Author Topic: Cougar buyers - BEWARE!!!! (Read 789 times)

Max · « **on:** October 08, 2002, 10:44:56 AM »

Thinking about parting with $270 USD to buy a Cougar HOTAS..."the last stick you'll ever buy"?

Think again.

After 3 months mine has developed a terrible spiking problem. The center intersection of the X & Y (roll & pitch) axis won't hold stable and spikes the application badly. I've spent most of yesterday trying to fix the problem. The only thing that worked was pushing the damping slider all the way up on both X & Y...which rendered the stick so unresponsive as to be unplayable.

Turns out this is a known issue. My original post to the general forum at Cougar World went unanswered. Then a squaddie pointed me to another thread where this issue is being discussed. The problem is the "POT" ---potentiometer...or sumpin like that...it sux. Modification kits are being developed by some of the Cougar owner gurus...at additional cost, of course. TM ducking the issue...or so it seems.

My advice, if you own a Cougar and haven't yet developed the spike problem, count yer blessings. If you have, it's gonna cost you MORE money to fix the "last stick you'll ever own."

DmdMax <-- who knows this thread belongs in "Hardware/Software" forum but thought you all might wanna know what I do now.

Revvin · « **Reply #1 on:** October 08, 2002, 10:53:55 AM »

Sorry to hear you have problems with your stick but I can assure you this is the exception and not the norm judging by the happy users posting at Cougar World. There have been some problems and it's a shame you seem to have got a bad one if the pot is indeed causing the spike but it's hardly a case to make a blanket statement as if this is the norm.

There have been a few answers to your posts in the hardware/software forum, did you try calibrating in Windows? if you have then that may be the problem. Have you tried resettign the stick in the Foxy application and also perhaps reflashing and recalibrating within Foxy? You also posted you found my profile a little complex. If you'd like to mail me at revvin@ntlworld.com I'd be happy to create a profile to your own wishes, the macro is done so it's just a case of re-assigning the buttons on a new .tmj file.

I hope you can resolve the problem..good luck!

Modas · « **Reply #2 on:** October 08, 2002, 11:00:03 AM »

Well, I would second that as well. I've had spiking problems as well, however, I took the pot apart, cleaned all the crap out of them, put a fine dusting of dry graphite lub into them and they have been working fine now.

However, I totally agree that for 270 clams, I shouldn't have to take this thing apart EVER, let alone after a couple of months of use.

Its easy to take the pots apart and clean them, just takes a little patience.

Nifty · « **Reply #3 on:** October 08, 2002, 11:00:52 AM »

umm, what is the warranty on your cougar? 90 days or more? ifluff'n it's more... get a new stick from TM! If it's a known problem with a bad POT, then they owe you a new stick if said stick is still under warranty. If TM only has a 90 day warranty... hell, that won't ever get me to buy a cougar over a saitek or CH stick.

Shane · « **Reply #4 on:** October 08, 2002, 11:03:43 AM »

fwiw, TM has always had a crappy POT issue, even with their other sticks...

used to love the TM Topgun sticks, but got tired of the POTS going to crap, as well as the wiring chaffing and eventually breaking.

i'll not consider TM for quite a while.

i do wonder, however, why not many, if any, joysticks use a pinky toggle button these days... imho, that was the one feature i liked best abt TM sticks.

Max · « **Reply #5 on:** October 08, 2002, 11:14:28 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Modas

Its easy to take the pots apart and clean them, just takes a little patience.

How does one clean the pots?

DmdMax

Nifty · « **Reply #6 on:** October 08, 2002, 11:18:39 AM »

Shane, the Saitek X36 and newer X45 has a pinkie button. You can set it to be a toggle or a regular button (mine is set to numkey 5 for looking up at the moment, tho I could set it as a shift and get the same thing accomplished by programming the shifts for the view hat, but I was lazy and went the quick route).

word of warning. as of right now, the little rotaries can't be programmed under Win XP. Supposedly will be fixed by the end of the month.

Midnight · « **Reply #7 on:** October 08, 2002, 11:43:26 AM »

If you need to clean the potentiometers in the Cougar, there is a link on COugarworld giving step by step instructions.

I would avoid simply spraying the pots with cleaner because it does not remove the particles, only displaces them.

The best method is to open the pots and use a foam tipped swab to wipe the carbon trail of the pot, and then the copper contact of the wiper arm. Use a drop of WD40 as the cleaner/lubricant.

Mine spiked horribly about 1 month after having it. Did the cleaning, and it has been spot on perfect ever since.

And yes, it should be the last stick you will ever buy. For those of you who buy $40 sticks, how many have you bought in the last 5 years? 1 per year at $40 would be $200...

I had my F16 stick for about 7 years before I bought the Cougar. I expect the Cougar will last just as long, if not longer. Heck, my F16 stick is still in use by a squadie too

AKIron · « **Reply #8 on:** October 08, 2002, 11:57:02 AM »

Kinda expensive ($125) but there is/will be a third party kit to replace the stick pots with hall sensors (magnetic). I'll post an email address if anyone is interested.

Max · « **Reply #9 on:** October 08, 2002, 12:10:23 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by AKIron
Kinda expensive ($125) but there is/will be a third party kit to replace the stick pots with hall sensors (magnetic). I'll post an email address if anyone is interested.

Please do.

Hmmm...$270+$125 = 13.82 Saitek Cyborgs

DmdMax

Hussein · « **Reply #10 on:** October 08, 2002, 12:17:04 PM »

Never had one spike on my MS PP1. It's seen already 2 years of hard use and works like brand new.

Modas · « **Reply #11 on:** October 08, 2002, 12:34:57 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by DMax

How does one clean the pots?

DmdMax

It varies, depends how mechanically inclined ya are

Seriously, it took probably 20 minutes for each pot. The biggest thing was getting them apart without snapping off the little posts that hold the POT together. A small exacto knife blade worked well.

I tried spraying the POTS directly with wd-40 as was suggested in a couple of post at Cougarworld, but the fix didn't last long. Taking them apart and cleaning out the crap that TM put in them for lub, was the best fix. Have'nt had any problems since

Midnight · « **Reply #12 on:** October 08, 2002, 12:42:14 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Modas
Taking them apart and cleaning out the crap that TM put in them for lub, was the best fix.

Just a small point. TM didn't put the crap lub in these things. The pot manufacturer is CTS. THEY put the garbage lubricant in the pots.

http://www.ctscorp.com/electro/ffpots.htm

Curval · « **Reply #13 on:** October 08, 2002, 01:03:52 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Nifty
word of warning. as of right now, the little rotaries can't be programmed under Win XP. Supposedly will be fixed by the end of the month.

It isn't just XP..they can't be programmed using 98 either if you are using the Dauzimmer drivers..dunno about the Saitek software..that POS was hard enough to 'remove' from my system, let alone try and get it to work.

Love the X45 though...it just drove me mad for the first two weeks I owned it due to loading the Saitek software before the Dauz drivers.

muckmaw · « **Reply #14 on:** October 08, 2002, 01:11:08 PM »

WHAT THE HELL IS A POT!!??!?!!?!:D