Nightstalker

What are the differences between this grip and Virpil’s new F14 grip? The Virpil grip will go on a warthog base if you need that.

F18 came out onto stable roughly a week after it released on open beta so I didn’t really worry about it. Is the F16 in much worse state that it is taking longer?

Can we please have an update to the stable branch. I would like to fly my f16.

I'm really torn on ordering the new throttle or the old one. I really like the look of the new grip. It looks much shorter than my Mongoos.

I have to agree about the Virpil. I’ve had most of the joysticks on the market and recently bit the bullet and bought a Virpil. Now I know how a joystick is suppose to feel. I can finally land my Huey consistently and realize why I was always frustrated before. As for the X55/56, I actually love the throttle. I guess I was lucky, it has lasted for years. The stick on the other hand was never precise and made it difficult to do any precision runs. It was fine for Elite Dangerous but felt crappy in DCS.

I haven’t even tried VR yet. I’m not going to knock the obvious immersion factor but after upgrading my system to the best I could get and now running DCS in 2k with everything maxed, I couldn’t imagine dropping from over 100 frames per second back to 40 with settings turned down, poor clarity and a screen door affect! A proper HOTAS is a must. I would spend the extra and get a Virpil setup instead. I love TrackIR. I’ve been using it for years. No sweaty head or neck aches.

I have no interest in the twist option on the stick as I strictly use my rudder pedals. Have you noticed any play when the twist is locked out?

In comparison to the Virpil desk mount, would anyone be able to give me the same measurement of how far the back of the base is from the desk with a Monstertech mount?

Thanks, Cheers

Mazex, Would you mind telling me how far in inches your WarBRD is sticking out from your desk. I was waiting to place an order for a short desk mount and I want to be able to use the stick in both a side and between the legs position. If you try to use this setup between the legs, how far does it push you away from the desk? My Pendular pedals are not mounted and are pushed up against the back of my desk. If I'm forced to sit too far back from the desk I will have to find a new solution for the pedals. As heavy as they are they will still move on carpet when you use the brakes.

I second this comment! Well said. I also remember flying my first sims on an Intel 386 and can say without hesitation that I never dreamed we would have what we have now in DCS.

Thank goodness I popped on the forum. I had been waiting for release info before I purchased. Hit the buy button just now!

I look forward to the review!

How long did it take to get the monstertech?

Well, 3 weeks to the day since I ordered them and my MongoosT50 and WarBRD base just arrived. Pulled everything out of the nicely packaged box and put it together. Feels great just testing it in my hand. Now comes software installation and setup. Maybe somebody will have some advice before I start mucking things up..lol. Very excited. It feels so much better than my X55 I’ve been using for the last 4 or more years. Update - I found some useful videos on setup and I’ve already been up and running in DCS. This thing feels fantastic! Everything from the feel in your hand to how precise it feels. I might need to order a throttle now.

Thanks again. I placed an order yesterday. Unfortunately no desk mounts or throttles in stock but at least I will test the waters with the WarBRD base and Mongoose CM2 grip.

Thanks for the replies. It's not any of the bases that I'm worried about. The new base for the Virpil appears to be geared towards people wanting to use extensions which I don't need. It was the Virpil stick itself that had me concerned, but that appears to have been a problem with the older stick not the CM2. As I said, no VKB product is available so I'm leaning towards the Virpil. I could certainly wait for the VKB to come back in stock but it appears that can be quite a long wait.

I have been trying to make my mind up regarding Virpil or VKB. The other thread on here discussing a warning about Virpil triggers and customer support made me pause on ordering one. I also watched a video regarding the difference of the quality inside the Virpil stick compared to the VKB. I believe this was not the new CM2 stick though so I don't know what changes were made inside. VKB is out of stock again in North America so I'm back to still considering Virpil. It's always good to hear from people who own the hardware and using it in the same simulations to get a good feeling about buying. It just goes to show how much power a forum thread can have when you pause, and reconsider buying something after reading about it in a forum though. It's a tough decision when you can't just drive a few blocks back to the store you bought it from.

Hi guys, I'm waiting to pull the trigger on a new stick and base. I attempted to order a new VKB over the weekend but they are out of stock again. I noticed that Virpil has stock at the moment but I'm somewhat concerned about recent complaints in this forum regarding quality of the stick and trigger issues in general. Also a recent video I watched showed the difference in quality inside the stick but I don't know if that was the new version of the Virpil Mongoose CM2 stick. I guess what I'm getting at is, should I wait for VKB to get re-stocked or try the Virpil instead. It seems you have to make fairly quick decisions when either of these products become available.

Thanks for the replies.

Customs Would you mind telling me what or if you got hit with any additional fees from Canada Customs besides tax? I’m just about to pull the trigger on one of these. Thanks.

I have had an issue for 4 weeks with this HOTAS. The throttle has had calibration problems since purchase. It took me two days to calibrate in the first weekend I purchased it. It wouldn't calibrate in the windows setup or in the HUD software. After two days of frustration for some unknown reason it finally calibrated in windows and then calibrated in the HUD. It worked for a week and then the next weekend the same problem started again. No throttle, unable to calibrate in windows or HUD software. Again spent two frustrating days removing/installing drivers /software trying to calibrate etc. Turned on the computer second day tried one more time and like the first weekend it all of a sudden calibrated. I have enjoyed this HOTAS for two weeks until yesterday I was flying and having a great time and got up to get a coffee. Returned to the computer, fired up another flight sim and bam! No throttle. Suddenly unable to calibrate in windows or HUD again! It has now been another weekend of frustration following Saitek's instructions of removing and installing software. VERY FRUSTRATED. If you turn down the lights on the HOTAS through the HUD software you will notice that the mode switch lights on the throttle will still light up to indicate what mode you are in. Mine is not lit up now. Is anyone having similar frustrations? Why is there no customer service at Saitek on the weekend when most people are needing assistance?