New life to an old stick

[Mustaine]

never thought of a dremel.... i own 2




what about material, can you picture what i want? like a flat mushroom shaped thing, or something with a bit of grip...  is there a specific product you'd recommend?

[DREDIOCK]

The pointy tip on the coolie hat on my TMN was making my thumb sore. so all I did is heat up a knife and melted it down to smooth it over some. I pulled it straight up when done and ended up with a semi rough texture thats comfortable yet provieds some  traction

(yea I like playing with fire LOL)

another thought. Instead of cutting the stick.

Clay, We're only talking about what do we need? maybe 1/2 inch to an inch

Mold some of that clay that hardens around the portion of the stick you rest your hand on, You can even shape it to fit your specific hand to a true custom fit.

Might be better as a first try without running the risk of screwing up a $100 stick by cutting it. And if it doesnt work you can always cut it later

[HomeBoy]

Originally posted by DREDIOCK
Clay, We're only talking about what do we need? maybe 1/2 inch to an inch

Mold some of that clay that hardens around the portion of the stick you rest your hand on, You can even shape it to fit your specific hand to a true custom fit.

Might be better as a first try without running the risk of screwing up a $100 stick by cutting it. And if it doesnt work you can always cut it later [/B]

Fine idea!

[Xjazz]

Hi

Very nice modification.

I'm a happy CH FighterStick user with small hands. You find my solution from here.

It work for me just fine.

[Roscoroo]

My Question is Why use a logijunk Board in it ??  does the logitech board respond smoothly /correctly with Real Potentiometers in it ??

I used a Saitec St 290 pro board in my 1st mad catz panther and wired in a game port for my peds it worked sweet ... with the exception of losing the trim button and 2 of the base buttons.

[HomeBoy]

Originally posted by Roscoroo
My Question is Why use a logijunk Board in it ??  does the logitech board respond smoothly /correctly with Real Potentiometers in it ??

I used a Saitec St 290 pro board in my 1st mad catz panther and wired in a game port for my peds it worked sweet ... with the exception of losing the trim button and 2 of the base buttons.

I was wondering when someone was going to ask that question.  What's logijunk is the pots!  Those are by far the crappiest pots I have EVER seen in my life, and I'm 53 years old!  When I first pulled one of them out, I didn't recogize it as a pot.  I thought it was a plastic clip that held the pot in place!  As for the PCB, it works very well indeed.  You do have to change power supplies as the one that comes with the Logitech is too small and the one that came with the Force FX is too large.  A 12VDC 1A AC adaptor is "just right.'

In fact, if you could replace the pots in a Logitech stick with "real" pots, it would probably be a pretty decent stick.  Problem is, there is just no room in there for anything larger than what's there.  I really hate the goofy "Star Trek" look of the things too but that's a personal problem I guess.

[airspro]

Simple and easy fix . I got the parts at the local hardware store . 1.5" L bracket and hose clamp , works very good for time and effort that went into it .

As for the hat causeing you pain in the thumb , I went after it with a file and rounded the center so it's nice now , very easy to do and costs nothing to boot .

I did raise my elbow rest up also , that at least 2.5" above the desk top now .

Spro

PS: it works good , check my Fighter hit percent
Edit : hat pic added

[HomeBoy]

Originally posted by airspro
As for the hat causeing you pain in the thumb , I went after it with a file and rounded the center so it's nice now , very easy to do and costs nothing to boot .

Except that you cut your picture off short of seeing your coolie hat!

[airspro]

Added hat fix . np

[DonULFonso]

Originally posted by RTSigma
I'm thinking of find out how to make my Fighterstick shorter, the base of the stick is too far down for me thumb to reach the 8way hat.

Your comment that "the base of the stick is too far down for me thumb to reach the 8way hat" quite likely (absolutely sure, but anyway) is based ona pretty common misunderstanding:

CH's Fighterstick (just like TM's HOTAS Cougar) is modelled after the flightstick used in the F-16 fighter. Its development and design has cost the USAF quite some time and money, and you may believe (or not) that its shape is ergonomical.

If you're having difficulties with reaching B2 (the thumb button on top of the stick, next to the POV-coolie) or the POV-coolie (the 8-way hat on top) with your thumb, then this might not be an issue of the stick but of you using it in a wrong way.

This stick is supposed to be used in two ways:

• Usually, your hand rests on the plate at the base of the stick - this is the so-called "low grip" which allows you to reach the trigger (of course) as well as the lower 3 coolie-hats and buttons 3 (on the left side of the stick) and 4 (the "pinkie" on the lower front of the stick);
  
  
• If you need to reach for the POV-coolie or button 2 (left of the POV-coolie), you are supposed to change into the so-called "high grip" by raising your hand from the plate.

I don't have too big hands, either - but I've never had any issues with using my HOTAS during the past dozen years. I don't mean to lecture you, but you'd be surprised just how many virtual fighter jockeys simply do not know about this.

[HomeBoy]

Originally posted by DonULFonso
CH's Fighterstick (just like TM's HOTAS Cougar) is modelled after the flightstick used in the F-16 fighter. Its development and design has cost the USAF quite some time and money, and you may believe (or not) that its shape is ergonomical.]

Ulf,
I don't doubt the validity of what you are saying here.  However, in the real F-16, the coolie hat is not a POV.  Most people use the coolie as a POV which means their hand is ALWAYS in the "high grip" position.  I suspect that if that hat was indeed a POV in RL, this stick design would have been rejected.

Maybe this is yet another example that making something more realistic is not always making things better.  Hmmm

Sounds like the real solution this this problem is three letters:  TIR

cheers!

[airspro]

Most people use the coolie as a POV which means their hand is ALWAYS in the "high grip" position. I suspect that if that hat was indeed a POV in RL, this stick design would have been rejected.

Amen bother ! Well said .


If they just would make the lower left hat a 8 way , problems would be solved

What CH should do is make a good NON F16 stick that WORKS and is NOT modeled after ANYTHING but good for us armchair fighter pilots THe Saitek X36 stick was good fitting to me and many others , too damn bad they had such ****ty hats hehe

I buy CH gear cause the other stuff on the market at this time just don't last or needs to be moded to much ( as in driving up costs to IMO unreasonalbe levels ) I don't buy it because it looks like a F16 stick , and I bet most people don't buy it for that reason either , enough said about that .

[Mustaine]

" both of you.

I understand the whole "high / low" position on the stick, just don't like it.


If I had my way a logitec extreme 3d stick had the best gaming ergonomics i personally have used. put the quality of the CH products in the electronics and materials, shape it like an ergonomic gamer would like and you got yourself the ultimate product.



heck if i knew where to buy raw materials, and make molds for the quality plastic that CH uses I'd try and fashion a stick handle myself. make it a solid deal and use the dremel to fashion the holes / mountings for the hats and buttons. then drill a hole down the center for the wires, and voila! make the last inch of the stick shaped exactly like the base of the factory CH stick, and attach it to the stock base.

[Roscoroo]

oh cmok ... the f-16 stick wasnt designed with gaming and POV hat in mind ..

there all a pain in the tail to reach comfortbly ...

[DREDIOCK]

Originally posted by DonULFonso
Your comment that "the base of the stick is too far down for me thumb to reach the 8way hat" quite likely (absolutely sure, but anyway) is based ona pretty common misunderstanding:

CH's Fighterstick (just like TM's HOTAS Cougar) is modelled after the flightstick used in the F-16 fighter. Its development and design has cost the USAF quite some time and money, and you may believe (or not) that its shape is ergonomical.

If you're having difficulties with reaching B2 (the thumb button on top of the stick, next to the POV-coolie) or the POV-coolie (the 8-way hat on top) with your thumb, then this might not be an issue of the stick but of you using it in a wrong way.

This stick is supposed to be used in two ways:

• Usually, your hand rests on the plate at the base of the stick - this is the so-called "low grip" which allows you to reach the trigger (of course) as well as the lower 3 coolie-hats and buttons 3 (on the left side of the stick) and 4 (the "pinkie" on the lower front of the stick);
  
  
• If you need to reach for the POV-coolie or button 2 (left of the POV-coolie), you are supposed to change into the so-called "high grip" by raising your hand from the plate.

I don't have too big hands, either - but I've never had any issues with using my HOTAS during the past dozen years. I don't mean to lecture you, but you'd be surprised just how many virtual fighter jockeys simply do not know about this. [/B]

But where do you keep your stick?
If its low then yea. the stick will work fine. But as for myself and Im sure alot of other people keep the stick on their desktops.
I know thats where I keep mine.
Even with my deskcair raised to its uppermost position the best I can hope to have is my elbow  level with the base of the stick. Noteven the handrest. but the base.
Which means to grab the stick comfortably Im am using the low grip position.

to use the high grip position I have to lift my entire arm up. which is ok onve in a while but not ideal for extended periods of time as it will become quite uncomfortable after a short time.

Yes this sticks were well thought out. and in an F16 where your reaching down to the stick and not up Im sure it works WONDERFULLY.
But a fair deal of us dont have nor do we want to have to have the stick lower and between our legs
So while it works great for the Air farce Its not ergonimically designed for your average home desk pilot