Need new stick...Bad! Any suggestions?

[muckmaw]

Assume the Cougar is out of the question.

I need some suggestions as to a good solid stick I can afford. I have the Saitek now, and it's a) not XP compatible (Not a USB stick) and B) Spiking so bad, it's interfering with flight controls. I'm getting the "Don't move your controls so rapidly" message.

I've decided to replace this POS after it spiked and I lost a cheest little Niki I had saddled up!

So what would you guys buy on a reasonable budget?

(Stick, throttle and pedals)

Thanks in advance!:)

[Redd]

Maybe someone on the forum upgrading to a cougar is letting go of an F22/Tqs at the right price. Still a great stick/throttle combo - and you can get a digital upgrade chip which is excellent.

SOB might know where you could pick one up



Redd

[Innominate]

Thrustmaster afterburner
Cheap hotas stick($50)
Built well
Looks like a cheap toy
Good win2k/xp drivers
Rudder control via twist or rocker on the throttle

[Taiaha]

Second the Afterburner suggestion.  You can actually pick them up even more cheaply than the $50.  Biggest plus of the thing is that it's solid as a rock; won't move around your desk at all.  Throttle/rudder control can be separated from the main stick or kept joined together.

[SOB]

I would go for a Cougar.  


SOB

[Chaos68]

Originally posted by SOB
I would go for a Cougar.  


SOB

I too am looking for a new stick, is there a website with a picture of this Cougar and how much it is?

I have wingman  force 3D and it sucks bad.

[scspook]

Also for the Afterburner.  Im one of those who has been through 5 odd wingmans, 7 odd CH's etc etc and the Afterburner has copped an enormous hiding in my hands as all those before it and its still going strong.  Not an ounce of pot trouble at all.
For the price, you cant go wrong.

[Skorpyon]

Muck,
Before you go spend a chunk of money, ya gotta ask yerself a question.  Did you like your stick before the XP compatibility problem came up?  If so, check Radio Shack for a "Gameport to USB Adapter."  It runs about $16.  I had the same problem, (not with XP, but USB compatibility) and severe spiking.  I got this adapter and it smoothed things right out, and I'm running a relatively low end stick and throttle combo and some CH non-USB pedals... it all works great, and for a lot less than replacing your whole setup.  And if it doesn't work, you're only out 16 bucks, and you might even get them to take it back.  Give it a shot.

[LLv34_Camouflage]

Mom always said, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it.  But since we're all adults here, I will share my thoughts anyway.

Bottom line: I wouldn't spend money on a Thrustmaster Afterburner or a Logitech Wingman.  

I tried the Afterburner last summer and went quickly back to my Sidewinder Precision Pro 2. Imho, the Afterburner was not much more than a toy. It felt sloppy and the twist rudder was not accurate. There was not enough buttons and hats to justify the huge amount of space it took on the table and the fact that it tied both of my hands.  The AB had as many buttons as the PP2, which takes half the table space and, imho, offers more convenient use.

To call the AB a HOTAS setup is a bit too much.  Yes, I had to use both hands to operate it, but it did not offer enough buttons for me to get rid of the keyboard in an AH combat situation. Sure, it has the fancy programmability, so has the PP2. It doesnt compensate for the lack of buttons.

Before I got my PP2, I had a couple of Logitech Wingman Force 3D's and regular Wingman 3D's.  They all broke after just a couple of weeks of use. Luckily all the replacements were covered by the guarantee, so I didnt loose more than my patience. Finally I returned the stick and got the SW PP2.  That said, one of our squaddies has been using a Wingman 3D for a couple of years now, with no troubles as far as I know.  I've been happy with my PP2 since day 1.

If you are looking for a complete HOTAS system, I'd recommend the Cougar and pedals.  If that's not possible, go for a CH or Saitek USB setup. As far as I know, those three are the only real choices anyway.

Unfortunately, the CH fighterstick/pro throttle combo isn't much cheaper than the cougar, around $200. The Saitek X45 is pretty damn cheap, around $80.  Also, as Redd suggested, it might be worth checking if you can find an F22/TQS combo for the right price.

Good luck with finding the perfect setup!

Camo

[Tumor]

Considering  your budget, I'd go to Best Buy or Comp-USA and look around.  All kinds of stuff you can get, and they'll usually let you try one out, not to mention they both (especially BB) have real liberal return policies.

Tumor

[GunnerCAF]

I too am looking for a new stick, is there a website with a picture of this Cougar and how much it is?

Cougar World is a good place to start.

Gunner

[rc51]

x-45 saitek i love it

[8Maniac8]

I use the Wingman Force 3d  and it works good...I got it for $60...the only thing about it that pisses me off is when you get hit and crash your joystick shakes like crazy (the force feedback stuff) and it wont stop till you get back to the tower...but other than that its cool :-)

[FDutchmn]

I havent bought a stick other than TM for some odd reason... probably became attached to it.   If you cant afford the Cougar, Afterburner will be a good buy, especially for its price.  Although because I was used to the F22Pro (which Cougar was modelled after), I found the Afterburner could not programm as much commands as I wanted it to.

[Animal]

I say dont play for a month and save enough money to buy a Cougar.

You are gonna be saving money since you probably wont have to buy another joystick again