Jump to content

VPC Mongoose Initial Impressions


Recommended Posts

Hey gang,

 

Now that I have logged about 4 hours of flying with the new offering from Virpil, I wanted to share my initial impressions.

I have been flight simming since the early days of bootable floppies to run them in DOS. The vast bulk of that time I have used TM Hardware, and have been flying with a Warthog with 7.5 cm extension on a Monster Tech table mount. I have always been pleased with the Warthog, although I did have to replace the grip not too long ago due to faulty button, and the throttle a year or so ago due to it bricking on me.

I do also have a Gunfighter Pro, however it is still new in box awaiting their new grip offering , so will not be making any comparisons to it.

 

So what I ordered was the T-50 base and grip, the desk mount bracket, and extension kit.

Everything came packaged nicely in two boxes, wrapped together as one for shipping purposes.

I ended up with the following serial numbers:

Grip - 000092

Base - 000017

 

After enlisting a little help from Cyph3r, who has been very helpful to me throughout this process, I was able to get the desk mount bracket set up properly. There are two plates mounted in between the frame with a total of 8 bolts and nuts, these need to be removed to orient those two brackets properly. I lowered the mount as far as it would go ( very adjustable), as I wanted to use longer extension. The desk mount is very nice and solid, with VPC and their logo cut into it. It works quite well.

 

The extension kit is 3 sections, consisting of a 50mm, 75mm, and 100mm length tube. They can be interconnected allowing one to really fine tune the height they would like to have. There are also three varying length connectors to accommodate for this. I have ended up for now, using the 100mm and 75mm , so am flying with a 175mm extension on my Mongoose.

 

It also comes with two extra sets of cams, with varying feel. Hard center is installed, and the extras are soft center, and no center. Also has two sets of springs, Medium comes installed, extras are I believe firm and soft.

You also get another wrist rest for the grip, smaller than the installed one I guess for smaller hands maybe. As well as a nice dust cover for the grip.

 

So I got everything all hooked up yesterday, and have been really giving it a go.

I am very impressed! I got quickly acclimated to the longer extension and the feel of the gimbal. It is so very precise and smooth! It is nice being able to move the gimbal all throughout the movement and actually feel when you are moving the pitch versus the roll, something not so easy to tell with the Warthog gimbal system.

 

It is taking me a little longer to get acclimated to the button positions, but that is just retraining my memory of which buttons are where versus the Hog. The buttons are very nice with an easy movement/push to them. Even the trigger guard, which when down can be pulled in to give another button press. I have initially set up my two stage trigger to give machine guns on first stage, and all guns on second stage. I set up the trigger guard button for my cannons only.

 

The brake lever is really nice as well, and very smooth in operation. It is an axis ( as long as on Mongoose base), and also a button press as well. I say as long as on Mongoose base, as the grip is plug and play with the Warthog base as well. No adapter needed. However with the Warthog base, one would lose that axis on the brake lever and it would be just a button press - like the Warthog grip paddle.

 

I have made some very nice takeoffs/landings with the Mongoose, and maneuvering seems to be much smoother for me as well. I am flying with a pretty big grin on my ugly face lol.

 

Some in the initial batches that got sent out, received their extra cams in an unpolished state and have small ridges on them. Virpil identified the issue promptly after another user brought to their attention , and have corrected and offered replacement cams for those affected.

I am one of the affected ones, so hope to have my replacement set here soon. The gimbal is very customizable, and I want to go to the softer centering cam, and softer springs. The stock springs are just a little too springy for my tastes, and the center a little too hard for what I would like. Appears it will be easily customized, but I want to wait until I receive the new cams before opening her up to replace the springs with softer ones, so I can just do it all at one time.

Also I should mention, the gimbal box also has two small access holes in the top plate, one labeled pitch and the other roll. There is a flat head screw in each, one can turn in or out to adjust the tension on the middle of the stick. Very nice feature! I adjusted mine out to where it had some free play around center, then just adjusted back in to where it felt about right around center for my needs.

 

As far as software, there currently is none but I understand it is under development and will be forthcoming soon. That is really no big deal for me, as I now prefer to just do all my own mapping in the game rather than joystick software.

 

I think at this point I can say unequivocally, my Warthog stick is officially retired. It served me well and I salute it, but this one is a whole new ball game for me and I am loving it! I am really looking forward to getting the replacement cams and opening her up to make some final adjustments, as good as it is now, I can only imagine how good it will be then!

 

Some pics below:

IMG_0559.JPG.256db3af1ed065bf965b8c6ef6df243f.JPG

IMG_0563.JPG.f0c7ca7b29ec5a888e10688f05217bf8.JPG

IMG_0575.thumb.JPG.22e5ab3dc2ee8c45f7a0e3542d6ef645.JPG


Edited by dburne

Don B

EVGA Z390 Dark MB | i9 9900k CPU @ 5.1 GHz | Gigabyte 4090 OC | 64 GB Corsair Vengeance 3200 MHz CL16 | Corsair H150i Pro Cooler |Virpil CM3 Stick w/ Alpha Prime Grip 200mm ext| Virpil CM3 Throttle | VPC Rotor TCS Base w/ Alpha-L Grip| Point Control V2|Varjo Aero|

Link to comment
Share on other sites

oh boy. I still have the JetSeat in the box....

 

One quick questions for you dburne.

 

What is the total side to side throw distance? Approximately.

 

TY


Edited by hansangb

hsb

HW Spec in Spoiler

---

 

i7-10700K Direct-To-Die/OC'ed to 5.1GHz, MSI Z490 MB, 32GB DDR4 3200MHz, EVGA 2080 Ti FTW3, NVMe+SSD, Win 10 x64 Pro, MFG, Warthog, TM MFDs, Komodo Huey set, Rverbe G1

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

oh boy. I still have the JetSeat in the box....

 

One quick questions for you dburne.

 

What is the total side to side throw distance? Approximately.

 

TY

 

Looks like about 10 inches overall ( 5 inches each direction). This is measuring from the top of the grip with 175mm of extension installed

Don B

EVGA Z390 Dark MB | i9 9900k CPU @ 5.1 GHz | Gigabyte 4090 OC | 64 GB Corsair Vengeance 3200 MHz CL16 | Corsair H150i Pro Cooler |Virpil CM3 Stick w/ Alpha Prime Grip 200mm ext| Virpil CM3 Throttle | VPC Rotor TCS Base w/ Alpha-L Grip| Point Control V2|Varjo Aero|

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks!

 

I have probably logged around an additional 6 hours or so with this stick since my initial review, and I will say the more I use it the more I like it.

Don B

EVGA Z390 Dark MB | i9 9900k CPU @ 5.1 GHz | Gigabyte 4090 OC | 64 GB Corsair Vengeance 3200 MHz CL16 | Corsair H150i Pro Cooler |Virpil CM3 Stick w/ Alpha Prime Grip 200mm ext| Virpil CM3 Throttle | VPC Rotor TCS Base w/ Alpha-L Grip| Point Control V2|Varjo Aero|

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great write up, did you have your old Warthog gimbal regreased with Nyogel 767A and sanded down? Just trying to assess where your baseline is for comparison.

 

I recently added a 15cm extension from Sahaj (looks similar in length to what you have pictured?) to my Warthog plus a red spring from Sahaj, it's made a world of difference in precision. To take it to the next level, although I don't have a ton of stickcion, I think a good regreasing with Nyogel damping grease and some good 'ol hand sanding is going to make it top notch :pilotfly:

VR Cockpit (link):

Custom Throttletek F/A-18C Throttle w/ Hall Sensors + Otto switches | Slaw Device RX Viper Pedals w/ Damper | VPC T-50 Base + 15cm Black Sahaj Extension + TM Hornet or Warthog Grip | Super Warthog Wheel Stand Pro | Steelcase Leap V2 + JetSeat SE

 

VR Rig:

Pimax 5K+ | ASUS ROG Strix 1080Ti | Intel i7-9700K | Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Master | Corsair H115i RGB Platinum | 32GB Corsair Vengeance Pro RGB 3200 | Dell U3415W Curved 3440x1440

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great write up, did you have your old Warthog gimbal regreased with Nyogel 767A and sanded down? Just trying to assess where your baseline is for comparison.

 

I recently added a 15cm extension from Sahaj (looks similar in length to what you have pictured?) to my Warthog plus a red spring from Sahaj, it's made a world of difference in precision. To take it to the next level, although I don't have a ton of stickcion, I think a good regreasing with Nyogel damping grease and some good 'ol hand sanding is going to make it top notch :pilotfly:

 

Thanks!

 

No I have had this Warthog since 2010, and never had a need to regrease. It has always been very smooth for me. I used to wonder about all this talk of roughness/sticktion, till I got another new Warthog stick only as I had a button go bad on mine. Man it was horrible, difference was night and day to my original Hog, so I just took the new grip off of it and attached to my original gimbal.

 

It has taken me a little time to get used to the new button placement on the Mongoose, but now I am very used to it and my Warthog is officially retired. I attribute it to two things:

1: The increased precision I get from the Mongoose, primarily due to the x and y axis springs being independent of each other versus the Warthog single spring compression design.

2: The much longer extension ( currently running 175mm). I was using a 7.5cm extension on the Warthog.

 

When I receive my new cams from Virpil, I will be taking it apart to put the soft center cams in along with the softer springs. I will likely reduce my extension set to 150 mm at that time as well, as I think that would be just about right for me. Even with the mounting plate mounted all the way at the bottom of the bracket, 175mm I think is just a little too tall and 150 should be perfect for my arm comfort.


Edited by dburne

Don B

EVGA Z390 Dark MB | i9 9900k CPU @ 5.1 GHz | Gigabyte 4090 OC | 64 GB Corsair Vengeance 3200 MHz CL16 | Corsair H150i Pro Cooler |Virpil CM3 Stick w/ Alpha Prime Grip 200mm ext| Virpil CM3 Throttle | VPC Rotor TCS Base w/ Alpha-L Grip| Point Control V2|Varjo Aero|

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks!

 

No I have had this Warthog since 2010, and never had a need to regrease. It has always been very smooth for me. I used to wonder about all this talk of roughness/sticktion, till I got another new Warthog stick only as I had a button go bad on mine. Man it was horrible, difference was night and day to my original Hog, so I just took the new grip off of it and attached to my original gimbal.

 

It has taken me a little time to get used to the new button placement on the Mongoose, but now I am very used to it and my Warthog is officially retired. I attribute it to two things:

1: The increased precision I get from the Mongoose, primarily due to the x and y axis springs being independent of each other versus the Warthog single spring compression design.

2: The much longer extension ( currently running 175mm). I was using a 7.5cm extension on the Warthog.

 

When I receive my new cams from Virpil, I will be taking it apart to put the soft center cams in along with the softer springs. I will likely reduce my extension set to 150 mm at that time as well, as I think that would be just about right for me. Even with the mounting plate mounted all the way at the bottom of the bracket, 175mm I think is just a little too tall and 150 should be perfect for my arm comfort.

 

 

 

Awesome, thanks for the response and enjoy! Glad you're loving it so far.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

VR Cockpit (link):

Custom Throttletek F/A-18C Throttle w/ Hall Sensors + Otto switches | Slaw Device RX Viper Pedals w/ Damper | VPC T-50 Base + 15cm Black Sahaj Extension + TM Hornet or Warthog Grip | Super Warthog Wheel Stand Pro | Steelcase Leap V2 + JetSeat SE

 

VR Rig:

Pimax 5K+ | ASUS ROG Strix 1080Ti | Intel i7-9700K | Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Master | Corsair H115i RGB Platinum | 32GB Corsair Vengeance Pro RGB 3200 | Dell U3415W Curved 3440x1440

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine just showed up!

 

Talk about a happy Friday. I can't play with it yet because my workday hasn't ended (I have coding deadlines to meet). But, here it is and just in time for the new SU-33 module. I did a quick-mount but still have to tighten everything and move the bottom bracket up for structural reinforcement. I'll write back if there are any issues. :pilotfly:

IMG_0440.thumb.jpg.ead88d23dd713a50dfc6d3d380fa5d82.jpg

IMG_0441.thumb.jpg.887363a06b2d6ed37482c01ea5851d4e.jpg

IMG_0442.thumb.jpg.cf7b449d9715eb81fc684f1c2b36d7c8.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Talk about a happy Friday. I can't play with it yet because my workday hasn't ended (I have coding deadlines to meet). But, here it is and just in time for the new SU-33 module. I did a quick-mount but still have to tighten everything and move the bottom bracket up for structural reinforcement. I'll write back if there are any issues. :pilotfly:

 

Another VKB user with Virpil? Would love to hear about VKB vs Virpil pros and cons.

hsb

HW Spec in Spoiler

---

 

i7-10700K Direct-To-Die/OC'ed to 5.1GHz, MSI Z490 MB, 32GB DDR4 3200MHz, EVGA 2080 Ti FTW3, NVMe+SSD, Win 10 x64 Pro, MFG, Warthog, TM MFDs, Komodo Huey set, Rverbe G1

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another VKB user with Virpil? Would love to hear about VKB vs Virpil pros and cons.

 

Virpil works natively with the Warthog stick, and virpil has a modern fighter jet grip that you can buy *right now*.

 

VKB needs an adapter, with a bit of messing around to get the Warthog stick to work, and it has only a WWII fighter grip.

 

It's that simple, if you want to fly a modern jet (or space sim), Virpil is really your best choice at this point. When VKB release the MCG, and we can buy, with money, and have it shipped, then it'll be far more interesting. :joystick:

 

I'm looking to buy a VKB Gunfighter Pro, but only when I can get the MCG with it. A WWII fighter stick is useless to me, as I fly mainly in Elite Dangerous, and the modern jets in DCS. A modern stick also adapts easily for WWII stuff, when I do fly the older birds. Doesn't work so well the other way around...

 

Z...


Edited by Barefoot Bandit
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Another VKB user with Virpil? Would love to hear about VKB vs Virpil pros and cons.

 

 

 

Apples and oranges (rudder and stick). Not sure what kind of comparison you'd like me to make. I don't have a VKB joystick and, as far as I know, Virpil doesn't make rudder pedals.

 

Both well constructed and solid. Installed the lighter springs in the Virpil and found it to be intuitively easy to take apart and reassemble. Earlier, I planned to try the VKB stick when it is ready, but, unless it is all metal construction, like the Thrust Master, I won't bother.

 

I'm very satisfied with my new joystick.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am still enjoying this Virpil setup very much, have logged many hours of flight time in with it so far.

But I really, really want to change springs and cams, just waiting on my replacement cams to do it all at one time. I want to go with soft center cams and lighter springs. Even with 175mm of extension the springs on this stick are still pretty stout.

 

I do have a new Gunfighter Pro still sitting in the box, awaiting that new MCG Pro grip. I look forward to hooking it up whenever I can get that grip and having a run with it as well. It will be interesting to see how the two compare, I have a feeling they are probably going to be pretty close in how they feel and operate.


Edited by dburne

Don B

EVGA Z390 Dark MB | i9 9900k CPU @ 5.1 GHz | Gigabyte 4090 OC | 64 GB Corsair Vengeance 3200 MHz CL16 | Corsair H150i Pro Cooler |Virpil CM3 Stick w/ Alpha Prime Grip 200mm ext| Virpil CM3 Throttle | VPC Rotor TCS Base w/ Alpha-L Grip| Point Control V2|Varjo Aero|

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Apples and oranges (rudder and stick). Not sure what kind of comparison you'd like me to make. I don't have a VKB joystick and, as far as I know, Virpil doesn't make rudder pedals.

 

Both well constructed and solid. Installed the lighter springs in the Virpil and found it to be intuitively easy to take apart and reassemble. Earlier, I planned to try the VKB stick when it is ready, but, unless it is all metal construction, like the Thrust Master, I won't bother.

 

I'm very satisfied with my new joystick.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Ah got ya. I saw the VKB "controller" box on your desk and I thought you had both sticks.

hsb

HW Spec in Spoiler

---

 

i7-10700K Direct-To-Die/OC'ed to 5.1GHz, MSI Z490 MB, 32GB DDR4 3200MHz, EVGA 2080 Ti FTW3, NVMe+SSD, Win 10 x64 Pro, MFG, Warthog, TM MFDs, Komodo Huey set, Rverbe G1

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

 

I got mine last week and have now about 12 flight hours. I must say it is way better then the WH. I mean hovering is now much easier and AA refueling with the A10 and the Mirage was no problem. At the moment I´am using the 2 dot cams, light springs and no extension.

 

Spring replacement:

is easy but takes some time because you have to remove a lot of screws.

 

Cam replacement:

:cry: it is possible but :music_whistling: I had to use sandpaper and a rasp to make them fit. The cams are not of the same quality like the rest of the stick... No idea how that did happen. Getting out the old ones was only possible with a lot of force. I did not remove the circuit board from the housing because that looked like even more pain. I saw no way to replace the cams inside the hausing because I had not the right tools to do it and the ball bearing arm is blocked by the housing so you can not turn ist 90° to access the cam and my hex-wrench was to large to fit between housing and cam. Also no idea how to get the screws in again without damaging the threads if its still inside the hausing.

 

Quality:

I think its good for the price. I´am a bit worried about the wiring because the wires are rubbing on a lot of surfaces. For example the wire ob the Stickconnector is put into a heat shrink pipe but not only the upper part so the single wires are rubbing against the bottom plate if you move the stick.

 

M50 Stick:

Just great... I like the Buttons. I´am now using it for all planes exept the A10

 

Interaction with windows:

Is not allways working correct. Normaly after a reboot all buttons are pressed or button 19 / brake is pressed and only reconnection will solve the problem. The reccommented software to calibrate the stick is not working correctly on my PC so I had to use the windows calibration but that worked ok.

 

At the moment I´am thinking about removing the rubber ring because it feels strange at max deflection

 

Greetings

Merlin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

 

Interaction with windows:

Is not allways working correct. Normaly after a reboot all buttons are pressed or button 19 / brake is pressed and only reconnection will solve the problem. The reccommented software to calibrate the stick is not working correctly on my PC so I had to use the windows calibration but that worked ok.

 

Have you tried checking connection between the grip and the base? Are pins properly aligned? I've had my joystick for quiet a while now and never had that problem...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have you tried checking connection between the grip and the base? Are pins properly aligned? I've had my joystick for quiet a while now and never had that problem...

 

This...

 

Buttons definitely should not be acting up like that.

Don B

EVGA Z390 Dark MB | i9 9900k CPU @ 5.1 GHz | Gigabyte 4090 OC | 64 GB Corsair Vengeance 3200 MHz CL16 | Corsair H150i Pro Cooler |Virpil CM3 Stick w/ Alpha Prime Grip 200mm ext| Virpil CM3 Throttle | VPC Rotor TCS Base w/ Alpha-L Grip| Point Control V2|Varjo Aero|

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This...

 

Buttons definitely should not be acting up like that.

 

Thats the first thing I did. That would also not explain why this kind of problem only happens after a reboot. If I unplug the usb plug and put it in again everything works fine again. I mean if the problem is between Stick and base shouldnt it still exist after the usb plug unplug? It may be related to USB Hub but I haven´t tested that out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Interaction with windows:

Is not allways working correct. Normaly after a reboot all buttons are pressed or button 19 / brake is pressed and only reconnection will solve the problem. The reccommented software to calibrate the stick is not working correctly on my PC so I had to use the windows calibration but that worked ok.

 

 

Hi Merlin,

 

Glad to hear you're enjoying the MT-50 Flightstick!

 

Regarding this issue, it's typically caused by some types of USB hubs. Are you using a usb-hub? If so can you test without it just to check?

► Website: www.virpil.com // ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VirPilControls // ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/VirPilControls

For support please email support@virpil.com to open a ticket!

 

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had the same Button Problem. I had the Stick connected directly to the PC and when i turned off the PC and turned back on the Buttons did not work.

I had to unplug the USB and replug it.

But when i only reebooted the PC evereything was ok.

 

Now i have it connected to an powered USB Hub and it is working properly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...