Is anyone familiar enough with the Pre-Flight simulator to help me get an Airtronics Transmitter to work with it?

I've bought their interface kit and have the correct leads from the Airtronics mapped out. I can even get the sticks to control certain functions on Pre-Flight. But they don't behave right (always 0% or 100%, never in between).

This may be a simple matter of setting parameters in Pre-Flight or an impossible mix of hardware!! I don't know which!

Thanks,

Charles Hall
Raleigh, NC

You may have already done it but let me ask just in case...

Did you calibrate the controll?

When calibrating it sets the max points for all channels.
If you didn't it would behave as you described...

I *thought* I calibrated, but who knows! When you've got a pile of alligator clips, batteries, and half-open transmitter cases on your desk, then the cat jumps up on top of it all, maybe not.

I definitely recall having trouble understanding "Save As" in the control config page, and wondering whether it saved stuff automatically. When I used "Save As" under a new name, I couldn't reload it later.

I'll revisit this under calmer conditions and report back whether I succeeded. I also emailed the Pre-Flight Sim author, but have not gotten a response.

Thanks.

Charles.

Hi. Charles,

Have you gotten PreFlight to work beyond your first post? If not, than this is how I've set the sim up on my PC. My setup uses a different brand of transmitter and probably interface, and may not apply to your situation; a Hitec Focus 4 TX and an RC Joy USB interface. (I did remove the battery, antenna, and crystal from the TX, as there is some kind of a problem if they remain, and this TX is staying with the sims); unfortunately, this interface is no longer made. It was a bit pricey, but it operates FMS, PreFlight, and Cockpit Master Backyard Edition, for me without a glitch. I don't know what interface you're using but I seem to remember a recent comment about serial and parallel port cables not being compatible with Win 2000 or XP - not sure about this however.

It may also be important to note that my interface instructions and many bits of information from this and other forums, said to use the "Joysticks and Keys" configuration screen rather than any of the "transmitters" options. I did use this choice and it has been successful from the beginning.

Therefore, if you can get the sceneries and any or all of the models to appear, this is how I programmed and calibrated my setup:

throttle - ch.7 reversed
aileron - ch .1 reversed
elevator - ch. 2
rudder - ch. 6
aux 1 - ch. 7 reversed - this allows the Mustang's wheels to retract as the throttle is increased ( drop as well, which looks pretty nice) and the helis to increase blade pitch when throttling up (I think that's the way it goes).

I configured each function by setting the option to " Joystick", and set the channel as above; I did not change anything else - did not save as - simply hit "OK". When each fuction was programmed, I then calibrated the stick movements as instructed, and it was done.

PreFlight's main quirks are the use of channel 6 and 7 for throttle and rudder, but the sim has other idiosyncracies that are beyond this discussion, particularly if your equipment has not let you get to this point.

In the past year, I've made many changes and additions to PreFlight, as well as the other sims, but the Mustang, with its moveable control surfaces and retracting gear is always nice to return to and "fly".

If you've gotten this far and are able to control the models without just 0 or 100%, then the above may be unnecessary , but if not, perhaps my experience as detailed above will be of some help.

By the way, Jose, the Preflight man, has been very helpful, and if he hasn't answered your e-mail, he will.

Good luck and let us know how your situation develops.

Thermals,

Stew

No luck. No amount of calibration makes any difference. I've written "[email protected]" again to ask for help.

Hey! I got it working. Jose, the Pre-Flight guy, swapped email with me over a period of weeks with different suggestions. I actually had two problems:

1. The Airtronics signal must be inverted, either by swapping the two wires around or using a inverter (one transistor and a resistor).

2. I was NOT calibrating properly. I was clicking away the Calibration dialogue box like it was just a pop-up "hint". I should have moved my sticks FIRST before clicking it away.

Thanks to all who posted. I'm glad to have this mystery solved.

Charles.