Omnithrottle receiving Interference

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Birdovous
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Omnithrottle receiving Interference

Postby Birdovous » Tue Aug 09, 2022 18:12

So... About two weeks ago I got my set of Gladiators NXT EVO in a Stick + Omni-Throttle configuration I intend to use for Star Citizen and maybe Elite Dangerous.

So far, I only tried it with Star Citizen and despite the fact that my old brain really suffers to learn to use the Omni Throttle for the lateral movements it seems that everything else seems to be quite fine.

Except....

Well... Sure, there are some minor things I would nitpick on... Such as the metallic base not being wide enough so both the stick and the throttle are very prone to tipping over when just having them placed freely on the desk with just the rubber feet not helping much to battle that so a wider base would help with that... Or a drill and a set of M5 screws that hold the sticks firmly in place - but as a drawback, adjusting the position on the table afterwards is not that simple, same as putting the joysticks away after finishing a play session when one does not have a dedicated desk just for gaming... Anyway...

What I noticed recently and it is a bit more odd is, that it seems that (at least) the Omni-Throttle is receiving interference from a cell phone when I'm on call and the phone is resting on the table in 20-40 cm distance from the joystick. I noticed it after I changed the LED setting on top of the throttle to indicate center axis by changing color from the default cyan to red, when the throttle axis in in the center position. When I'm on call and the phone is placed on the table and I use my AirPods Pro to take the call I noticed that despite the throttle was centered and not physically moving the LED started to erratically change color between red and cyan as if the sensor inside of the stick was receiving interference from the phone and sending incorrect information to the control board. When I run the control software and go to the test tab then I can definitely see the Y-Axis spiking left and right like crazy when the phone call in the vicinity of the joystick is active.

So.. yeah... that is kind of odd...

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fallout9
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Re: Omnithrottle receiving Interference

Postby fallout9 » Tue Aug 09, 2022 21:24

If the base plate would be larger it would simply get in the way. That is not the way to prevent the joysticks tipping over anyway. Having the joystick on mounts would be the best approach, but it's understandable if this is not possible due to the extra costs or desk space. Another option to alleviate this issue is to find a position where your elbow is not lower than the base of the joystick and the palm and arm are in a straight line when handling the grip. Hopefully this could get achieved by raising your chair. This position would increase control over the joysticks and increase the ergonomics.
About your phone creating interferences, it happens and it's normal. There's a reason phones are (partially/) banned in airplanes, hospitals, gas stations etc (example, another one). More on EMI here.

Birdovous
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Re: Omnithrottle receiving Interference

Postby Birdovous » Wed Aug 10, 2022 1:03

Yeah, phones create interference, however, I never noticed axis on my other joysticks, throtles and yokes I'm using for DCS and MS FS to be spiking like crazy when I'm on a phone with someone. This smells more like some sort of a design flaw in the Gladiator - like non existent or poor EMI shielding of components etc.

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fallout9
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Re: Omnithrottle receiving Interference

Postby fallout9 » Wed Aug 10, 2022 3:35

Pots are not affected that much as magnetic sensors.


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