EDIT: changed the title.

Well, I have to admit that this is my first experience with Top Gun Afterburner Force Feedback. In fact, this is my first experience with Force Feedback joystick (duh!). I just purchased a used Top Gun Afterburner Force Feedback from ebay, and the item just arrived. Well, it is used, but it looks pretty solid.

But the joystick is very flaccid, without resistance at all. In fact, the stick does not recenter. Worse, if I put the unit on its side, the stick is pulled down by gravity. There is simply no tension, no resistance at all.

However, I haven't tested the stick, because I still need to buy jack adapter for its power supply. So I wonder: is such thing normal for Force Feedback joystick? Probably the lack of resistance is because I haven't plugged the power supply?

Or is the joystick simply broken?

Many thanks,

Exactly, without power most ff joysticks don't center at all. The ff motor is used to centering it and keeping it centered.

You're right. I just returned from an Electronic store (buying jack adapter), and after I plugged the power supply, the stick is not flaccid anymore.

But even that, I'm not very sure if the joystick is still in good working condition. You see, since it doesn't come with the software, I downloaded the following software from Thrustmaster website:
(1) Driver Package 2.FFJ.2004.
(2) Thrustmapper v 4.02.
(3) Thrustmaster Calibration Tool v 1.03.

First, I installed the driver (following the instruction in PDF manual). And then I installed Thrustmapper software, and Thrustmaster Calibration Tool.

And then I tested the stick from Control Panel. But when I tested the Force Feedback effects (like 'bank', 'turbulence', 'gunfire', etc), the stick doesn't do anything.

I then fire up IL-2 Sturmovik. When I fire my weapons, I don't get any vibration at all. Is it normal? Or maybe Top Gun Afterburner is only a force feedback joystick, and not a vibration feedback joystick?

And there is more. The joystick shows certain amount of stiffness after I plugged the power supply, but I don't feel anything force feedback with it. In other words, it works exactly like normal spring joystick. I tried various maneuvers, I even tried stalling, it doesn't do any difference. And yes, I already activated Force Feedback feature from IL-2's hardware menu.

So as far as I'm concerned, this stick works just like normal stick. And I have set the Force Feedback effect to 100% in Control Panel, as well as toning down the Spring effect. But I cannot feel anything Force Feedback about it.

Is there anything wrong with the stick?

I believe there's something wrong with the software you downloaded and installed.

At the "Driver Package 2.FFJ.2004" it says: "NOTE: This version is NOT compatible with the Thrustmapper Software v4.0x or any other previous version.", but this is what you installed in (2).

Shouldn't you have used the "Force Feedback Racing joystick Vista Drivers V2.7.30", assuming you're using Vista or Win7?

I see. I'll uninstall Thrustmapper then. Which driver I better be using? Or is there any Thrustmapper Software that is compatible with the driver I'm using?

However, before I install Thrustmapper (but after installing the driver), I tested Afterburner Force Feedback through Windows Control Panel. The menu is quite different (for instance, it is labelled Immersion instead of Thrustmaster), but it also enables us to test various force feedback function (gunfire, explosion, etc). I still did not get any force feedback effects, despite Thrustmapper was not yet installed.

In fact, without the Thrustmapper software, I cannot activate Spring effect function. The menu just isn't there in the joystick property.

Anyway, I'm using Windows XP SP2.

Force-feedback is superior to just rumble feedback. Not only does it allow for vibrations, but it can change the stick's resistance, move it in a specific direction, or change the centering point (most notably with DCS: Black Shark's trim). That shouldn't be the issue.

As to why it's not working with the TM Top Gun Afterburner FFB, I have no idea. My only experiences with FFB are with Logitech and Microsoft devices, both of which just work, more or less.

There is a warning that you have to use the specific USB port you plugged it into during initial driver installation, but I wouldn't think that you've changed USB ports at all.

Yup, and I experience no "dynamic" resistance at all. To be fair, the stick has pretty strong resistance, but it is the same resistance from all directions. In other words, it works like normal spring joystick.

I still think (and probably hope) that it is not hardware/motor damage though, since the Spring effect (the "normal joystck" effect) is pretty strong.



Can you pair a stand-alone Force Feedback joystick with a third-party throttle? Say, CH Pro Throttle or Saitek X-52 Throttle. Also, if the FFB joystick comes with built-in throttle, can you disable it in order to pair it with third-party throttle?



Nope, I didn't.

Well, I'm stumped...


Multiple input devices can coexist. The usual problem is that older games/sims only see the first DirectInput ID, and thus you can only use one controller at any given time. (Even surprisingly modern releases like the first ArmA have this issue.)

But for most recent releases-Falcon 4.0, IL-2 Sturmovik, Wings of Prey, DCS: Black Shark, and probably even Rise of Flight-you won't have this issue since they can see multiple DirectInput IDs. It's in this fashion that I use both my TM HOTAS Cougar throttle and my MS SWFFB2 (well, except for Falcon, where the Cougar's F-16 style stick, especially force-sensor-modded as it is, makes more sense).

I see. I suppose Jane's World War II Fighters and European Air War also have this issue, don't they?


That sounds great.



This is the first time I hear about such modification. How did you do it?

Anyway, back to the issue, too bad Top Gun Afterburner's throttle cannot work as "stand alone" throttle. Or can it? Based on what I've seen, the connector cable between joystick and throttle is not USB. In fact, I cannot even unplug the cable from the joystick's base.

Anyway, I'll try to reinstall the whole thing.

The force-sensing mods for the Cougar are pretty much a drop-in replacement for the gimbals and potentiometers. Prior to the Saitek X-65F, they were some of the only ways to get a proper F-16-style force-sensing stick at a consumer-level price. Mine was actually bought used with the mod already installed, for the low, low sum of US$333 shipped. (Note that these type of mods generally cost that much ALONE bought new, Cougar not included. When you look at it that way, it was a steal. Of course, with the X-65F out now at US$400...)

When you mix and match different DirectInput devices like that, the idea is to basically put the stick that the throttle has to be slaved to somewhere out of the way. You leave the whole thing connected at all times. (It might work out with some HOTAS setups to have the stick or throttle disconnected, depending on which of the two is the master component (unless it's CH or the upcoming TM HOTAS Warthog, in which case the devices are independent and unified via drivers), but unintended behavior may result...)

Hopefully, you'll figure it out. Have you had the chance to try using it with a different computer?

Sad you changed the title. We need more posts with "flaccid" in the title.

I see. I'm initially looking for hall sensor mod, but FF mod sounds interesting.



Unfortunately, not yet. I've been pretty busy lately, but I'll return with the result. Thanks again, by the way.



Um... sometimes a cigar, I mean joystick, is just a joystick.