CH / Satiek / pedals

[sestreet]

I'm pretty new to AH (1 week really) and would like some 'impartial' advice (if that's possible).

I have a basic Saitek joystick with throttle, and am now planning to upgrade to something better as I've finally found a flightsim that actually feels like flying, and is fun.

There are two parts to my question:
a) I pretty much get shot down all the time and find it hard to manoeuvre behind someone and shoot them down.  This is obviously because I'm a novice - but is it also my controller?
Will I benefit from getting rudder pedals first, or change the joystick and throttle to a better one?

b) There are many postings here about Saitek and CH.  A full CH USB kit is pretty expensive (about 300 pounds here in UK) and I only want to do that if it is worthwhile.  Or I could get the CH pedals first and the new Saitex X45 when it comes out next month?

Basically - will I get more out of AH with pedals and new stick/throttle - or should I invest some time in the training area learning moves?

I have to say I've sound the manuals a bit difficult and seem to cover a few things in detail and others are not mentioned.  Despite everyone being pretty friendly and helpful for specifics I do feel a bit lost in Air-to-Air combat.  I feel like I'm the only one who can't dogfight?

Any thoughts on these matters would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Steve (october)

[Animal]

Get the best HOTAS you can afford.

I suggest a full USB CH hotas, pedals stick and throttle. Yes, its expensive, but it will last.

Thrustmaster will soon release their all metal Cougar HOTAS wich will be the best of all time IMO, you can also wait for that.


I cannot tell you how much a good hotas enhances enjoyment in AH.


this is what I use:

 

 

 

[DRILL]

i can tell you pedals are almost a must have situation .
 i have all CH  f16 ftr stick ..pro throttle
  and pedals all usb you have to have at least 3 usb ports 1 for each controler.
  they are all controles by a CH CONTROL MANGER system that makes them all work togeather you can do lots of things with em i like it better then anything iv used before
but thats me the down side is the price ...but i feel it was well spent.

      my 2 cents  

[Eagler]

Saitek X36 combo with CH Pro Peds - all USB

[av8or]

i got the saitek x-36 usb and ch pro peddles with the gameport connection. i like it but if i didn't have the peddles i think i would have gone back to my sidewinder precision pro. it was really hard to control the proper amout of rudder with that toggle under the throttle grip.i think most would agree that a set of rudder peddles are a must at the very least.

[sestreet]

Thanks for that - it's much appreciated.

Can I ask - how long have those of you who win most dogfights been flying in Aces High/any combat sim/real planes?

It seems there are certain people that always shoot you down even if they have a disadvantage,  and those that never seem to get hit even it I'm 200 feet behind them firing all canons.  I guess that's just experience.

I'll give the pedals a go, and keep practicising!

Steve (october)

[sestreet]

(er, I mean practicing)

[RangerBob]

Do yourself a big favor. Take it from the guy who wrote the Saitek USB profile for the x36/combo and usb CH Pro Pedals combination posted on the old Aces High Downloads page.

Get the new CH USB Throttle, stick, and Pro Pedals. Forget the Saitek stuff.

In the long run you'll be pleased with CH, and it will be supported by CH. It is a much superior product. The programming is much easier, there is a real manual you can read, and a support staff that will actually answer the phone and talk to you. Additionally, I have found CH products to be very well built, especially as compared to Saitek.

Ranger Bob

[Pongo]

Is the CH stuff more robust then the saitek stuff. Mine has allready worn out since the con last year.

[JimBear]

Pongo,  you referring to the hat switches on the Saiteks? Been through two sets of the X36 because of them "wearing out".....anxiously awaiting the Thrustmaster Cougar and desperatly trying to figure a story to convince the wife I "need" them  

[Pongo]

Ya my 5 and 7 views are gone. Did saitek replace them for you? Or did you buy new ones?

[Rooster]

My 2 and 5 views went, sent em back to them (postage 1 way) and got them back in 5 days... 4 months later  my 5 and 7 are getting real spotty. all they required was a copy of the reciept (to verify warrantee) and the repair was free. get what I paid for I guess.

[av8or]

are the hat switches hard to change out? can you even order them to change them out when they break?

[Eagler]

Originally posted by av8or:
are the hat switches hard to change out? can you even order them to change them out when they break?

For just $40, why bother switching out switches?? http://www.viaweb.com/saitekusa/recprod.html
 

[Serapis]

CH products are tough, and the customer service is hard to beat and a blast from the past (a real human on the other end of the phone with plenty of time to help you out). The USB throttle does have some issues -- nothing major -- but it's almost a beta release right now.

It seems each hat in the thumb-controlled hat group (3 hats total)is turned about 90 degrees off what the software indicates. All you have to do, though, is keep that in mind when programming until they patch the software. Also, to get the multiple settings to  work (3 different groups of settings that can be switched on the fly -- fighter, bomber and PT, for example) I have to activate a common key for both. What I do is use the common view keys quickly in each setting before I take off the first time and all of the different settings take hold as they're supposed too.

The stuff is sturdy as hell, and I just upgraded from the analog versions to a full USB solution that includes pro pedals, combat stick and throttle. I couldn't be happier.

Charon

[ 08-02-2001: Message edited by: Charon ]