New joystick joy

[phkb]

My aging Logitech F310 gamepad died suddenly last week. One moment I was happily shooting ships, the next I was dead in space. Made a mad scramble for the keyboard and RS to look up some of the more unusual key presses I normally map to a button. Managed to dock, but the joystick was dead. Plug, unplug, reboot, check, pulled apart, tested continuity on the cable, put back together again, dead. I can't really blame it - it spent a lot of it's time thrashing around in the bottom of my work bag, and I've had some marathon Oolite sessions with it. That stick took me to Elite. Its sacrifice will not be forgotten...

The F310 might not be a sexy stick, but it's functional and, more importantly, cheap! AU$40 from JB HiFi, and a new one arrived today, 2 business days later. Just took it for a test flight - ah, that new joystick feeling! Everything is smooth, the clicks are firm, the sticks responsive. Great feeling. Looking forward to splashing a few pirates later tonight...

[Alex]

Couldn't agree more.
My logitech attack 3 joy stick didn't exactly die dead on the job but roll control went steadily to full port roll, 2 buttons became useless. tried everything to correct.
Bit the bullet, JB HiFi new logitech extreme3D pro $80. No Beer for a month wow that hurt.
But brand spanker new bigger better stick.
Oh the baddies felt all the hurt it took to get.
If it lasts the 10 years plus the old one did I'll be one very happy commander

[Smivs]

Sounds good phkb.
My old Attack 3 is really getting tired now, loose and floppy, unreliable and generally past it. But that could describe me as well so I guess we should stay together, for now at least.

[avder]

I recently upgraded from keyboard+Saitek Cyborg Evo to a Thrustmaster T16000M and CH Pro Throttle. It's so much nicer.

[Diziet Sma]

AU$40 from JB HiFi

Hey.. I hadn't realised you were a fellow Aussie..

[phkb]

Yep, another Aussie - Sydney based, in my case.

Speaking of Thrustmasters, about 20 years ago I spent $600 on an F22 Pro stick plus the F16 TQS. I've still got them, but unfortunately completely incompatible with today's hardware. If only I had that disposable income now...

[onno256]

Played Oolite keyboard only for years, bought myself a cheapass Thrustmaster, does the trick!

[Cody]

If only I had that disposable income now...

<nods sagely> Aye... those were the days!

[Diziet Sma]

about 20 years ago I spent $600 on an F22 Pro stick plus the F16 TQS. I've still got them, but unfortunately completely incompatible with today's hardware. If only I had that disposable income now...

What interface do they use? You never know, there may be an adapter out there somewhere.

[phkb]

It uses the old joystick adapter (15 D pin I think), but it's also an analog device, which apparently makes it harder. There used to be a chip you could buy to convert it, but even then the drivers won't work on 64-bit OS's. So, other than ripping out all the internal circuitry and retro-fitting the internals of some other joystick, it's just going to have to remain a relic of my former life.

[avder]

It uses the old joystick adapter (15 D pin I think), but it's also an analog device, which apparently makes it harder. There used to be a chip you could buy to convert it, but even then the drivers won't work on 64-bit OS's. So, other than ripping out all the internal circuitry and retro-fitting the internals of some other joystick, it's just going to have to remain a relic of my former life.

There are communities out there devoted to making fully functional yet obsolete gaming equipment fully compatible with modern technology.

For example, we descent players pretty much hold up Microsoft joysticks, in particular the Sidewinder 3D Pro, as the best descent joysticks of all time. Since the 3D Pro uses proprietary encoding of digital data over an analog gameport, that meant it never worked properly (well, with full features) over a standard gameport to USB adapter. It had to be reverse engineered and a custom adapter had to be designed and made. And now there are plans on descentbb.net for a do-it-yourself adapter to make a 3D Pro work perfectly on any modern system.

Look around, there might still be hope for the old thing.

[Diziet Sma]

Thanks, avder.. that's a perfect example of what I had in mind when I posted above.