Joysticks

[BomberGirl]

Hi Guys,

   Since I started FS2K2, I've been flying using the keyboard. It was suggested that i get a joystick, so I did. It's a Saitek Cyborg 2000, $10 +$5.50 S/H off eBay. (hey, I'm on a REALLY tight budget)

   Anyways, this stick has:
4 buttons
Throttle Lever
4 way hat switch

   I'd to get some suggestions from you guys on what buttons I should set for what funtion. With the suggestions, please keep in mind that I tend to fly only a few different planes: B-52H; AN-225; AN-12BK; XB-70A (the new GMAX version) and Kirk Ollsen's F-16 Viper. I'll occassionally hop into something else, but not too often.

   Thanks for the help. Take Care.
Sue

[Bazza]

Hi, I also have a Saitek, but it's getting pretty ancient now - still doing the job though as it's nice and strongly built.

I have given the buttons some thought over about 6 years flightsimming - this is what mine are used for.

One for raising and lowering the undercarriage.  I found that these actions can take your attention away from what you're trying to do at the time - i.e not searching around looking for a key.

One for lowering the flaps.   Same reason - keep eyes on the runway when coming in to land.    I still have to F6 to raise the flaps but this doesn't come at such a crucial time.

One (trigger switch) for cycling thru the views - spot - tower etc.   Great for looking around to locate yourself without again finding and hitting the S key.

That will leave you with one for something you feel I have left out - lol.    I use the 4th button for brakes - but don't really consider it that important - however again you can at least keep your eyes on the runway without looking  for the key.    I did use this one for toggling the ATC window on and off as I find the writing across the window view a bit of a nuisance.

The Hat switches speak for themselves - views.

Good luck with it, experiment to suit your own needs.

Bazza.

[SilverFox441]

My setup is similar to Bazza's...

Trigger=Brakes
Left button=F6, Flaps Increment Up
Right button=F7, Flaps Increment Down
Centre button=Cycle views
Hat=View direction

I don't worry about gear as I have that mapped to a paddle switch on my seperate throttle and it only gets cycled once per flight evolution (except when doing touch and goes) anyway.

[Dan]

I have a Saitek Cyborg Gold... Very good stick. I have my top three buttons for Flaps up / down (Increments) and Gear.
Dan

[garymbuska]

You can set the switches to whatever you want, just fiddle around with different things unitil you are happy with what you have. You might want to check out your throttle axis though I am pretty sure they need to be reversed, so when you press up on the throttle the planes throttles go up. But unless you have the throttle view up you will not no the differance. I perfer this way so when I fly single engine aircraft the throttle moves the same way as the joystick does, otherwise it can get a little confusing As in is idle and out is max power or in jets up is max power and down is idle. and it looks strange when you press up and watch the throttle go in or down

[Woodlouse2002]

Mr joystick has 9 buttons. And I only use one of them. Trigger for brakes. It makes things so much easier when landing. The Hatswitch is for looking around. Apart from that I use the keyboard for every thing else. In CFS however.....