Swapping Wheel & Joystick

Will Win95 support multiple devices that are hooked up one at a time to the game port? I have a joystick that I use for most games, but also a wheel for driving games. Can I install both of them as controllers even though only one can actually be connected at a time? Before starting a game, do I then have to tell Win95 which one I am using? This would also apply if I get a 3rd controller -- one of those Gravis gamepads -- so my son can play his NHL game better. Who in Win95 keeps track of which controller is the "active" one? This is strictly a Win95 issue -- I realize that in DOS the game itself handles this (such as GP2). -- Doug Gordon (Remove "nospam." from e-mail address)

Go get you a J-switch made by Hot shot corp. It allows you to plug 4 joy,wheels or gamepads into it. It plugs into your joystick port. You then slide the switch to which controller you want to run. No more unplugging and pluggind controllers in. You will still have to reselect the device in the control panel each time. I got mine at Babbage's software in the mall. Only $15 and I think it was worth it. > My experience has been you have to reselect the controller in the control > panel each time you change controllers. > >Will Win95 support multiple devices that are hooked up one at a time to the > >game port? I have a joystick that I use for most games, but also a wheel > for > >driving games. Can I install both of them as controllers even though only > >one can actually be connected at a time? Before starting a game, do I then > >have to tell Win95 which one I am using? This would also apply if I get a > >3rd controller -- one of those Gravis gamepads -- so my son can play his > NHL > >game better. Who in Win95 keeps track of which controller is the "active"

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> >one? > >This is strictly a Win95 issue -- I realize that in DOS the game itself > >handles this (such as GP2). > >-- > >Doug Gordon > >(Remove "nospam." from e-mail address)

Actualy I have a CH Flightstick & a CH Virtual Pilot Pro w/ pedals setup on win95 with no problem. I created a setup for each one, one as joystick one one as joystick 2 but have never had to change them to use either one. The trick is, I bought the Joyswitch switchbox for joysticks. Spendy at about $50 US but all I have to do now is set one switch to the posistion for the stick I want to use and restart the computer and it recognizes that stick. If I am going to use the same one I did for my previous session I just power up and go for it. You might want to consider it. I did have to hook up the pedals for dedicated running through the VPP as I had problems trying to use the pedals hooked up through the pedals side of the box but that may have been from trying to make it work in Carmageddon. Haven't tried hooking up pedals to be useable by either stick at will again for N1 or N2 yet. It allows up to 4 joysticks and 2 foot controlers on one gameport as long as it supports 2 devices. Also allows you to select a joystick and turn off the foot contolers if you want to. Ron

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>Will Win95 support multiple devices that are hooked up one at a time to the >game port? I have a joystick that I use for most games, but also a wheel for >driving games. Can I install both of them as controllers even though only >one can actually be connected at a time? Before starting a game, do I then >have to tell Win95 which one I am using? This would also apply if I get a >3rd controller -- one of those Gravis gamepads -- so my son can play his NHL >game better. Who in Win95 keeps track of which controller is the "active" >one? >This is strictly a Win95 issue -- I realize that in DOS the game itself >handles this (such as GP2).

-- ******************************************************** * Keep the shiny side up & the hammer down. * ** Ron Riekens II ** *** Co-Owner/Driver *** **** Maui Sunshine Raceing/*** Photography **** **** NASS BGN-B Series #97 Pontiac **** ** http://www.kutztown.edu/~cunger ** * ICQ# 1780898 * ********************************************************

> Go get you a J-switch made by Hot shot corp. It allows you to plug 4 > joy,wheels or gamepads into it. It plugs into your joystick port. You then > slide the switch to which controller you want to run. No more unplugging > and pluggind controllers in. You will still have to reselect the device in > the control panel each time. I got mine at Babbage's software in the mall. > Only $15 and I think it was worth it. Geez. For someone who has one of these things, you'd think you might know what it's called :-) I'm just ribbing you Kyle, you helped me out tremendously by suggesting this product to me a couple weeks ago when I posted a similar question, but you've got the name wrong! It is called a J-Link (not J-switch that is something else that costs ~$50) and is made by QuickShot (not Hot shot). I have one, and it solves the problem the original poster had (I use mine to switch between a Sidewinder 3D pro joystick and a Thrustmaster GP1 wheel). Note that ports 1 and 2 on the J-Link have a funny configuration due to the "2-player" mode (for simultaneous use of 2 joysticks in games that support it) that this switch supports. It seems that 2 of the buttons on some 4-button *** devices (like the GP1) won't work if plugged into port 1 or 2. Plug these problem controllers into ports 3 or 4 and you are golden. Like Kyle said, you still need to switch the device in the control panel when you flip the switch, but it isn't too much of a pain. Now I just need a good 3dfx driving simulation to make good use of my GP1. How much longer do we have to wait for Microsoft's C.A.R.T. and Ubisoft's F1 Racing sims? *sigh* -- The Scripps Research Institute http://www.scripps.edu/~jsmith