Anyone using the pft puma with the uh-1h

Who else has the puma that uses it with the huey? I’m have more trouble than I should with hovering and would like to see how everybody has theirs setup in comparison but controls and button assignments.

Who else has the puma that uses it with the huey? I’m have more trouble than I should with hovering and would like to see how everybody has theirs setup in comparison but controls and button assignments.

My unit is getting old, first generation Lynx with no inernal calibration and not as good noise filtering as newer units got. I need to keep it calibrated using third parties software. Even so I'm very satisfied with it.

Due to the age and other reasons I just (actually earlier today!) switched the potentiometers to Hall sensors. That increased resolution and reduced notice, and for me it made a big difference in controllability. I'm not sure it would have the same impact on newer versions/models thanks to PFT seem to constantly making improvements to their products. But as I said, even with the original potentiometers I hovered the Huey without problems.

Have you tested your Puma with any third parties calibration software? Just to see if its internal calibration works as it should? And also to determine its real resolution on its axis.

I will increase the dead zone to see if that helps it seems to be to sensitive with no natural dead zone. When you replaced the pots did you replace with the all in one hall sensors or the two piece version? If you used the all in one model if you don’t mind directing me to the source I would be appreciated.

The Hall sensors I have are from the 6120 series made by TT Electronics/BI Technologies, more specifically the 6124, with different angles for different axis. But I have been in contact with PFT in the process and apparently the PCBs used today on their products are 3.3V and the 6120 series need 5V. My unit is from 2012 and then the PCB was 5V. So I don't believe you can use the same ones I'm using. But also as I said earlier, I hovered just fine all these years with the original potentiometers. I don't know for how long you have been flying helicopter simulations, but It's never easy in the beginning, demands a lot of practice. Actually harder in a sim than in real life due to lack of physical feedback and field of view (I carry a R44 rating IRL)

Deadzones while flying helicopters are seldom a good idea. It will most likely make it even harder. As long as your Puma work as it should, practice, and a lot of it, is basically the only thing you need. Small, calm movements of the controls with basically your fingers only, and try to anticipate the reactions of the helicopter, there's always a small lag between imput and reaction.

Deadzones while flying helicopters are seldom a good idea. It will most likely make it even harder.

Spot On !

For the selection tests for (at least) Swedish Airforce, there was a stick and rudder jigg for coordination tests when I did it a long time ago. Once got to test the newer version and they told me they had needed to make the test harder due to lot of people beeing better at it from conputer training. They actually had put in something that could be seen as deadzones.

It wasnt as easy as before !

I think the main fix is to make the potentiometers work fine, and use as little deadzone as possible.

The best fix, as you say, hall sensors. Im in the work of making own pedals, and will use hall sensors( same type actually )

Well I’ll take out the dead zone and I’m thing I may have it tightened down too much so it’s making me move it more than I want instead of keeping me from moving it too much. I wanted to have it so that if I let go it would stay put but I may need it free,

I’m thing I may have it tightened down too much so it’s making me move it more than I want instead of keeping me from moving it too much.

I did the same mistake when I had bought my Lynx, tried with to much friction.

I wanted to have it so that if I let go it would stay put but I may need it free,

If you are carefully when adjusting the friction you can have the best of two worlds. Have it just enough snug so you can leave it staying, but loose enough so it won't affect the controllability. That's how I have it now. Loosen the nuts so the stick is free, then tighten them in very small steps until you have a good compromise.

But maybe while practicing hovering, a good idea might be to have them all losse until you feel proficient enough.

Going from the self centered Warthog to a hall effect/hydraulic damping non self centered set of controls to fly helicopters has degraded me from "master pilot" to "pretty average at best". I guess this is good from a realism point of view since I was struggling as much in the sim as I did IRL on my R22, but it was frustrating nonetheless and I am still not back to the level of confidence I had when flying with the warthog.

Thanks everyone I have the warthog but do not wish to through out the Puma