decipher Posted January 27, 2015 Posted January 27, 2015 sorry for this topic, but this is the only place i could think of where to ask this. when google-searching for problems like "stiction" it always end up around here so there might be some people to give me some insights. i just got my first (brand-new) warthog HOTAS from amazon to use with my beloved DCS Huey, DCS p-51 and other Flight Simulators. this seems to be a brand new manufactured unit and while it feels and works great and i love it... i almost instantly felt that there was something wrong. the Flight Stick wants to "stick" in a position when moved slowly/gently. now this is especially noticable when flying the huey since you generally want a lot of very small and short stick inputs for hovering and transitions and all the egg-beater stuff. after i noticed this i tried to do a google search and found out this is a problem known to many people and it is called "stiction" (i did not know about this before buying it). also my right throttle lever feels wobbly/loose when stationary (the axis movement is ok). but when pressing the buttons on the throttle lever the whole thing feels loose and wobbly... anyway... now i am from germany and we have a 14 day return policy. so i could repack and sent the thing back to amazon, to either get a new unit or my money back. or going for thrustmaster support. in general i would really love to keep the warthog system, but i don't want to DIY repair a BRAND NEW unit (to change grease or anything)... i read around here that the quality control seems wonky with the HOTAS so a new unit might feel like 100% better (no initial stiction etc.)... or return it, get my money back and go for a different HOTAS? i could really help some general feedback of recent owners of the warthog i guess.. S!
Viersbovsky Posted January 27, 2015 Posted January 27, 2015 Well, from my personal opinion as an engineer, after spending close to 12 hours trying to fix the stiction problem and thus having a good idea of the internal workings, I am not really impressed with the ´Hog. The basic principle of using a plastic cup gliding on a plastic ball as a gimbal is in my humble opinion fundamentally flawed. I can understand why they went that way (the Hall-sensor inside may get interference from any metal parts in proximity), as well as the stick being very heavy, but it is still a less than perfect solution. They could have gone with an oversized plastic Kardan gimbal using metal ball bearings or even just plastic bearings - everything would have been a better solution. Maybe you are lucky and you get a perfect stick with minimal or near zero stiction - mine had small metal splinters floating in the grease, scratching up the cup until I thoroughly cleaned everything. Even after all this work there still remains some slight stiction. I now use a Stick extension (about 30cm), and the stiction is barely noticeble anymore - good old lever effect. The problem is that there is not really any true alternative to the ´Hog available. There may be some solutions like Komodo´s stuff and the Black Mamba, but they are either difficult to procure or are in a different price range altogether. In the end though, the accuracy and feel of the stick is still top-notch. If you are unhappy with your current Warthog, return it. When repairing the stick you WILL damage wires, so you may not be able to return once regreasing everything. Get a new unit, maybe this one is better. If you are still unhappy with that unit, return that as well and look for another stick, the stiction problem is there to stay. Callsign "Lion"
NeilWillis Posted January 27, 2015 Posted January 27, 2015 My advice would be to contact Thrustmaster customer support, and ask what they think you ought to do. As for giving up on the Warthog, I can only say that there is nothing on the market that comes close, as you'd soon discover if you start searching more widely for an alternative. It sounds as though your throttle unit might be faulty if the play is as excessive as you suggest. The stiction issue can be resolved pretty easily, but as you say, it would indeed mean partially dismantling the joystick to do so. This is why you need to discuss it with customer services first, and then act on their recommendations. I can't really say much about why you have these issues, but I can definitely recommend you don't give up just yet. If nothing else, Thrustmaster have far far better customer care than some other manufacturers, and with the easy supply of most spares, you'll get years of use out of the Warthog.
decipher Posted January 27, 2015 Author Posted January 27, 2015 thanks guys, this input of yours is really appreciated. i am in contact with thrustmaster support now and already sent them over a detailed description and video and everything they need/asked for. it was a "big" step for me to finally buy the warthog HOTAS (most expensive "hobby" gear i bought in a long time) and so my inital joy was a little crushed... let's see how it will work out. thanks again!
decipher Posted February 4, 2015 Author Posted February 4, 2015 just as a followup notice to sum this story up: thrustmaster support told me the "throttle behaves normally" and the "please open your stick and check if rubber ring is in place", they supplied a PDF and everything. i decided to use my right to return the whole package to amazon germany and get a replacement unit for no extra charge and all free shipping of course. i know that at some point the warthog probably needs servicing that you can DIY, but fiddling around with a brand new unit.. no thankyou. long story short: just got my brand new warthog, the throttle is NOT wobbling like the one before (so there actually was a problem with the first!) and the stick is MUCH more smooth and feels like i had imagined it would feel before i started my warthog Odyssey. now i have to wait for a dcs sale to finally get the a-10 and hokum and start getting busy with building a little homecockpit setup :)
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