Picking the right joystick for yourself can mean the difference between getting that snapshot on the BnZ attack you just reversed, or not. While some setups range into the thousand dollar range and beyond, others choose to fly with just a mouse. I myself actually had to fly my first tour back with a mouse. My older X-52 (non-pro) did not survive its decommissioning. Prior to that I had flown with the Microsoft Sidewinder 2 Force Feedback (still an extremely popular stick). I loved this stick, compact, accurate (optical x,y axis), and the force feedback gave flight another dimension. The Thrustmaster reminds me of it. I have also tried other sticks, almost every "cheep" twisty stick made by most of the common manufacturers (IMHO not one worthy of mentioning). I was never able to duplicate the Sidewinder's accuracy and lack of dead zone. Then I had an X-52, wonderful setup, with some shortcomings. This gives me experience with both the twisty stick and HOTAS setups.
On to the Thrustmaster T.1600m
I found this stick after doing a little online research, one of the things that attracted me to the stick was the H.E.A.R.T. (HALLEFFECT ACCURATE THECHNOLOGY). The same X-Y axis "guts" as found on the $400-$500 Warthog HOTAS setup. Accuracy seems to be the name of the game, so having used an extremely accurate stick in the past, this seemed like a good shot. Warning: this is the only other Thrustmaster stick with the H.E.A.R.T.
THE GOOD:
The accuracy is amazing, there is little or no bounce coming out of the dead-zone (x,y & z axis), it basically does not have one. Any decent player using a comparable twisty stick will notice an improvement in their marksmanship. I plugged in this stick mid-November, and have not calibrated it once! It uses one helical spring to center all axis' including rudder. While similar to the Saitek setup, it is upside down, and uses a much larger diameter and gauge spring. This is all protected in the base of the stick, and not exposed to the dangerous elements of my desktop, helping with longevity of the stick. All this adds up to a good linear feel in all axis. My old X-52 had a dead zone that always had a little bounce or pop coming out of center, even after trying all the fixes, and required daily to multiple calibrations per sortie (seems better on the X-52 pro with metal bushing). Travel with the stick is simple, used on three different computers, never have to calibrate or recalibrate. The molding of the plastic is solid and give a good feel for the price. Having an average sized hand reaching all of the buttons on stick is comfortable for me, and the ability to be ambidextrous (with supplied parts) makes this an attractive choice for a lefty, making it a mirror of itself is a snap with a couple of screws. Being an ambi-capable stick also gives you a total of twelve (12) buttons on the base. Six (6) on each side of the stick, with a single stage trigger, three (3) push buttons and a eight (8) way HAT on the stick itself. Plenty of buttons to map what you need to do for anything in the game. However you probably will not have the upmost competitive advantage that a true HOTAS gives you. However, this stick has the potential to be the centerpiece of an epic "one piece at a time" setup. I initially bought thinking if I liked it, I would splurge and upgrade to the Warthog... time will tell. The price point of $39.00-$59.00 is great there is plenty of value for your greenback.
THE BAD:
Made in China, the build quality suffers, I will cover this with greater detail in later threads. Initially some of the base buttons were not as crisp and accurate as one would like them to be (will cover this fix in detail of later thread). Buttons on top of the stick seem better, this appears to be due to them not nesting against each other. All buttons should last a reasonable amount of stick time. While the HAT switch does have crisp detents, the stops leave something to be desired, they do not feel consistent. Also, the shape and texture of the HAT need to be improved, it seems slick and small, causing accuracy to suffer. Trigger is crisp, after you get past the soft stop. Giving it a dual stage feel without actually having the feature (fix for this in testing). I am being picky here, to give you a reference, the HAT and trigger would rate a solid B. I have used many worse feeling HAT's and triggers over the years, and the T1600m does have solid detents. The throttle is adequate, but just that. One inch of throw on a slider is not for the demanding cartoon pilot. The throttle can be mapped for zoom if you were to add something like a CH throttle down the road. There is a competitive advantage to having the accurate long throw of a separate throttle.
THE UGLY:
Partially due to my specific geographic location, window-shopping for joysticks is impossible. My first attempt on Amazon failed, however I found another Interwebs store that had some and was shipped one in two days. These sticks appear to be drop shipped from the manufacturer frequently, and supply seems inconsistent. Be patient they are out there. The light up base annoys me, if you move the stick green LED's light up the bottom, this turns off after 3 seconds, but does not seem to be triggered by the H.E.A.R.T. sensor. Sometimes you have to wiggle the stick to turn them off (fix for this issue as well).
BLONDIE YOU SON OF A......
I have been extremely critical here, do not let that throw you off.
This stick is head and shoulders above all others in it's price point. If you have a budget and want to start building a top notch setup that can start as a twisty, this is the stick for you. I put the accuracy beyond that of the CH sticks, which will surprise many and make some angry here. This is the perfect stick to grow with as your skills improve you can add throttle, rudder pedals, and whatever else you desire. Many of the problems I have fixed with tinkering. If you have a moderate mechanical / electrical skill set these issues can be addressed. For most it will be fine out of the box.
<S> HACK
