CH quality

[Svsmokey]

They build good stuff ! I only posted this to get rid of the "never" in the posting field . Somehow , i found it offensive to see never next to CH :joystick:

[Sajarov]

I agree. It's just Mods did not move some threads to this forum.

[ebabil]

i think they are quite done with sim joysticks. no new products, not much activities in their forums etc

i have full set of them but i advise simmers look for more updated solutions.

[Svsmokey]

Updated to CH Hotas about 4 months ago , so they're still making consumer products . Agree nothing new , but reliability and quality trump "new" imo . Just passed along my 90s CH stick to my son-in-law , and it is still working as new .

[ebabil]

then you are very lucky. i had pro throttle for about 4 years and it always casued troubles to me. its pot is very weak. it is always jumpy.

[Gman109]

Back around 2007 IIRC CH Products "sold out" to another company. Another sim pilot I've known at another game for 20 years now worked there, and has mentioned in the past that their quality and consistency has dropped considerably since then. I agree with him, and he obviously has much more info/knowledge regarding this - I've owned many full CH sets over the years, both of their pedal types, several Fighter and Combatsticks of both USB and gameport types, etc etc.

 

 

 

The 2 sets I've purchases post "sell out" have an obvious drop in quality if you pull the units apart, it's like drunk children in a sweat shop assembled them and did the wiring/etc compared to the pre 2007 units. A TON more complaints across various forums can be read since then too. Still, overall, CH still makes a good product, it's just not as great or consistent as it once was IMO.

[Cunctator]

This also matches my experience. I had to open my almost new CH Combatstick in 2012 to firmly attach a loose wire, but it works great since then.

[Sokol1_br]

Facts: CH sticks is durable like this thing, but like then is an obsolete twentieth century tech - unless for USB plug is the same stick of end of 1990's.

 

BTW - I own a 1998 Combatstick - updated with BU0836A 12 bits controller, in this particular model the center pole of gimbal is made in plastic (is steel pin in Fighterstick) and ending wear with use.

Edited September 2, 2018 by Sokol1_br

[Fri13]

While waiting change to pre-order (or even get notification) from VKB, I bought a CH fighterstick.

I must say I was surprised by stick deflection bumps strength. Not so subtle I would say, why I am going to mod it to be non-centering non-FF stick with a four RC car shocks, and maybe add a small extension that is required for the shocks attachments (about 3cm) and maybe try a longer one (at least try how accurate it could be).

 

I would have thought that already CH would have remodeled the stick, as it is fairly uncomfortable, especially the hand rest is very tiny and the edge is fairly pointy. Really feels as 90's designs in engineering first, ergonomics as second.

What means I am going to reshape the hand rest with something wider.

[DerekSpeare]

CH and only CH for me. I've been using their sticks since 1991. All that flashy stuff is cool, but CH just works and never stops.

 

If you're in the US you can buy their products on Digikey:

 

https://www.digikey.com/products/en/computers-office-components-accessories/desktop-joysticks-simulation-products/899?k=ch%20products

 

They do 10 buck flat rate UPS ground per order, too.

[iKyrThraad993i]

Like DS and others have mentioned around the internet. CH Products might lack in the Cool/Wow features but is probably one of the most sturdiest HOTAS on the market that I know of.

 

I think when the F-16 comes out for DCS there will be a nice little bump in sales for the CH Fighterstick unless someone puts out a stick down the road.

 

 

 

 

 

------------

 

Also for people to say look for a updated model yea maybe there right other HOTAS out there have more functionality for the same price range as the CH Fighterstick, Pro Throttle and Pro Pedals but again the quality of these products if great. The only downside is the lack of Windows 10 support with there software otherwise this is still a great product ever if its years and years old. I would still recommend this to people.

Edited September 3, 2018 by iKyrThraad993i

[Gman109]

Agreed ^^^.

 

 

Until the VKB Gunfighter 2 revB came along, I used my CH Fighterstick as my primary PvP stick for Aces High 3, played that game competitively for 20 years now, and the light and easy motion of the CH stick was perfect for the constant fighting in AH3 for me. The VKB GF2 can be made even lighter, and I'm using it instead now, but it took 20 years for a stick to come along to supplant my trusty CH stick(s), and it only cost 4x as much (hah).

 

 

Even with the issues I and others mentioned regarding QC/QA, I'd recommend a CH setup without hesitation, for the bang/$ ratio, it's incredibly hard to beat. Purchasing a VKB GF2 and VKB pedals cost me 2.5x as much as a CH setup (FighterStick, pedals, throttle), and the VKB setup comes sans throttle for now. Even a TM Warthog costs well over $625 CAD up here after tax/shipping, a full CH setup can be had for $150 CAD less easily, and again, comes with a unit the TM setup doesn't (pedals in this case).

 

 

I wish CH would update their stuff - I feel their gimbal system is unique and fantastic still, making a metal stick based on say the F22/F35/whatever, a newer throttle shape as well, as well as an updated pedal - they'd sell, I believe that all the way.

[Eclipse]

I have similar experience. I wasn't happy that I had to open up the stick and throttle and crimp the connections tighter. Prior to doing that I had axis jumpiness and at times it would go haywire till I tapped it on the desk. But, after tightening the crimps, not a single issue.

 

And the Control Manager software is pretty nice. Extremely flexible, and when you write a command file and can then assign and rearrange the button configs from outside the game all you want, it does make it easier than doing it all in game and trying to keep it all straight!

 

For the money, I'm not sure what else really competes. Maybe something does. But all I've seen about Saitek products are that they last a couple rlyears and then something wears out. I would hope that would change, now that Logitech owns them!

Edited September 4, 2018 by Eclipse

[Svsmokey]

Yeah , i was briefly shiny-thinged by the X52 Pro , but all the rotaries and sliders were unusable , even to making the software unusable as it jumped around seeing ministick inputs that weren't there . Tried using different rotaries for zoom and Warsaw Pact brakes but they jumped around so much as to be useless . My overall impression was that they were junk . I would like to have an external throttle-friction adjustment though !

[IvanK]

Err X52 is Saitek why bring it up here ?

 

 

I had TM Uber nxt stick. Nothing but issues with disconnects and broken switches. Went to CH around 7 years ago and never looked back... hasnt missed a beat.

[Eclipse]

Friction adjustment would be nice, but so would FFB... of course then my current mounting solution would be no good at all!:joystick:

[Gman109]

Friction adjustment would be nice, but so would FFB... of course then my current mounting solution would be no good at all!:joystick:

 

 

CH in fact made a fantastic FFB stick, it has a Combatstick handle and a large FFB motorized base. I have one, I'll post pics of it tomorrow. Been out of production for 15 years I'd guess, I bought mine back in 1999. Back in those days quite a few sims supported it, I haven't used it in a long, long time, just sits on the collection display table, but I too think that CH could bring back FFB as an option with a new line of gaming sticks/etc.

 

 

Edited September 5, 2018 by Gman109

[Sokol1_br]

I have one of this FX "dinosaurs", the last OS for winch they furnished drivers was... Win95.

[Svsmokey]

Err X52 is Saitek why bring it up here ? (Quote)

For the same reason you mentioned TM ! To highlight CH quality :)

[Eclipse]

CH in fact made a fantastic FFB stick, it has a Combatstick handle and a large FFB motorized base. I have one, I'll post pics of it tomorrow. Been out of production for 15 years I'd guess, I bought mine back in 1999. Back in those days quite a few sims supported it, I haven't used it in a long, long time, just sits on the collection display table, but I too think that CH could bring back FFB as an option with a new line of gaming sticks/etc.

 

 

I would buy one!

[Vannipo]

All axes in all CH Products offer only 8-bit resolution, aren't they?

This is a tiny way too less, cause small adjustments near the center are needed for smooth flying, and 8 bit is not enough for such a small area. There u gonna have maybe 10 values only.

[Svsmokey]

Extended sticks may benefit from more resolution , but a short-throw stick does , imo , not .

[Eclipse]

All axes in all CH Products offer only 8-bit resolution, aren't they?

This is a tiny way too less, cause small adjustments near the center are needed for smooth flying, and 8 bit is not enough for such a small area. There u gonna have maybe 10 values only.

 

I don't know what the resolution is, but I have zero problems with any small adjustment, and all is smooth.

[Sokol1_br]

I don't know what the resolution is

 

In a simplistic way, in an 8 bits controller (CH's), this "resolution" means that you have 256 positions to be registered across an axis movement, assuming that this stick grip move around 30 degrees side to side, every smaller input in game require that you move stick grip ~0.12mm.

 

In a 10 bits controller - minimum value used by other brands sticks and pedals you need move 4 times less, then only pressure of your hands or feet's is registered.

 

Are people around arguing about 14 x 16 bits (64 and 256 times more) resolutions.:D

[Vannipo]

Exactly.

 

2^8=256 steps

2^10=1024 steps

2^16=165536 steps

 

So, lets take your example of 60° of total angle. Small adjustments are made near the center @approaches and aiming targets. So, maybe 5°:

60 / 5 = 12.

256 /12 = 21 steps in this 5° area. ~10 steps in each direction.

 

Very view steps.

I think you would feel it, Eclipse, if u play with a high-resolution stick. After that, you would not come back to a 8-bit stick, I think.

 

Regards

Edited September 29, 2018 by Vannipo