Question about Thrustmaster T-Flight Hostas X

[_Shamrock_]

I'm looking to buy a cheap joystick for the moment and I was wondering if this particular joystick (Thrustmaster T-Flight Hostas X) works with all jets or planes.

[cichlidfan]

Yes. For it's price it is a decent stick. It is a bit limited buttonwise for some aircraft but the basic functionality should serve you quite well.

[_Shamrock_]

Thank you very much for the info

[Berndt Mangler]

I've bought Thrustmasters over the years. I started with the first F16 cougar when it was serial. Every thing I've gotten from TM was Top shelf, can't go wrong.

[Goose_Man]

If you are serious about this sim I would not get the Thrustmaster X. I currently have it and I'll be buying a Warthog soon.

 

The TM X doesn't offer really any of the basic buttons needed for such an in depth sim like DCS. If you are playing basic ones like Arma series, MS Flight, Battlefield then this will be fine. If you are looking at DCS then look at something with hat's.

 

If the budget is there then the Hotas Warthog, if not then you can find something nice in the $150-300 (Cdn) range if not cheaper if you look at second hand.

 

Side note, quality and design for the price is great for this stick/throttle but again very limited for DCS. You'll be looking to upgrade in no time.

[Berndt Mangler]

Goose_Man's right. If you get a cheep stick and grow to like the SIM(and you will), you'll spend the money later on the WartHog and be happy you did, I love the feel of that cold steel in the morning... TrackIR and TM Warthog, Best sim buy that I made.....and well, DCS A10c of course.

[trooph]

Its a very good stick for beginers needs :) If You grow to like flight sims You going to need something more sophisticated in about a year or so :)

[Gerg]

I was going to get the HOTAS X but opted for the Thrustmaster T-16000m instead.

 

Its not hotas but is more accurate (allegedly) with its hall sensors and is a more modern design than the 10+ years old Hotas X.

 

The Hotas X supposed has a big deadzone and low accuracy which would effect minor adjustments in flying and the wire between them is a bit short will only stretch to just wider than a keyboard, not far enough to put on both sides of a chair.

 

I fly with Stick on right, Thrustmaster pad on left and keyboard on lap.

[cichlidfan]

These folks are right when they say you will want a new stick if you end up enjoying flight sims.

 

However, if you happen to be in the USA, I have a T. Flight X in the attic that I will send for shipping costs. It is very low mileage as I replaced it not long after getting it (with an X-52Pro and later with a Warthog).

 

Picture here http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=95250&highlight=joysticks

[BitMaster]

I've bought Thrustmasters over the years. I started with the first F16 cougar when it was serial. Every thing I've gotten from TM was Top shelf, can't go wrong.

 

Though I love Thrustmaster gear I have to say NOT everything they make or made is excellent.

 

The F-16 & TQS combo you mentioned had severe pot spiking, causing many Pilots to often resolder new pots in, clean the old ones and what not else to be able to do AAR without a nose going wildly up and down at some point. I also had to buy a 3rd party EPROM to get that stick to where it should have been for that price tag right off the shelf..... and not to forget the springs that not seldomly broke.

 

The good part of that story is that Thrustmaster sent me a whole box full of spare parts for free, including 12 pots, a whole wire set for both F16 & TQS, new springs, rubber feet, screws etc.. ..but that was before Guileemot took them over. I don't know if a simple phone call to the tech guys will get you a box full of goodies nowadays or if you will only receive an email with a printable RMA sticker for returning it for service !?

 

Still, they were anything but perfect but the best you could get your hands on in the 90s.

 

 

I also had the smaller Hotas from Thrustmaster before I got the F16 & TQS COMBO along with the RCS Rudders ( Terrible centering, unusable for anything but taxiing jets ). That smaller Hotas was very sluggish and the dead centre should have been as wide as antarctica to compensate for pot spiking around ZERO... still, I loved the combo with Janes AH64 series and the rudders I got along where a blast in the AH-64. That experience drove me to buy the F-16 combo.

 

I don't call a Warthog my own yet but I assume it aint perfect too but Thrustmaster gear always allowed you to fix it on your own, a solder iron and some spare parts and you where back flying in an hour.

 

Mixed feelings over a few T M gears but nothing else around seems to come close, they never did and I guess they don't want to be that enthusiastic as Thrustmaster is.

 

 

I would definitely only buy a Thrustmaster gear with Hall Sensors... anything else is a matter of taste and money but old style pots are a no-go !

 

Best of all was that I could program my Hotas in Notepad, it did exactly what I wanted, nothing more and nothing less. I don't know if you still can code the programming file in pure RAW code and Notepad. Going through DCS's interface only would eliminate many things you could do with the F-16 EPROM, I always loved that feature.

 

 

Bit

Edited February 24, 2014 by BitMaster

[Berndt Mangler]

BitMaster you are correct, Now my F16 never gave me much issues, it was always the software didn't jive with my hardware, I fussed with it for years an really didn't put the bashing on mine. it's true they had the issues I've read about them. they were pioneers in the field of "not your grampa's joy stic"... <awkward silence>.

 

When the new one came out I was selling the farm to get it. and I sold the farm again to get the WartHog. I have with out question beat up the WartHog, the scripting is way better, there is some play in the stick left to right from center about 12 tics I think, the stick movement at the top is no more that half millimeter, but no dead zone. This lack of spring back is noticeable but easily disregarded. This flop as it were is more a result from the springs getting whooped from dodging the tankers.. its easily fixed, I just don't want to dismantle my chair.. the Hall sensors and buttons have had some reports, but again they continue to work great for me, way better than my old TMs. The Driving wheel I have bolts to the table in a jankie manner but sensors work great.. if I'm not flying...I can remember Driving it last come to think of it...I'll sell it!!