Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: Stone on April 25, 2006, 03:31:10 AM
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Are they all of top quality?
I have not used any of these, but I hear good about them all.
Price difference is huge, but is the quality also?
If not I just get the X52 or maybe even X45
CH Fighterstick USB + CH Pro Throttle USB 315€
Thrustmaster Hotas Cougar 270€
Saitek X52 Flight Control System 140€
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CH is vastly superior to Cougar or Saitek X52 or Saitek X45.
Expect the 45 to be dead within 1 or 2 year.
The cougar potentiometer will survive 1 to 6 month and show center play after the same duration.
The only real solution for a cougar is to add a modification like the ones found here http://forums.frugalsworld.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=35029
Quality will improove but cost will skyrocket.
Out of the box the best of the best are the CH.
So the real choice is : saitek each year or CH (on this BBS there is people using 8 year old fighterstick :))
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Originally posted by Stone
CH Fighterstick USB + CH Pro Throttle USB 315€
Thrustmaster Hotas Cougar 270€
Saitek X52 Flight Control System 140€ [/B]
Just FYI: CH Fighterstick USB + CH Pro Throttle USB 190$ = 153€ (http://www.provantage.com/ch~110CHPU.htm)
I've got both the HOTAS Cougar as well as the CHs.
The Cougar is unequalled in terms of ergonomics, but without mods it's a matter of taste whether you like the stiff springs that don't allow for any fine-control or the sloppy center of the stock gimbals. If you don't mind to invest further money in it (almost twice as much as the price of the Cougar itself) to get modded gimbals with Hall-sensors, then you'll get the most ergonomic flight-controller you can get.
If you expect a perfect feeling right out of the box and don't mind a desgn that's no replica of seomething real, then the CHs should be more to your liking.
Do you expect and probably even need support? Do you plan to upgrade your OS to 64-bit sooner or later? These might be further things to consider.
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I am quite hoples in mechanical stuff, so it beter work out of the box :)
It sounds that CH is the system I should get.
Seems that the price for CH products are much higher over here (EU/Finland).
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it may be minor and silly, but if you have smaller hands the CH fighterstick may be hard to use. personally i can't reach the top fire button without re-positioning my hand, and using the hat is uncomfortable too.
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I've used the CH Fighterstick, the Saitek X52 and currently own a Thrustmaster Cougar.
In my opinion, the Cougar is the only one that didn't feel cheap and crappy. I also found that straight out of the box, it delivered more precise control due to its heavier base and heavy springs.
I would personally prefer a greater than 18lb pull on the springs, maybe more like 25, but I'm not willing to shell out the money for that right now.
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Open Foxy's "Joystick Analyser" and try to move your Cougar in a circle :confused: - then dare to repeat that it would allow a "more precise control" :rolleyes: ; the rhombus you'll see instead of the circle :( which you might have expected is "due to its [...] heavy springs" :p .
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Cougar is probably the best overall, but as noted it will need mods done to it to truly make it the controller it could be. Lots of people use and love their Saitek sticks. I personally have never met a Saitek stick I liked. Like Krusty's complaint about the CH stick, my hands just dont fit nicely on any Saitek I've ever tried.
My analog CH gear is over 9 years old now. I had to replace 1 potentiometer in the rudder pedals. Cost me like 20 bucks with shipping included. Took several years to wear that out. I do have 1 button on the joystick that sticks when I push down on it, need to take it apart and clean the gunk off of it, but other than that it works as well as the day I bought it. No matter where I look, I keep coming back to the same rig I've had all along. I just cant beat it. Not by enough to consider replacing it anyway.
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DonULFonzo:
I'll admit, the Cougar isn't the most precise stick on the market, but it definitely feels the best in my hands.
Then again, choosing a controller is a lot like choosing a desk chair - you have to pick the one that "feels" right or you'll hate it every time you use it. :D
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Originally posted by Mustaine
it may be minor and silly, but if you have smaller hands the CH fighterstick may be hard to use. personally i can't reach the top fire button without re-positioning my hand, and using the hat is uncomfortable too.
Don't you move your hand ?
I do.
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I have all CH stuff. I owned a Cougar and it sucked bellybutton out of the box, only after almost completely rebuilding it and replacing parts did it get better. But after all that the paint began flaking off all over my desk. I sold it in on ebay and bought CH stuff. The cost and hassle involved to get the Cougar up to par just aint worth it IMHO.
CH has been much better and with the CH manager CH has every program novelty the Cougar has. The CH springs were a little weak after coming from the Cougar but it was no big thing.
I know quite a few folks who ditched their Cougars for CH. In fact Revvin, who is the Admin over at CH Hangar (http://www.ch-hangar.com/forum/) was one of them.
Saitek stuff is ok if that's all you can afford or want to spend on a game JS but I went through 4 x36 hotas in a year. Each time they were replaced for free but the quality was so crappy that it wasn't worth keeping.
I own 2 CH Hotas (fighterstick / pro-throttle / pro-peds). The only problem I ever had was my 5 year old pro-pedals broke a wire. I could have fixed it myself but if ever take apart your pedals they are a real pain to get back together. I got in touch with the CH folks and they repaired them for the cost of shipping.
CH is far superior in quality and everyone I know, with few exceptions, have been hassle free.
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I have CH fighterstick and throttle, the hat is too high on the fighterstick for me also so I just mapped the views to the throttle hat and like that much better anyways now that I am used to it.
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Actually, neither Thrustmaster's F-16 FLCS or F-22 Pro or their successor, Guillemot's HOTAS Cougar, nor CH Products' Fighterstick or Combatstick are "too big" - it's rather that Saitek's X36, X-45 and X-52, just as Logitech's sticks or Microsoft's Sidewinders, are kind of "too small":
The "real deal", the F-16's flight-stick - of which said Thrustmaster's high-end controllers are replicas, and after which CH Products' controllers are modelled (though not exactly copied), too -, has been designed that way on purpose:
- Usually, your hand rests on the plate at the base of these sticks, in which position you can easily access all buttons and coolie-hats except the two controls at the uppermost top of the stick: the POV-coolie and the thumb-button; this position is called the "low grip".
- To operate any of these two controls at the uppermost top of the stick - the POV-coolie and the thumb-button -, you are supposed to lift your hand a bit so that your thumb can reach these controls; this position is called the "high grip".
This is the way this stick has been designed to be used in real life, and the USAF has spent a lot of time and money to develop this design.
Many high-end flightsticks follow this design, but most low- and middle-class joysticks don't: they are smaller than "serious" flightsticks, and hence you don't need to change your grip. If you're new to flight-simulations you might like it this way; if you're coming from full-sized replicas it can be irritating, to say the least - I for one find Saitek's HOTAS-sticks too small for my own taste. I can fully understand anyone who prefers smaller stick where you don't need to change grips - but to call full-sized replicas "too big" just proves a lack of info on the purpose of their design: they are not "too big", they only are meant to be used using two different "grips". If you don't like this concept, then this can be a valid point (for you, personally), but not understanding this concept cannot be a valid point, IMHO.
Anyway, back on topic: In our virtual life of playing flight-simulations on the computer, the coolie-hat on top of our sticks usually is pre-configured to act as POV-coolie so that we can look around. Since this is an essential function, the need to change into the "high grip" with "serious" flightsticks (as opposed to the usual "arcade" joysticks) quite often in fact can be annoying. Those who are using a head-tracker (be it hardware such as the TrackIR or software such as "Cam2Pan" to use a web-cam to control the view) don't have this issue, those who don't have one do.
However, no one forces anyone to really use the POV-coolie as POV-coolie: when Microsoft defined "hat 1" to be the POV-coolie, a single coolie-hat already was a luxury; today, all of the controllers mentioned above feature more than just a single coolie-hat, and their throttles usually feature further additional coolie-hats, too. All of the controllers mentioned above allow you to set up and use any of the avaliable coolie-hats as POV-coolie (as long as it operates 8-way, or at least 4-way with corners, that is)! Personally, I, too, always preferred to use an 8-way coolie-hat on my throttle instead of on my stick as POV-coolie, since this way I don't have to change into the less comfortable "high grip" to start with, and I can use any of the stick's coolie-hats at the same time, while panning my view around.
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I've been using my CH HOTAS for bout 4 years and love it. I also use the Pro Throttle 8-way for views. I had to change a pitch pot once , but it only took 15 miniutes to steal the one from the Fighterstick throttle that never gets used.
I always hated the stiff springs in my old Thrustmaster F16 and F22 besides the fact that they both spiked out of the box.
I cetainly don't care that my CH gear isn't an exact replica of F16 controls; especially since I only use them for WW2 planes.;)
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Originally posted by DAVENRINO
I always hated the stiff springs in my old Thrustmaster F16 and F22 besides the fact that they both spiked out of the box.
The F16 had very soft springs - it was its "bigger brother", the F22, that had these stiff springs; the only version of the F16 that had stiff springs - the ones later used in teh F22 - was that "gold edition" of the F16, kind of a prototype of the F22 with a different base. Spiking was an issue of the F22, too, not that much for the F16; mine - bought back in '94 - is still alive and kicking without any spiking.
Originally posted by DAVENRINO
I certainly don't care that my CH gear isn't an exact replica of F16 controls; especially since I only use them for WW2 planes.;)
I certainly don't care that my TM gear is an exact replica of F16 controls, even though I only use them for WWII planes ;) - after all, I got it due to its inumerable programmable controls :) .
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Originally posted by DonULFonso
Actually, neither Thrustmaster's F-16 FLCS or F-22 Pro or their successor, Guillemot's HOTAS Cougar, nor CH Products' Fighterstick or Combatstick are "too big" - it's rather that Saitek's X36, X-45 and X-52, just as Logitech's sticks or Microsoft's Sidewinders, are kind of "too small":
The "real deal", the F-16's flight-stick - of which said Thrustmaster's high-end controllers are replicas, and after which CH Products' controllers are modelled (though not exactly copied), too -, has been designed that way on purpose:
- Usually, your hand rests on the plate at the base of these sticks, in which position you can easily access all buttons and coolie-hats except the two controls at the uppermost top of the stick: the POV-coolie and the thumb-button; this position is called the "low grip".
- To operate any of these two controls at the uppermost top of the stick - the POV-coolie and the thumb-button -, you are supposed to lift your hand a bit so that your thumb can reach these controls; this position is called the "high grip".
This is the way this stick has been designed to be used in real life, and the USAF has spent a lot of time and money to develop this design.
Many high-end flightsticks follow this design, but most low- and middle-class joysticks don't: they are smaller than "serious" flightsticks, and hence you don't need to change your grip. If you're new to flight-simulations you might like it this way; if you're coming from full-sized replicas it can be irritating, to say the least - I for one find Saitek's HOTAS-sticks too small for my own taste. I can fully understand anyone who prefers smaller stick where you don't need to change grips - but to call full-sized replicas "too big" just proves a lack of info on the purpose of their design: they are not "too big", they only are meant to be used using two different "grips". If you don't like this concept, then this can be a valid point (for you, personally), but not understanding this concept cannot be a valid point, IMHO.
Anyway, back on topic: In our virtual life of playing flight-simulations on the computer, the coolie-hat on top of our sticks usually is pre-configured to act as POV-coolie so that we can look around. Since this is an essential function, the need to change into the "high grip" with "serious" flightsticks (as opposed to the usual "arcade" joysticks) quite often in fact can be annoying. Those who are using a head-tracker (be it hardware such as the TrackIR or software such as "Cam2Pan" to use a web-cam to control the view) don't have this issue, those who don't have one do.
However, no one forces anyone to really use the POV-coolie as POV-coolie: when Microsoft defined "hat 1" to be the POV-coolie, a single coolie-hat already was a luxury; today, all of the controllers mentioned above feature more than just a single coolie-hat, and their throttles usually feature further additional coolie-hats, too. All of the controllers mentioned above allow you to set up and use any of the avaliable coolie-hats as POV-coolie (as long as it operates 8-way, or at least 4-way with corners, that is)! Personally, I, too, always preferred to use an 8-way coolie-hat on my throttle instead of on my stick as POV-coolie, since this way I don't have to change into the less comfortable "high grip" to start with, and I can use any of the stick's coolie-hats at the same time, while panning my view around. [/B]
if that is truly the case, why? i get cramps and pains in my thumb from having to make the abnormal positioned stretch to reach the hat.
honestly, i have short fingers compared to many of my friends, and i don't think it is meant to be physically uncomfortable to use the hat on the CH stick. why would someone design it that way?
don't get me wrong, i use it to fly, it is a great stick, and i just live with the cramps and pain because there is nothing else out there of that quality to use that fits my hand. heck even the x45 top most hat was a tough reach for my thumb.
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I have said it before many times. PERSONAL PREFERENCE IS THE KEY! If you can try them all then do so; then YOU can make an informed decision and take all these opinions into account. I have the Cougar and have had every thing CH has put out and all but the newest Saitek and have stuck with my Cougar. One potentiometer problem in the throttle due to a screwed up flashing of the firmware and minimal "slop" (maybe 2 mm now instead of the 1mm out of the box) after three plus years of hard use. Yes I am now going to upgrade the insides of the Cougar but only because I can afford it. I have a second one sitting in a box waiting on the future.
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Mustaine, you can't get cramps if you use it properly, i.e. lift your hand when you stretch your thumb - if you don't lift it (or don't lift it properly) you get cramps, sure.
Reschke, you're absolutely right: if ever possible, (try to) try them out - however, the times when you could see them in the shelves seem to have long gone, unfortunately.
And like I said: a controller is more than just the hardware itself.
The design of the HOTAS Cougar is unequalled by any other brand's stuff - it just feels as if it was a natural part of your hands. But its quality is a two-sided coin: it's made of metal, yes, and the long travel of its coolie-hats and the longer throw of its buttons is something you have to feel to believe it - but the gimbals more often than not have center-play, and they wear off too soon, and the stock springs are ridiculously stiff. Last but not least, the support provided by Guillemot doesn't really deserve that name, unfortunately - there's absolutely no communication with their customers, and updates take an eternity, without any guarantee that they'll ever be released until they happen to be released.
The CHs OTOH work flawlessly straight out of the box, without any need for replacements or mods due to high-quality internals - but while their coolie-hats and buttons are of a good quality, they just don't feel that good as the HOTAS Cougar's. CH Products' support however is next to none, and so is their communication with their customers.
I for one wouldn't wanna miss any of my sticks - I love my HOTAS Cougar's ergonomics (read: it doesn't just look good, it feels good) and capabilities, and I love my CHs' softer feeling (read: better fine-control) and capabilities (there are some things my HOTAS Cougar will never learn, unfortunately). I couldn't say one would be better - I only could give you my personal opinion which one is better in which field and for what type of games, for instance.
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CH,
Unless you want to be a joystick hobbist instead of a flight sim hobbist
Had em all.
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Thank you all for the replys.
I try to figure out what to do lol.
I dont think I will be able to actualy see the sticks anywhere before I buy :(
It will probobly be CH, as I am hoples in fixing things. Very good a breaking tho...
Thx again :aok
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On a HOTAS stick, you can program any button to do anything. I use a lower hat for views, and the upper hats for things I use less frequently.
(http://webpages.charter.net/davegun/AH.jpg)
Stone, the CH is a good choice.
Gunner
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Originally posted by DonULFonso
Mustaine, you can't get cramps if you use it properly, i.e. lift your hand when you stretch your thumb - if you don't lift it (or don't lift it properly) you get cramps, sure.
i give up. you just don't get some people have smaller fingers.
lifting my hand to the top of the stick so my palm COVERS the lower hat allows me to comfortablly reach the top view hat. it also does NOT let me hold the stick, as now i have nothing to hold on to. my trigger finger and middle finger are both on the trigger, so they can not grip, my palm has to be lifted off the stick as to not activate the lower hat, so all i have is my ring and pinky fingers to move the stick.
my whole point of explaining this was to let the perspective buyer know. you come along like the designer saying "no you just aren't holding it right" not even thinking about the difference in hand sizes. i have short stubby fingers and the top of the CH fighterstick is not designed for people with smaller hands. that is the end of it.
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CH hand mod as explained to me by another CH user with "small hands".
Go to your local hardware store and buy a long length of foam pipe covering insulation. Cut a piece approximately 1 inch wide off and wrap it around the bottom of your Flightstick where your hand rests currently. If necessary use electrical tape to hald it in place. Repeat as needed. Apparently it works like a charm and adds some cushion to the hand rest.
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I don't know why everyone dissmissing the X-52. Lots a buttons , all programable. I believe the stick has no pots that can go bad. Plus the the stick is adjustable for smaller hands. Dont get me wrong its not CH but it is much cheaper.
I compare it to my old sidewinder PP2. Has the same feel but with a longer throw.
For the money the X-52 is hard to beat especialy when paired with old gamport ch peds (cheap can be found for about $25).
Bronk
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I have an X-52 i bought around christmas. I like it except for three things:
#1 - I have big hands & the second trigger hits my pinkie so I cant wrap my hand around it the way I would like. It's minor & I just killed the pinkie trigger in the profiler so I din't hit it on accident. Now it does nothing & I can press it down on accident without doing something I didn't mean to. But it's a switch/button I can't use that I paid for.
#2 - When I try to EASE the stick into fine corrections it has a *plastic on plastic* rubbing that hangs or catches & that makes it jump (fine aiming adjustments on someones 6 is difficult). I have tried lithium grease & an electronics lubricant from my dads TV service days & it hasn't helped. Of course I haven't taken it apart either, if I did that I'm sure I could correct it.
#3 - It has developed a slight "drift" when pressed forward. When I am in a tank & I pan up or down & I don't take special care to be sure it returns to center I notice it slowly panning by itself.
If I had it to do over again I'd probably go CH; a few of my squaddies have CH gear & have nothing but good to say about it.
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Sorry, Mustaine, I didn't know your hands are really that small. Bear with me, I didn't mean to offend you - my apologies if I should have come across like this!
You know, I've just seen more than enough mates complain about "too small hands" before - and each and every time it turned out they simply didn't know they were supposed to simply change the grip. Most of these guys had hands of the same size as mine, some had smaller hands. Even the 12yo old brother of my son's best friend is (more or less) able to use my stick this way - it looks not really right, yet, but it did the trick. It looks like he's shaking hands with the stick, with the thumb resting on the POV-coolie, the index finger on the trigger, the middle finger's top just touching the stick's front right under the trigger, and the other side of the stick held by the fold/bend (sorry, English is not my native tongue) between his index finger and thumb - it is possible, for him. Needless to mention that his hand doesn't rest on anything in this high grip - but neither does mine, since it's not supposed to rest anywhere.
I really didn't know your hands are that small, please excuse me if I should have come across as trying to lecture you.
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Hey thanx don i might just have to dig out my CH again & follow your inst:)
Presenly using saitek cyborg stik cus i thought my hands were small:)
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Link to a cheap CH "fix" (http://geomatikk.cc/sprocket/index.php?topic=92.0)
Worked for me .
My "wish" was that CH would make the 586 USB Combat stick with 2 8 way hats , that way I could use the lower left one for views . It fits me perfect , but as of now it's only a DAMN 4 WAY HAT .
Come on CH , get with it :P Just one more 8 way hat and I wouldn't ever look at another stick ever :)
Ya I had a Cougar , sent it back , even with lighter springs I didn't like the way it felt at the center . One on the fourm said it right , try "drawing" a circle with it , compared to other sticks . My shooting was not to hot with a Cougar .
I like the X-36 but the dumb hats were out fast for me , and the new ones I don't care for with that "spring" loaded center . Not good for fine adjustments IMO . At least for me .
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I've owned several CH Products sticks and pedals, and I like them very much.
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Originally posted by airspro
My "wish" was that CH would make the 586 USB Combat stick with 2 8 way hats , that way I could use the lower left one for views . It fits me perfect , but as of now it's only a DAMN 4 WAY HAT .
Come on CH , get with it :P Just one more 8 way hat and I wouldn't ever look at another stick ever :)
Ya I had a Cougar , sent it back , even with lighter springs I didn't like the way it felt at the center . One on the fourm said it right , try "drawing" a circle with it , compared to other sticks . My shooting was not to hot with a Cougar .
[/B]
I think a dremel and a little grinder will make an 8 way out of a 4 way in a flash. The only difference is a little plastic under the hat.
The Cougar has a lot of settings that can be tweeked. You can customize the axis profile for each axis. On the stock Cougar, remove the deadband and you can do some good circles on the analizer. And the analizer is quite percise, with the ability to draw a line, so any twitch of your hand will register.
It is too bad most people can't put their hands on the stick before they buy them. Each one has a different feel, and everyone has a different preference in what they are looking for.
Gunner
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Neither CH or Cougar are better than the other. It's a matter of preference.
I find the stiffer feel of the cougar a plus, yet some people find it a bad thing. Weaklings, and you should try flying a real plane, its not loose at all. I had the CH setup for a while and had to mod it with an o-ring to make it stiffer.
Otherwise, both are great. I cant distinguish difference in precision, both are very precise. My Cougar's ANT RNG rotary is funky, both otherwise have never given me any problem, not even the pots. On the CH I had to replace the throttle due to the microstick becoming loose and disattaching. The replacement had the same problem hours into using it.
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My butt beard would control a plane better than an X45
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well i had a cougar for two weeks now , and hate it , since connecting it , havent liked nor have i been able to fly with it , so at min it back in box with a big "£$"% for sale sign on it .
yes with mods but might be differant , but hell i might as well go try CH for how much that lot gonna set me back . so until i sort out another stick and work the overtime to pay for it , my flying days are over .
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Its the best Ive ever owned. I've never had a CH or cougar, never even seen one in a store. My favorite feature is the throttle. the 4-way under my index finger moved right or left controls gear changes or flaps depending on stick set in use. Moved up or down controls gun zoom in/out. The buttons under the thumb are my squad and range vox. On the x45 I used the little button behind the mouse pointer to work brakes. I use 2nd hat to jump to gun positions (gv and bomber stick sets).
Here's the BAD NEWS -- I just built a really cool new gaming PC and my X52 doesnt work (see my post about X52 misbehaving). Other sticks work on new PC, X52 works on old. Unless someone can help me solve this, it means a new joystick, and a "brand" new X52 that I can't return. In order to get a similar setup from CH, I'll have to purchase the separate throttle (another $150) for a $250 - $300 joystick setup. Thats pretty steep when i've just built two new PC's for me & my son, added a network, and upgraded the old PC. (My living room is littered w/ boxes, foam peanuts, and paperwork and the all hell is going to break loose around here if I don't get this place cleaned up.)
As I recall stone - you were looking/pricing a similar system to mine. Just a warning that an X52 might not work w/ your board (for some mysterious reason)
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I don't know wheere you're buying your stuff but someone's ripping you off :)
x52 is around 90-100, here for example http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=301766
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As has already been posted, the choice of a HOTAS setup is very much a personal thing.
I love my CH gear. It's reliable and has a multitude of programming options.
I love my Cougar even more. Maybe I can't draw a perfect circle with it, but that's never been a problem for me. I don't draw alot of circles while flying. I'm consistantly able to put it where I need it. The heavy springs are WONDERFUL, in my opinion. That'd be the first upgrade I'd do to my CH Fighterstick if I thought that heavier springs wouldn't break the thing. As I just posted in the CH Hanger forums, I must have had a "peach" of a Cougar while others have been stuck with lemons. I have a very early serial number which I've owned since about a month after they were released. In constant heavy use in the years since then, I've never had a problem with my dogfight or speedbrake switches. There's not an undue amount of sticktion on the throttle. I've always been able to get pretty minute power changes out of it. No broken springs. No death of the throttle despite never unplugging it while flashing firmware or even plugging it in, as seems to be the Cougar communities suggestions. No unreasonable amount of center play in the stick. I just yesterday started seeing some pot spiking on the stick's X-axis. I've decided that this is an opportunity to go ahead and upgrade to Halls and maybe even a fancy gimbal system. Not because I feel that my Cougar really NEEDS it, but because it'll make an already great stick even better.
In the meantime, I'm transitioning back to my CH gear. The different button/rotary choices on the throttle & stick are no big deal. Both layouts have their pros & cons. It's just a matter of relearning the CH layouts I programmed years ago, and updating some of them since the CH programming software has made great strides forward since I've last used this gear regularly. I do sorely miss the strong stick springs as well as the detents and arc of the throttle though.
If I were on a budget I'd imagine that I could be happy with the Siatek gear as well. All reports of it have been fairly good. Seems to not be quite as capable of tricky programming like the Cougar & Ch stuff is, but I've found that I really don't mess with too much of that anyways. I prefer not to overwhelm myself with hundreds of commands on the stick, using the clickable cockpits for sims such as Falcon 4.0 AF & MSFS. Seems more realistic that way as well. Don't really care for the "space fighter" look of the Siatek gear, but looks are only skin deep, as they say. :)
The one main bonus of going with a full CH setup (stick, throttle & pedals) is that the software can combine all of them into one stick as far as the system is concerned. So if you're playing an older sim that only recognizes one controller, you'll be able to use them all. In fact, you can add the Throttle Quadrant and Yoke in as well if you like to fly bombers in AH or multiengine planes in GA sims. (Of course, if you're willing to do some hacking & soldering, you can hook your USB CH Pedals up to your Cougar. :) )
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FWIW I think the Cougar is meant to be positioned like in an F-16.
Low, beside the leg... not up on a desk.
This may help but it isn't convenient.
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I've decided that this is an opportunity to go ahead and upgrade to Halls and maybe even a fancy gimbal system. Not because I feel that my Cougar really NEEDS it, but because it'll make an already great stick even better.
It's well worth it. Last month I decided to order a U2NXT, and it is a work of art. It feels even better then it looks :) If you like your Cougar, this is a must have.
FWIW I think the Cougar is meant to be positioned like in an F-16.
I found lowering the Cougar makes it much easier to reach the buttons, but it does not feel right when I pull the stick back. The real F16 stick does not move (much) as it uses a pressure senor, and not pots/halls. I think it feels better higher on the table.
Gunner
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Originally posted by Connection
Weaklings, and you should try flying a real plane, its not loose at all. I had the CH setup for a while and had to mod it with an o-ring to make it stiffer.
Did that. It had a yolk. :D