Hey guys,
I use the MS Sidewinder FF Pro and really like the feel. I've also never had a single spike or had to recalibrate. The thing is dead-nuts on with calibration and limits. It is rock solid.
The twisty stick for the rudder isn't too bad in my opinion. Once you get used to it, it is really OK. I think I would like pedals but I've yet to see a set that looks like they are built worth a damn - so if no suitable pedals are available, twisty stick wins for me.
Yup - no FF support in AH - but the FF centering has a nice feel to it. And yep - there is the tiniest bit of slop at the center. But you get used to it. Consider it as loose mountings in yer airplane.
The only drawback I see to the FF and it is easily fixed with a piece of tape is that it has a sensor to tell when a hand is holding it. The FF is disabled whenever nobody holds the stick so it doesn't go banging around. So take your hand off the stick to go grab a beer and you may come back to a spiraled-in plane if the stick flops over to the side. Also, if you are pulling hard and unblock the sensor, the stick will quit resisting and you can lose your line, etc.
But after using the FF Pro, whenever I've used other sticks they just don't feel right. I hate to say it but the FF Pro just has a real nice feel that is a pretty good approximation of regular stick forces in an airplane.
I've gone the pot route with cleaning and replacement before the Sidewinder opticals and have never ever looked back.
The only reason I can think of that others haven't mimicked the optical input is because of patent limitations. I'd bet that Microsoft locked up as many variations on the optical input as they possibly could. They use a quadrant system and ratio the light levels to determine stick position but there are other ways - crossed polarizers, linear arrays, area arrays - but they could be fiddly and/or more expensive.
But it would definitely be in other manufacturer's interest to go optical. You just can't beat ZERO wear. There are high-priced pots out there with wear measured in the millions of cycles but they cost a lot more than the cheap pots the other guys are using now. The other manufacturers need to realize they have to bite the bullet and either go optical or with better pots.
Actually there are other techniques that could be used that may not be covered by patent - just a little more exotic and take more than a high-school electronics class to be able to design in. Magnetic, inductive, and capacitive sensors could also easily be used - none would have rubbing or wear and would be maintenance free.
