flight controls calibration issue

I did not fly the Q400 for almost a month.
During this month I flew a PMDG aircraft.
Today I went back to my dear Q400:
I loaded a previous saved situation (at the gate ready for deboarding with APU on and engines off)

The only change I have done in the mean time is to change the USB port for the saitek rudder (yoke is in the same port)

When I did the flight controls check all was wrong:
Elevator wrong
Ailerons wrong
Rudder wrong
Tiller wrong (could not control it using ailerons as I did set)

power and condition levers are correct.

I did a recalibration for elevators, ailerons, rudder and reloaded the aircraft...loading the same situation. but nothing changed.

To better specify:
If I look at the control panel flight control page, it seems that I have set the correct input into the center box.
Then I apply
But when I reload all is unbalanced again:

  • the flight controls page after a reload AND AFTER A FULL LEFT/RIGHT FORW/BACK of all the controls are correct (but when I load the aricraft the elevators and rudder indicator are full left ...they are centered only after my full movements on rudder, ailerons and elevators)
  • and the flight controls instrument in the cockpit is wrong.

What am I doing wrong in the calibration?
May I check the .ini file to see if the numbers reported in the flight controls page are stored?

(Notice that the AP disengage button that I have set a lot of time ago...it works)

Any help is welcome
Thank you
Stefano

PS: is there a way to post a picture?

Comments

  • This is my .ini section for Flight controls...do you read anything wrong?

    ; Flight Controls positions from FSX
    ElevatorsByFSX=0
    AileronsByFSX=0
    RuddersByFSX=0

    ; CENTER AND DEFLECTION ARE IN THE 0x0000-0xFFFF range

    ELEVATOR0_CENTER =32768
    ELEVATOR0_DEFLECTION =32768

    AILERON0_CENTER =32768
    AILERON0_DEFLECTION =32768

    RUDDER0_CENTER =32768
    RUDDER0_DEFLECTION =32768

    BRAKEL0_OFF =1
    BRAKEL0_ON =65535

    BRAKER0_OFF =1
    BRAKER0_ON =65535

    ELEVATOR1_CENTER =32768
    ELEVATOR1_DEFLECTION =0

    AILERON1_CENTER =32768
    AILERON1_DEFLECTION =0

    RUDDER1_CENTER =32768
    RUDDER1_DEFLECTION =0

    BRAKEL1_OFF =1
    BRAKEL1_ON =65535

    BRAKER1_OFF =1
    BRAKER1_ON =65535

    TILLER_CENTER =0
    TILLER_DEFLECTION =32768

    FORCEFEEDBACK_TWIST =0.00

    YAW_DUE_TO_PROPWASH =1.0
    TURBULENCE_FACTOR =0.5

    ELEVATOR_EFFECTIVENESS =0.4
    AILERONS_EFFECTIVENESS =1.0
    RUDDERS_EFFECTIVENESS =0.5
    PEDALS_STEERING_EFFECTIVENESS = 0.5
    AUTO_RUDDER_FACTOR =1.0

  • edited July 2018

    Last...I have noticed from the external view that the Majestic Q400 HAS NOT THE ELEVATORS!!!!
    :)
    I have installed also a USB headtset.
    My windows sound OUTPUT driver is Realtek high definition audio (as always)
    My input device is Hyperx virtual surround sound (new)
    I do it to have external sound for aircraft and headset comms with teamspeak during online flights)

  • With the USB change for one of your devices it sounds like the input device assignments no longer coincide with the original configuration. You may want to look at the input device numbers and adjust accordingly.

  • I can try...but consider that I have also tried to set the flight controls =1 (using the P3D engine)...but did not work ...
    Moreover it is difficult to explain the fact that I do not see the ELEVATORS!! it seems to be something more complex.

    Some other users told me that after a lot of time without using the Q400 they had similar issues...solved by reinstalling.

    About the input number...I think it is not the cause: the autopilot disengage works and, the order of the rudder/yoke in my p3D setting windows has not change. rudder first (J_0) and yoke second (J_1).

    I will try by reinstalling it and will report the result.

    Thank you.

  • Trying to cross-compare P3D's flight control functionality with the Q400's 125Hz control system will not work well ...its one or the other.

    When you say you do not see the ELEVATORS, are referring to physically on the aircraft or via the PFCS indicator in the flight deck. Most issues where users are unable to fly the Q400 after a period of time is usually contributed to a Windows10 Update (if running Win10), which correct, a simple re-installation of the Q400 corrects that problem.

    Quote from your initial post:
    "When I did the flight controls check all was wrong:
    Elevator wrong
    Ailerons wrong
    Rudder wrong
    Tiller wrong (could not control it using ailerons as I did set)"

    AND.....

    "If I look at the control panel flight control page, it seems that I have set the correct input into the center box.
    Then I apply
    But when I reload all is unbalanced again:

    • the flight controls page after a reload AND AFTER A FULL LEFT/RIGHT FORW/BACK of all the controls are correct (but when I load the aricraft the elevators and rudder indicator are full left ...they are centered only after my full movements on rudder, ailerons and elevators)
    • and the flight controls instrument in the cockpit is wrong."

    Based on what you are trying to explain, one would (or I would) start by addressing the mjc84.ini in your Control Section. There seems to be something amiss here, if your CPAN is showing the correct indication based on your input devices. Now when you are re-loading - you are simply reloading the aircraft and not the simulator.

    Since you have not flown/used the aircraft for a while, forget about using the saved scenario, and simply put the aircraft at a default aircraft and trouble shoot the problem, this way if the scenario is a possible problem we can eliminate that as being a causal factor.

  • ok...I reinstalled and solved some other issues...but not the flight controls issue.
    I followed your suggestion and inverted the J_0 J_1 assignement in the 125 khz setting in the .ini file.

    SOLVED!
    thank you kroswynd!

  • Sounds good.....regarding the assignment issue, so we now need to get your flight control issue fixed

  • @Marenostrum

    just checking in to see if you h ave been able to rectify all of your issues.

  • Thank you kroswind and sorry for the late answer.
    I have solved all issues by reinstalling the Q400 and setting the .ini as written.
    I do not really know the reason of such a disaster.
    In my VA other pilots flying the Majestic had the same issue after a "long" period of not flying it.
    I know, like them, that it sounds strange, but they had the same strange behaviour.
    Now I fly the Q400 each week toghether with the PMDG and I do not experience issues.

    In case I will report.

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