Joystick recommendations

Discussion on Computer Hardware & Custom Builds
Rhino
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Re: Joystick recommendations

Post by Rhino »

I personally wouldn't get the Logitech Flight System G940 just from looking at it, main problem I have with it over the X52 is the throttle, doesn't look like a very ergonomic design and got quite a lack of buttons, although the buttons on the base of the throttle could be useful but doubt they would get used much. The stick also doesn't look very ergonomic either... One thing that worries me about buttons on dual throttles like this is how do you use them when the throttles are not in line, you can't can't sit compatibly on both of them without them being in-line? Never used a dual throttle like that thou so can't say for sure.


The Thrustmaster Hotas Cougar looks very plain and simple, although better ergonomics but I wouldn't say it rivalled the X52s either.


The Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog dose looks pretty good, I know Stigger has one of these and loves it. Again thou it has the dual throttle which I can't see how you can really use the buttons on it while you have the engines at different revs and again the throttle itself doesn't look like a very ergonomic design. But all the cool and realistic switches and lights on the base of the throttle makes up for that :)
The stick although somewhat simple design looks very good, and from what Stigger tells me is very heavy, which is one of the X52's biggest flaws is its stick is so light that you have to push it downwards when using it in order to ensure it doesn't come up and off form the desk... Also really good for custom builds this, seen people make nice home cockpits with it :p
Not sure I would get one myself thou, price is very high and I think I would miss a lot of the X52's neat little features :)


There is also the Saitek X-65F, which dose look very good: X-65F Combat Control System - Pro Flight Simulator Controller for PC | Saitek.com
Again my biggest worry with it is the dual throttle and since the throttle is heavily laden with buttons, how do you use it comfortably when setting the throttles at different revs?
It also has "FORCE SENSING" which is one of the biggest reasons why I would consider it. Force Sensing is basically means that the "stick does not move; instead, like those found in real modern fighter jets, it responds to pressure that you exert on the handle, resulting in a fast, accurate and realistic response. With no moving parts and a shaft that is made from high grade steel, this provides incredible reliability and longevity." The biggest reason I would get this is due to reliability and how long the product should last for, as one of the other big flaws with the X52 is that one day its moving parts will ware out and not something you want from something you've spent a lot of money on. That being said my X52 is still going strong after many years now, think its about 4, maybe more and the only thing to go so far is the trigger button (luckily the x52 has a 2 stage trigger so I'm just using the 2nd stage as my trigger button now, although could possibly repair it if I opened it up but don't want to risk it quite yet).
But again its a very high price...


The stick however I would most likely get today, if my X-52 broke beyond repair, is the X-52 Pro (depending on the price, if I couldn't get a decent price I would most likely opt for an X-52 again). Although this has the same weight flaw as the X-52 stick as before, its got a few nice neat features extra and some of them could be useful, but mainly it looks better :p
It is also possible to get around the X-52's stick weight problem by screwing it down onto your desk, which there are a few ways in doing. If I was going to do it I would drill 2 holes into my desk, then have the pins sticking out of the bottom of the stick that then would fit into these holes when I want to fly, but personally I don't find the weight problem of the stick that much of an issue.
X52 Pro Flight System - Fully Integrated Stick and Throttle Flight Controller | Saitek.com
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Doc.Pock
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Re: Joystick recommendations

Post by Doc.Pock »

Well x52 has those vacuum sucrion caps you can put on the bottom. Also i wasnt really reccomending thos sticks justpointing out the hipriced ones to daneil
Cossack
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Re: Joystick recommendations

Post by Cossack »

Still x52 is expensive as hell here and even if I would both it on Ebay it would be the same thing paying for shipping.
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Daniel
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Re: Joystick recommendations

Post by Daniel »

@DocPock OOO MMM GGG do they even sell those products? o_O Who the *** would buy suuuuch expensive stuff JUST for gaming, on a PC? O_O

LOOOOOL @ quote from Amazon:
'Amazon Product Features' wrote:Product Features
- Unique replica set of the U.S. Air Force A-10C's joystick, dual throttle system and control panel
Okay! THAT'D BE the reason! xD xD -.- omg :facepalm: For the real geeks, an A-10 one... xD Best suited for DCS A-10 I guess... ;)
theRpSPT
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Re: Joystick recommendations

Post by theRpSPT »

Daniel wrote:@DocPock OOO MMM GGG do they even sell those products? o_O Who the *** would buy suuuuch expensive stuff JUST for gaming, on a PC? O_O

LOOOOOL @ quote from Amazon:


Okay! THAT'D BE the reason! xD xD -.- omg :facepalm: For the real geeks, an A-10 one... xD Best suited for DCS A-10 I guess... ;)
Are you between jobs, or maybe you are just too young to understand value for differend things. I was considering Thrustmaster HOTAS WARTHOG over X52 Pro but got Saitek. Now I am starting to regret my decicion because I already broke one x52 pro by playing, luckily I got new one for free just in time of warranty. Saitek X52 pro is good joystick in terms of having precise control and good amount of buttons (Still running out of them in simulations...). I just wish it would be little bit more sturdy. Throttle doesnt have proper tight adjustments and feels horrible, some buttons feels loose, it is also very light weight so it starts moving easily if not mounted into something.
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Daniel
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Re: Joystick recommendations

Post by Daniel »

hm... Still... expensive.


I guess the X52 is just the right (best suited) one... 8)
Rhino
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Re: Joystick recommendations

Post by Rhino »

One thing I should mention that the worst thing about all Saitek products IMO is the programming software, it sucks... Its nice that you can code things like the POVs for jets in PR which you can't really code with anything else but the biggest problem is that 1/2 way though a game the software can lock up and stop working, and can mean you loose your POVs 1/2 way though a dogfight, which is what happened to me yesterday in testing and sucked *** :p

That would IMO be the biggest reason for not going back to another Saitek product again, but probably will, I just hope in time they fix their damn software although over the years it only seems to have been getting worse as more and more products are brought out for it...

But ye, other than the weight problems, don't have the issues theRpSPT mentioned on a normal X52 myself? only button that feels somewhat loose is the "D" button which is the thumb button on the throttle, where if you press down the surrounding rubberplastic around the button it acts as pressing the button, but that is only a minor issue as its not like your going to press that down by mistake at any point its just something I've noticed :p

Also on the weight side, I know Stigger opened up his old X-52 and shoved a load of weights inside the base, something you may want to consider if its a massive problem for you? A safer bet however might be to buy a sheet of metal, cut it up to be the size you want, eith the same size of the base as the x-52 or possibly bigger to make it more stable, drill some holes into and then screw it onto the base of the X-52 though its bolting holes provided to bolt it onto a desk? Wouldn't be that hard and you would basically end up with the same result as what the Thrustmaster HOTAS WARTHOG has for its base :D
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Daniel
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Re: Joystick recommendations

Post by Daniel »

Thx a loooot for this huuuuge amount of information, Rhino!!! No, not only busy with Falklands/Malvinas-mod (naming Malvinas here too to not accidently provoke any Argentinians/Argies (ok like that? Or is that provoking at all? o_O :shock: sry then in this case... xD ) here... -.- :P ) :D :D
Rhino
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Re: Joystick recommendations

Post by Rhino »

Daniel wrote:not only busy with Falklands/Malvinas-mod
right now I'm just waiting for it to released :p
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theRpSPT
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Re: Joystick recommendations

Post by theRpSPT »

[R-DEV]Rhino wrote:One thing I should mention that the worst thing about all Saitek products IMO is the programming software, it sucks... Its nice that you can code things like the POVs for jets in PR which you can't really code with anything else but the biggest problem is that 1/2 way though a game the software can lock up and stop working, and can mean you loose your POVs 1/2 way though a dogfight, which is what happened to me yesterday in testing and sucked *** :p
Sounds like the problem is on your cable between stick and throttle losing connection which means saitek software will not load profile again mid flight.
Rhino
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Re: Joystick recommendations

Post by Rhino »

theRpSPT wrote:Sounds like the problem is on your cable between stick and throttle losing connection which means saitek software will not load profile again mid flight.
Nope, just tried doing that, checked POVs where working before, unplugged the cable from the stick to the throttle, replugged it in, worked fine again.

They only way I've been able to solve the problem, mid game, is to take out the USB cable, then replug it back in again a sec later, which restarts the profiler, although in the time your doing that, you can't control your aircraft so you need to wait until you can fly straight and level :p

My thinking might be down to my stick being plugged into a USB hub, which is then plugged into my k/b, which is just an extension cable port basically to a port on the back of my PC, but also has my space pilot plugged into this hub since both are next to each other on my desk :p

May at some point try just removing the hub and plugging one directly into the PC with an extension cable.
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theRpSPT
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Re: Joystick recommendations

Post by theRpSPT »

[R-DEV]Rhino wrote:Nope, just tried doing that, checked POVs where working before, unplugged the cable from the stick to the throttle, replugged it in, worked fine again.
Then I remembered wrong. Never had problems on POVs with pro model though. Might really be usb power issue.
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