Time for a new stick

[Chris]

I have decided it is time to get a new controler set up.  Got to mone up to usb and digital.

I have got this down to two choices,(Unless of course you all come up with some I hadn't thought of:rolleyes: 0

thrustmaster cougar stick & throttle. I read that you can use analog rudders with this set up which I have.

Or.. Ch products has a Hotas set up with stick, throttle, and rudder peddles.  Each pice is a cool $149.00 retail.

Looks like I in for about $300 t0 350 eather way.

What do you guys think of these or other set ups?

Thanks
Chris

[ScreamingEgle]

HI Chris: I am selling my Cougar & Simped Rudders. They are 2hrs. old, cannot handle the spring tension on stick.
If interested email me, have serial # invoices original box
you pay shipping, the total cost for new is $425 asking
$250.
Ed (I'm in Jersey City)

[funkedup]

Chris I have the CH USB suite (Fighterstick, Pro Throttle, Pro Pedals) and it works great.

The Cougar seems to be a little fragile and more difficult to configure, but there are some very happy users.  It is capable of some things that the CH suite can't do.

I think both will work great with AH.  Cougar is probably better if you fly jet sims.

Go ask this question in the hardware forum and you will get a lot of answers.

[gofaster]

Get the CH pedals with the CH F-16 programmable stick.  Save the Pro Throttle for later.  The CH stick has a good-sized throttle wheel in the base that will get the job done, and the Pro Throttle will add more buttons and switches.

I'm still using my 6-years-old CH F-16 Combatstick (game port version) and regular CH pedals.  I would imagine the USB versions would be just as durable.

[Charon]

Funked, are the hats on your throttle rotated 90 deg from the programming template? Mine are (got a very early throttle), which the rep said was a "normal" bug. I was wondering if this is something they have worked beyond, and if Ican now order a new board or something.

Charon

[JoeDirt]

Viagra

[Pollock]

Saitek X36 USB you can get a rebuilt one directly from Saitek for 39.00 plus shipping.  

The only dilemma in using the X36 is that SGE is only stable and workable with Windows 98.  SGE is there configuring software to make it a true HOTAS, (over 96 different settings and counting)

Supposedly there is a new poackage due any day from Saitek for 2000 and XP op systems.

[LoneStarBuckeye]

Charon:

I noticed the rotation, too.  At first I thought it was a bug, but now I think it is intentional.  In Control Manager, the "up" direction corresponds to the direction your finger "pushes" on the physical hat switch; the rest of the positions are rotated accordingly.  

Thus, on the stick, "up" is truly "up," because for each of those hats, your thumb pushes in the "up" direction (for the side hat, "up" is actually toward the back of the stick or away from your body).  On the throttle, though, it is different.  For the back hat, "up" is "down," because your index finger pushes in the down direction.  On the hats on the front of the throttle, "up" is "right," because your thumb pushes to the right.  

Once you get used to it, you start thinking like that and it makes perfect sense.  Until then, it is easy to do the required mental roation.

- JNOV