Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Fowler on November 30, 2003, 02:01:01 PM
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I was thinking about getting one, Any suggestions,
pros and cons?
I really want a throttle and a stick so i can get back into AH
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Hello Fowler :) Heard a lot of POSITIVE commentaries re TM
Cougar HOTAS, I can't comment on it as I've a TM Top Gun After-
burner, a recent purchase.
I'd suggest prior to making a financial commitment that u logon
to http://www.ebay.com, electronics & peruse the joysticks offered for bidding, I've seen several TM Cougar HOTAS but they were priced at more than I wished to spend.
Compare prices eBay may save u big $$ ;)
Cheers,
Happy1 :D
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I love my Cougar. It works well with the old TM pedals too!
I found the best price on Amazon and here is a link to get more info on the Cougar:
http://cougar.frugalsworld.com/
Hope this helps!!
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I love my Cougar. Some people don't like the stiffness of the stick, but I soon got used to it.... not a lot of movement is needed anyway, it is very smooth to use. :cool:
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I've had my Cougar for over a year now. I consider it one of my best purchases. Yes the stick is stiff (especially at first) but I have had nothing but enjoyment with the device.
Advice, find a set of TM pedals or CH gameport pedals. Look on E-bay. This completes the setup.
They aren't cheap. CH stuff is pretty close to the same in price, Saitek makes a decent HOTAS with the X45, and to be honest, if you are just doing Aces High you may not need all of those extra buttons and hats. I use it for Lockon and Falcon as well as AH.
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The Cougar is a good waste of $300. Ive been through both mine and my ex-roomates. The are quirky,frustrating, and unreliable. Id check CH products.
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I was debating the cougar or the X45 haven given much thought into the CH products...
To be honest i was just going to go for the Gusto...
But i had read that the Cougars dont last a very long time and id be better off purchasing something i wouldnt have to replace in a year....
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The best place to start your search of the good, bad and ugly for a Cougar is at the Cougar World Forums. (http://forums.frugalsworld.com/vbb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=8)
I don't know about not lasting a long time. I personally haven't had any of the "center play" issues but I did have to replace the pots within the throttle due to a screwed up firmware flash that TM still doesn't really acknowledge...Long story best read about on Cougar World forums. But I will give you my basic Cougar vs. the rest right now.
At any rate if you are only playing AH then go for something a little less pricey (ie...Saitek X45 combo) but still get a decent pair of rudders. If you are planning on spending bunches of dollars then check into both the Cougar and CH gear. I have had CH in the past and just didn't care for it personally. I have been a TM user for many years and don't like the way that CH builds their stuff. I destroyed a Fighterstick inside of 6 months from heavy use and I can't stand the sliding motion on the CH throttle. Again these are personal preferences. I haven't used CH gear in a few years except when I am visiting a buddy who has it; so I don't know all the new in's and out's of the software.
As for the Cougar well I really like the Foxy software that comes with it and the way that it handles new digital statements for the throttle as well. It is a mother to push but I like that feeling and have not had any increase in center play as I mentioned above. I don't like the choppy feeling as you move through the 12, 6, 3 and 9 o clock positions due to the way the springs are inside the stick base. I have thought about getting one of the many "mods" that are available to eliminate that feeling but I don't have the money available to do it and get the Hall Effect sensors that some require. It does take some getting used to at first but for me it was well worth it. I play several different flight sims using the setup and not all of them are prop games like AH. Plus in games like Falcon 4 you don't need alot of force to get the plane changing direction and the same applies to F/A-18 from Janes. But I digress from the facts. Yes there are issues with the Cougar but for me I haven't had any of the large problems that piss off people and make them buy something else. Till that happens and CH makes a different throttle for their gear...MAKE MINE A COUGAR!
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I was a TM fan for a long time. I still am I guess, but after my cougar throttle mysteriously died, I bought an x45 as a backup until the parts came in. The cougar got fixed, but I decided I liked the x45 better and boxed up the cougar. If there's a Best Buy in your area, head over there and check out the x45.
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I'd get ( and did) a CHpro set up over the Cougar.