Best joystick out there

[Deadman]

Well I have the Cougar and u2 Hall sensor up grade by choice Like LD said its your choice. the only thing that will change in the future is extending the stick and change to a b 8 grip so it will be more realistic in the A-10 pit. the cougar has worked fine from the time I opened the box and better after the mods and straighting out the speed brake and dog fight switches.:thumbup:

[Kuky]

Actually Rugg, I'll have to say you are wrong thinking Cougar can't program complete starttup procedure with just 1 button press because IT CAN :)

 

You can also program the mouse to move to exact spots... make circles on its own... press switches... and so on... and this is all with 1 button press.

 

Back in IL-2 I has my Cougar programmed to (in certain mode) open the map... centre the mouse of the centre of the map... then enable HAT switch to ack as holding the mouse while I scroll it... when I release the button it would let go of the mouse...centre it again and I can scroll the map more if I want in any direction. All this I had added ability to zoom in/out of the map...and once I'm done releasing the button (hold switch) the map would be closed and everytihg be back to normal.

 

In all this I had quite a bit of logical programming and it worked like a charm. I never once had to touch the keybord. Actually I never ever had to release the stick... actually I'm lying here :D I had to let go of the throttle in order to operate flaps, brakes and prop pitch assigned to 4xaxis throttle quadrant I built, right next to it.

 

So, if you can do this with CH then I'll say they are on pair programmability wise. If not... Cougar wins hands down as this is not even all what Cougar can do as I am not using it to it's full potential at all. I can just imagine all the programming can be done... if you're smart enough :D

 

And like I said... I did not like stock Cougar very much, and this is becasue I am picky and I wanted complete quality and IJ's mod together with HallSensors made it just that. I've never ever even thought of something other than cougar. If this one ever goes does (electronics wise or what ever) I'll be getting a new one straight away... that's how much I think it's worth.

 

Now I am not bashing CH stuff and it still is very good and quality HOTAS and much cheaper then Cougar. But it can't be moded like Cougar (at least I didn't hear anyone doing it) and it really can't match Foxy. it's good I'm sure but not as good as Foxy.

[hitman]

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, (and rugg), to the only forum on the planet where flame wars are started at the mere mention of joysticks.

 

My joystick has a metal shaft penetrating the rod, making it stiffer.

My joystick is made out of polymer plastic and has this intense grip.

OH YEAH?!?!? my joystick takes viagra...:(

[Kuky]

My stick is very... errr... very... errr... metalic :joystick:

 

Actually hitman I'll have to disagree with you too :D I wouldn't consider this a flame war... I'd rather call it "HOTAS discussion" ;)

[LawnDart]

I wouldn't consider this a flame war... I'd rather call it "HOTAS discussion" ;)

 

At least we're right on topic (as far as the thread's name)!!! :lol:

[Kuky]

hey... CH stuff is not too shabby looking either :thumbup: I'd say it really just comes down to how much money you can spend... and I think which ever you get you'll be very happy with it.

[Kuky]

Every time someone buys a cougar, God kills a kitten. :D

 

errr... I don't like cats anyway :music_whistling:

[hitman]

Every time god kills a kitten I master bait (go fishin').

[3Sqn_Fudd]

Screw all of this... I'm keeping my X-52 forever... and fix and mod it forever... It's the best out there, your mom thinks so as well.

[Groove]

Well i have the CH Pedals so i think i will go for the CH Hotas.

 

Especially the price for a modded Cougar is too high imo.

 

But thanks for all the inputs !

[VVanks]

Its in outstanding condition. Ive never disassembled it, I keep it dust free, and its fairly new like 3 or so months old. No blemishes whatsoever on any plastic or seemingly metal components, and Ill sell it to you far cheaper than that...this unit cost me 120 at best buy brand new. Ill take 50, honestly. Just allow me a few days to get a replacement stick for it, as I want something extremely accurate.

 

Still debating on what stick I want...CH is going to cost an arm and a leg with all the mods, and Im not sure if any other joystick is really compatible with Vista yet. I got research to do.

 

Oh okay then great. I'm a bit short on money right now so you'll have to wait till I start working.

 

I didn't know it was that cheap, I guess I was looking at the wrong stick.

 

Man now I want to get a Cougar HOTAS.

 

Wow 8 pages on joysticks. Men....

[Kuky]

...Wow 8 pages on joysticks. Men...

 

Hey, what do you expect... this is flight sim forum :pilotfly:right? ;) Sticks :joystick: is exactly what we should be talking about :D

[Ramstein]

I just noticed the name of the original poster >>> 'Wanks' in this thread about a Joystick just occured to me.. it's ironic... I once had a doctor named Lamon to a 'Lamonectomy' on my spine. More ironic stuff..

 

:joystick:

 

Beam me up, I'm surrounded...

:doh:

[Kuky]

I just noticed the name of the original poster >>> 'Wanks' in this thread about a Joystick just occured to me..

 

Actually I just checked... it's VVanks not Wanks so the man accused is clear of all charges:smartass:

[hitman]

I believe he is referring to VVanks (wanker)....I could be wrong, lol...

[VVanks]

That's right it's double V not double u.

 

It's actually a really really bad pronouciation of thanks.

 

But apparently, there is a word called wanks.. which is very.. interesting.

[Ramstein]

Actually I just checked... it's VVanks not Wanks so the man accused is clear of all charges:smartass:

 

can't put 2 'V's together with old people with bad eyesight :doh:

[PoleCat]

I have NEVER had a problem with my CH. Although I have never owned a cougar they lock nice but I don't have the money to buy one and upgrade it so it will work good. I don't hate cougars, I have just never owned one, they do look nice and like the real thing...I'm just not rich.

 

I wouldn't mind trying one out though...

 

This is my point exactly Cali. To imply that you must mod a stock Cougar to have a competing stick to the CH is untrue, particularly if you have no personal experience with one. It is just rhetoric. The vast majority of people NEVER had a problem with their stock Cougars. They can be purchased easily online for under $200USD shipped any where in the US and remain one of the very finest HOTAS systems available unmodded.

Cougars are modded most often because they are an excellent foundation for proceeding towards perfection rather then because they are deficient by any measurement other then when compared to their modded counterpart. If you mod a Cougar it is on a level far above anything else. A modded Cougar is of course superior to a CH in every single way with the exception of what ever advanced programming that the CH Control Manager software is capable of that foxy is not. I would also contend that from what I have read Rugg does not understand the capabilities or limitations of the Foxy software at all. It can do more with advanced programming then most people will ever use. Kuky is correct on this.

The Stock Cougar by itself easily competes with, and in many stock Cougar owners’ opinions surpasses the CH and every other HOTAS out there on many obvious levels. That is all I have been trying to say from the beginning.

To each his own I always say. (a Cougar I hope).

Out

[Raised_Dead85]

WOW i should have not ORDERED this thing!!!!!

 

You guys scare me!

[RvEYoda]

Maybe what Ice says is true that the majority of cougar users have no problem. All 4 people I personally know though with it have had pretty big trouble with it (incl. myself).

[TucksonSonny]

WOW i should have not ORDERED this thing!!!!!

 

You guys scare me!

 

Since 2004 I have probably 2000+ hours on my stock Cougar together with my computer!

With NO problems! ;)

The only little thing is that occasionally I have to unplug/plug in the USB connector and that is all.

(There is anyway a test program to check the cougar for this availability!)

[Kuky]

Ah come on now guys... saying "good luck" to people who want or have bought the Cougar is bit of overstatement... I've had mine for some 5 years now... and geees it's a great HOTAS. I wouldn't want any other.

 

Also to say most people have problems with it is not correct... there are alredy few thousands Cougar's sold worldwide (check Cougar owner's database which has stick serials).

 

I am sure people bash it only because it's so pricey and they expect perfection from it in every way and if they don't get it... they say it's crap. That's just isn't right nor correct. It's not perfect out of the box... but it's easily fixable (the speedbrake switch for example). Later firmware version have been greatly improved, I for one have never had to unplug/replug it because it won't work. For me Cougar is working flawlessly. Cougar is being bashed just too much in same way for example, Flalcon 4 players crapping about LockOn... and I ask you now, would you all who fly LockOn and love it and play it on regular basis, agree with them?

 

And like I said, Cougar is for people who can afford it... and mod it... and no one can claim either CH is perfect either... for one... it's made out of plastic and I personally dislike that now very much (after using the Cougar for few years)

[159th_Viper]

WOW i should have not ORDERED this thing!!!!!

 

You guys scare me!

 

No Worries M8 - I have a late serial # 27407 and out of the box - 0 Hassle: Greased Gimbals, Ant Rotary 100%, SPD BRK No Problem - and that about takes care of the usual suspects......;)

 

By far the best £120 I ever spent :)

[531 Ghost]

Control Manager not as capable as Foxy? To be honest CM has been as capable as Foxy since CM v2.0. And now we're up to 4.2 for you non Vista types and for you Vista types we've got (for both 32 and 64 bit) CM 5.0 (Beta 0) How many "Logical Flags" in Foxy? We have 128 CMS Buttons and 64 CMS Axes aka Logical Flags ;)

[Frazer]

I have the X52 (and Track IR *1*:D).

 

Last week I ordered:

Saitek X52 (again!)

Saitek Pro Rudders

Track IR 4 Pro + clip

[edit]I bought the X52 again because I punished it for 4 years intensive flying[edit]

 

About the stick, this is why:

 

- Next to some more fancy lights and nicer buttons, the X52Pro doesn't improve a thing IMO (I tried a used one).

 

- I owned the cougar, nothing but problems, returned it.....waited 5 months...asked money back....bought X52 (TM may have improved their cougars, but it's still a "nice from the outside, crap on the inside stick".

(unless you pay HUGE amounts of money to mod it)

 

- CH, owned the CH rudder, little bit light on the feet but still fine. CH sticks, never tried them but didn't hear much bad about it. If CH would *finally* lowered their price, I may have gone for CH.

 

Conclusion: all 3 sticks are precise enough for human hands. What you really pay for is the "feeling" of the stick.

Cougar (with or without FSSB) has the most realistic feeling of all sticks, if you fly the F-16.

If you are willing to pay some money, CH products are good to go.

If you want a cheap and flexible gear, which gives really good quality for the price, go Saitek. Not mentioned above, the Saitek Rudder owns the CH rudder for sure with its adjustable force and wider foot base.

 

But lets not forget,

It is about the hands (and feet) steering and not the stick itself.