TrackIR or rudder peddals?

[LastRifleRound]

I radio'd clearance from the wife for purchase of a new peripheral and permission was granted (with the commensurate bump in purchase price for mother's day :P)

 

Anywho, I'm flying with an X52 and using the twist axis for rudder. It's ok, but I'm finding it nearly impossible to strafe with rockets or perform any other fine-tuned yawing motion.

 

However, I am also flying without TrackIR, and this sim looks like it would really cook w/track IR. Right now the HMS is kind of useless, as the mouse control on the X52 really isn't sensitive enough to keep the thing pointed right, and takes away from flying any way. Besides, it just looks cool.

 

So which one to start with? I was leaning toward trackIR, since I really don't have a comparable solution for it's function, and my SA would definitely increase, making me a better simmer in many areas. What do you all think?

[159th_Viper]

TrackIr

 

Pedals are cheaper......easier to sneak by the Missus the next time around :D

[fox_111]

I'd say pedals are a better first buy. I can't imagine flying without them.

 

TrackIR is easy to hide, have it delivered to your parent houses or neigbor.... hahaha

[EtherealN]

I would probably say TrackIR too. Though if purchase clearance is required and you have a webcam you could try out Cachya or those other alternatives that use that method - if that works well enough you could then use that for improving your situational awareness, and have money for the rudder pedals.

 

And then you can, at a later date, try out a "real" TrackIR if you are unhappy with Cachya. There is a discussion going on about the TrackIR alternatives in a different thread: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=40833

 

Personally though, if the choice is pedals or TrackIR, TrackIR wins. I've got both (my next peripheral purchase will be a proper HOTAS) and they've both been awesome revolutions, but the TrackIR was just amazing whereas the pedals were simply practical. :P

[Safari Ken]

I went through that exact decision with Black Shark. I've simmed for a long time with just a joystick, and then a HOTAS, but I knew that a good chopper sim would be best with both TIR and pedals.

 

I couldn't afford to get both right away. They were exactly the same price ($130), so I really gave it some thought before I took the plunge. I finally decided to get the TrackIR first, since the twist handle on my HOTAS works better for the rudder, than its hat switch works for the view.

 

I have since said to friends that I definitely made the right decision. While rudder pedals give great control, TrackIR absolutely revolutionized simming for me. I realized, on my first day of using it, that I hadn't even known what SA was before! It was just a beautiful dream that I liked to fool myself with. But now, finally I can dogfight worth a damn in IL-2, and the 6DOF cockpit in Black Shark is one of the greatest things ever displayed on my monitor. The immersion level is through the roof!

 

So in my opinion, the hardware chain should go HOTAS -> TrackIR -> Pedals. :thumbup:

[EtherealN]

To be honest, a big thing for me with the TrackIR was that it freed up my left hand. I previously used the mouse in my left hand for moving the view in IL-2 and so on, but with Black Shark you want to have that hand ready to always make small collective adjustments. (But I was a real ace with moving the view with my left hand mouse in IL-2, and I am so massively right-handed that it's pretty much the only thing I can use my left hand for at all beyond typing on the keyboard and using a powerdrill (!))

[Safari Ken]

I'm impressed; I tried doing the left hand mouse view thing, and I just couldn't hang with it. But that reminds me that there were unexpected advantages from switching to TrackIR. My favorite is that it frees up a whole hat switch, which used to be for panning the view!

[EtherealN]

Oh yeah, it took me astonishingly long to remember that I didn't have to have the hatswitch controlling the view - and when it's the only hatswitch I have (Cyborg Evo) that's some pretty darn valuable real estate right there!

 

That said though, it really wasn't easy to learn to effectively control the view with the left hand in dogfights, but I started doing it pretty early, so I never got into the habit of the hatswitch, so there was no "un-learning" to do either. When I started doing that (in games like Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator and so on) I didn't even have a stick that had a hatswitch at all! :P I had barely transitioned from the Amiga and the gotten into the novelty that is "analog" joysticks! :D

 

(An invention I put to good use in Chuck Yaegers Air Combat. Remember that game? It was awesome with an analog stick. :D )

[Sentonal]

TrackIR is a hands down no contest. If my rudder peddles and my TrackIR went at the same time, and I only had the $$ for one. It would be the Track IR. I have an EVO force and an X52 though, so I already have a backup for the rudder.

 

I did however just go in and can see what you mean by controlability with the X52, I might suggest tweaking your axis's in options. That seemed to help a bit.

 

Next I am going to some of the TrackIR alternatives though just to ensure a backup.

[connos]

Get TrackIR. Its impossible for me to fly without it.

[CAT_101st]

I finally decided to get the TrackIR first, since the twist handle on my HOTAS works better for the rudder, than its hat switch works for the view.

 

So in my opinion, the hardware chain should go HOTAS -> TrackIR -> Pedals. :thumbup:

 

 

Thats a good point

 

+1 on the TrackIR

 

altho I use Freetrack and have just moded my sidwinder peadels in to my pit.

[Frazer]

Track IR is the 2nd best thing after the joystick, you will love it :smilewink:

Edited April 26, 2009 by Frazer

[LastRifleRound]

TrackIR it is! But I posted in another thread about the Cachya program. I will give that a shot tomorrow simply for no other reason than I have a webcam and I don't think I've ever used it for anything, and I want to make the $20 back I paid for it.

 

I'll let you all know how it works! I suspect without like 4 hrs/session to get it to work, it will likely be very difficult vs. TrackIR, but hey, you never know.....

[Kilo_60]

For those with Track IR?

 

Do you recommend mapping any of the TIR button presses "F9" etc to the HOTAS...

[Safari Ken]

Not really. I guess some people might want to map Precision Mode to the HOTAS, but those people probably just need to tweak the overall profile. And I don't have to center the TIR nearly enough, for that function to take up a precious button on my X52. :P

[Chillspider]

Definetely go with trackIR over the pedals. Also don't go for the alternative webcam aproach to head tracking . Although it works ok it takes a hit in performance to me that is not worth it. Plus you dont have to assemble tackIR So trackIR 4 all the way with the track clip pro. The vector clip for the hat works great but the track clip PRO is so much nicer to have .

[LastRifleRound]

We'll see, my performance is already on edge, my machine is 4 years old. I'll put it to you this way, the newest gear (aside from my X52) on my PC is the ATI X1300 in it.....

 

But, like I said, Cachya has a trial version of their software, so there's really nothing to lose in me trying it. I already have a good webcam, so I don't need to buy anything to give it a shot. If it tanks my frames, i delete the prog. and never buy the full version and grab me a trackIR. If it works like a charm, then i have head tracking software and use the money for pedals.

 

I'll probably buy the TrackIR anyway because, like I said, it just looks cool, and supports damn near every PC game that's come out for the past 3 years...

[Smoky]

TrackIR is one of the single best mods I've even bought for simming, and I buy lots of simming cr@p.

 

Besides, if you also race cars on your PC, I can show you how to easily convert your pedals to act as either pedals for driving or rudder for flying with the flick of a switch. That's what I'm doing with my ECCI pedals as I prefer not lug those 30pound pedals in and out of my cockpit frame.

[muamshai]

Get divorced. Then you can buy anything you want :D

Working fine by me. No more hassles.

[Maximus]

over 10 years Flight simulator experience, I would recommend TrackIR over Pedals. Pedals is same as joystick twist, that feature you already have which you can use it for now. so Dont wait and order TrackIR.

[bigsarge]

track IR

[Tbag]

Track IR all the way! Except if you are happy with Freetrack or the like, never tried those myself.

[Raz_Specter]

Definatly TrackIR but also with Track Clip Pro cost is about £124.

 

Mithandra

[nemises]

+ 1 for trackir

 

Pedals are great, but trackir is UTTERLY essential...

[rapid]

TrackIR you know it makes sense.:thumbup: