What is the best joystick for LOMAC

[BigT]

I just recently purchased LOMAC. I have always liked the force feedback joysticks but the one I have now doesn't seem to work very well with this simulator. It is a Logitech Force 3 D Pro. I am having trouble with the pitch. It is very sensitive. What joysticks are recommended for this simulator?

[GoonerTC]

I know a lot of people fly with the Saitek X52 or even the X45. Both good sticks and excellent price for what you get.. if you've got the cash by a Cougar, Hope this helps buddy

[Dagger98]

I recommend the X45.

 

Cheers:)

[S77th-GOYA]

Have you tried to adjust the response curve for the pitch axis?

[zaelu]

I have an X45 and I recomand an X52 (wich will arrive at my postal Office in few weeks :) ).

 

The ideea is that without a HOTAS system things became difficult to do because of those complicated keybindings (a lot of them). Also a TrackIR 3-4 would help.

 

Best HOTAS sticks are: X45, X52, CH (fighter stick+Throttle+rudder pedals) and Cougar.

 

X45 very good for starting, kinda cheap (especialy if you get it as a pressent like me :P ), many buttons (even much many with SST software) but somehow prone to wearing (cable that interconnects the two parts sometimes lose some wires and the HOTAS became a christmas tree :D ), the potentiometers are aging too and spikes do apear.

 

X52, big evolution, better ergonomics, no contact technology for stick movement detection (no potentiometers that is), much more resistant at wearing, many buttons also (better placing for buttons now in contrast with X45). very cool looking (although many say that looks like a toy... wich in the end it is :P ). One note. First batch of the were having a hardware problem and the pich axis was not quit smooth on center part (it had a radher big dead zone). It could be overcome partialy by programing in the software or in the game . To avoid this problem if you want to buy one... make shure you take one with the serial bigger than: S00245477 as tha problem was fixed after this number.

 

For CH and Cougar maybe some others that poses them could tell you more.

 

here is a link with a review for X52 in comparission with CH combo.

 

firingsquad.com_ch_vs_saitek_x52_review/

[Guest EVIL-SCOTSMAN]

i recommend both x45 and x52, ive had them both, i preferred the x45 for some reason, but now ive had time to get to grips with the really weak spring in the 52, i would have to say the 52 is the better overall performer than the 45, saying that, i wish i could have the x45 throttle and the 52 stick, the 52 throttle wheels or whatever there called are not as good as the thick bulky ones on the 45, the 45 ones were easier to turn and more precise.

 

i used to use them for pitch trim and rudder trim, as i could pull off some crazy moves with it that helped me get out of a few tricky situations, but with the 52, i am forced to use the third hat switch on the throttle for pitch and roll trim, with pinkie it also acts as rudder trim....

[Revvin]

The Saitek is a good buy if you're on a small budget, I would recommend CH gear though if you have a little more cash or are happy to buy the stick, throttle and pedals individually if your budget is tight (you can pick them up for less than $100 a piece).

 

I've owned a Cougar but it was far too unreliable for me, 3 of them broke over an 18 month period and the lack of confidence in the stick in the end nearly ended my flight simming. Centre play issues, peeling paint, faulty electronics and poor construction were the issues I had. My CH Fighterstick and Pro Throttle on the other hand are still working flawlessly 2+ years after buying them, infact they feel the same as they did the day I took them out of the box. CH has used their 25 year experience in making aviation and industrial grade controls when they developed their gaming devices and it shows, these controls are very tough and very durable.

 

I have a CH Fighterstick, Pro Throttle, Pro Pedals, Flight Sim Yoke and Throttle Quadrant but tend to only use the Fighterstick, Pro Throttle and Pro Pedals for Lock On but I know Ruggbutt has a pretty nice setup that includes the Throttle Quadrant too. He has some nice handy scripts such as the airbrake automaticalyl being retracted if you move the throttle past a certain setting. Apart from that you have up to four separate modes for each button as well as a shifted state for each button so the number of commands you can assign can run into the hundreds. You could have separate modes for air to air, air to ground, refuelling etc and have different axis settings for each.

 

For future compatibility Saitek and CH have 64 bit drivers available now, TM on the other hand are stalling andthis may be due to a post that appeared on simHQ from a TM beta tester where he said that TM were having trouble getting their chip supplier to assist them with 64 bit drivers. How true that is I don't know but like I said he was a BETA tester with better information on the subject than most. Bob Church is well known by Thrustmaster and Saitek users for his various utilities and chips, he now works on the CH software which is constantly evolving with new features based on his extensive knowledge. The last few version included a number of user suggestions so it's clear CH listen to their customers.

 

Buying a new stick is a very subjective thing, if you can try them out in a shop then do so but my suggestion is to buy CH.

[RvETito]

My first joystick was Saitek Cyborg 3D Digital II. I got it in mid 2001 and it has 2 connectors- gameport and USB. For 5 years it has seen a lot violence but I never had a problem with it. Untill last week when I was moving it to where my new computer is. It obviously has cutted wire in the USB/gameport cable because Windows detects something but can't install it. I may give it to repair shop cause I don't wanna just throw it away, it served me so well, and if they fix it it will be still a valuable joystick.

One week ago I purchased X52. Only few words- works perfect, I just fell in love with it. BTW I fly LOMAC 1.02, never tried FC, I'm waiting for the BS add-on. It's very comfortable, solid platforms of both throtle and stick, so many buttons, rotaries, POVs that I still can't decide what to assign'em. It comes with great profile editor, so far I created profiles for the russian fighters. And it's a complete HOTAS, I use the keyboard only to press the S button on mission start up. Oh yes, one more thing- there is a ministick on the throttle which is actualy a sesond mouse. Very funny to watch your cursor when move the standart mouse and the Saitek mouse at the same time...:D

So I highly recomend the X52, it's much cheaper than the Cougar(I got it for 130EUR) and beleive it's more functional.

[Pilotasso]

X52 Is for budgetary solutions (mine too). CH is the best if you have the cash. I dont think that there are any other proper HOTAS unless you are rich and MOD a cougar.

[gx007]

I have an X52 (very satisfied), CH pedals (very satisfied) and Track IR (I LOVE IT!) . If you have Track IR, it opens up manys keys for viewing that you would otherwise program on your stick. Buy track IR, if you can.

 

Think of this as a combination of tools that make a system for you.

 

GX

[RvETito]

Yep, the TrackIR 4 is next in my to-buy list.

[Pilotasso]

I use the X52 mini stick and I dont think I nead A track IR (the other reason is that Im low on cash right now LOL)

[Fish]

I love my cougar. But its not without its problems out of the box, specially spare parts. And as Pilotasso said, it by the time you get it working as it should, it is then a very expensive hotas solution.

 

The features and programmability are probably a bit overkill for FC, but it shines in a sim like F4, which has very complex avionics and radar modes etc.

And in fairness, the cougar was designed for Falcon.

 

(but hey in this life you get what you pay for.....)

[Fish]

I use the X52 mint stick and I dont think I nead A track IR (the other reason is that Im low on cash right now LOL)

 

A TIR will improve you flying, so for the online community's sake, please dont get one. :)

[Force_Feedback]

I tried the X-52 at a hardware store, and I didn't like it, because of how the stick feels, let me explain. In the distant past, like up until 2 years ago I used Logitech sticks (4 of them), which, all broke down due to pots wearing out. Then, I ordered a Saitek Cyborg EVO, as I don't really have space for a throttle unit, the thing works perfect for almost 2 years now (*knocks on wood 3 times*), the things I didn't like about it were its weight and the very loose spring, which required very little muscle power to operate. I was accustomed to Logitech Wingman series sticks, which had plate moented springs, and were much stiffer, but after a few weeks of using the EVO, I can't use another stick.

Comnig back to my X-52 experience, I found the stick itself being way to sloppy, roughly 3x sloppier than my EVO, which is already quite sloppy. Besides that, I found the throttle unit to be too thick, and a bit on the light side. The crapload of buttons is however impessive, as is the "mfd" on the throttle unit.

I think I'll stick to my current stick until it wears out, and then I'll probably buy a wireless keyboard and the X-52, so I can put the KB somewhere else when simming, without too much of a hassle.

[Guest IguanaKing]

A hardware store? Was the X52 next to the plywood and machine screws? ;) Just kidding...a difference in meanings of "hardware store" I guess. :D

 

I had an X45 before, and I loved it, but the D-sub connector that connects the throttle to the stick finally started to flake out on me. I have a CH Fighterstick and Pro Throttle now, and I must say that they are quite good, right out of the box. This CH setup apparently has a HUGE amount of programability that I haven't even tapped into yet, but it works great with just mapping buttons and axes in LOMAC. The reliability is superb also, since both components both get sneezed on and knocked on the floor quite regularly by my two, huge lizards...and they continue to function without a single hiccup. The finish stays in place also, since everything on them is plastic, molded in different colors, as opposed to painted parts.

[Guest EVIL-SCOTSMAN]

X52 Is for budgetary solutions

 

 

what, you for real ?

 

so you call £99 a budget joystick ? cuz thats what they sell for in the uk.

 

the x45 maybe budget, but even then thats in the £60 range.

 

a budget stick is something like £20 if that and is either from the logitech wingman series or similar. no way is the x52 or x45 budget sticks, they are however cheaper than ch and tm, but when you look at it from this point of view, you can get a working joystick for £10, now thats budget, the x45 and x52 would be medium and medium to high budget respectively.

 

no way could you ever class the x52 as a budget stick at this present time, especially since your comparing it to only a couple of sticks out there.

 

think of all the hundreds of cheapo joysticks that dont get close to £100 but actually work decently in flight sims and many people are quite happy using them and then you will see that the 45 and 52 are not budget.

 

I for one was astounded at the cost of the 52, i couldnt believe that it was gonna set me back 100 quid just for 2 lumps of plastic.

 

my x45 was £74 when i got it and the 52 was £99, no way would i ever consider both of them to be budget, even tho they are not the best sticks to be had.

 

budget = £10 - £20max

[Pilotasso]

^^^^well its a budgetary solution for a HOTAS (the keyword) for serious simmers. All other sticks that doesnt have a throttle and at least 12 buttons are for arcade games. Used to have these right untill the last christmas, the difference in kill ratio is significant if you program them right.

 

A X52 costs 145€ (VAT included), compared to the CH stuff, 200€ each device (600€ for a complete setup, yikes). The cougar is barely avaiable (I think only 1 store is selling them at the moment) and costs around 260€. So yes, the X52 is very cheap by comparison.

[S77th-konkussion]

A hardware store? Was the X52 next to the plywood and machine screws? ;) Just kidding...a difference in meanings of "hardware store" I guess. :D

 

I had an X45 before, and I loved it, but the D-sub connector that connects the throttle to the stick finally started to flake out on me. I have a CH Fighterstick and Pro Throttle now, and I must say that they are quite good, right out of the box. This CH setup apparently has a HUGE amount of programability that I haven't even tapped into yet, but it works great with just mapping buttons and axes in LOMAC. The reliability is superb also, since both components both get sneezed on and knocked on the floor quite regularly by my two, huge lizards...and they continue to function without a single hiccup. The finish stays in place also, since everything on them is plastic, molded in different colors, as opposed to painted parts.

 

 

Can you CH owners switch profiles on the fly- or do you have to exit and do it manually. :horseback HIJACKER!!!!

[Pilotasso]

They can simply swich modes. Since the Setup has easely as many buttons/funtions in a single mode as the X52 in all its modes.

[peterj]

The x45 does feel cheap, trottle and stick is feather light. Again it's throttle + stick for ~$100 (where i live). Personally i don't like the ergonomics of it.

 

I have an MSFFB2, a great stick. Popular with the helisim crowd for it's accuracy and that it doesn't have a mechanical centering mechanism.

[Guest IguanaKing]

Can you CH owners switch profiles on the fly- or do you have to exit and do it manually. :horseback HIJACKER!!!!

 

Allahu Akhbar!!! :horseback :D

 

Why would I need to switch profiles in the same game? BTW...I still have my X45, just waiting for the day I fix the D-sub connector, since I still LOVE that stick. Saitek's tech support is, quite possibly, the best I have seen out of any company. I love the CH, but I also love the Saitek enough to keep it...it served me well for many years. ;)

 

OT though...LexMark printers...BAH...I'm still keeping my Z51 to use as a rifle target.

[Pilotasso]

LOL I destroyed some with a wooden bat. Quite liberating and stress releaving (the damn things always malfunctioned on the eve of delivering a major report). ;)

[Guest IguanaKing]

Heh...nothing but a good way to mark up a perfectly good bat. :D I have a good range to take my Z51 to, but I forget to take it every time I go. I would have taken it with me to a friend's place in the mountains, but I didn't want to leave bits of plastic embedded in the soil there...the trees are having a difficult-enough time recovering after the huge forest fire 3 years ago.

[VMFA-Blaze]

Here we go again....

 

Personally speaking I have a Cougar and I still feel good about it....

 

Actually the newer model Cougars have overcome a lot of the issues that plagued them when they first hit the market....

 

The paint issue has been solved and the software issue as also been addressed, a new download is available on Cougar World....

 

Another good thing that they have going for them is that you can actually purchase them off the shelf at Compusa here in the States for about 245.00 USD, They are acutually in stock at the 5th Ave. store right now in Manhatten (LOL)....

 

So yes, this isn't a budget stick.....

 

I had a lot of frustration on this forum (My favorite buy the way) before regarding my stick preferences .......

 

But thats OK.....

 

I just had to post again as I'm on IJ's current NXT mod run and which will resolve the center wobble, give me alot more precision and eliminate the very hard spring tension, so yes my brothers this is really an expensive application but is well worth it ......

 

Whoorahh !!!!!!

 

~S~

 

Blaze