Cougar TQS with TM HOTAS magnetic base?
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@JUmpstart5179 The other way around. I will use a new stick (one that does not connect to the TQS) and I want to use the old throttle. But to do this w/o a TUSBA I also have to use the old stick base, since the TQS connects to the stick base and the stick base to the USB port.
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@skippermike gotcha. You could rewire it for the time being as well for less than the cost of the TUSBA.
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I know you don’t intend to invest in a TUSBA, but it not only makes throttle standalone, it also gives you more throttle axis resolution for more accurate throttle inputs. IMHO worth the money.
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The setup you describe is what I use. I also do not have a TUSBA as I found this rather expensive. My solution was to use an Arduino. The wires coming from the throttle pcb are connected to an inexpensive Arduino (Pro Micro). On this Arduino I used the (free) MMJoy2 software. The only thing I changed on my throttle was to replace the old potmeter with a new Hall sensor. Works like a charm.
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Thanks for the replies!
The thing is that I just want to be able to get my simming fix until I get a new throttle, most likely the Viper TQS, if it is as good as it seems. So it is not my intention to invest any time and/or money on my old TQS, other than flying with it. Not to mention that I have no skills for making any modifications myself.
So, when the base arrives, I will try the setup and give you a feedback, for future reference.
Safe flights everyone.
-Skipper -
@skippermike you can just remove any cougar grip assignment editing the config file or just use the alternative launcher (now default with 4.37) to unbind from cougar and assign to the warthog base.
Anyway i think a force sensing base is superior to a tradiutional one (like the tm one) to simulate a Viper, so maybe you could try to repair the sensors? -
@Virus said in Cougar TQS with TM HOTAS magnetic base?:
Anyway i think a force sensing base is superior to a traditional one (like the tm one) to simulate a Viper, so maybe you could try to repair the sensors?
I already have, in the sense that I have opened it and check if there was a wire cut (it happened before and I had to solder it) or if any of the screws was loose. Anyway that ship was sailed now and I am waiting for the TM base.
I see that you have a Winwing base. Unfortunately, they will not be an option for me unless they start shipping from the EU. And I agree about the superiority of the force sensor base.-Skipper
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So, I got the base and installed it. Now I have the Warthog base with the Cougar grip, the Cougar connected but I use only the TQS and a T150 wheel. They seem to run ok, I have set them up from inside the sim (axes and buttons) and in the setup page they work fine. But when I tried to fly (furball w/o opponent so I could test things), I had these issues, not present when I didn’t have the WH base:
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Upon entering the arena, It seems like all the WH buttons are pressed at the same time. Each button stops being continuously activated when I press it once. Then it works fine.
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The radar cursor (microstick) is inactive. When I test the axes in setup, they work fine, but in the sim they appear inactive. The Antenna Elevation axis works fine. I haven’t tried the Range axis.
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Also, in the alternative launcher I can assign all TQS axes, but I could not assign any keys.
Any ideas?
-Skipper
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@skippermike try each device separately. Just the TQS on AL setup screen and then in the sim and then just the stick on AL and then in the sim. Do they work as expected one at a time?
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@skippermike well they started ship directly from the EU last July.
I bought it from the EU Winwing store -
@skippermike maybe the cougar base without any grip installed has some issues?
Also I would try without the wheel connected and then also without the magnetic base -
@Virus said in Cougar TQS with TM HOTAS magnetic base?:
@skippermike well they started ship directly from the EU last July.
I bought it from the EU Winwing storeLooks like I missed that. Now I have bought the base anyway, but I will keep it under consideration for the throttle.
Also, I think you were right about the grip not being installed on the Cougar and it is most likely the culprit. In Viewer it shows that all the buttons on the stick (that is not installed) are pressed simultaneously, including both of the trigger detents. Any ideas on how to completely deactivate the buttons?
-Skipper
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@skippermike the easiest thing I can suggest is to open the stick base and remove the cable pins coming from the stick to the PCB. Personally I would remove the whole PCB from the base. That should do the trick and it is super easy to do.
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So, I figured out what the problem was. My mistake was that I added the keys of the new base to the existing key file. So, unbeknownst to me, the old keys from the Cougar stick were still assigned (I erroneously believed that adding the same key from a new stick would automatically cancel the old one). As a result, when I entered the arena, the old stick keys, being hot as per my earlier post, were causing a conflict.
The solution was as simple as to start a new key file and now things seem to work flawlessly.
So the answer to my original question is that you can have both the whole Cougar attached (in order to use only the TQS) and a new stick without conflict, as long as you create a new key file. And remember that if a base (Warthog or Cougar) have no stick attached, the stick keys are hot.
Thanks to everyone contributing to this conversation. If I find something new, I will report back.
Fly safe,
Skipper -
@skippermike Did you buy the TM base in a shop which accept returns?
Maybe you can send it back.
If you are serious about the F-16 there is no comparison.
If your cougar throttle still works well I would keep it, and maybe convert it to USB -
@Virus to be honest, although the force sensor is far superior in many ways, right now I am happy with the setup, as it is much easier to install. When I first upgraded the Cougar, it took me some time to build a rig that could withstand the forces I applied to the stick and I broke the first attempts. I am also considering at one point, for reasons I cannot expand on right now, to switch to a centre stick setup so a force sensor is a no-go.
The throttle is still fully functional and the throttle axis response is quite decent for a 20+ years old machine, but it is time to move on to something with AB and idle detents and a control panel.
Fly safe
-Skipper -