TQS Cursor double pot drifting: known fixes for this?

[AV8R]

So I just picked up (yet another) Cougar set as a back up. Its nearly minty except the cursor’s YR-axis (up/down) doesn’t always return to the zero input rest position on the CCP Viewer. The physical position seems like its centered, but the axis input goes south (negative down direction). If I mess around with it, it will center and the pot does act linear otherwise (no spikes).

This after doing several manual calibrations and comparing with other TQS I have plugged into this Cougar’s Stick base. It doesn’t seem to be calibration related, rather the cursor YR pot. I know theres a BMS callback to deal with drifting aging cursors, which is a workaround, but….

Are there any hardware related fixes/repairs for this apart from replacing the cursor double pot itself?

[AV8R]

I cant be the first to have seen this behavior or that there are no repair tricks?

[Red Dog]

the only one I found so far is to move the radar cursors programming to another 4way, and believe me i tried multiple tricks

• cleaning the pot
• adding deazones
• curves or -3 on MIX and MIY
  all helped to some extend but the issue always resurfaced

I also replaced the mstick (the main reason why I sourced them for the community at large) but the issue always resurfaced
The only one I didn’t try yet is a TUSBA. I don’t get enough positive feedback from Tusba users

You’re not alone, but I am not positive this has ever been solved.
As far as I am concerned, the next logical step to fix it is this

[Blu3wolf]

@Red:

the only one I found so far is to move the radar cursors programming to another 4way, and believe me i tried multiple tricks

• cleaning the pot
• adding deazones
• curves or -3 on MIX and MIY
  all helped to some extend but the issue always resurfaced

I also replaced the mstick (the main reason why I sourced them for the community at large) but the issue always resurfaced
The only one I didn’t try yet is a TUSBA. I don’t get enough positive feedback from Tusba users

You’re not alone, but I am not positive this has ever been solved.
As far as I am concerned, the next logical step to fix it is this
http://www.ravico.com/ST/cockpit/viper2/783_throttle.png

How much does one of those go for usually, anyway?

[AV8R]

I just ordered a couple of double pot cursors from TM, but if what Im seeing are the real TQS and its parts, I guess the next questions are:

• part numbers, vendor site, costs
• do they fit in a Cougar TQS, both physically and electrically compatible?
  (I think you have there is a real TQS, yes?)

Reddog, you got my attention sir!

I use a TUSBA-R2, wouldn’t fly without it. So, what do you need to know?

[Red Dog]

well if you use a tusba and you still suffer from microstick drifting, then i guess i have my answer.

tusba doesn’t solve it with it’s increased resolution.

[Focaldesign]

@Red:

well if you use a tusba and you still suffer from microstick drifting, then i guess i have my answer.

tusba doesn’t solve it with it’s increased resolution.

Same here, tusba R2 bit still need to add deadzone to large in BMS to have it stop from drifting.

I do believe since 4.33 there’s a dedicated callback in BMS to stop the drift, no? It’s a software workaround but still…

[Blu3wolf]

Well, there must be an underlying hardware cause. To clarify, is the issue that the microstick is not centered, or that the microstick when centered drifts, losing its center slowly?

[Red Dog]

I do believe since 4.33 there’s a dedicated callback in BMS to stop the drift, no? It’s a software workaround but still…

Yep, SimRadarCursorZero
did anyone try it already ?

I guess the real question is how do you use it without dedicating a button to it?
if i’d have to i’d duplicate the function of the cursor enable switch?

Worth a try maybe. It won’t fix the problem, but it may make it’s use easier

[Focaldesign]

@Red:

Yep, SimRadarCursorZero
did anyone try it already ?

I guess the real question is how do you use it without dedicating a button to it?
if i’d have to i’d duplicate the function of the cursor enable switch?

Worth a try maybe. It won’t fix the problem, but it may make it’s use easier

Not tried it myself.
If I ever need it, I would use it as shifted layer function of the cursor enable.

[CobaltUK]

I used to suffer regularly from this though not always. Made most AG missions hopeless. Have had a year of no problems since using max dead zones but more importanty, adding dead zones within the TM control panel cursor axis screen.

[Red Dog]

Yeah tried this before as well, the deadzones helped and the curve of -3 on both MIX and MIY as well, but never made the problem going completely away
would you give your deazones settings cobalt uk?

i’ll give it another try and using the callback on shifted cusror enable

[Rush1]

@ CobaltUK yes having a look at your settings would help

@ Red Dog - did the same as you all the way - sometimes it works - but bottom line even with deadzones the problem pops up once and so often

current setting I use since two month with out problems

Cougar controll panel:

Microstik X = 0 ( sometimes have to use 12 up to 25)
Microstik Y = 0 ( sometimes have to use 12 up to 25)

Offset curving:

Trim: 0
Curve base -2

in game setting

Avionics control

Cursor Y = meddium

Cursor X = meddium

dont know if it helps all of you - but it might be a start.

regards

Walter

[CobaltUK]

In the Hotas cougar control panel I have centre set to 30 for both X and Y microstick axis. In bms setup controllers advanced deadzone is set Large but I reckon the benefits I get are purely from the CCP settings.
Just noticed that for some reason I have CCP Microstick Y upper and lower set to 2 but that’s probably just a historic error on my part.

[AV8R]

I mentioned the BMS workaround in my first post, but it doesn’t solve all drift situations. Im guessing just the smallest ones, along with use of deadzones. You might be able to slow down or hide small drift, but after a point software workarounds wont be able to mask the drift.

If theres something wrong with the pot itself, surely a new one will resolve the problem (I ordered a replacement from TM CS), but I was wondering if someone figured out how to restore or fix the pot as there are for the Range/Antenna pots by disassembling them. I have been successful fixing the Range pot which suffers from losing its detent and becoming loose to the point where the wiper misses the resistance plate. Ive not found any thing for the cursor pot, which is really what I was looking for. I may try potentiometer cleaner (like DeOxIt) next, maybe it gunks up after a while.

[Rush1]

@AV8R:

I mentioned the BMS workaround in my first post, but it doesn’t solve all drift situations. Im guessing just the smallest ones, along with use of deadzones. You might be able to slow down or hide small drift, but after a point software workarounds wont be able to mask the drift.

If theres something wrong with the pot itself, surely a new one will resolve the problem (I ordered a replacement from TM CS), but I was wondering if someone figured out how to restore or fix the pot as there are for the Range/Antenna pots by disassembling them. I have been successful fixing the Range pot which suffers from losing its detent and becoming loose to the point where the wiper misses the resistance plate. Ive not found any thing for the cursor pot, which is really what I was looking for. I may try potentiometer cleaner (like DeOxIt) next, maybe it gunks up after a while.

Hi AV8R

Oliver ( Red Dog ) as far as I know he replaced the pots ( see his post #3) - so did I ( with brand new pots), still haveing a bit of a drift what I can go with - so I am able to fly MAV missions.

Hope that potentiometer cleaner works for you to get a good result.

Have a good weekend.

[Red Dog]

indeed, I replaced multiples ones, on mine and for other ppl
The issue went away after a pot change but came back with time.
There is not a single time a drifting pot was fully solved by replacing the microstick.

[Malc]

One other thing that has helped me in the past, remove the microstick “shield” - when calibrating, this allows a greater deflection and as such any nullzone programmed into the centre is slightly increased.

[Habu_]

@AV8R:

I just ordered a couple of double pot cursors from TM, but if what Im seeing are the real TQS and its parts, I guess the next questions are:

• part numbers, vendor site, costs
• do they fit in a Cougar TQS, both physically and electrically compatible?

Digikey has compatible replacement microstick pots.

[Ulti]

@Habu_:

Digikey has compatible replacement microstick pots.

Is wish they could deliver me one
As far as i know they are not produced anymore

My 2 eurocents…