Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: Wanker on October 19, 2001, 08:56:00 AM
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I hate to admit it, but I gave up on Saitek too early. About four years ago, I bought a Saitek X36/35 gaming rig, and had nothing but problems with it. Their programming app sucked, too. So, ever since, I've been a CH Products man.
Well, I was lucky enough to win a Saitek X45 system as the con banquet, and after spending a couple hours to program it, I am deeply impressed. The programming tool that Saitek has now, the SGE, is incredibly powerful, yet easy to use.
I still use my CH Pro Pedals USB for rudder action, because I like to use my feet for the rudder. So on the X45, I use the rudder thingie for my map zoom and view zoom. It works great!
Anyone considering purchasing a HOTAS setup, I would strongly recommend the Saitek X45 over the CH Products Pro Line.
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Originally posted by banana:
I hate to admit it, but I gave up on Saitek too early. About four years ago, I bought a Saitek X36/35 gaming rig, and had nothing but problems with it. Their programming app sucked, too. So, ever since, I've been a CH Products man.
Well, I was lucky enough to win a Saitek X45 system as the con banquet, and after spending a couple hours to program it, I am deeply impressed. The programming tool that Saitek has now, the SGE, is incredibly powerful, yet easy to use.
I still use my CH Pro Pedals USB for rudder action, because I like to use my feet for the rudder. So on the X45, I use the rudder thingie for my map zoom and view zoom. It works great!
Anyone considering purchasing a HOTAS setup, I would strongly recommend the Saitek X45 over the CH Products Pro Line.
How about longevity? The majority of the reports I've seen is that the buttons and switches are cheap and wear out fast.
Does your new stick feel solid?
I've checked them out at local shops/shows and they are not at all comfortable in my fat paw. Top to bottom distance is a bit short.
My CH F16 Fighter Stick (over 3 years old) fits very nice and ALL buttons are at my fingertips without moving my hand.
Question on the Stick Pivot: Could you program it for view sweep?
Viper
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Ive had a Saitek X36 USB for more than a year now, and it has given me NO problems at all. Still works as if it was new out of the box. All buttons are working fine, etc.
The only drawback I see in this setup is, that Saitek still hasnt released programing software for Windows 2000/XP
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I use the rocker for the aileron trim. THe map zoom goes on the thumb rotor on the seonnd setting of three (middle)on the oval thingy on the throttle while the rotor is elevator trim while on the 1st setting.
Also over a year with this X36 combo set with all buttons working. I did move fr & fl view to oval hat on throttle instead of 8way hat #1 on stick as RF view was 1st to go on 1st USB X36.
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the hats burn out quick on the X36's, not sure if they changed at all on the newer stick. Mine is about 5 months old, and the main hat is already getting a little squirrelly (hehe, that's not a word!) I use the rudder rocker for my flap controls (and shifting in the GVs).
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How do you use the rotary knobs on the throttle for trim? I would give my left eye to know how to get that set up!
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Goodbye CH, Hello Saitek
God help you banana. :)
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Originally posted by Kratzer:
How do you use the rotary knobs on the throttle for trim? I would give my left eye to know how to get that set up!
I'm not sure you can with the way trim in AH is setup. AH trim works by moving a just a lil' bit for each keystroke. I'm not sure you can set it on a sliding scale (or even a pseudo-axis). As it is, my rotaries just do a keystroke. Back rotary works gear and tailhook. Front rotary works damage and the map (rangrbob profile I think.) the little mini hat on the back is what I use for elevator/aileron trim. I use the 4way hat on the stick for rudder trim (as well as zoom in/zoom out for gunsight and bombsight views.)
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Funked...heh ;)
I use the 8 way Hat #1 on the joystick for the views, and when I shift with the pinky, I get all the views in the "Looking up" mode. 16 views in one little hat. Not bad.
I use hat #2(4-way) on the stick for my aileron and elevator trim. I haven't even tried using the dials on the throttle yet, because I already have more functions programmed than I was used to on my CH gear.
Did I fail to mention that some of the buttons are now lighted. ;)
As far as the programming tools go, the SGE of Saitek beats the pants off the CH control manager.
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One more thing....CH requires you, everytime you boot the pc, to launch the CH control manager, load the profile you want to use, then activate it. Only then can you start the game you want to play.
The SGE of Saitek requires you to....start the game, and it automagically loads the correct profile into your X45 for you. Now that's what I call service! :)
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Ummmm banana you can do the same 8 way plus a "up" key on your CH setup too. At least you can if you have the Fighterstick or the newer stick (the 586? or something?).
In a year, talk to me about that Saitek and tell me if you have the same opinon. ;)
Remember our deal on first refusal :D
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Verm, you ignorant slut ;)
You forgot to mention what hoops you have to do to get the shift thingie to work on the CH gear. Don't get me wrong, the CH gear is still very good(I oughtta know, I just bought the whole HOTAS the day before I won my X45!) but the SGE of Saitek is so much user-friendly.
How many lighted buttons does your fancy CH joystick have, huh? I thought so.
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Originally posted by Kratzer:
How do you use the rotary knobs on the throttle for trim? I would give my left eye to know how to get that set up!
Kratzer here is my profile to look at. Very simple as I have not used to many of the programming functions .. the stick is smarter than I am :)
http://www.pogbird.com/AcesHigh_Profile.zip (http://www.pogbird.com/AcesHigh_Profile.zip)
To use the rotors as trim you have to band tehm into three bands leaving the center a small band without any functions. Trick is to keep the rotors centered. You may have to rock the rotor back thru center to active as they go to sleep when you go in and out of auto pilot. No big deal, comes 2nd nature after a while. Let me know if you have any questions..
[ 10-19-2001: Message edited by: Eagler ]
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You can easily set it up to have all the views ie normal, up and down on hat 1.
The way i have it is i use the fire button on throttle to give me the up views in modes 1 to 3 and when used with the shift key (modes 1 to 3 with pinkie) it gives you all the down views.
You should be able to set most of the actual switches to give you the same result except the rotaries of course.
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Eagler, I think he was meaning to use the rotaries to directly control the trim (at least that's how I interpreted him.) Meaning if the rotary is in the neutral position, the trim is neutral. If I rotate the nob fully to the right, the trim goes fully to the right. Basically, wherever the rotary dial is set, that's where your trim is set is what I think he was asking about.
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well the trim moves in the direction u spin the rotor but u have to center it to stop it otherwise it will max out in the direction it is going, not always bad. With the indent on the rotors, finding center is easy. My setup isn't for everyone but it works ok for me and my 109.
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The rotaries are useless for trim, I had a hat assigned to trim- but then lost the main 8-way hat because it stopped working so had to move my views to the other hat.
I found the rotaries work very well for RPM1 and RPM2 inside the game if you assign them there.
Works well when you need to save gas or need to glide a long distance.
Just remember to turn it back up after that sortie. I forgot and ended up flying around a 190A8 at 5,000RPMs- I got 5 kills with it- but it was so slow and horrible at zooming it was pathetic.
-SW
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banana, my darling prison Biotch ;)
I don't need no stinking lighted buttons :p
And I got my "up" ie 5 key on my pinky button on the stick, so up and any direction was programmed easily on my first try in speed keys. :)
btw as Yankee said, I caught your damn "Minnesota Cooties", and now I am sick as a dog :p I'll get even at next years CON.
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Only 16 views, banana?
I programmed mine for 24. I use the "mouse hat" thingie on the throttle, up and down shift the view accordingly, and left and right zoom out and in. That way, in bomber sight mode, I can zoom in while at the same time looking down at my target.
I use the pinkie switch for switching zoom on or off.
I use rotaries for trimming. That's what they're made for, and I have a thick skull and wanted to use them for that purpose, so I manage. ;)
Hat on the back of the throttle controls level autopilot, gear, displays clipboard and damage. D button is for talking, "mouse" button for voice commands to GameCommander (yelling "17 front!" takes less time than deciding which key will send me to front gunner on the B17, and frees my other hats for something else).
BTW I think you don't have the "mouse" button on the X45. Well, I think that's the button most likely to fail. Mine is beginning to give me trouble.
I really like my stick, but it really pisses me off that Saitek won't release the Windows 2000/XP software anytime soon.
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Lighted buttons are a Godsend. My room is usually pitch black, so I can see things better at night in WWIIOL. ;)
Of course I have WinXP...so the X45 will have to wait. :(
BTW, is calibration necessary for the X45?
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Thanks for the setup Eagler... I'll take a look when I get home tonight.
It would be great to be able to assign the rotary axis to the trim - which I can do in that Il-2 demo and in CFS2 - it was great, but for some reason both would only recognize the 'thumb' rotor.
As for the setup, since we're whippin' out and comparing:
The 4 way left hand hat on mine is set to flap control, or I would put it there... the second hat on the right hand is for head movement (left, right, up, back), the left hand 'mouse' button is gear - I can't get the mouse mini-stick to calibrate correctly, so it is nothing... the pinkie switch is the map, the 'launch' is zoom, the 'D' fire is WEP, and the 'C' fire is mapped to my battlecomm mic toggle... but I think that i need to move that switch onto the 4 way left hand hat so that I can more easily look in a direction and talk over BC at the same time. The left hand 'fire' is an 'up' modifier to go with my views on the primary hat.
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banana!! What ya doing with your "old" CH stuff??
I heard Funked sold a USB CH Combatstick for a good price, I never knew! :(
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The longevity of the top hats on the x36 is pretty much anemic, very nice stick to fly with though.
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I dunno - I've had my X36 for more than a year, and the hats work fine.
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right at 2 years on mine, hat is a little squirly but not a prob. am still totaly in love with it .