Help needed calibrating Cougar rotaries

[AndreZero]

Hello,

I posted this on the viperpits forum and someone suggested I try here.

I just got a Thrustmaster Cougar from Ebay and I’m having problems calibrating it. I hope I didn’t buy a lemon…

Using the HOTAS Cougar View, the rotaries on the throttle are both registering slightly below center when they are at their center detents (and they both show the same value at the detent). I’ve tried running the manual calibration but after going through all the steps, it tells me that my maximum value both rotaries is less than the defined center. I’ve found references online to a “set center” option in the HOTAS CCP but I’m not seeing it (maybe it’s there and I’m just oblivous). I tried manully setting the “Calibration Center” value to what I see in the viewer when the rotaries are in their detent points but that doesn’t seem to help.

The documentation says it is self calibrating so I’ve been turning them to the one extreme, waiting a few minutes, and then going to the other extreme but it doesn’t seem to catch on.

Other than the two rotaries, everything else on the stick and throttle appears to be working fine.

Any thoughts on what I should try?

[GetMeThis]

I recently bought my first Cougar and ran into a couple of issues, one of them the center pos of the ANT and RANGE.
Cougar is working phenomenally now!

These are no steps just my observations:

• While doing the manual calibration, check to see if the values jump erratically while turning the rotaries.
• Turn them like you’re tuning an old radio and see.
• If the readings are not smooth (lemon to be repaired), it may mean that while calibrating, the values jump around (some you can see if you look closely) and hence the max value message.
• If the readings look ok and you still get that message, unplug your hotas and try again (i don’t know why, but un/replugging helps a lot of issues)
• Don’t forget to save the manual calibration file so you can load it another time when you decide you want to open the cougar up to see what’s inside then discover you need to recalibrate again.

As for set center, that’s (iirc) on the Foxy axis dx viewer thingy (sorry not at my pc) but it’s an app bundled with whatever you downloaded.
Hope it helps

[AndreZero]

I went through the manual calibration and again, turning the dials nice and slow and there isn’t any erratic jumping. It does jump up or down 1 digit but nothing crazy. I do have a lot of play (about a quarter of a revolution) past the point where it registers the max value. Is it possible both pots are broken in the exact same way?

I suspect that the auto calibration is correctly placing the midpoint in the middle of the region that I’m getting readings for. It’s just that region isn’t where the detent is.

Probably a windows 8 issue but FoxyDX8Joy has a dropdown where I’m supposed to select my HOTAS but the list is empty. I’m running it in Vista SP2 compatibility mode as an admin, just to be on the safe side…

[Blu3wolf]

Quarter revolution past the end of the ‘axis’ is normal - either that or mine is busted too

[mantaray]

@AndreZero:

I do have a lot of play (about a quarter of a revolution) past the point where it registers the max value.

manual calibration
stop turning just before the min and max readings.
You’ll no langer see a faultmessage when you save.
(maybe you have to try a few times, but it works)
Had the same behaviour with a new throttle

[AndreZero]

Mantaray,

I gave that a shot and it worked! And after it was done, the center points are on the center detents. I also did another attempt at calibrating by moving the rotaries through the entire range and it still worked without giving me the error… very strange. But either way, my problem is solved.

Thanks!