Black Shark Users: What controller do you use, and please give details...

[Flim]

Cougar hotas is the best controller setup period! When you get a new one there might be a little slop in in the y axis, but it is really east to fix with a metal file! I just ordered UZE extender 31 cm so I can place the stick on the floor which will work for the blackshark and the A-10 when it arrives! Saitek joysticks are toys compared a cougar. I fly a citation for a living and I big when it comes to a real feel in my sim. The cougar does the best job!

 

Just my 2 cents.

[ocram]

I use X52 Pro in combination with the pedals from my Logitech Driving Force GT Wheel.

[Lange_666]

Cougar with a U2 Mod and race pedals as rudders.

[Sunjah]

I went with the Saitek X-52Pro (should be shipping within 24 hourse). I was really thinking it was dumb to pay almost twice the price ($90 vs. $170) for some better functionality in the "feel/endurance/tightness" of the controls. That is what I gathered was the primary difference, aside from color and a little-bit better MFD.

 

I was pretty close to the regular X-52, then I checked GoGamer. They had it for only $130...I jumped on it. A CH Product-stick (without throttle) would be $110 or something. I like CH a lot, but $130 for this setup I could not refuse.

 

Hopefully by Tuesday or Wednesday, I'll hear a knock, knock, knocking at my front door...:joystick:

Edited January 10, 2009 by Sunjah

[VMFA117_Poko]

Saitek X52 with Logitech DFP racing pedals as rudders. I would recommend Cougar and modificate it.

[Triggerhappy69]

Neat Joystick Setup..!

 

MatGreGor..

 

I have to give you credit for this setup..

 

 

 

The rails coming out of your "joystick box"..? Are they for attaching the whole thing to a chair?

 

.. and I just love the box you made.. Am I right when I belive you have the electronics for both joystick in there..?

[Sunjah]

Does anyone know if Saitek X-52Pro has anything like this? 10 years ago I owned a CH-products Fighterstick and use to draw these out by hand (no where near this well, though).

 

I just ordered the X-52Pro, and I saw CH now has these, does Saitek have ones for their HOTAS system?

[MatGreGor]

MatGreGor.

The rails coming out of your "joystick box"..? Are they for attaching the whole thing to a chair?

 

.. and I just love the box you made.. Am I right when I belive you have the electronics for both joystick in there..?

 

Yes, the rails is for attach the box to a chair, i post more photos later.

 

Inside the box there are two compartments, up is for sidewinder electronics

+ 230v transformer, and down is for saitek x52pro electronics.

 

The project is no finished, I am doing some changes for connect my self made collective.

 

Greets.

[Vault]

I'm on my second X52 now and I'm getting spiking on the twist rudder (again) and I'm out of warranty now :mad:. The top rotary dial on the throttle is also spiking. The slider also randomly jumps about. I will not buy another X52 again (one bitten twice shy as they say). I'll be trying CH fighter stick next. If I had the knowledge I'd like to build my own. I think all of the well known HOTAS setups degrade eventually. I wish manafacturers would use decent mechanics and optical sensors on all axsis. If you buy an X52 you must accept that it will degrade and you will need to replace it witin a year of heavy use. My X52 doesn't have a scratch on it and looks new such a shame to have to waste it. I'd strongly advise you to get some pedals and not use the twist rudder because using the twist rudder degrades the X52 recentering quickly.

 

I've been through 2 X52's in 16 months.

[Slayer]

Does anyone know if Saitek X-52Pro has anything like this? 10 years ago I owned a CH-products Fighterstick and use to draw these out by hand (no where near this well, though).

 

I just ordered the X-52Pro, and I saw CH now has these, does Saitek have ones for their HOTAS system?

 

 

The beta software off their site has something like it that highlights the button when you click in it's macro box or vice versa

 

[ATTACH]23696[/ATTACH]

[Swetrekki]

I'm on my second X52 now and I'm getting spiking on the twist rudder (again) and I'm out of warranty now :mad:. The top rotary dial on the throttle is also spiking. The slider also randomly jumps about. I will not buy another X52 again (one bitten twice shy as they say). I'll be trying CH fighter stick next. If I had the knowledge I'd like to build my own. I think all of the well known HOTAS setups degrade eventually. I wish manafacturers would use decent mechanics and optical sensors on all axsis. If you buy an X52 you must accept that it will degrade and you will need to replace it witin a year of heavy use. My X52 doesn't have a scratch on it and looks new such a shame to have to waste it. I'd strongly advise you to get some pedals and not use the twist rudder because using the twist rudder degrades the X52 recentering quickly.

 

I've been through 2 X52's in 16 months.

 

I was under the destinct impression that Saitek X52 PRO used hall sensors... better than optical in my book, as they are cheap and easy to replace in the unlikely event that they should go belly up.

 

been runnign my X52pro since they released it, and i have had no problems like the ones you are describing (could be i'm just lucky though)

 

the earlier saitek sticks (i started off with the X39 after my second set of thrustmaster pfcs and throttle gave up) had a bunsh if issues, must have replaces 8 pots or so and the x45 was no better. but knock on wood the PRO is solid in my book.

 

btw, DYI stick is not that hard, or expencive if you can live without FF and fancy macros.

 

good luck

[sbern]

I use a saitek X52 handle attached to a MSFFB2 base for the stick, along with the x52 throttle, ch rudder pedals and trackir4. Everything works great other than running 4 different input devices from 4 different manufacturers makes management a little more complicated.

 

pics of the stick in http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=36683

[Sokol1_br]

I was under the destinct impression that Saitek X52 PRO used hall sensors... better than optical in my book, as they are cheap and easy to replace in the unlikely event that they should go belly up.

 

Saitek X-52 "vanila" and Saitek X-52 PRO use Hall Sensor, but only in X and Y Axis.

Rudder, throttle, rotaries, slider, use a conventional pots.

 

Ie. Throttle pot:

http://saitek.ru/other/x52inside/image140.jpg

 

Anothers inside view of X-52:

http://saitek.ru/other/x52inside/

 

Sokol1

[ruprecht]

X52, Saitek throttle quadrant mapped to BS throttles, CH USB pedals, BetaInnovations PlasmaV2 and GammaRayV2, Belkin Nostromo, plus converting my old X45 to a collective/cyclic.

[hannibal]

im working on a highly modified saitek control stack...2 piece in which piece one is 4x flip switch, 1x rocker switch and 1x 2-pos switch..second piece contains dual throttle and 2 rotary switch..

 

switch stack..

 

setting up the pit..

 

i regret to say that matrox th2g didnt work out for me at the moment... =(

Edited January 15, 2009 by hannibal

[BobBreton]

I bought the X52 about six months ago. It lasted about 3 weeks. The throttle works fine, but the stick lost calibration and nothing I tried fixed it.

 

I uninstalled/reinstalled everything, unplugged and replugged the USB cable, did the same with the cable between the stick and the throttle and even tried some other solutions that were suggested by the Admins on the Saitek Forums. Nothing fixed it.

 

Sent it back under warranty to Saitek and got a new one about 3 weeks later. This one was worse than the first one, it lost calibration after 5 days and the tension in the spring was uneven and the plastic disk at the bottom of the joystick would often stick so I had to push or pull quite hard on the joystick to manoeuver.

 

I didn't felt like paying another $40 to send it back for warranty support so it is sitting in it's box in the wardrobe.

 

As I've seen on the Saitek forums, quite a few users have the calibration problem and the only solution that worked for all of them was either to buy a new one or get an exchange under warranty. After that experience, I decided to stay away from the X52.

 

I'm looking toward the CH product although it may mean I'll have to use rudder pedals.

[VS461]

Hi all,

I have an X52 stuff with Saitek pedals and I started BS with this setup. But I can proudly present my homebuilt HOCAS in its beta stage:

It was a Cyborg 3D once upon a time (I had to kill her:(), so I can program it with SST (still unable to use its driver). The twist grip, hat switch and trigger will be used for targeting, I think.

 

http://img140.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00557nb5.jpg

http://img88.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00558rf5.jpg

http://img523.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00559smallog1.jpg

http://img168.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00560smallul5.jpg

http://img88.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00561ll1.jpg

 

The rod is mounted to the X52's throttle with some 2-component epoxy stuff with a screw in it.

The mounting is under construction:D, I've just checked the position of the collective. Now it is similar to the Mi-24's collective lever.

Some cons: 1. not have a solid/rigid feeling as I hold and move it. 2. the rod mounting is not positioned in the throttle's axis, so after 7-8° of collective angle I need to raise the grip not only pull.

 

Next step will be urze's stick extension...

 

If anyone is interested in the details, photos etc...

Cheers!

 

Edit: some of the links don't work. Sorry.

Edited January 24, 2009 by VS461
pics attached

[soup55]

Cougar

 

I had a Saitek x-52, but once I got hold of a Cougar and wrapped my hands around the stick and throttle, well, I was hooked! I haven't looked back since! Just seems to add to the immersion factor, but hey, different strokes......:joystick:

[Ramstein]

See attached snapshot:

Black Shark Weapon Launch setup. Regular Launch is for Missles. The Shift+Weapon Launch is for the Bomblets.

:joystick:

[Raploc]

CH Fighter Stick, Pro throttle and the Pro pedals. I used to own a Saitek X45. It was a nice "cheap" HOTAS. The reason I bought CH was because after 2 years of use the X45 was giving me problems with Steel Beasts Pro PE, the disc under the spring had just a little to much friction. Even lubing it didn't solve the problem. Trying to hit a moving tank at 3000 meters with your stick sometimes jumping because you overcame the friction of the disc sucked. The cougar looked nice but after reading all the problems with the stock cougar I decided to go with CH.

[Flim]

CH Fighter Stick, Pro throttle and the Pro pedals. I used to own a Saitek X45. It was a nice "cheap" HOTAS. The reason I bought CH was because after 2 years of use the X45 was giving me problems with Steel Beasts Pro PE, the disc under the spring had just a little to much friction. Even lubing it didn't solve the problem. Trying to hit a moving tank at 3000 meters with your stick sometimes jumping because you overcame the friction of the disc sucked. The cougar looked nice but after reading all the problems with the stock cougar I decided to go with CH.

 

just maybe based on natural selection your ch might evolve into a cougar,

or an alien might plant a cougar in your house!

 

the strongest overcome!

 

sorry, your avatar is inviting!

Edited January 26, 2009 by Flim

[Scif]

i have a x52, chpro pedals and a M$ ffb2 on standby, but i have the same issue mentioned in the thread with the rotaries and slider on the throttle, constant movement which causes issue's when using slider as cockpit zoom, rotaries are ok sort of, if i setup bands, but its not ideal.

 

Next setup will be something else i think.

[BS_Fighter]

Use X-52 Pro and the Saitek Pro Pedals for BS and Lo.

[LoyalNine]

I have had them all... CH, Uber2NXT Cougar and now a Saitek x52. I tend to sell my HOTAS stuff everytime I need cash. This last time I just decided to pick up an X52 (for the timebeing) come to find out I love it. I really like CH products and if I really had the money I would likely go back to that but Saitek IMO is putting out some rather good stuff atm and I have experienced NO issues whatsoever. The only thing I do not l9ike about CH is the lack of rotaries on the throttle and the feel of the throttle... other than that CH wins the prize.

 

I am eagerly awaiting a FFB HOTAS from either Saitek or CH.

[531-Ghost]

I do not l9ike about CH is the lack of rotaries on the throttle and the feel of the throttle.

 

I thought we fixed that? ;)