Flight controllers/Joysticks

[Big G]

What's the general word on which one suits AHII better? Is there one in particular that is widely used ? Or is it down to personal preference?
Cheers
Big G
PS You can add microphones (Radio) to the question too.

[fuzeman]

This is alot personal preference, what you used and liked or hated in the past and your budget, of course. You can go from joystick only to full HOTAS setup.
 [ Hands On Throttle And Stick ]
Personally I like CH gear, mine is now 7+ yeras old and I finally think it's wearing out some. CH can be pricey though but will stand the test of time. An important consideration is how the stick fits your hand. You want it to be comfortable and fit your hand and you don't want to be reaching for buttons.
Far as mics and earphpones, I bought a Plantronics headset/mic combo for $20 on sale awhile back. Headset/mic combos are definately the way to go if your using AHVoice often.

[loony1]

Well its a lot of /personal preference/what is affordable.....Microsoft made some good sticks but stoped making them......Saitek makes some good sticks at a resonable price....in my opinion logiteck sticks are "you get less than what you pay for".....they are junk......CH products seem to be the top of the line but you need to have the yoke and peddles both and there can be a bit of a learnig curve...plus they can be pretty pricey....

Myself I have the Saitek Cyborg Evo and love it....usualy can find them for about less than 50 bucks

[Clifra Jones]

I did a lot of research on the subject  of HOTAS before I paid the "big bucks" for my CH gear. Hear is what I found.

1. I owned (still do) an X45. Nice gear, good price. Has many positives especially now that the drivers and software are stable. I did not like the stick gimble centering system. It had a distinctive drop at the center that I found distracting. The throttle is outstanding, I liked it better than my Ch throttle. Rudder control takes some getting used to. I would recommend pedals along with an X45 if you can.

2. I researched the Cougar quite extensively. On cost it is on par with the CH gear. What I found though is that they were not available in large quantities and that a lot of owners spent a considerable amount of money customizing them. They are known for a very strong stick spring which for me put it out of the question due to a bad right elbow. Replacing the stick gimble and pots was what most owners were modifying. Otherwise it rates quite well.

3. CH, I finally settled on CH. I was actually convinced by a Cougar user who recommended it for me due to my elbow problem. So far I am quite happy with it. All controls are smooth and responsive. The stick does have a very light spring which may be a problem for some people. For me it was perfect. It is very easily programmable but can also be used in AH without any additional programming. The rudder is a straight slider type as apposed to the curved path like the X45 and the Cougar. This took some getting used to. I do miss my roteries but have learned to do without them.  Pedals are great, I would recomend them with any setup.

On pedals: for me they are essential. I have never used a twisty stick so can't really speak on them. The under throttle rocker on the Saitek just fealt odd to me and did not give good control, plus I broke the cheezy little spring on it and had to replace it with my own design. I've seen CH pedals as low as $40.00 on eBay so cost is not a major factor.

If money is an object I would go with an X45/X50. they are the best gear for the lowest cost. If your considering a professional HOTAS I highly recomend the CH gear. If the stick spring is too light for your taste it can be easily modified at little additional cost (though opening the stick voids the warranty).  If your a serious die hard you could go with the Cougar though some of the gimble modifications that most user have done can run up to  $400-$700 making this a very large investment.

Visit the support boards for any gear you are considering. they are a wealth of information and the folks posting there will give you honest info. Even, as in my case, recomending a competing product if it fits your situation.

Hope this helps.

[Soda]

I don't think you need to spend a mint to get something that will work for AH.  At a minimum, I'd look for a stick with a hat, some sort of throttle (slider or wheel) and make it a twisty stick if you don't plan to purchase rudder pedals.  You can still find some good deals on Microsoft sticks on eBay and such, I know some people have picked those up.  Otherwise, a Saitek or Logitech stick have had mixed success, some people swear by them, others at them.  Guess it depends on the expectation you have and the amount you intend to use it.

[TequilaChaser]

until you figure out whether or not you going to be in AH2 for the long haul don't go blowing alot of money for a full HOTAS set up. get a cheap 25 to 30 dollar stick and see if you think you will stick around for awhile. Then if you decide you going to be a lifetime addict like the rest of us. Go full bore and purchase a CH setup. the CH USB fighter stick comes with a roatary throttle on the base so you can get by with it and the USB pro pedals from CH. later on you can get the CH Pro throttle USB.

http://www.provantage.com offers the best prices currently for CH gear.

you can usually purchase the full CH USB HOTAS set  fiter stick, throttle, pedals for under $300 shipping included unless you live in a remote area.....

good luck and welcome to Aces High

( my current analog CH gear was bought in 1996/97 and is still performing great with minor fixes in the last cple of years)

[1Klink]

Microsoft Sidewinder Pro 2,best damn stick ever made.

Handz down!:aok

[SKJohn]

I've seen a lot of people say good things about the MS Sidewinder sticks.  If there's a "Bookman's" type store near you (used books, cds, nintendo's etc...) they usually have a couple of them for about $15.00.  The last time I looked, the Bookman's near me had 2 of the MS Sidewinders, and a whole pile of Logitech stuff.  (Should tell you about Logitech...)
Myself, I started out with a cheap stick that had a throttle wheel on it, then after knowing that I liked the game, went with a Saitek X45 (Joystick + seperate Throttle control) and CH Pro Peddals.  
If you have a chance, try different set-ups that people have before you buy.  For example, the X45 feels like it was made for my hand - while other people swear that it's too small for them.

[bockko]

I have been through a lot of sticks; loved the ms precision pro's, but most people report a large amount of nose bounce. I had same problem -- could never tweek all the bounce out. Switched to saitek x45, very clean. x45's problem was the centering mechanism, which for me caused some issues with small adjustements around centering -- thus enter the x52. So far the x52 performs better than the x45, but the x45 was far superior as far as ergonomics and button placement/pressure. When my x52 dies i suspect i will go the full on ch route (which means if i would have just spent the 300 bucks up front, i wouldn't be out as much cash). The ch pedals are far superior to twisty rudders and especially the x45 rocker.

[Grizzly]

I use a CH USB setup (stick, throttle and pedals). I recommend a Combatstick 568, which offers a larger base and stronger springs.

Much has been said about CH gear, so I'll offer another alternative. For the new player, to avoid a major investment before knowing how serious you'll get about these types of games. You can make due with two inexpensive joysticks. I recommend USB type sticks for smooth operation.

One stick is used for flight control (the right hand stick for right handed people). This can be any stick of your choosing with an assortment of buttons and hat switches. The buttons should be located on the stick instead of the base. A built in throttle is not required.

The other stick can be simple, with buttons as available. But it must have axis switches to disable the centering springs, a seperate switch for each axis. (If one cannot be found, a person could open it up and disable the Y centering spring.)

The Y axis (the up/down motion) centering spring is switched off to stay where you place it, so it can be used as a throttle.

The X axis (sideways motion) centering spring is left engaged, so it will return to center. This axis is used for your rudder.

For many, this will work fine for a permament setup, and your cost  $50 or less.

[DamnedRen]

Minimum requirements for a stick suggestion...

8-way hat for views
As many programmable buttons as you can get. many total 12 buttons.
Twist grip rudder pedals
Minimum throttle on base of stick

If you look for a stick with these minimums you will find them in the $25-30 price range.  This is not the high end equipment but will get you up and running and you will be able to see whats going on.

[gofaster]

Originally posted by TequilaChaser
Go full bore and purchase a CH setup. the CH USB fighter stick comes with a roatary throttle on the base so you can get by with it and the USB pro pedals from CH. later on you can get the CH Pro throttle USB.

http://www.provantage.com offers the best prices currently for CH gear.

you can usually purchase the full CH USB HOTAS set  fiter stick, throttle, pedals for under $300 shipping included unless you live in a remote area.....

good luck and welcome to Aces High

( my current analog CH gear was bought in 1996/97 and is still performing great with minor fixes in the last cple of years)

I went from analog CH Combatstick and pedals to USB Combatstick and Pro Pedals.  The programmability of the other switches makes a big difference when flying the P51B, P-38, and any of the 109s that require trimming to get out of compression or improving nose-up control.

I got my CH USB gear thru ProVantage.Com, too.  Best prices.  They charge a bit more for shipping but I got my stuff literally the next day even tho I had paid for regular shipping.

Once you go CH, you won't go back.

Headset I'm using is a LogiTech "behind the head" design with bendable mic coming out of the left earpiece.  Volume control is on the wire from the PC, for easy adjustment.  Works great, no complaints, and this is the third mic set I've gone thru (#1 was a cheapo CompUSA house brand, #2 was scratch built using a Dell mic, Walkman headphones, and a straw, and this is #3.)

[DamnedRen]

Gofaster, it looks like you chose a nice setup. I, too, use CH.

I think Big G might be looking for a low cost choice to see how he likes the game first before plopping down $300.

You gotta remember it normally takes em two-three weeks to get hooked.

[JB73]

Originally posted by Big G
PS You can add microphones (Radio) to the question too.

since noone has addressed this part yet i will....


you can get headphones, but if they are cheap the mic will sound TERRIBLE to others in game.

i suggest a decent "pedastal" mic like this:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6461722&type=product&productCategoryId=cat01056&id=1077628230553


it will give the best sound, and if you need headphones to keep the sound private go to a radio shack and get these:
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F007%5F003%5F004%5F000&product%5Fid=33%2D1221

radio shack headphones are actually made by Koss, though "branded" to be generic, they rock, and give MUCH better base response than any headset you will ever find.

[fuzeman]

Thanks for that nugget on Radio Shack and Koss headphones 73.