@coral36 - yes, for that I’d have to use TARGET and not Foxy because I usse a Warthog stick (but you can also use TARGET with the Cougar). And I can’t use Foxy with my Cougar TQS because all of the “smarts” are in the stick, and I don’t use the stick - the TUSBA has it’s own setup software package, and also upgrades the throttle from 10 to 12 bit resolution…which is VERY nice!

One of the other tricks to remember when using direct assignments is to use the generic assignment and let BMS figure out what the button is supposed to do - I generally try to use RL HOTAS function and not “add” functions. If the jet don’t do it, I don’t want my setup doing it.

With my FAF setup on my Mac I had a utility called ControllerMate that is WAY easier to use than Foxy or TARGET because it has a graphical interface and is like building flowcharts vice programing. Really, really too bad ControllerMate can’t be ported to the PC. Very, very, powerful utility that works with ANY HID USB device. I didd some wild things there like assigning my Cursor to arrow keys to halt drift, making proportional brakes by modulating key rate, and Paddle+Pinky to command Eject. But once I have my pit built I won’t even need any of that.

“Darkness” has no effect on a FLIR or EO weapon - like an IR MAV; only thermal contrast. OTOH, an NVG is a light amplifying device, so yes - they are at their worst in mean starlight/no moon, and may also be bloomed if there is too ambient much light.

…forex, the plume from a MAV launch can bloom NVG in some circumstances. Which I managed to find out when performing a RL shot from
a Harrier at night for the first time.

My biggest complaint is that the way it seems to appear and operate appears to be VERY browser specific…threading sort order, pref settings being ignored, being able to follow a thread because of the post order being randomized…even for this one - it was munged when I replied in Chromium, now it seems ok in Brave…but that’s only for this thread, and I don’t always see the same within every thread. And frankly, I have no idea if this is the fault of thee site, or my ISP, or just what…

So I’ve pretty much given up…other than to download BMS updates, Theaters, etc. When I can actually find the Theaters…

…ok…so this post sorted in line with MY last post…even though the page presented correctly when I initially came to it. Grrrrrr.

@coral36 - not really “difficult”. I use a Warthog stick, so I don’t use any Profile at all, nor the CCP. I just assign the buttons from within BMS Setup, and it’s all plug and play - I don’t use TARGET either. I use a Realsim TUSBA with my Cougar throttle.

The only “difficult” assignment was the Trigger Detent 1/2 - the trick is to assign Detent 2 first, and then Detent 1, because of the way the switches engage. Once done, it all just works.

You can do the same with a Cougar.

Yes - you need to have a target lock if you don’t, in order to actually solve the bombing triangle. The cool thing about Visual bombing (CCIP/CCRP) is that you don’t actually need to lock the target, but you do need to lock something prominent that is at the same elevation as the intended target.

A target (or any attack coordinate) requires a lat/long/elevation set in order to be able to calculate a valid solution from sensor range/mil depression. The CCIP/CCRP Release Cue is showing you the mil depression you need to be at based on your relative position and speed wrt the target, but you can visually “steer” your impact point based on the cross and put your weapons on what you can see in lieu of what you’ve actually locked…provided that the two are near to co-elevation.

Gee…and here I thought I was the “only” one…

@drtbkj - yes…my problem is that I’m just WAY too familiar with the RL grip!

Even when I use my WH stick I always put it in the chair with my knees/thighs against the base if I’m using it for a sim that is of a jet with a centerline stick…the WH base is wide enough to “sit” on and stablize it in a chair.

But even if I were to do that with the WH Hornet grip the reach to the top buttons is still overly far - probably only by 1/8" or 3/16", but very noticeable to someone like myself. I end up having to lift my palm to make actuations, and I don’t have to do that with a RL grip - bench mounted or in a jet. BTW - the grip should be in your lap in a RL Hornet, with top of the stick just above your thighs by a couple inches. At least, that’s how I fit.

Also - I didn’t personally note an issue with switch rotations. Once I figured out how to reach the switches they felt like switches, but again, I had to stretch my thumb in order to get to them and that felt way “un-natural” to me. I also think the grip may be/feel “fat” because of the extra position/throw on the Weapon Select switch because of it being a 5-way (though the WH grip doesn’t seem so)…which I could certainly do without, seeing as it’s not on a RL grip.

@pjrebordao - I just plugged mine into a USB hub and assigned their buttons via BMS Setup. Works like a charm. Also - be sure and read the manual to find out how to manually adjust the button brightness using just the buttons.

Yes…I tried Brave at the suggestion of the forum admin. As far as I know most of the alternative browsers I’ve been experimenting with are now Chromium based - including Edge. I use Seamonkey, Firefox, and Waterfox as Mozilla based browsers, and of those Seamonkey is the biggest laggard in that it’s Gekko engine is pretty out dated, though Seamonkey developers have pointed out many scripting issues in the page’s coding…that not being a coder, I can’t really follow. So I’ve given up on it for the BMS site, but it’s just fine for Viperpits. I think the only browser I haven’t tried is Safari…

I’ve taken to only accessing the BMS forums with Chromium, but I see something different every time I log in - like all of my posts are threading inline with my initial post instead of in sequence. I can barely follow any thread without having to scroll from bottom to top (which is how all pages are initializing for me) and then randomly scrolling to each post in sequence. And this happens for me no matter what browser I use.

I flat can’t use the forum because of all this…but supposedly, it’s just me.

@drtbkj - on the RL grip/stick the Paddle isn’t part of the grip - the only one to get this right and leave the Paddle off is Real Sim, even though they didn’t get the part anatomy and/or number of switch positions strictly “correct” either. In RL the Paddle is part of the stick itself, mounted on the top of an electronics box on the stalk.

The issue with small hands is what concerns me most - someone with smaller hands is really going to notice. I have pretty medium-sized mitts and the RL grip fits my hands like it was made for them…and I really notice how much bigger the TM one is. An even bigger issue would be if the button forces were to match the RL grip - they are much lighter than a real one, and maybe this is a reason why.

Personally, I like/prefer the heavier buttons and stick forces. Just plain feels more like an airplane.

@jack72 - selecting scan volumes via HOTAS isn’t a RL thing, so unless you are willing to give up some HOTAS function or use shift keys, it’s not “programed” into BMS per se…

…however, you can alter your defaults using WDP, and I think you can even set up defaults for each track mode. Been a while since I’ve done that, you may want to check into it.

OK - I checked into it…there I go confusing BMS and RL again, with WDP. Mea Culpa.

@rookieskyworker - check that your trim is neutral?

@pjrebordao - I just plugged mine into a USB hub and assigned their buttons via BMS Setup. Works like a charm. Also - be sure and read the manual to find out how to manually adjust the button brightness using just the buttons.

@airtex2019 - one should understand that BORE does not really “scan” at all - it’s a fixed (circular?) stare placed at the HUD optical center, for a “point and shoot” sort of scenario.

Where ACM SLEW can be useful is if you are not using HMCS and are in a close/passing situation, to get an actual off-boresight scan in the quicker ACM mode.

In general I tend get into ACM SLEW by accident and then can’t figure out how to cancel it - transitioning through BORE usually works for me…but in this case my scan volume ends up getting parked someplace other than where I want it…for a bit.

@warpig - you might try grabbing the Software for the Combat Pro Rudder Pedals and see if that does what you’re looking for. As I recall, on of my frustrations with it was that I could see how to use it with the stick (in fact, the Manual is mostly for the stick) and I couldn’t make it do anything at all for my pedals. But it is the 7.x.x version.

The Mad Catz downloads are also still available on Softpedia:

https://drivers.softpedia.com/get/JOYSTICK-GAMEPAD-WHEELS-and-TABLETS/Mad-Catz/Mad-Catz-Saitek-X52-Flight-Controller-Driver-70536-64-bit.shtml

@warpig - I included a link, but the forum deleted it…GRRRRR…I’ll try again…

http://www.saitek.com/uk/down/drivers.php

Note there are two entries on the page - the lower one is ID’d as “Legacy Products”.

@warpig - if you download from here, under Legacy - you should get Version 7.x.x software. I just did, for my Combat Pro Pedals…though I think the base software covers all devices?

@coral36 - yes, for that I’d have to use TARGET and not Foxy because I usse a Warthog stick (but you can also use TARGET with the Cougar). And I can’t use Foxy with my Cougar TQS because all of the “smarts” are in the stick, and I don’t use the stick - the TUSBA has it’s own setup software package, and also upgrades the throttle from 10 to 12 bit resolution…which is VERY nice!

One of the other tricks to remember when using direct assignments is to use the generic assignment and let BMS figure out what the button is supposed to do - I generally try to use RL HOTAS function and not “add” functions. If the jet don’t do it, I don’t want my setup doing it.

With my FAF setup on my Mac I had a utility called ControllerMate that is WAY easier to use than Foxy or TARGET because it has a graphical interface and is like building flowcharts vice programing. Really, really too bad ControllerMate can’t be ported to the PC. Very, very, powerful utility that works with ANY HID USB device. I didd some wild things there like assigning my Cursor to arrow keys to halt drift, making proportional brakes by modulating key rate, and Paddle+Pinky to command Eject. But once I have my pit built I won’t even need any of that.

@coral36 - not really “difficult”. I use a Warthog stick, so I don’t use any Profile at all, nor the CCP. I just assign the buttons from within BMS Setup, and it’s all plug and play - I don’t use TARGET either. I use a Realsim TUSBA with my Cougar throttle.

The only “difficult” assignment was the Trigger Detent 1/2 - the trick is to assign Detent 2 first, and then Detent 1, because of the way the switches engage. Once done, it all just works.

You can do the same with a Cougar.

@jack72 - you need to tell BMS what your primary controllers are in BMS Setup. Have them all plugged in and make the choices for all of them at once.