Simviation Forums

Hey!
Good day to all!
I have an older Microsoft Sidewinder Joystick with Forcefeedback. That was excellent when I used it in FD9. However, I cannot use it anymore because the connector is not a USB, it's an older one, and my present computer does not accept that type of connector.
Can anybody advise me how I can fix that so that I can use it again on my more modern computer? I did not ind any adapter for the connector.
I'n still flying FS2004 on a pc with Windows 7.
...
Other problem is....
I'm using now a "non-Sidewinder" joystick, but in fact I had the same problem on the Sidewinder joystick. When one stears a small light aircraft or a huge cargo, there is a big difference especially when taxiing. The joystick usually has big influenceon the smaller aircraft and less on the bigger one.
How can I make that using a joystick for taxiing goes better, so that I can stear better, that I can taxi streight forward instead of zigzagging over the taxiway? Is there a "settings" advise e.g. in the aircraft.cfg of the aircraft?
Anybody knows what to do?
...
Many thaks for a reply.
Jive1 - Belgium

Originally designed to fit the 15-pin gameport socket on a PCI "Sound card".

Google "Gameport to USB adaptor".

http://www.amazon.co.uk/USB-Pin-Joystic ... B002JV6JPS

Lots of them around.

For the new joystick. Joystick sensitivity settings...>>> http://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/841018

Paul.... ...!

Saitek Cyborg X Fly5.

Hey!
Good morning and .....
Thank you Paul for the information!
I will now search for the connector, maybe I can find it here in Belgium...
Also the item of the sensitivity of the joystick, I will of course try to adapt same, according to what is mentioned on the site of which you sent me the URL.
Thank you again!
Jive1 - Belgium

jive1 wrote:Hey!
Good morning and .....
Thank you Paul for the information!
I will now search for the connector, maybe I can find it here in Belgium...
Also the item of the sensitivity of the joystick, I will of course try to adapt same, according to what is mentioned on the site of which you sent me the URL.
Thank you again!
Jive1 - Belgium

You are very welcome Jive....

....just make sure that the 15-pin socket on the adaptor is a "Female" socket, for the 15-pin "Male" plug on the Microsoft Sidewinder Joystick to "plug into"!

Paul..... ...!

Indeed, Paul, and I found one http://www.preis.de/produkte/USB-Gamepo ... 05524.html

Thank you anyway!
Jive1 - Belgium

jive1 wrote:Indeed, Paul, and I found one http://www.preis.de/produkte/USB-Gamepo ... 05524.html

Thank you anyway!
Jive1 - Belgium

Wonderful news!.... ...!

You now have your trusty Microsoft Sidewinder Force-feedback back on-line again!

Mine unfortunately died many, many years ago, 1990's, (internal electronics)..... ...!

Paul....Saitek, Cyborg X, Fly5 stick of joy!.... ...!

Just a word of caution. My Sidewinder joystick suddenly stopped working about a year ago. I tried everything I could think of to bring it
back to life. I unplugged & plugged it back in many, many times, all to no avail. I finally gave up and ordered another one off the net. When my new one arrived I plugged it in and all was well. I left the old one sitting in the box on the floor, and finally got tired of looking at it and decided to throw it away. However, on an impulse, I decided to try it one more time. It worked perfectly and hasn't missed a beat in months. Now the new one is in the box on the floor. I know I will eventually need it, but not now. I really like this joystick. Wish I had an answer!

Well, Paul, I have now my adapter, and I've been bussy all the time to try to install a driver for the SideWinder, but no luck! It seems now, that Microsoft did no longer support the SideWinder in Windows 7, and they have no driver available for that combination. However I had read a few times on the net that there is a solution and some simmers seem to have an acceptable solution, telling that after loys of time trying to install it suddenly worked, but not completely. So,even when not all knobs of the joustick work well, some have had luck and the SideWinder works....
So, finally, I will have to stop searching for a driver, unless incidently somebody reads this and can give a solution for my problem....
Greetings
Jive1 - Belgium

I'm making a guess, but I would have thought that the Joystick would have been recognised as "new hardware" when plugged in, and then accepted as a simple; "Plug-and-Play" device...ie: Joystick?

(Addition "Drivers" are mostly used just to program the joystick for different types of games, etc).

If so, the Joystick buttons, controls, etc, can be programmed via the Flight Sim Options Menu > Joystick/Buttons?

Paul..... ...!

There's a free program that I've used for years - HIDMacros. First to program joysticks, and later to program a numeric keypad for use in FSX.

It's extremely easy to use. I used to use it to make buttons execute multiple commands -WITH OUT PROGRAMMING!

Anyway, it's a simple way to check the function of any HID (mouse, joystick, etc.) device.

I have the older version of HIDMacros, so I don't know about this newer version.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0tRyMpekQY[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pdPTngRMRU[/youtube]

Indeed,
I wondered why my W7-PC did not detect the Sidewinder as new device, and did not treat it as a plug-and-play unit! I hope I will find a nice solution so that I can indeeed use my Joystick.
Jive1 - Belgium

If HIDMacros does not detect your device, it's because Windows did not detect it.

If that's the case, I can say from experience that the problem may be in the wiring, somewhere between the plug & the inside of the joystick.

If so, that can be fixed.


Whether or not the force feedback part works is a software matter.

If the chips inside are fried - good luck.

I am wondering if the connection between the Joystick Gameport plug connection to the original PCI Sound Card, and the Joystick Gameport plug connection to the more modern USB socket, are different, resulting in Windows not detecting the Gameport/USB connection arrangement?

Maybe its better/less trouble to purchase a more modern joystick suitable for direct connection to a USB socket.

I suspect that Uncle Bill doesn't like us using our "Old Stuff" on his new-fan-dangled operating system, and associated hardware, any more!... ...!

Paul.... ...!

My bundle of joy...>>> http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/fly5.html
...(with the necessary modification to the return spring!).

Hi guys,
I'm having the very same fun & games with my game port sidewinder - an excellent stick bar it's plug! - the problem lies in Windows Vista and 7 and later OS's not having in built support for the game port.
Alas, if you unearth an old game port equipped sound card, these os's will install the sound card drivers but not for the game port as until Vista onwards, the game port was an integral part of the OS.

Which is why if you try to install a game port device on OS's later than Vista, at best you'll get it to recognise the game port itself but your left with no means to configure it as this is the critical bit that's no longer incorporated into the later OS's.

Bloody annoying as I've found the two game port to USB adapters I've tried either wouldn't work properly i.e. no force feedback or just didn't work at all with the sidewinder, a shame as its a fine product.