MS FF Wheel Deadzone?

i have the microsoft ff wheel it works well with most games but i have found that there is a very large dead zone or null zone in the middle of the steering input in some games I have downloaded a utility to change the input.dll file in win95 and 98 but it does not seem to improve the thing i notice it most in games like Ubisoft F1rs and Need For Speed III this is a great steering wheel overall but i have found a lack of consistent force sometimes. usually the beginning of a race the wheel is nice and stiff then as the race progresses the force feedback gets weaker and the input seems very sluggish.sometimes the return to center spring tension gives up all together. Robocat

> i have the microsoft ff wheel it works well with most games > but i have found that there is a very large dead zone or null zone in the > middle of the steering input in some games > I have downloaded a utility to change the input.dll file in win95 and 98 but > it does not seem to improve the thing No need to use that, use the profile editor, there's a "Einstellungen" ("Settings") button, where you can turn off the deadzone, switch to 2axis pedals, etc. This sounds like flaky hardware, maybe you should exchange the wheel having those symptoms... l8er ronny -- Toys'R'Us '99: "So, would you like a hand gun with that action figure, kiddo?" |\ _,,,---,,_ I want to die like my Grandfather, ZZZzz /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ in his sleep. |,4- ) )-,_. ,\ ( `'-' Not like the people in his car, '---''(_/--' `-'\_) screaming their heads off!

>usually the beginning of a race the wheel is nice and stiff then as the race >progresses the force feedback gets weaker and the input seems very >sluggish.sometimes the return to center spring tension gives up all >together. I wouldn't be surprised if this is normal. I have a MS FF wheel. And after 1-3 laps it does loosen up. However this is definitely a good thing. After it loosens up exactly as you describe it (the wheel basicly doesn't recenter) then all of the cool FF effects appear. You can most definitely feel all tension disappear when you slide through a corner. As you get grip back, the force stiffens again. However I find the wheel to be much harder to keep on the proper driving line. No problem with my T2 but the control seems really screwed when the wheel is tight. Also if you want the wheel to tighten up and recenter during a practice or qual session, just his escape. The wheel will recenter. Then when you hit RESUME you will have a still wheel again. However on my case I definitely prefer to looser wheel. The effects I have felt are: Looness in the turns. Bumps on kerbs. Crashes with cars & walls. Shifting (very strong effect). I really don't like the fact that at the start of any session in F1RS the wheel is very strong and recentering. And then it loosens up. I may try setting the recentering to low or something and see if this effect gets reduced. Stay tuned :-) -- Header address intentionally scrambled to ward off the spamming hordes. cisko [AT] ix [DOT] netcom [DOT] com

The fix is to set the centering level to minimum and force to MAX in the Joystick properties. I ran about 30 laps like this no problems at all. And I can definitely feel the tires loosen up in turns where I start loosing traction. Very cool! -- Header address intentionally scrambled to ward off the spamming hordes. cisko [AT] ix [DOT] netcom [DOT] com >>usually the beginning of a race the wheel is nice and stiff then as the >race >>progresses the force feedback gets weaker and the input seems very >>sluggish.sometimes the return to center spring tension gives up all >>together. >I wouldn't be surprised if this is normal. I have a MS FF wheel. And >after 1-3 laps it does loosen up. However this is definitely a good >thing. After it loosens up exactly as you describe it (the wheel basicly >doesn't recenter) then all of the cool FF effects appear. You can >most definitely feel all tension disappear when you slide through >a corner. As you get grip back, the force stiffens again. However >I find the wheel to be much harder to keep on the proper driving >line. No problem with my T2 but the control seems really screwed >when the wheel is tight. Also if you want the wheel to tighten >up and recenter during a practice or qual session, just his escape. >The wheel will recenter. Then when you hit RESUME you will have >a still wheel again. However on my case I definitely prefer >to looser wheel. The effects I have felt are: >Looness in the turns. >Bumps on kerbs. >Crashes with cars & walls. >Shifting (very strong effect). >I really don't like the fact that at the start of any session in F1RS the >wheel is very strong and recentering. And then it loosens up. I may try >setting the recentering to low or something and see if this effect gets >reduced. >Stay tuned :-) >-- >Header address intentionally scrambled to ward off the spamming hordes. >cisko [AT] ix [DOT] netcom [DOT] com

I wonder. Could it be that one's arms are just adjusting to the FF function, and it _feels_ like it's getting ligher? I don't notice this, but I will try to be concious of it and see if I can tell it. I sure don't notice it in MTM2. That things beats the hell out of you :) The coolest part is in the water. Talk about _stiff_. You can barely turn the wheel! BTW... I _think_ there is a 3-way conflict between MTM2, the Diamond Monster II, and the MSFFW. The game locks up in the 2D menu system, with the sound playing but stuttering. I've read about a dozen other reports of this, but not enough details on the hardware to detect a real pattern. I do know that if I use the i740 controller in the Diamond G460 instead of V2, the problem doesn't occur (of course, the graphics don't measure up, and it 's a lot slower). Or, if I remove the MSFFW and the SideWinder Software, I can use the Monster 2 just fine. -Larry > I wouldn't be surprised if this is normal. I have a MS FF wheel. And > after 1-3 laps it does loosen up. However this is definitely a good > thing.

> The coolest part is in the water. Talk about _stiff_. You can barely > turn the wheel! Is the water frozen? If not, I'd think the wheel should be easy to turn... Trips

>I wonder. Could it be that one's arms are just adjusting to the FF >function, and it _feels_ like it's getting ligher? Definitely not. You can easily test this by stopping on the track and turning the wheel. Does it return to center? When it loosens up the wheel does not return to center. Also, I found that this only happened when I had the max centering effect turned on. I never had the wheel loosen up when the wheel centering was set to low. In fact F1RS is awesome with this wheel while the FF effects were set to max and the wheel centering was set to low. -- Header address intentionally scrambled to ward off the spamming hordes. cisko [AT] ix [DOT] netcom [DOT] com

We're talking 7 foot tall tires running thru a wash that's 7 foot deep in water. That would make for stiff steering... -Larry

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> > The coolest part is in the water. Talk about _stiff_. You can barely > > turn the wheel! > Is the water frozen? If not, I'd think the wheel should be easy to > turn... > Trips

Hmmm.... I played Viper for some 4 hours straight last night, and I still didn't notice it. But, my arms actually _ached_ when I was done! -Larry

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> Definitely not. You can easily test this by stopping on the track and > turning the wheel. Does it return to center? When it loosens up > the wheel does not return to center. Also, I found that this only > happened when I had the max centering effect turned on. I never > had the wheel loosen up when the wheel centering was set to > low. In fact F1RS is awesome with this wheel while the FF > effects were set to max and the wheel centering was set to > low.