Endy

Or...you could get yourself Freetrack, a DIY solution and either make it yourself or buy from places like this (not necessarily recommending this seller, just showing that people sell this stuff too): http://www.ebay.com/itm/OpenTrack-FreeTrack-Camera-IR-LED-Track-Clip-Pro-is-compatible-to-TrackIR-5-WH-/151751230838 Then you would save the 100 USD needed for a Warthog :)

He is a WH fanboy, true. I guess anyone who owns one is bound to be really and anything else will feel cheap and crappy in comparison so I kinda understand him. But notice how he also compares some features with an x52 and that's also important. And sure, you will find positive reviews of x55, especially if someone doesn't own or doesn't compare it to the Warthog or perhaps just wants something new and is not overly picky about ergonomy. That's the thing, x55 is probably next best to the WH right now but still that's a giant leap in quality between them. But if someone has a bigger budget and is considering these two models, then it's fair to show what exactly you're getting for the additional money you need to part with and how both fare in comparison. Ralfi's points about ergonomy are pretty valid and it was not only him showing that. What he shows about idiotic button placement is true to reality. And that doesn't have anything to do with the price but with the fact, that WH is a replica of a real military stick where all the buttonts etc are placed in a reasonable way based on military specifications and experiences. On the other hand , Saitek decided to "innovate" and made a few quite bad decisions about the stick design. Here's another review, a profesional one as well although in polish unfortunately, but some of the pictures are dynamic and show you the ergonomy problems with the design: http://yoyosims.pl/hotas-saitek-x55-rhino Of course, we can ignore the fact that x55 is plastic and it's totally different feeling that the metal of WH because it's a bit cheaper (around half the price, a bit more maybe) but still. There can be no excuse for the bad ergonomy especially if you're gonna spend a lot of time playing. I can see someone being perfectly happy about x55 because he can't compare it to the WH or does not mind the few quirks that the stick has. I guess it's still an upgrade and looks way more fun than x52 for example. As for quality, all sticks have issues (WH can be in need of regreasing after some time for example), but with x55 I know two people for whom the x55 died after 15 and 18 months of heavy use respectively. Perhaps it's just bad luck, but I'm also very negative about anything Saitek/Mad Catz now, also after my own experiences. My mouse - Mad Catz R.A.T. 5 died 3 times ! over the period of 2 year warranty... My previous stick, x52 worked fine but very quickly had issues with the rotarys on the throttle and the slider as well. The potentiometers started breaking and there was constant jumping of the input which was driving me mad. The stick itself worked fine although the plastics quality and the overall squeekiness was also not fun. Anyway, it all depends how much money you're willing to spend on the stick at one time. I've learned my lesson and prefer to pay more once for the best one than keep paying half that every few years just because i'm fed up with the lesser quality stick or need to replace it. So Warthog's price can be seen as justified actually, as you're getting something for years. Saitek used to make one stick that was way better than x55 and that was x65F (it was all metal too) but i think it's not in production anymore for some reason, perhaps because force sensing wasn't very popular and Saitek is aiming for the cheaper market anyway, at least now. That would've been a reasonable alternative for WH, but I would not recommend the x55, at least not if you've the money to make the jump to the Warthog.

The stock spring is pretty resistant so it's not that easy to move the stick around. Which can be nice or a chore sometimes depending what you fly. For example for lots of dgfighting, this can be tiresome after some time as the resistance is really significant. Also, many people buy an extension to the stick (i have a 7,5cm one), for the above reason (an extension lowers stick resistance quite a bit depending on length) and also because it lets you use the stick's precision to the fullest. This is really handy for prop planes and choppers where that extra precision is really nice to have. EDIT: That feeling when you unpack the Warthog for the first time and feel the all metal construction will make you never want to go back to anything plastic :) EDIT2: besides the materials used, I think the biggest problem with x55 is ergonomy, and at times it's worse than in their previous model x52, because for some reason the designers went on and tried to reinvent the wheel instead of relying on tried solutions for button placement etc, for example by copying from military stick. But they felt a need to be original... This is worth watching to see what I mean and see all the problems with x55 in comparison to WH : [ame] [/ame]

Yeah, mine's from Sahaj: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=120997

Actully,they range from around 75mm to perhaps 20 mm. But for you, I'd try perhaps with the 10cm one. It should be a good compromise.

Well, I figured I'd try the shortest one since that's the one recommended for jet planes by some other guys. As far as I know, the longer ones are better for helicopters and middle size for prop planes. I mostly fly jets and some WWII planes so I thought 75mm will be enough for me. And it is I think. 10cm and more would be too long for my setup and also the centering of the stick may be a bit too weak for my taste.

It definately helps. But I'm starting to prepare mentally for regreasing it as well anyway to make it perfectly smooth. But I'm still hesitating and afraid that I can break something in the process...Probably being too careful but I'll postpone it and observe the stick. If the stiction (which is still there just less noticeable with the extension) gets worse in the next couple of months then I'll just open the stick and regrease.

It might interfere, yes. It has to be stable, that's why it's better to either have the stick on some solid base, like a small stool or something, but which does not move, or some kind of stick base that other people build for it. I use a stool, but it would not be stable if not my chair (the part where I sit to be exact) was not over the stool and pinning down the wide stick base to the stool. There are different ways to do it, but if you use your legs to pin it down then I think you won't be able to use the rudder effectively. PS. Hey, I also have the MFG ordered with December delivery :)

I have the stick on a small stool between my legs as well and it's perfect height so I can put my normal computer chair over the stick base to hold it down. It's perfectly stable this way and very comfortable with 75 mm extension.

If you read about these headphones, many reviews mention weaker bass, in favour of better sound stage and separation. So it's something for something else in this case.

I think weaker bass is something you need to get used to as these headphones are not know for very powerful low end. Other than that they're pretty good from what I read :)

Having a desk setup like that would be uncomfortable I think. You can sort of measure it, just add the appropriate height to the current stick and see where your hand would be at. Having it up somewhere is not really ideal... So I'd consider switching to some kind of central stick position like in a lot of planes.

Well, the sound is sure more beefy and real. Separation of different sounds is also better but that of course depends on the headphones you have too. It just sounds a bit more real too, instead of falling flat like from onboard sound card. It's difficult to describe. Flight sims are probably not the best example as sounds in the cockpit are a bit limited - for example sound effects are not that numerous in most. In Falcon you will have better radios and the sound engine of course but there are not that many other effects. DCS has better sound effects than Falcon so a bigger difference. They all do sound better but the most difference you'll hear in other games, with more varied sound effects like FPS etc. - playing stuff like Arma 3 or Battlefield on a sound card vs onboard makes a huge difference, and of course in music and movies, it will be a huge improvement there.

+1 The games sound waay different and you get that oomph to every sound. The sound is also nice and crisp, the sound stage opens and you get all the benefits of proper sound. That's something that is not easy to describe, one has to hear it for oneself, but you'll not regret it, 100% sure of that.

It's well worth it mate, it's like a night and day difference between this and onboard sound. Go for a card of at least SB Z or Asus Xonar DX class or higher if you got the money. Trust me, the difference between a simple realtek on your mainboard and a card of at least this class is amazing when it comes to music and gaming sound quality. Pair it with a good set of headphones and you'll be wondering how you could ever get by without a sound card :) Plus, it doesn't go obsolete like graphic cards do after a year or two.

You won't need an additional amp either way, please look at my post above :)

Sound Blaster Z he's using has a built in headphone amp and trust me it's LOUD on a 60 Ohm set of cans :) I just confirmed it can drive even high end headphones up to 600 Ohm so will definately be enough for these, even if they're 150 Ohm.

Take a look at his site, there are some reviews and setups as well: http://warthog-extensions-by-sahaj.com/blog/

Well, I can only tell you that a 7,5 cm does help, and it's a significant difference, which I am happy about. Helps with stiction which is much less noticeable, and even if the stick jumps a bit bedcause you use less force, it will not affect the plane so much because the stick is longer and stick movement translates to more gentle plane moves. And like I said, overall flying feeling is more pleasant because the stick feels smoother and you don't need as much force to move it. It's difficult to describe in words, but remember, the longer you go, the lighter the stick will feel but you'll also lose more centerin force, so it's a preference thing. 7,5 cm suits me fine, and perhaps 10cm would be ok, but linger than that may feel too light for me.

I bought a 7,5cm extension from Sahaj and am very happy about it. Good quality and cable cut to proper length so no problem with installation. It definately helps with sticktion because you don't need as much force to move the stick andthe added benefit is stick precision due to it being longer and dogfighting no longer resembles and arm wrestling match :) If you fly jets, I would go for 7,5 or 10cm extension, with longer ones only for dedicated prop plane and heli flying. BUT, I would not use it with a desk setup. I currently have the stick in central position like in A10 for example and that seems to work best with extended sticks. But you would need to have it placed on something so that it's on proper height, some kind of stand etc. Having it on the desk, especially extended won't work because you'll need to have to keep your arm high all the time and will tire easily and won't be comfortable.

Here's how it looks in practice if you have not seen it yet:

It's a nice solution, especially if you play solo a lot. You can do all your communication with Wingmen and Tower this way, without the need to click all the buttons involved.

Looking forward to your opinion on that headset.

Thank you :) I would simply love to see something like that in DCS. I like DCS a lot even now but a Dynamic Campaigm engine would just make it so much better and alive I think. Not to mention the ease of use in creating realistic missions in realistic war environments for all players, prefering single and multiplayer. That's why I think it may juyst be the most significant improvement DCS can get at the moment (now that it's got a new graphics engine.)

Many people would like to see something to the extent of how Falcon BMS handles it. What Dynamic Campaign does there is basically simulate the whole conflict (for example between South and North Korea) including ground units, moving, fighting, taking control of areas, AI flights doing their stuff like sweeping, doing CAS missions etc. The player is only a tiny cog in the war machine and the war can run its course even without player input. The player can also jump in and create a mission with AI wingmen or other players. Basically, the DC creates the whole dynamic environment for the player to play in, full of AI fighting etc. and does so in real time (with the ability to advance it faster of course, slow down etc.) What it means in terms of single player, is that you can run a new campaign, watch it develop for a while, do a couple of missions, advance time faster for a bit and see how this progresses itself, jump in again etc. You have a constantly changing environment which you can influence by your actions in some way, full of AI "life" and you take part in a "real" war, not only in one scripted mission like in current DCS. What it means in terms of multiplayer, is that you could have multiplayer servers running online wars, lasting 2-3 weeks, running them 24/7 even without player input. But the players can jump on the server at any time, easily create the mission, flightplan etc, and try to do their part. This works for both cooperative and player vs player, small and large scale and gives really huge possibilities. It also saves a lot of time for players who prefer single or multiplayer, as you can create missions in such environment very quickly, without having to count on premade scenarios or heavily scripted ones that require a lot of work to do. And they make sense, and the environment can feel very real. I would advise you to take a look how it looks in Falcon. It's really difficult to describe if you never flew there, but trust me, if DCS had this kind of DC engine then it would be a huge thing.