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Stupid Saitek - Stuck


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I am basically wandaring if anyone else has any major problems with Saitek products and if so, how did you fix it? I have had to replace my Multipanel three times (Due to Mode slector being stuck, and the panel stopped working altogether), my Yoke was replaced because the wiures in the plug were all bent. Now my Rudder pedals (Right Brake) is completely broken!
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I've had the Saeitek yoke, rudders, & Multi Panel for years. The only problem I've ever had is on occasion when FSX is started it doesn't talk with or another of them. Though buying the FSUIPC, rather than the freeware one has pretty much cured that too.

 

Overall, I'm very happy with their products!

Being an old chopper guy I usually fly low and slow.
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I am basically wandaring if anyone else has any major problems with Saitek products and if so, how did you fix it? I have had to replace my Multipanel three times (Due to Mode slector being stuck, and the panel stopped working altogether), my Yoke was replaced because the wiures in the plug were all bent. Now my Rudder pedals (Right Brake) is completely broken!

 

Are you playing football with them or something? Right brake usually means a loose or detached wire or else you simply haven't set it up correctly.

 

Please explain what you mean in sufficient detail for someone to help. `Right brake completely broken` means nothing. You may not have inverted the axis or something equally simple, but no-one can tell from the quality of the information provided.

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I am basically wandaring if anyone else has any major problems with Saitek products and if so, how did you fix it?

 

You can't fix it, that's just how it is. Saitek stuff is cheaply-made and doesn't work all that well to begin with. Sometimes it just stops working. If you want better quality, buy something else.

 

P.S. Buying FSUIPC isn't going to help.

MarkH

 

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You can't fix it, that's just how it is. Saitek stuff is cheaply-made and doesn't work all that well to begin with. Sometimes it just stops working. If you want better quality, buy something else.

 

P.S. Buying FSUIPC isn't going to help.

 

I am one of the three posters before you who obviously disagree. I can't see paying thrice the price for other hardware to be worth it. To each his/her own.

Being an old chopper guy I usually fly low and slow.
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I have been using my Saitek X45 Stick and matching Throttle (2 separate, interconnected units) for over 10 years. I have had no failures at all. I did find the stick overly-stiff coming off center, but a little silicone lube on the spring-loaded plastic centering ring solved that problem.

 

I have more than gotten my money's worth and would buy Saitek again without hesitation.

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I have used Saitek products for many years and have never had a problem with them ever.
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Yoke ,pedals and two throttles. They all work as they are supposed to. Sure the yoke is a bit vague but for 150 bucks you can't get a PFC.

Could the OP be a little rough with the product?. It's called a toe brake..not a STOMP ON IT brake

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Are you pluging your units into USB hubs?

 

If so, I hope they are powered hubs. I visited the Mad Katz offices a few years back when I had a yoke stop working on me. I was able to meet with the manager of technical support and he told me their units will blow eventually if they are not connected to powered hubs (if you are using them),. Also the yoke requires an AC adapter if you are plugging units into the yoke's extra USB ports. Some units came with this AC adapter, I think earlier units did not. Had two yokes blow because of this.

 

Saitek was great and replaced both yokes for free on the spot. Got to see some of their operations (I was working for AMD at the time). No they are not made cheap, but they are designed to sell to the masses at the price-point offered. I have had my units working on a daily basis for over five years without an issue. Very happy with them. Just my 2c.

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I've had the AV8R-1, the AV8R-3 (which doesn't work with Win 8.1 as it was originally intended for PS3, so not being used currently) and the throttle quad for 2 years now. A friend has had the X52 stick and throttle, the radio panel, switch panel, multiple FIPs as well as rudder pedals for longer than I've had my stuff, and none of the aforementioned equipment has thrown us a hardware-related fit during their service.

 

Some may claim that the company uses cheap material, but IMO they're sturdily built and their pricing is usually reasonable. (I also have a CH yoke and pedal that another friend gave to me, but that's the only reason I have them because their pricing is not college-student friendly)

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You can't fix it, that's just how it is. Saitek stuff is cheaply-made and doesn't work all that well to begin with. Sometimes it just stops working. If you want better quality, buy something else.

 

P.S. Buying FSUIPC isn't going to help.

 

 

 

That's odd. I have been using my Saitek stuff for years and never had one problem. I use SPAD for the driver and it has all always worked flawlessly. I find them to be very well constructed for the price. You don't have a clue of what you are talking about.

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I have been using my Saitek stuff for years and never had one problem

 

Look, this is not a crusade - people ask for an opinion and I give it. Since I started reviewing hardware and software six years ago I have tried to do it conscienciously and to steer people away from the bad experiences and misleading marketing I have have fallen for. I give credit where credit is due and I give criticism where criticism is due. I try not to make unsupported assertions. So if you just want an argument, stop reading. If you really care, read on.

 

I have used Saitek equipment for five or six years. I have bought two yokes, two throttle quadrants, four radio panels, two switch panels, one multi panel, one set of rudder pedals and one trim wheel. My experiences of these have been variable but I have persisted, contacting Saitek and returning equipment as required. (Incidentally, if you should care to look you will find in various places that I have endorsed the Saitek trim wheel, rudder pedals and throttle quadrants.) I frequented the Saitek Pro Flight support forum, which has now disappeared. I don't know why the active support forum for a live product line would be withdrawn, but I wonder if it might be down to the amount of negative traffic in the forums, all reporting the same issues over and over again.

 

Saitek's technical support, while superficially helpful, mostly consisted of 'send it back and we'll replace it'. Presumably this was cheaper than acknowledging basic design problems such as the faulty rotary controls on their radio panels and the sticky elevator axis on their yokes. As I have said elsewhere, on a number of occasions, by my recollection the two yokes have owned performed differently, which leads me to wonder if there were manufacturing changes after Mad Catz bought Saitek in 2007. I have spent a lot of time experimenting with my Saitek equipment and pursuing remedies for the difficulties I encountered. All the diificulties I have encountered have been reported multiple times in general FSX forums and in the (now defunct) Saitek Pro Flight support forum.

 

Just because you haven't had any problems doesn't mean they don't exist. That works both ways, of course, but I don't think your anecdotes and my anecdotes carry equal weight. If you have had not problems, you will not have gone looking for solutions and hence you are unlikely to be aware of the problems others have had. Those who have had problems will be better-educated about the common problems simply because they have had to explore them in the pursuit of sorting them out. In evaluating a piece of harware there is also a question of how you use it and of what expectations you bring. If you fly airliners, for example, you will likely judge something like the Saitek yoke very differently to someone who flies GA and bush aircraft or aerobatics or combat simulations. It will make a difference if you have trained to fly real aircraft. And so on.

 

Saitek sells a lot of gear, so there is a statistical factor in the experience you can expect if you buy it. To me, it is clear that some of the problems are due to design flaws or cheap components - the radio knobs and the elevator stickiness, in particular. Some are equally clearly due to unacknowledged bugs in the hardware or firmware - the yoke LCD flicker, de-calibration issue in particular. These are not minor issues that are open to interpretation, they are real bugs that have a gross effect on how the unit performs. Consider, for example, that Saitek has a specific temporary fix for the de-calibration problem, which invoves you editing the registry every time it happens. It doesn't happen to everyone, but when it happens it renders the yoke unusable until you go and poke around in your registry. (And before anyone says 'FSUIPC will fix it', FSUIPC won't fix it.)

 

You can investigate the issues for yourself with Google - try these searches for starters:

 

saitek phantom keypress

saitek radio skip

saitek yoke sticky

saitek yoke calibration

saitek yoke lcd flicker

 

You don't have a clue of what you are talking about.

 

Perhaps I have changed your mind about that.

MarkH

 

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My Yoke currently works fine, I agree that Saitek Products are extremely good, but are cheaply made. I have no problem with that if they work. The right toe brake seemed to randomly suddenly apply full braking and then lets go, so when taxiing I am all over the place. But now, although it is retracted, the brake is stuck on, even in Saitek's own test program it is stuck on. This has NOTHING to do with FSUIPC, which is a lifesaver by the way. However, when I move the rudder axis full left, it seems to work ok. A mechanical problem. My multipanel is fine now, but I have had to replace it twice as the mode selector got stiffer and stiffer. Guess I'm just unlucky.
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My Yoke currently works fine, I agree that Saitek Products are extremely good, but are cheaply made. I have no problem with that if they work. The right toe brake seemed to randomly suddenly apply full braking and then lets go, so when taxiing I am all over the place. But now, although it is retracted, the brake is stuck on, even in Saitek's own test program it is stuck on. This has NOTHING to do with FSUIPC, which is a lifesaver by the way. However, when I move the rudder axis full left, it seems to work ok. A mechanical problem. My multipanel is fine now, but I have had to replace it twice as the mode selector got stiffer and stiffer. Guess I'm just unlucky.

 

The mode selector unsticks with a little 'crawling'/penetrating oil. Had the same issue with the mag switch on the switchpanel too.

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Thanks, but this is what Mark is saying, everyone has different issues with them, eg. I have never had that problem with the switch panel, you have.

 

Not what I meant.

 

I think there is a good chance that at one point in their production run they used the same rotary switches on all their panels, at the very least from the same supplier. And these tend to get stuck after some time (I have 2 radio panels and a multi panel too - same thing - first getting harder to turn, then blocking completely). This can more often than not be remedied with a little spray on oil, no need to exchange the whole unit because of the sticking rotary.

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