Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: dkff49 on June 04, 2008, 09:21:53 AM
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I know there are lots of other threads looking for advise on joysticks.
I was a searching around and found this joystick for about $25 plus shipping.
http://www.thrustmaster.com/products.aspx?CategoryID=1&PlatformID=5 (http://www.thrustmaster.com/products.aspx?CategoryID=1&PlatformID=5)
After about a year of playing AH I am going to need to replace my current joystick, which is a logitek 3-d pro. I know many of you think this is a poorly made stick, but I have had some good luck with it so far. It filled a need as a starter stick to see if I was going to like AH but now it is starting to need re-calibrated regularly. I guess this is happening from the pots wearing out.
Either way. The criteria I need for a stick is the following:
Inexpensive: I know this is a relative term. cost should be below or close to $50. The reason is because I will be carrying the stick to and from work since I can use the work computer for gaming and breaking anything more than that would be very disappointing.
Max buttons on stick. I do not like to have to search the keyboard for controls and the controllers with 4-5 buttons on them is not enough for me. I would like to see 10-12 buttons at least.
Hopefully a few of you have used the above stick and have good remarks otherwise I will need to get the same model I have currently in order to meet the criteria that I set.
Any other suggestions are welcome and appreciated.
thanks
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I used the same Microsoft Sidewinder 3D Pro for almost 12 years until I built my new computer (without a joystick port).
I bought a Saitek ST290 Pro. The main fire trigger quit working in under 3 months. This was Saturday night, Memorial day weekend when it quit. I went to Best Buy the next morning and picked up a Saitek Av8tor which I like much better than the ST290. Only time will tell how long it will last.
In the interim, I contacted newegg to get an RMA on the broken ST290. They sent me an e-mail saying either keep it or trow it away, your new stick is in the mail. Newegg ROCKS!
Now I have a good ST290, a broken ST290 and a good Av8tor. I guess I'll take the broken one apart one day to see what happened to it.
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I looked at those earlier BaldEagl. Couple of questions for you though.
How comfortable is the front mounted throttle? Was it difficult to get feel for?
What is that red switch in the front for?
How many total buttons are on the stick itself (ie 1 trigger and 3 buttons on top)? I have been having a hard time finding a close u p pic of stick. The one on Saitek website does not show any of these clealry.
Thanks
:salute
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I looked at those earlier BaldEagl. Couple of questions for you though.
How comfortable is the front mounted throttle? Was it difficult to get feel for?
What is that red switch in the front for?
How many total buttons are on the stick itself (ie 1 trigger and 3 buttons on top)? I have been having a hard time finding a close u p pic of stick. The one on Saitek website does not show any of these clealry.
Thanks
:salute
I assume you're talking about the Av8tor?
I don't use the throttle. I never have used a joystick throttle. I've got mine mapped to my mouse wheel. My joystick is in my left hand (left handed) with my mouse in my right. I've also never used a hat switch for views. I've always used the num pad which I got used to 12 years ago and never changed so I map my hat switch for other things. I can quickly jump from views to throttle then back without losing a step with my right hand.
Now back to the throttle. There is one nice feature and that's that it's a dual throttle control for multi-engined aircraft which can be locked together for single engines. I've used it a little and it's not hard to get to (I mapped throttle 2 to it for a short while, using mouse for throttle 1)
The red switch in the front is an A/B selector. It allows you to have two settings for each button, or to switch between aircraft and vehicle modes for instance.
There are the main fire trigger, an 8 way hat switch and 3 buttons on the stick plus 8 buttons on the base (those toggle switches are really just two way buttons). I've got fire all, fire primary, fire secondary, flaps up, flaps down and zoom toggle all mapped to the stick now (remember, I'm using my hat for a few of these). I've got elevator trim up and down, combat trim, set trim, gear, tail hook and dive flaps mapped to the lower toggles. I really can't find a use for all these buttons but having my trim functions on the toggles is really a nice thing.
So, to answer your question, counting the trigger, there are 12 buttons x2 for a total of 24 buttons plus the hat.
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Ok, I just ordered this from Dell. $31.00 and change including shipping and tax. It seems to be exactly what I have been wanting.http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?sku=A1302849&cs=04&c=us&l=en&dgc=SS&cid=27722&lid=628335
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I used the same Microsoft Sidewinder 3D Pro for almost 12 years until I built my new computer (without a joystick port).
I really liked that stick. I retired it for the same reason. Actually mine was a Force Feedback Pro as I recall. Microsoft should have stuck with the joysticks.
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Ok, I just ordered this from Dell. $31.00 and change including shipping and tax. It seems to be exactly what I have been wanting.http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?sku=A1302849&cs=04&c=us&l=en&dgc=SS&cid=27722&lid=628335
Have you had a chance to use it in Aces High yet and I wonder how it compares to other twisty sticks ?
Thanks ...
CHECKERS
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Any other suggestions are welcome and appreciated.
thanks
Check this ebay link
http://cgi.ebay.com/Microsoft-SideWinder-Precision-2-Joystick-for-USB-Port_W0QQitemZ360058586511QQihZ023QQcategoryZ31215QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
This is a VERY smooth joystick. Virtually no drift or nose bounce whatsoever. OK so you only have 8 inputs with this stick but search ebay for a CH Products throttle. I think you'd be very pleased with that combo.
Good luck. :aok
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Have you had a chance to use it in Aces High yet and I wonder how it compares to other twisty sticks ?
Thanks ...
CHECKERS
It came in yesterday (im on a 48 hour tour at the fire dept.) so I havent had a chance to use it yet. I will post a reveiw in the next couple of days, of my intial impressions of the stick.
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i think this is best twisty stick out there, great price, plenty of buttons, easy to carry to work, at around $40.
i used mine for 4 years, then i upgraded to x52.
http://www.cluboc.net/reviews/game_gear/saitek_cyborg_evo/index.htm
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It came in yesterday (im on a 48 hour tour at the fire dept.) so I havent had a chance to use it yet. I will post a reveiw in the next couple of days, of my intial impressions of the stick.
Great , I understand about the 48 hour tour .....
I will be busy with the L.A. Roadsters show through next Monday . I will look for your initial impressions post after the show.
I have two MS Sidewinders, but they have become sloppy with use over the years . Gunnery & flight surfaces , suffers from slop in them .
I'm hoping that new Thrustmaster twisty stick will be a good replacement for them .
Regards,
CHECKERS
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Ok this is by far the best twisty stick I have ever used! Absolutely zero bounce, more buttons than you can shake a stick at, and I love the little knob on the under side of the base that you twist to increase or decrease resistance. My only problem is getting used to the new button layout(I keep reaching for buttons that are not there). This is hands down the best twisty since MS series of sticks, IMO. The only thing I would want added to this stick at this point would be a two stage trigger.
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I ordered one through Dell yesterday .
Should be here in a couple of days ....
Regards
CHECKERS
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Thanks to all that have replied.
I am still not sure which one I will purchase yet though.
The main things I am not sure about are
Are the buttons and the slider in a decent location and comfortable to locate?
and
Is the throttle slider easy to use? I know of at least one person who said that they have had problems with the slilder on theirs getting tight and becoming difficult to use.
I am kind of leaning toward the Av8tor, but still not sure.
Checkers let me know how well you like it then.
Thanks all
:salute
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I ordered one through Dell yesterday .
Should be here in a couple of days ....
Regards
CHECKERS
I received the Thrustmaster (twisty stick ) from Dell today.
It is the absolute best joystick I have ever seen or used ! It is the perfect replacement for the MS SideWinder series .
Tophat works as positive as MS sidewinders (when they were new ) , (no fumbling around landing on wrong views ) ....buttons are easy to find (without having to blindly feel around for them .... and the Thrustmaster
doesn't seem to lose calibration like the Saitek twisty sticks I tried to use in the past .
Regards,
CHECKERS