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VKB GLADIATOR NXT - Entry Level Taken to the NXT Level


UIV

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You're upset and it's understandable - sorry you've been through this, but from here to 'crap qc' is a long way: the rate of failures reported to the number of sales is minimal. 

The VKB products are designed in such way so the user could easily access the internals and replace/fix parts if necessary without sending them back and waiting weeks to get them fixed. Regluing the magnet, for example, is a 10 minutes job - would you prefer to send the joystick for repairs and wait for 2-3 weeks to have it back? I know this shouldn't have happened in the first place, but it did, like it could in any other product out there.

I also don't agree with your 'horrible product support' statement; on the official forums, the Hotas Discord or Hotas subReddit people are usually getting customer support in just a few hours.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...

I currently have the Nxt Prem paired with the Orion throttle from winwing and couldn't be happier with the combo. Having upgraded from the x52 pro it is crazy the difference in quality between the two. 

The only knock, is that I have large hands and the Nxt is on the smaller side. 

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I want to congratulate VKB for the excelent flight stick that the Gladiator NXT really is.
Acquired mine recently and I'm super happy with my purchase, I find difficult to imagine anything better for desktop use today.

However, I don't think it's perfect. Allow me to offer some criticism:

  • The stick is angled (vertically) in a slightly unnatural position. When centered, it's tilted slightly forward, instead it should be a little more straight, more vertical.
    While I think this may be correct if otherwise used as a side stick, or as central stick (as with higher-end products using extension, placed between the knees of user), the NXT like this does not feel correct as a desktop (table) stick, usually placed at a more elevated position, and with such short throw.
    It feels as if you're pushing (moving arm forward) more than expected for pitch-down and, on the contrary, pulling (moving arm backward) less than expected for pitch-up.
    This is quite evident if coming from, or placed against, other sticks in the market (I had five other products of Thrustmaster, Saitek, Microsoft and Logitech to compare it with), where the NXT can feel somewhat strange on the Y axis.
     
  • The throw (stick travel) is rather short. It feels somewhat limited.
    I feel that one hits the throw limits of the stick travel far too soon. A little more throw (just a little more) in the stick's X and Y axis would definitely feel better. 
     
  • Extra springs of different strenght should be offered as default, also in the Standard edition (not just with the Premium edition).
    They can be acquired (and included) separately, but I feel potential buyers will not be aware of this, and I suspect most will want to play around with springs strenght for the perfect feeling (f.ex, for me right now 30# on Y axis and 20# on X axis feels best, but later may change).


Otherwise, I only have praise for the product and VKB's customer service. I received it only five days after purchasing online, and all packaged and documented impeccably, so that first impact of user experience also feels excelent. 
The NXT certainly looks and feels (also functionally) much higher quality than anything else in its category, just like everybody using it has been saying. 🙂 Well done, VKB!


Edited by LucShep
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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello fellow VKB users!

I have a problem with my stick. It started to not center anymore correctly. So when i push the stick left and let go, it goes to a different position than if I do the same from the other side. Back and forth is fine.  Anybody with a solution for that? I found something about loose magnets but that might not be it.

tagging @fallout9 as well.

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On 1/4/2022 at 2:25 PM, RED said:

Hello fellow VKB users!

I have a problem with my stick. It started to not center anymore correctly. So when i push the stick left and let go, it goes to a different position than if I do the same from the other side. Back and forth is fine.  Anybody with a solution for that? I found something about loose magnets but that might not be it.

tagging @fallout9 as well.

Are your springs still intact?

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"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

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1 hour ago, Sr. said:

Are your springs still intact?

Probably, I haven't checked yet. Will do. The difference of the center positions can be about 3-5 units of the deadzone in DCS. Enough to break out of the autopilot in the Hornet with deadzone at 1 but not noticeable when maneuvering.

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On 7/14/2021 at 9:51 AM, Cpt Cuckoo said:

Well......my Gladiator NXT Premium arrived today.  It comes with lots of spare parts, sensors, screws, replacement and adjustment parts, screw drivers, spring removers and springs. I decided to just go ahead and remove the medium weight springs already on it and replace them with the light weight springs and then assembled the stick.  Then mapped it for an F-18.  I've been flying around landing on carrier decks since then, and I think the lightweight springs will do for me. It's smooth and a lot easier on my arm than the T.16000 I was using. 

I'm keeping the TWCS for a throttle though, especially because I already made some modifications to it with an Impulse Slider kit I placed into it. The TWCS with the VKB Gladiator NXT Premium gives me a lot of controls and buttons.

 

The VKB stuff is of superior quality and looks and feels nice and professional. The baseplate is made of heavy metal and gives the stick a solid and stable base. Once I get done finishing the mapping I'll probably really like this setup.  I'll never buy a Warthog. I'm pretty sure of that.  I'll be using this stick while building DCS missions around sinking British naval ships in the Black Sea well after I retire in Crimea.

 

Крым - это Россия! ....... а Черное море это русское озеро! ...Оставайся в стороне!

 

Cpt, that's exactly the same combo I have, including the TWCS impulse slider and magnetic A/B detents mod. Would you mind sharing your config file? Thanks.

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@Sr.It seems like the spring was worn out. I changed it to a harder one at it fixed it. The two points that hold the spring seem to be closer together than on the other axis. If there is no tension at the center, it can get mushy.

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  • 1 month later...

I do ok with it in the UH-1

 

Ryzen 7 5800X3D | 64GB DDR4 3600| MSI RTX 4080 16GB Ventus 3X OC  | Samsung 970 Evo 2TB NVME | HP Reverb G2 | DIY Head Tracker Cap | Logitech X-56 throttle | VKB NXT Premium |  Win 11

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

--Arthur C Clark

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  • 1 month later...
On 1/17/2022 at 2:06 PM, RED said:

@Sr.It seems like the spring was worn out. I changed it to a harder one at it fixed it. The two points that hold the spring seem to be closer together than on the other axis. If there is no tension at the center, it can get mushy.

I watched a VKB Youtube video last night about this, they said it was down to the magnets coming loose. Glad you got it fixed.

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I have a programming question -

I want to program one button on tempo to go to a shift state (alternate) to allow different functions for the hat switches, and change an always-on LED colour, say from green to orange to tell me if the stick is in state 0 or state 1. I want the shift state button to be tempo so I can still use it as a normal button with a short press but change shift state with a long press.

[edit] solved via vkb forum - the level of programming possibilities for this sticjk is mindblowing.


Edited by Sprool
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  • 11 months later...
On 6/21/2021 at 12:41 PM, fallout9 said:

You're upset and it's understandable - sorry you've been through this, but from here to 'crap qc' is a long way: the rate of failures reported to the number of sales is minimal. 

The VKB products are designed in such way so the user could easily access the internals and replace/fix parts if necessary without sending them back and waiting weeks to get them fixed. Regluing the magnet, for example, is a 10 minutes job - would you prefer to send the joystick for repairs and wait for 2-3 weeks to have it back? I know this shouldn't have happened in the first place, but it did, like it could in any other product out there.

I also don't agree with your 'horrible product support' statement; on the official forums, the Hotas Discord or Hotas subReddit people are usually getting customer support in just a few hours.

I was upset. I still believe they should have replaced the stick. However that being Said I do feel I should do an update. After I glued the magnet I am pleased to report that I have had no issues.  I even upgraded to a space gunfighter with an extension. That is an awesome pice of kit. Even with the Gunfighter I still use the NXT as a side stick for the Viper. If anyone is interested in getting an NXT do it. It's the best entry level stick I've ever used bar none. I play alot, and after the repair mine has held up vary well. I've tried the #30 spring, but I'm not sure how I feel. I'm using the #20 right now. If you're flying helicopters go with the #10s you won't even need to trim. 

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  • 3 months later...

Hi All,

I've got the NXT Premium and find button programming to be diabolically confusing.

TBH all I really want to do is program the left hand side grey hat halfway down the stick to be used for my trim buttons (Up/Down & left/Right), which I've done,
but the crucial bit I really need is to be able to tweak the settings so each click isn't so harsh - I need to tone down the trim travel so its far more subtle than it is.
But unable to work out in the programming software how to achieve that.
Anyone got any pointers/guides?

Cheers.

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