Hey guys I went back to the thrift store I had been to months earlier and I was still able to get the Sidewinder 3D Pro for $2.50
Also picked up two games (KKND Extreme & MLB High Heat 2002). I also scored 4 packs of 3.5" floppies factory sealed from a goodwill in the area.
and found a Microsoft brand PS/2 mouse at a pawn shop for 50 cents
😁
Nice haul! You can't beat a SW3DPro for $2.50! Try it out in real DOS and see if it meets your needs. The switch at the base controls the two DOS modes, as ElementalChaos already described. The one-dot position is CH mode and the two-dot position is ThrustMaster mode.
Here's where you can get the software:
https://web.archive.org/web/20040616194341/ht … r/Downloads.asp
https://web.archive.org/web/20040615055258/ht … wnloads/302.asp
If your SW3DPro has a lot of deadzone slop, and if you're feelin' saucy, then check this out:
http://www.cc.utah.edu/~dlg7/sidewinder/repair.html
Congrats also on the copy of KKND. I had that game back in the day. It's blatant ripoff of Command & Conquer, but it's still a good game. We used to joke that the KK in the title stood for Klone & Kopy.
Thanks for the links, I'm sure they will come in handy
I have to say about CH, and it applies to other controllers too, just the fact that something comes highly recommended doesn't mean it's perfect. People have different needs/preferences.
CH has some ergonomics challenges, and the way the base is split in two axes makes for variable resistance depending on your direction of movement. (Basically, it likes to make squares instead of circles.) The lack of twist axis is a consideration for someone who prefers it over pedals.
Alternatives might not have indestructible potentiometers, but I'll personally take something that feels and performs better in somewhat cheaper construction, if one will at least last a year of hard use. (A lot of 90's sticks, including Logitech, fail that durability standard while also lacking in sensor accuracy.)
Microsoft had good stuff for Win9x and even XP, DOS with some reservations. I think TM would be my way to go for pure DOS and later jet sims. Price not much of an object, as they can all show up for cheap these days.
wrote:sf78,
Those "manual calibration wheels" are actually trim controls. They're not meant to calibrate the stick. You should have those wheels set to middle/neutral when you calibrate the stick. Then, while flying a sim you can use them to trim your aircraft if that particular simulator doesn't have a built-in trim control option.
You're right, I shelved the stick in the late 90's for this problem and haven't really used it since. It would be nice to get it back in working order. But then again, the feel isn't as great as one of the "real" flight sticks (Thrustmaster, Suncom) so I don't miss it that much. I actually think Logitech Wingman (with all it's squeaking and rattling) had a better feel in Knights of the Sky. 🤣
