Saitek X52 Pro Flight System Controller - Is it worth it?

Grue · Post by **Grue** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 7:34 pm

I know there a some previous topics on joysticks but this one is specific to a feature on one specific joystick.

So hereâ€™s another loaded question. Is the Saitek X52 Pro Flight System Controller worth it? In a previous post, (http://www.starwraith.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4991) I was trying to find a way to solve my issue of â€œfree lookâ€� around the cockpit and space.

I thought to myself if I just had another HAT to enable a free look to view space. Perhaps instead of pursuing the TrackIR gear, I could simply upgrade my joystick from a Saitek Evo to a Saitek X52 Pro Flight System Controller.

For those who have the Saitek X52 Pro Flight System Controller can you enable one of the HATs to look around space?

Thank you very much,
Grue

MMaggio · Post by **MMaggio** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 7:41 pm

Yes, you can. The Saitek X52 has 2 "hats" that can be used either as a "POV" or for whatever you like.
The Saitiek X52 is the most powerful programmable controller in the world.
Since it has three "modes", it is even possible to use the joystick itself as a "POV" control. The true possibilities tax the imagination and programming skills of the owner.
Does that answer your question?

Post by **Vice** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 7:52 pm

From the cockpit perspective, the game also supports using the HAT for panning view control. Just click on 'Joystick HAT' in the options menu until it reads 'Pan'. You can then look around the cockpit just using the HAT and without the auto-centering of the primary view control mode. In the external ship views, you can also use the HAT to pan around the ship you are watching. And even without a joystick, you can use the Alt-Insert/Home/Page Up/End keys to look around the cockpit. And I think you can even assign the Alt-key/button options to the secondary HAT on the X52 using the SST program.

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 1:47 am

Yup, It is definetly worth it!

Grue · Post by **Grue** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 1:54 am

Originally posted by Vice
From the cockpit perspective, the game also supports using the HAT for panning view control. Just click on 'Joystick HAT' in the options menu until it reads 'Pan'. You can then look around the cockpit just using the HAT and without the auto-centering of the primary view control mode. In the external ship views, you can also use the HAT to pan around the ship you are watching. And even without a joystick, you can use the Alt-Insert/Home/Page Up/End keys to look around the cockpit. And I think you can even assign the Alt-key/button options to the secondary HAT on the X52 using the SST program.

Can I pan on one HAT and strafe on another? I would assume so but could I use the default configs in Evochron or would I have to "get funky" with Saitek's control panel tool?

Thanks everyone!

Post by **Vice** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 3:55 am

You can do that. Just set the primary HAT to what you want using the main Options menu, then bind the second HAT (which returns buttons signals) to whatever else you want to control with it. I use the primary HAT to look around and the secondary HAT for shield control.

Grue · Post by **Grue** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 4:20 pm

Thanks Vice and Crew! I always appreciate your feedback.

Grue · Post by **Grue** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 4:57 pm

What's the dead zone like on the X52? My dead zone on my current Saitek Evo is slightly annoying even with the filters on my software program. Thanks as always!

Ravenfeeder · Post by **Ravenfeeder** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 5:06 pm

Incidently: What is strafe in EL? In real life it's using aircraft guns & cannon against a ground target! Just wondered

MMaggio · Post by **MMaggio** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 7:19 pm

Strafe in Legends allows the pilot to turn the ship and keep the guns on target as you drift by, either vertically or horizantally.

warsign · Post by **warsign** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 6:01 am

@Eclipse, welcome to forum and sim

Post by **Vice** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 5:06 pm

What's the dead zone like on the X52? My dead zone on my current Saitek Evo is slightly annoying even with the filters on my software program.

For control, the deadzone is adjustable in both the Saitek configuration program and in the game. For feel, it's fairly tight, there is a centering spring and a compression plate for tension. It's not the 'tightest' configuration, but there isn't much slack either and feels pretty solid.

Ravenfeeder · Post by **Ravenfeeder** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 6:08 pm

Thanks for the explanations on straffing.

Karmasaur · Post by **Karmasaur** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 6:27 pm

on a sad note, the dang thing squeaks a LOT. Mine is really really noisy. Been considering trying to take it apart and see if I can oil it. Ive heard other people say the same.

Storm · Post by **Storm** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 7:41 pm

For the deadzone adjustment for an X52 / X52 Pro; I find the in-game deadzone factor a little too "rough" and "granular".

Mine developed a *slight*, very small drift to the left, and sometimes downwards... and rolling didn't always cancel out when the stick was centered. Tapping the stick *in a certain way* cancelled the drift, but of course that isn't acceptable. But changing the in-game deadzone from 0 to 1 made it too "clunky"; adjusting the sensitivity didn't work that well.

But, once you install the Saitek driver(s) (strictly speaking, you don't have to install the SST profiler; just use in-game bindings and you don't have to load a profile), there is a Saitek applet / control panel (getting there depends I guess on your OS; for my setup, in Vista, it is Control Panel -> Game Controllers -> Saitek X52 Pro Flight Controller -> Properties; then click the "Deadzones" tab).

On that Deadzones panel, you have 9 axis listed.

In my setup, X Axis = yaw, Y Axis = pitch, Z Rotation = roll...

Z Axis = throttle, X Rotation and Y Rotation are the two wheels on the throttle (the ones with the slight detent when "centered", some people use those for strafe controls)...

... then you have the deadzone settings for the "Slider", MouseX and MouseY.

Those Control Panel Deadzone settings are easy to use and intuitive. I imposed very small, slight deadzones to all axis except for the throttle... watching the little red lines after tapping, pushing and twisting all controls to see where and how wide to impose deadzones.

... Then I set the in-game joystick sensitivity to "High". It works flawlessly, perfectly responsive, no drift, and flight is smooth as glass.

Post by **Vice** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 9:44 pm

on a sad note, the dang thing squeaks a LOT. Mine is really really noisy. Been considering trying to take it apart and see if I can oil it. Ive heard other people say the same.

That's a pretty common problem and usually occurs when the compression plate starts to shed plastic particles as it starts to smooth out. You then have two pretty smooth plastic surfaces that squeak against each other. To test if this is the case with your X52, turn the stick sharply in any direction, put something small under the compression plate where it lifts away from the lower ring frame, then recenter the stick and move it around a bit where it would normally squeak... making sure the plate isn't touching the lower ring frame. If the squeak goes away, then you'll know that's where the problem is. One of the easier solutions is to just put a very small amount of butter around the ring (and on the under side of the compression plate)... just enough for a very thin layer without any drips. Then test the stick for any noise and it should be fine for at least a few months. And you don't even have to take it apart to fix this problem.

[Edited on 7-31-2009 by Vice]

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:18 pm

Originally posted by Vice
on a sad note, the dang thing squeaks a LOT. Mine is really really noisy. Been considering trying to take it apart and see if I can oil it. Ive heard other people say the same.
That's a pretty common problem and usually occurs when the compression plate starts to shed plastic particles as it starts to smooth out. You then have two pretty smooth plastic surfaces that squeak against each other. To test if this is the case with your X52, turn the stick sharply in any direction, put something small under the compression plate where it lifts away from the lower ring frame, then recenter the stick and move it around a bit where it would normally squeak... making sure the plate isn't touching the lower ring frame. If the squeak goes away, then you'll know that's where the problem is. One of the easier solutions is to just put a very small amount of butter around the ring (and on the under side of the compression plate)... just enough for a very thin layer without any drips. Then test the stick for any noise and it should be fine for at least a few months. And you don't even have to take it apart to fix this problem.

[Edited on 7-31-2009 by Vice]

You do not even have to use butter, You can just wipe the ring and the underside of the plate with your indexfinger clean and the skin oil as used for leaving finger prints should be enough to stop the squeeking!;)

[Edited on 7-31-2009 by Maarschalk]

Post by **Marvin** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 11:06 pm

A much cleaner (npi) method of lubrication is to use Ivory soap ... a very dry bar. It lasts a long time and doesn't attract dust. Just rub the soap along exposed parts and then rotate the joystick to distribute.

Grue · Post by **Grue** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:58 am

Thanks all for the replies once again. Much appreciated!

Karmasaur · Post by **Karmasaur** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 12:20 pm

Originally posted by Vice
butter

Perfect. 10 second fix. Thank you.

PingBosun · Post by **PingBosun** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 5:23 pm

Try a very small drop of silicon grease, like you get to lubricate the bits of rubber strip in a shower screen. My Saitek Cyborg Evo was noisy (and a but sticky) but a tiny drop sorted it out no probs.

Barreta · Post by **Barreta** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 1:05 pm

Originally posted by MMaggio
Yes, you can. The Saitek X52 has 2 "hats" that can be used either as a "POV" or for whatever you like.

3 hats. 2 on the stick and 1 on the throttle. That silver switch at the front of the throttle is an 8 way hat switch.

My only issue with the X52 is that I find that plastic disk that is just below the spring tends to stick sometimes and annoys me. I'm trying to think of a way to mod it to remove that issue so if anyone has any ideas on how to do it then please add to this thread.

Barreta · Post by **Barreta** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 1:24 pm

But, once you install the Saitek driver(s)

Word of warning about the Saitek driver. This happened to me just 2 days ago so I speak from experience. Once you install the Saitek driver there is no uninstaller to easily go back to default Windows config. The problem that this caused me was that I had run the calbration tool for game controllers that is in Win7 (Saitek provides no claibration tool) and I had forgot to move my stick through the X and Y axis toi set it's range of motion. I then installed the Saitek driver and then went to setup Wings Over Vietnam that I had just installed. When I went to fly the sim any small movement on the stick was detected as large movement because I didn't move the X and Y axis when calibrating. For soem reason I never saw that screen. Now my stick was effed and I could find no uninstaller for the Saitek stick anywhere. I had to do a system restore to solve the issue whichn was not so bad because I had just ran the Microsft calibration tool just an hour earlier. Why doesn't Saitek provide an uninstaller with their driver? This is no good and I had a similar issue with one of their gaming keyboards once had to contact their tech support to tell me how to get rid of the driver manually. I am going to email them and ask why they don't provide a proper driver uninstaller. This issue I just mentioned has the potential to really mess up your stick calibration if you did what I did and didn't have system restore enabled.

49rTbird · Post by **49rTbird** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 2:52 pm

[/quote]
There is a "roll back driver" button that works well. [/quote]

How do I find this button? Thnx

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 5:03 pm

Originally posted by thetiebers

There is a "roll back driver" button that works well. [/quote]

How do I find this button? Thnx

[/quote]

In Windows XP: Control panel- Printers and other hardware-
System (in left window pane)- Hardware tab- Device Manager- Human Interface Devices- right click Saitek X52 Flight controller(USB)- properties- Driver tab

- =select