TM H.O.T.A.S or CH H.O.T.A.S?

[SkyChimp]

TM Cougar H.O.T.A.S or CH H.O.T.A.S?



*Fighterstick usb*

*Pro throttle*

This is a few months from now =)

[Silat]

CH is the way................
Tmaster if a nice piece that wasnt finished. If you have $300 over the price of the HOTAS then you can mod it to a very 2 workable state.

[DonULFonso]

You can live without any support whatsoever? You don't mind to pay for replacements during your warranty ('cause the manufacturer doesn't reply)? You don't expect your gear to work like a charm right out of the box (and don't mind to fix a switch or two yourself)? You plan on modding your gear to work smooth as silk with some fancy gimbals (to work around the center-slop) such as force-sensors or Hall-sensors instead of the stock potentiometers? You've got the money to spend on modding and don't mind to do so (investing about twice as much as your stock gear costs)? You don't plan to go 64-bit any time soon (and thus don't worry about missing drivers)?

Then Guillemot's HOTAS Cougar definitively is the gear for you (TM died back in '98, you know)!

If however you should expect your gear to work like a charm and smooth as silk right out of the box, with nothing in need of do-it-yourself repairs or replacement, and if you should think that you as a customer have got a right for a working support and customer-care, and if you should want to use your new gear no matter which OS you ever might upgrade to, then you might want to take a closer look at CH Products' products.

Just my 2cts as an ex-TM-user (since '94, mind) who just recently migrated to CH.

[SkyChimp]

I herd ch is very very very very very very very lose...


I want something that is a little harder to push.. =)

[SkyChimp]

Also my hands aren't big!!



I'd also wouldn't mind working on it but id like to be able to play for 5 months or so before i need to do work =)

[DonULFonso]

Well, yes, the Fighterstick is much softer than the HOTAS Cougar, that's true. However, the HOTAS Cougar's stock springs are that stiff and hard that it's absolutely impossible to e.g. circle it around in a clear circle. The Fighterstick's springs are soft enough to allow for an exact fine-control and hard enough to have a clear feeling of the axes.

As for the size of the handle, the Fighterstick and the HOTAS Cougar are of the same size. Both handles are designed to be used like this: usually, your hand will rest on the plate at the base of the stick, and all controls except the upper POV-hat and thumb-button are easy to reach; if you want to use the POV-coolie or the thumb-button, then you change from this "low grip" to the "high grip" and raise your hand to control said hat or button with your thumb. That's by design, BTW, and nothing to worry about WRT "small hands".

You can use the HOTAS Cougar out-of-the-box but you'll have to adjust the misaligned speedbrake-switch by rotating it into the proper orientation, else it will break rather sooner than later. You might get a stick with a lot of initial center-play, or you might be lucky and get one without too much of it. But the real pain is the stck springs of the gimbals (see above).

[SkyChimp]

Originally posted by DonULFonso
Well, yes, the Fighterstick is much softer than the HOTAS Cougar, that's true. However, the HOTAS Cougar's stock springs are that stiff and hard that it's absolutely impossible to e.g. circle it around in a clear circle. The Fighterstick's springs are soft enough to allow for an exact fine-control and hard enough to have a clear feeling of the axes.

As for the size of the handle, the Fighterstick and the HOTAS Cougar are of the same size. Both handles are designed to be used like this: usually, your hand will rest on the plate at the base of the stick, and all controls except the upper POV-hat and thumb-button are easy to reach; if you want to use the POV-coolie or the thumb-button, then you change from this "low grip" to the "high grip" and raise your hand to control said hat or button with your thumb. That's by design, BTW, and nothing to worry about WRT "small hands".

You can use the HOTAS Cougar out-of-the-box but you'll have to adjust the misaligned speedbrake-switch by rotating it into the proper orientation, else it will break rather sooner than later. You might get a stick with a lot of initial center-play, or you might be lucky and get one without too much of it. But the real pain is the stck springs of the gimbals (see above).

Thanks!!!

[Balsy]

And besides your limp wristed... so the CH will give you all the pushback you can handle.



Balsy

[DAVENRINO]

Originally posted by SkyChimp
Also my hands aren't big!!



I'd also wouldn't mind working on it but id like to be able to play for 5 months or so before i need to do work =)

I use the upper hat on the fighterstick for autopilot functions and the 8-way on the throttle for views.

I don't want to EVER work on mine.   Actually, I did change out a pot in the stick once.  I robbed one from the stick's throttle but they are only a couple dollars to buy and take 15 minutes to change.

[Wilbus]

You got alot of *Pro* CH users to answer this thread

We've discussed it some already online.

Many people say "CH support rules". Well, it just ain't so, atleast not for me. After I recieved the Pro Pedals (bout 5 months ago now) they spiked right out of the box. Mailed CH support and they told me to "Buy new pots" and they were friendly enough to send me a link where I could buy new pots to the new pedals, geee wiz thanks.

They don't spike all that much at the moment so I can fly with them but that is not the issue, they should've sent me a new pot for free no questions asked more or less.

The only other experience I have with CH was my first stick, CH Flightstick which started spiking heavily after a year or so. Maybe I've just had the bad luck of getting the bad apples.

I think CH may be right for you anyway, like I said before, they are WAY too lose for me, felt really bad although I know they make great stuff.

I love my Cougar, it is still unmodded and it won't be modded for many many months to come. Would I like to exchange the gimbals in the future? Yes. Because of too much resistance? No but because I want a solid equal resistance no matter where I move the stick.

As it is now up, down, left and right (so 0, 90, 180 and 270 degree angles of the stick) give me 50% resistance. If I move it outside of this, say up and left the gimbals "work together" so to speak and give me 100% resistance.

Anoying? Nha, not really, only in the beginning, I don't even notice it when flying anymore, mostly because my stick pretty much never is straight up/down/left/right. It is always in some other possition.

[FOGOLD]

My pedals brake axis went AWOL after 1.5 years and RC Simulations (http://www.rcsimulations.com/switch.htm) sent me a new set Gratis BEFORE I even sent the other set back!

CH have tightened their guarantee periods since then, but still! I was well impressed.

I had a Cougar, but everything that needs to be said has been said. Needless to say I don't have it any more.

[SkyChimp]

Damn.. Thanks all:D


Still don't know but i'll wait.!! I not gunna get um for awhile tho just asking =)

[wrag]

Hmmm........

CH has always treated me extremely well.

Had a problem with the view hat on the throttle and they fixed it.

Took 3 times mind you.  2nd try I didn't  put the reason for sending it in and somehting else got changed.

3rd time it got fixed and has been working great ever since.

Total cost was right at $12.00 but it was out of warrenty.

Sold on CH stuff myself.

[SKBG Seadog]

I use the COUGAR. I don't like it for AH . But for Falcon 4.0 I wouldn't have anything else. Flying the F16 you don't need so much stick or rudder.

[sprint]

SkyChimp ...

My old stick looks like hell, (not the spare stick)  duck tape around the base, and the palm rest has been modified to fit small hands .. The pot are excellent and has been maintained and have been replaced when needed ... its ugly, but works very well.

I'll have to send you my setup files (the sick is already program) for AH.  Everyone has their own way of programing the FLCS-16 and TQS ... but I really like my setup.

s r i n t