to my door.
You do know that the post office intercept your international parcel(s), and send you a letter stating that you have 28 days to pay x amount of tax, or your parcel will be returned to country of origin.
Additionally they usually do not deliver direct to your house (unless you pay), and you have to go to one of their distribution centers to collect it, I personally know this having orders stuff from the USA before and the nearest one to is is about 12 miles out of the front door, which is a chew on as it is in one of the busiest areas for traffic.
So i`m goinna suck it and see, if this one fails i`ll try the above shopping list and see where we go from there..
Yeah I hear you mate. I only got the CH gear because I got various people to mule the parts over about at 6 month period from the states. Came to about the same price as the X55 plus another £60 for the pedals which as I already said I don't use in Elite due to the discomfort.
You can always use amazon.co.uk, or .de, or .it mate. You do not pay added tax when buying from EU stores even if the product origin is outside of the EU.
.de are selling it for 120 eur, that's around 99 pounds since the euro is a mess right now. You wait till next week and it might go even worse.
.de also have the T16000m for ~28 pounds. Perhaps some extra monies for shipping.
So you're looking at 150 pounds, without extra tax. There might not be a lot of price difference, and the X-55 does look great. But you have to ask yourself, 3 brand new x-55s where defective. You're getting a 4th, and even if it arrives right do you really think it will serve you properly for a year or two? Cause the reviews and people uncovering manufacturing defects out there are considerable. You're going to have to void your warranty to fix issues so that your equipment won't break down.
What I'm saying is: You perhaps pay a bit more, and it doesn't look as good. But you're not getting sub-standard rubbish.