Hi Folks

My first post here and sorry to say its a request for assistance.

I used to fly a lot of IL2, LockOn and F4 many years ago but due to work my flightsim gear was packed away for a few years. Managed to get it going again now and am trying to get back into LockOn FC2.

My trusty Cougar is playing up though on the microstick and to be brutally honest I have lost the little knowledge I had on how to troubleshoot it, or even less, to reprogram it.

I am sure I am just missing something so a brief breakdown.
The microstick cursor drifts, it also seems to loose programming direction and more often than not when this happens it moves off in one or other direction and the only way to control it again is to depress the microstick and then revert to keyboard. If I touch the microsstick again it will start drifting again.

I am using this profile from cougarworld
http://cougar.flyfoxy.com/files/FC2_Viper_Cougar.zip
Followed setup to the tee.

When I start my pc the HOTAs software loads with Win7 64 bit and the cursor drifts on its own, sometimes???

I have found that if I do a manual calibration before I load the game it sometimes sorts out the issue, but its not permanent and I have no idea what causing it.
I have tried to increase deadzones on the microstick X Y axes but it did not seem to help.

Below the script from the profile itself (foxy .tmj file).

Rem -------------------------------------
Rem Microjoystick/SpotLight
Rem -------------------------------------

MIY /I 3 Scan_Zone_Right ^ Scan_Zone_Left
/O 6 23 (2 4 6 8 11 14 17 21 25 30 36 43 58 65 71 76 80 84 87 90 93 95 97 98) MSX(3-) MSX(3+) MSX(0)
MIX /I 3 Scan_Zone_Down ^ Scan_Zone_Up
/O 6 23 (2 4 6 8 11 14 17 21 25 30 36 43 58 65 71 76 80 84 87 90 93 95 97 98) MSY(3-) MSY(3+) MSY(0)

Rem MIY /I 3 Scan_Zone_Right ^ Scan_Zone_Left
Rem /O 6 23 (2 4 6 8 11 14 17 21 25 30 36 43 58 65 71 76 80 84 87 90 93 95 97 98) MSX(3-) MSX(3+) MSX(0)
Rem MIX /I 3 Scan_Zone_Down ^ Scan_Zone_Up
Rem /O 6 23 (2 4 6 8 11 14 17 21 25 30 36 43 58 65 71 76 80 84 87 90 93 95 97 98) MSY(3-) MSY(3+) MSY(0)

Rem T1

BTN T1 /I /H MOUSE_RB
/O /H MOUSE_LB

Rem Setup the mouse onto the microstick. You can increase the values
Rem in the brackets to make the mouse more responsive.

USE ZERO_MOUSE
USE MICROSTICK AS MOUSE (10,8, 3) - NO_BUTTON

The programming looks rather 'busy', maybe there is a simpler way to do it for left right up down even.

I am not sure if it is a fault on the switch itself, if I have messed up the calibration somehow but I used the guides on Cougarworld for the first instal.
Have also flashed the firmware a few times.

Any advice on how to test the cougar itself or to perhaps assist on the fault finding exercise would be greatly appreciated.
I humbly apologize if I have done something wrong in advance.

Thx
V

It sounds like a dirty or even a faulty pot. I replaced my microstick about 2 years ago due to a drift. It started off really small and I was able to counter it with a center deadzone in CCP but over time the drift was too much for the deadzone.

I have no idea if he has any more but Red Dog over at Viper Pits was selling replacement pots for the microstick. Maybe get with him and see if he still has some.

Good Luck!

Hi Panther

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

After hours/days of testing I am also of the firm belief the pot is FUBAR.
I will contact Red Dog and also do some googling to see what options there are for replacement pots.
I modded my cougar with hal sensors and IJ NXT2 mod (I think thats what they called it, been a while) so if there is a bullet proof replacement for the microstick I am all for it.

Thanks again
V

Got in touch with Red Dog, replacements in the mail.
Thanks again.

Can you message me his email? I'm after one too, and I'm not a member of viperpits, so cant see the profile.

Thanks!

When the Microstick cursor drifts - what happens when you depress the microstick to get that little `click' (technical term )? Does it keep on drifting?

My mouse stick started drifting a few years ago too, but I seem to be able to improve or temporarily eliminate the drift by soaking in WD-40 or a contact cleaner solution and then working the mouse A LOT. Maybe 10 minutes continuously in all directions to eliminate the corrosion or dust that has accumuated on the pot. SHort of that a pot replacement is in order.