Transmitter not responding

[JohnJ770]

I have the WS 2000. I am trying to set up the Spektrum DXS. I have finally got as far as selecting the plane type and am now in the Flight Mode.
The plane will only respond to throttle control to enable me to take off but is not responsive to any other control. Therefore it just flies off into the distance.
Would you please help with the set up. Thanks.

 

[flightengr]

Let's figure this out...

Did you buy the DXS by itself, or did it come with an airplane/heli? If it came with an aircraft, which one? That matters because it will tell which profile the DXS is using. If the DXS is in its helicopter profile, then it will be a challenge to make it work with RealFlight with a wireless USB receiver. The DXS has four airplane profiles, with "Standard Acro 1" being the one most commonly used with RTF airplane kits.

RealFlight assumes the DXS is using the "Standard Acro 1" profile. If that's a safe assumption, then the next thing you need to do is select the correct Controller Profile for it. You can get back to where you select the Controller Profile two ways:
1. Press ESC for the ESC menu, and then choose Settings > Controller > Configure Controller.
2. If you have the legacy menu bar visible at the top of the screen, go to the Simulation menu and Select Controller.

That will take you to a screen like this:



The WS2000 will be identified at the top as "SPEKTRUM RECEIVER". You want to select the "Spektrum Receiver (DXS)" Profile. That should automatically handle any control mapping for you, getting the stick and switch inputs associated with the correct settings in RealFlight.

With that Profile selected, you can go into the Calibrate function. Follow the initial direction to center anything that can be centered - move the throttle stick up to center, the other stick controls should spring-center themselves, and move the three-position switches (B and D) to the center position. The proceed to the next screen where you calibrate. Move the sticks in the shape of "+" signs, not circles. You want to calibrate each direction of the sticks one at a time. While you calibrate the sticks, be sure that Switch F (rates) is in position 0 (up; high rates). You'll also want to move all of the switches fully back and forth a few times.

As you're doing the calibration, you should be able to watch the blue bars move all the way from the left end to the right end. If you're only seeing partial movement, that's another issue. Of course, if everything looks good, finish the calibration, and it should be working at that point.

If you don't see the blue bars moving all the way from one end to the other during RealFlight's calibration, then you'll have to check things at the Windows level. Close RealFlight, and run a program called "joy.cpl" in Windows. That's where you can see game controllers. You'll see SPEKTRUM RECEIVER listed in there too, and you can select it and drill into the properties for it. Within there, you can see if the sticks and switches all make things happen, and beyond that there's a calibration process. The Windows calibration process talks about Xbox-style inputs, but that's not really a big deal. You can just move things around on the DXS until you find the right one that Windows is asking for at the time. You want to teach Windows the full range of the stick/switch just like you did in RealFlight. Ideally that process will straighten things out. Then you can run RealFlight again, run RealFlight's calibration again, and then you should have success.

 

[JohnJ770]

Let's figure this out...

Did you buy the DXS by itself, or did it come with an airplane/heli? If it came with an aircraft, which one? That matters because it will tell which profile the DXS is using. If the DXS is in its helicopter profile, then it will be a challenge to make it work with RealFlight with a wireless USB receiver. The DXS has four airplane profiles, with "Standard Acro 1" being the one most commonly used with RTF airplane kits.

RealFlight assumes the DXS is using the "Standard Acro 1" profile. If that's a safe assumption, then the next thing you need to do is select the correct Controller Profile for it. You can get back to where you select the Controller Profile two ways:
1. Press ESC for the ESC menu, and then choose Settings > Controller > Configure Controller.
2. If you have the legacy menu bar visible at the top of the screen, go to the Simulation menu and Select Controller.

That will take you to a screen like this:

View attachment 147009

The WS2000 will be identified at the top as "SPEKTRUM RECEIVER". You want to select the "Spektrum Receiver (DXS)" Profile. That should automatically handle any control mapping for you, getting the stick and switch inputs associated with the correct settings in RealFlight.

With that Profile selected, you can go into the Calibrate function. Follow the initial direction to center anything that can be centered - move the throttle stick up to center, the other stick controls should spring-center themselves, and move the three-position switches (B and D) to the center position. The proceed to the next screen where you calibrate. Move the sticks in the shape of "+" signs, not circles. You want to calibrate each direction of the sticks one at a time. While you calibrate the sticks, be sure that Switch F (rates) is in position 0 (up; high rates). You'll also want to move all of the switches fully back and forth a few times.

As you're doing the calibration, you should be able to watch the blue bars move all the way from the left end to the right end. If you're only seeing partial movement, that's another issue. Of course, if everything looks good, finish the calibration, and it should be working at that point.

If you don't see the blue bars moving all the way from one end to the other during RealFlight's calibration, then you'll have to check things at the Windows level. Close RealFlight, and run a program called "joy.cpl" in Windows. That's where you can see game controllers. You'll see SPEKTRUM RECEIVER listed in there too, and you can select it and drill into the properties for it. Within there, you can see if the sticks and switches all make things happen, and beyond that there's a calibration process. The Windows calibration process talks about Xbox-style inputs, but that's not really a big deal. You can just move things around on the DXS until you find the right one that Windows is asking for at the time. You want to teach Windows the full range of the stick/switch just like you did in RealFlight. Ideally that process will straighten things out. Then you can run RealFlight again, run RealFlight's calibration again, and then you should have success.

Hi, thanks for your reply. The DXS came with the Apprentice 1.5 purchased new as an RTF. I have to say I have found this whole SIM experience very complicated and stressful. I am 72 and not very IT savvy, and this is after all only the Trainer version. So with the huge help of my wife, SMC and Google we are finally getting somewhere. However, some of the information/instructions found have differed quite a lot and even contradicted previously acquired info.
With my plane in beginner or intermittent mode it will take off and perform a banked turn but then will constantly climb and fly away even with the throttle in the off position.
We're not sure how to check if the DXS is in Standard Acro 1 profile, but have calibrated it in RealFlight (not in Windows yet). The bars did move from 0% - 100%, and most stayed at 50%. Four out of eight were calibrated, as the DXS has four channels.
Thanks for your help, regards John

 

[flightengr]

The Apprentice would use the correct profile (Standard Acro 1), so that's not the issue. I had to ask because a lot of people have a lot of trouble with a DXS in helicopter mode.

The DXS has seven channels for the sim as the button (A), B switch and D switch all count as well. During the calibration process, make sure you're calibrating those switches and the button too. It's possible that the sim thinks you're holding down button A, which would put it in Panic Mode. In Panic Mode, it would try to fly pretty straight and level unless it stalls. If you have selected the version of the Apprentice STS with the GPS sensor installed, then instead of Panic Mode, holding the button down will put it into a holding pattern and it will fly in a giant circle. That too would ignore the throttle stick.

Here's another idea... Turn on the Radio Gadget. It's a little on-screen model of a transmitter, and you can watch the sticks and switches on that move and see if they're moving with your real sticks. To turn that Gadget on, go the ESC menu, then Settings, then User Interface, then Gadgets. Make sure Radio is enabled.

It will look like this on your screen:



Another gadget that's helpful to have enabled is the Flight Modes. That's the one that looks like this:



I believe that one is on by default.

 

[JohnJ770]

Thanks for your reply. We have recalibrated as per your instructions and have found; the plane is a bit more controllable although on inter mode the plane will not respond to up elevator. Sometimes there is a very slight delay for the plane to respond to a command, is this normal when using SIM? When on the ground the plane responds to rudder movement but when in the air will not turn with rudder only.
When I want to fly my plane for real do I have to do anything to the Transmitter etc? We have seen that "using the space bar will reset the aircraft" what does this mean please? As my wife and I have spend many hours in trying to set this up I have to reiterate that sadly I find this whole process rather over complicated and perhaps a mention of computer expertise is required before purchasing this SIM in your advertising of this product. As mentioned I only hope that this process hasn't in anyway effected my transmitter for real flight/use. Kind regards John

 

[flightengr]

Does RealFlight see the sticks moving like they should on the Radio Gadget? If so, you've solved any hardware issues.

The space bar resets the aircraft on the runway, ready for take off. That's what you do after a crash or if the plane just gets so far away that you can't bring it back.

No, none of this has had any effect on "real" use of the DXS.

Are you familiar with how the Apprentice STS flies? Some of those limitations you're seeing might be intentional.

In Beginner Mode, SAFE self-level works by holding an angle that you request with your stick. If the elevator, rudder, and aileron sticks are all centered, the plane flies straight. If you hold the elevator or aileron stick off-center, the plane will reach and hold a certain bank angle. You have to keep holding the stick off-center to keep holding that bank angle. If you have any prior RC experience, this might be a foreign concept to you, because that's not the "normal" way to fly an RC plane. Also, the bank angles are very limited in Beginner Mode. Rudder should work normally in this mode, although it may be quite limited as well to avoid any sudden movements.

Intermediate Mode has "normal" controls in that the elevator and ailerons will move with the stick. If your stick is centered, the control surfaces center. If you move the stick off-center, the control surfaces move off-center and start moving the plane. You then let the stick go back to center to hold the current attitude - not necessarily level flight like Beginner Mode. Like Beginner Mode, Intermediate Mode also has limits on the bank angles, although larger than Beginner Mode. If you hit the bank angle limit, the receiver will jump in and stop the plane from pitching or rolling any further.

Experienced Mode is "normal" controls without any limitations. You can fly the plane any direction you like, including inverted.

The Horizon planes in the simulator model the same features as their real counterparts. The instructions for the real plane will explain how the simulated version works too. Here's the manual for the Apprentice STS, which will also talk about what's different about the version of the plane with GPS, LAS (Landing Assist Sensor), or both.

 

[ranger2bn]

hi folks
i using spektrum dx simulation controller but i have an issue is desactivated and activated i enter the USB properties in my windows 11 and i desactivated save battery mode all USB also i enter properties in steam controller and i desactivated steam controller i continuing with the problem i need further assistance to resolved this issue

thanks.

 

[Flapper]

hi folks
i using spektrum dx simulation controller but i have an issue is desactivated and activated i enter the USB properties in my windows 11 and i desactivated save battery mode all USB also i enter properties in steam controller and i desactivated steam controller i continuing with the problem i need further assistance to resolved this issue

thanks.

@ranger2bn - please start a new discussion about your issue, using the button circled in the attached picture. Posting here, at the end of a discussion about someone else's concern has two ill effects:

1. It is VERY unlikely your post will not be seen by those that can help you, since it is hidden within a different discussion.
2. It confuses the current discussion, as we are then trying to reply to two different people with likely two different problems and solutions.

In the course of helping you, we may refer you to posts such as above to give ideas on how to fix an issue. If you have found them on your own (like you did here), please let us know in your new post, so we don't repeat having you do things you have already tried.

Give as much detail as you can - what controller (An Interlink or a real transmitter (include brand and model), using a dongle or a wired connection, what version of Real Flight (Evolution, Trainer, or an older one), what kind of computer you are using (laptop/desktop and make/model). The more you can tell us about what you have, and specifics about what is not working - including error messages, if any - the better.