A new guy into sim flying

[Joker_Her3]

Hello everyone,

 

Just saying hello,as i just joined this forums and this is my 1st post.:)

 

First off i want to ask NOT to be hated at or w/e,for not finding the information i am looking for,or for making a similar topic to a already existing one.:music_whistling:

 

Now :

 

I just bought Black shark 1 from Steam and do i qualify for the 20$ discount of BS2?Also I'm buying A-10 tomorrow(steam again :/ ).:thumbup:

 

Anyway to the Black shark questions:

 

I have a lot of them.Can i be directed to some videos/training missions?

How to start-up,how to turn on the targeting screen in the middle?

Also,is there a key mapping image similar to this (http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=62548),for the BS controls?:helpsmilie:

 

I have alot of questions,and i'd love to have a friend or two who are mature veterans(or good at this game and just normal people)so i can have people i can ask questions to?Ofcourse if they are willing to.:helpsmilie:

 

Also i'd love to join a squadron,but i'm pretty sure no one wants people with no experience whatsoever in flightsims.I know how to use TS/Ventrillo anything.

 

Basically i need help too cause i don't have a joystick yet,(will buy one in the next 1-2 weeks) and TrackIR.I need suggestions on what joystick to get.I have my eye on the HOTAS Warthog,but i accept suggestions from experienced people.:joystick:

 

Also last thing :

 

Thanks for any help i get,i appreciate it.I'm happy to be here and looking forward to learning and flying with some of you guys.

Also this is my steam profile if you want to add me and "teach me" (give me advice/fly with me)

 

http://steamcommunity.com/id/Jok3R_Her3/

 

I accept any people,i love playing with someone.:pilotfly:

 

 

Thanks for reading this,sorry it turned out so big :book:

[Jona33]

Welcome. Yes you do qualify for the BS2 upgrade. You can also uninstall BS1 after installing BS2. I'm not sure about key mapping image but, http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/downloads/video/

These should help. As for a squadron check the link in my sig, less of a Squadron more of a bunch of people who enjoy flying. As for a joystick it depends on your budget. If you have the money for a warthog HOTAS it would be brilliant when you get A-10. Flying without a stick would be extremely difficult. Hope you have fun. :joystick:

[bengo]

Hi,

 

best place for A-10 videos :

http://www.youtube.com/user/Tigerpwrr

 

Lots of KA-50 and A-10 and Lomac videos from DCS themselves of course :

http://www.youtube.com/user/eagledcs#p/u

 

We will not hate you for not finding information, as long as you promise to extensively use the search-function on this great site to find answers to most (if not all) questions a beginner might have.:thumbup:

 

I think there's a Czech-squad around somewhere, no ? Check here :

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=34062

 

Good advice : practice, practice, practice. Use the seqrch function to get a good understanding about the trimmer of the KA-50. It is not what you think it is. But the info on this site is very helpfull. Try to master flying the Shark before you take her into combat.

And most of all : have fun.

 

B

Edited November 26, 2011 by bengo

[WildBillKelsoe]

Hello everyone,

 

Just saying hello,as i just joined this forums and this is my 1st post.:)

 

First off i want to ask NOT to be hated at or w/e,for not finding the information i am looking for,or for making a similar topic to a already existing one.:music_whistling:

 

Now :

 

I just bought Black shark 1 from Steam and do i qualify for the 20$ discount of BS2?Also I'm buying A-10 tomorrow(steam again :/ ).:thumbup:

 

Anyway to the Black shark questions:

 

I have a lot of them.Can i be directed to some videos/training missions?

How to start-up,how to turn on the targeting screen in the middle?

Also,is there a key mapping image similar to this (http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=62548),for the BS controls?:helpsmilie:

 

I have alot of questions,and i'd love to have a friend or two who are mature veterans(or good at this game and just normal people)so i can have people i can ask questions to?Ofcourse if they are willing to.:helpsmilie:

 

Also i'd love to join a squadron,but i'm pretty sure no one wants people with no experience whatsoever in flightsims.I know how to use TS/Ventrillo anything.

 

Basically i need help too cause i don't have a joystick yet,(will buy one in the next 1-2 weeks) and TrackIR.I need suggestions on what joystick to get.I have my eye on the HOTAS Warthog,but i accept suggestions from experienced people.:joystick:

 

Also last thing :

 

Thanks for any help i get,i appreciate it.I'm happy to be here and looking forward to learning and flying with some of you guys.

Also this is my steam profile if you want to add me and "teach me" (give me advice/fly with me)

 

http://steamcommunity.com/id/Jok3R_Her3/

 

I accept any people,i love playing with someone.:pilotfly:

 

 

Thanks for reading this,sorry it turned out so big :book:

 

You came to the right place buddy! I have a steam version of BS1 myself. I'm thinking of starting an airwing for BS1. I can add you as a trainee. Add me: commandosolo2010

 

As for multiplayer, sure, I can teach you from A-Z anything you want. Just add me as a friend tonight and I will play with you on sunday tomorrow. I'll be on at 8pm GMT, and since you're Czech, I've always wanted to visit Praha.

 

I wonder what HOTAS or stick are you using. I saw those images on your profile, and we can work on takeoffs and landings for a start.

Edited November 26, 2011 by WildBillKelsoe

[Suchacz]

Hi Joker_Her3,

 

visit our Czech and Slovak fanweb of ED products at http://dcs-uvp.cz/ Čekáme tě v Ústavu Virtuálních Pilotů :thumbup:

 

Těšíme se!

 

S pozdravem Sucháč.

Edited November 27, 2011 by Suchacz

[Joker_Her3]

Thanks for all the help,i contacted some people,i contacted you as well @noc_orthodontist.

 

I hope we fly soon.Thanks for the suggestion's.

 

As for joystick,i have the money for the Warthog,however is it the best?Do i need the MFD cougar things too?

[Jona33]

For A-10 the warthog is the best. The cougars are probably most useful if you want to build a pit. You might want to consider Trackir or Freetrack as well.

[Joker_Her3]

When i get A-10(the game) i will be mainly playing that as i enjoy planes slightly more than helicopters,however i won't stop playing BS and BS2(when i buy it).

 

I won't be building a pit.In the near future i will be getting myself :

 

TrackIR5

MFD Cougar's (i still need comments on these,are they worthy for their price?)

Joystick : HOTAS Warthog or .. ?!! (suggestions).

 

I have NEVER played with a joystick whatsoever,so does that matter?

Also are the MFD cougars usable on other games or are they specific for A-10?

[Jona33]

TrackIr will help, No idea about MFD's though. Joystick, bare minimum you need really is something like the T flight HOTAS X but you can buy so much better. The X-52's are supposed to be very good, (from what I've read the Saitek support is less good. X-65F is a pressure sensing joystick (like the F-16) and is also good. Logitech G940 includes some rudder pedals and is force feedback. And obviously the warthog is practically designed to fly with DCS A-10.

[Bucic]

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=63018 Edited November 28, 2011 by Bucic

[WynnTTr]

When i get A-10(the game) i will be mainly playing that as i enjoy planes slightly more than helicopters,however i won't stop playing BS and BS2(when i buy it).

 

I won't be building a pit.In the near future i will be getting myself :

 

TrackIR5

MFD Cougar's (i still need comments on these,are they worthy for their price?)

Joystick : HOTAS Warthog or .. ?!! (suggestions).

 

I have NEVER played with a joystick whatsoever,so does that matter?

Also are the MFD cougars usable on other games or are they specific for A-10?

haha... you have crossed the event horizon and falling into the black hole that is hardcore simming. Welcome!

 

TIR5 - absolute must. Buy this before you buys anything else.. even a HOTAS. I can fly without my Hog, I can't fly without my TIR. You won't regret buying it. I don't think I've heard of anyone that has.

 

HOTAS - buy what you can afford. Obviously the Hog will be your best bet for DCS products and it helps that it's the best quality joystick on the market out of the box (with the price to match). But what you will want is a HOTAS and not some play thing such as a combined joystick.

 

MFD's - if you have an iPad or any tablet they're not worth it. You can easily set up your ipad to have anything you like using a some freeware software. The one I use is Touchbuddy for DCS and BMS. It's really simple stuff of just setting up an image map using HTML - all of this can be done with a GUI rather than coding.

 

If you're going to build a pit then obviously the MFD's will be better but remember they're just a frame with the buttons on it. They don't display anything. You can just use Helios and a touchscreen/Ipad to get the same effect.

[ZQuickSilverZ]

Hello. I am glad to see a new pilot join us. If I may make a suggestion, don't concentrate on weapons. The main thing you should concentrate on is navigation. Do not just learn the main navigation systems learn the backup systems as well. Seriously.

 

Try to target a squad that offers training.

Our squad offers a very high level of training.

http://war-hawks.net/private/

 

We are active to. This is a screenshot of our TS viewer I made right after I read your post.

Edited December 3, 2011 by ZQuickSilverZ

[ZQuickSilverZ]

If I may make a suggestion. Force Feedback to me is a lot better for the Black Shark than a non force feedback stick. It really solves a lot of problems people have with trim. If your going to fly jets more I suppose it does not matter.

 

This is a good beginner stick. It is cheap and will be a good baseline to compare what features your looking for in a future HOTAS purchases.

 

http://www.thrustmaster.com/product.aspx?ProductID=149&PlatformID=5

 

$34.99 Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-T-Flight-Hotas-Flight-Playstation-3/dp/B001CXYMFS

 

 

For that price it is practically disposable (though it is a very high quality stick). So you can trade up to something nicer later when you have more of an idea what you need and not lose much sleep over this purchase.

 

Also note that the stick and throttle DO separate.

Edited December 3, 2011 by ZQuickSilverZ

[Luigi Gorgonzola]

This is a good beginner stick. It is cheap and will be a good baseline to compare what features your looking for in a future HOTAS purchases.

 

http://www.thrustmaster.com/product.aspx?ProductID=149&PlatformID=5

 

Sorry, that's a crapstick. Bought it, regret it. Buddy wouldn't listen and bought it as well - guess, what's happening...

 

Either buy cheaper or by right.

Edited December 3, 2011 by Luigi Gorgonzola
fixed quote

[ZQuickSilverZ]

I see. Well I read many reviews from many websites where people were very happy with the stick. I would not recommend it if I felt it was a bad product. My recommendation was well researched. May I ask what you felt was unsatisfactory about the product?

[Jona33]

Sorry, that's a crapstick. Bought it, regret it. Buddy wouldn't listen and bought it as well - guess, what's happening...

 

Either buy cheaper or by right.

 

I'd say it's a great stick. Use it with BS2, A-10 and LOMAC when I fancy something where you don't get birdstrikes in the rear. :D It works great for all of them.

[Luigi Gorgonzola]

What I dislike is mostly "traditional" and well known: Crappy potentiometers. These little plastic thingies result in:

 

 

• Slider reacting on strong input only (read from the calibration screen it would step up in steps of five - pretty much, considering its range from 0 to 256). Since this is my Collective, slow movement is barely possible. Also, it simply ignores the very beginning (again, in numbers ca. eight) of its range.
  
• Deadzone of the "Rudder" axis (Z axis) is huge and assymetric. Makes my turns an adventure.
  
• X and Y axis centering is only reliable and sort of exact if you load the spring close to max. Not the way I like to have my Cyclic, unfortunately, so I have to deal with a "moving center" somehow.
  
• Overall inaccuracy; doesn't ease my life at all.
  

I tried FC2 and A-10-C as well and couldn't find too much negative/undesired/unexpected outcome (not even the fact that I feel bored in fixed wings), but in the Shark that crapstick drives me crazy so I never would recommend that stick for this particular purpose.

 

There are many sticks of similar quality and functionality that are cheaper. So I'd recommend to leek for a cheaper one or save the money for a better one. I'll probably be buying an X52 Pro as soon as HMG permits as it seems to me the best price-value ratio for a helicopter stickset, about 150,- €/USD if not cheaper.

[WildBillKelsoe]

Sorry, that's a crapstick. Bought it, regret it. Buddy wouldn't listen and bought it as well - guess, what's happening...

 

Either buy cheaper or by right.

 

Give the guy a break dude, he cant afford (no actually most folk including me) cant afford the Warthog. We'll wait it out to 250 bucks or so before we actually start spending the green. Although I highly, extremely doubt that it will ever drop price unless a new F-22 raptor stick comes out either from TM or a match-level competitor stick deploys in the market, let alone the competition and the falsified feedback and tarnish one experiences in the Amazon jungle, which is why, I dont trust Amazon.com, and if I want a good review of some stick, I go tube.. You get two benefits, seeing the product live in action, and asking owners specific product-related questions.

 

Sometimes, owners happen to be kids (or teens ~~) so you have to target even more specific owners for a proper reply.

Edited December 4, 2011 by WildBillKelsoe

[ZQuickSilverZ]

Luigi Gorgonzola you say the T.Flight Hotas X has a rudder problem. Later you state that you do not see any negative/undesired/unexpected outcome behaviors in FC2 or A-10C. Is it possible your trimming your rudder off center in the Black Shark and are not aware of it? Do you use the orange box? I only ask because I find it odd you are not having similar problems in FC2 and A10-C.

 

Also since you said there are many sticks of similar quality and functionality that are cheaper maybe you can suggest one for our new pilot. I am sure he would appreciate a recommendation.

Edited December 4, 2011 by ZQuickSilverZ

[kylania]

I'd highly suggest the Saitek X-52. It's cheap for what it can do and is a great, fully featured and long lasting HOTAS system. It's the stick I've used for years before getting the TM Warthog.

 

For just a stick you might consider the Thrustmaster T.16000M. It's got nice sensors for such an inexpensive product.

[Luigi Gorgonzola]

Luigi Gorgonzola you say the T.Flight Hotas X has a rudder problem. Later you state that you do not see any negative/undesired/unexpected outcome behaviors in FC2 or A-10C. Is it possible your trimming your rudder off center in the Black Shark and are not aware of it? Do you use the orange box? I only ask because I find it odd you are not having similar problems in FC2 and A10-C.

 

Also since you said there are many sticks of similar quality and functionality that are cheaper maybe you can suggest one for our new pilot. I am sure he would appreciate a recommendation.

I should have added that I fly fixed wings usually rther infrequently, since I bought BS 1 ;) I buy them (FC2, A10 in this case), fly them and feel bored pretty soon as they don't give me the thrill the Black Shark does :)

 

In general, inaccuracy and other issues of my stick are not as "obvious" (lack of english vocabulary 4tw) in fixed wings (especially jets) as their reaction on robust input is rather pleasant in opposite to the Black Shark (and probably most if not all other helicopters). Hence my "negative/unexpected/undesired" statement; the stick becomes annoying when it comes to very sensitive input. Especially the Z axis (rudder) issues make common manoeuvres like a coordinated turn pretty tricky.

 

And yes, I use the orange box. It's the first thing I switch on, even prior to BATT1 and BATT2. And the orange box confirms the display of the stick calibration pages - it's an issue with a stick. Apart from that, I have no curvature, saturation and deadzones set in BS options. All straight and plain. Tried to compensate the Z axis issue with a small deadzone and a curvature but didn't feel comfortable with it, so I returned to default.

 

Regarding the "many cheaper" sticks I'd rely on the OP to be able to compare prices ;) It's rather a strategic recommendation to either spend as less money as possible (as I think all low cost sticks are equally crappy) or go and find a good stick that meets the individual requirements by searching the web (and not relying on advertisement, see noc's comment). Personally, I chose the X52 Pro as my individual "right" stick. It's affordable to me and I'll be able to skip the extra rudders (another 100,- up to 200,- €) for a while and expect to have a way more accurate stick in my hand (also, it fits my hands and purposes way better than a TM WH or Cougar).

[Bucic]

I'd highly suggest the Saitek X-52. It's cheap for what it can do and is a great, fully featured and long lasting HOTAS system. It's the stick I've used for years before getting the TM Warthog.

 

For just a stick you might consider the Thrustmaster T.16000M. It's got nice sensors for such an inexpensive product.

Ditto! For both of the sticks.

 

I know I'm repeating myself but...

About crap-pots http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=883109#post883109

 

If you're not into reading much simply don't buy any Logitech sticks nor Thrustmaster's (including Cougar!). That Thrustmaster 16000 something is fine though. Saitek sticks are much better choices in any price range. There's nothing to compare when it comes to sensors/potentiometers.

[159th_Viper]

Saitek sticks are much better choices in any price range. There's nothing to compare when it comes to sensors/potentiometers.

 

Theory of the technology aside, that does not correspond with my particular brand of reality. I started with a Saitek X52. Rubbish. Sent it back for a X52 Pro. Rubbish. There a lot more to be taken into consideration than the sensors/potentiometers.

 

Got a Cougar and even at stock was more precise than the Saiteks and improved my flight-fidelity 100%. I was fortunate though in at that stage the X52Pro was priced the same as a Cougar so it was a 'straight swap' so to speak.

 

The best advice one can give anyone contemplating a purchase is to actually attempt to get your hands on each probable and 'test-drive' them prior to purchase. That way you are certain. If not able, don't hesitate to make good use of the returns policy :D

[wess24m]

I think it's kinda luck of the draw with saitek, I've had both the x52 and x52 pro and I haven't have any issues with either stick. I have a tm wh now and it's amazing but i've read reports of problems with thoughs as well. If your new and don't want/have to spend the money on a wh then i'd get a x52 pro.

[Bucic]

Theory of the technology aside, that does not correspond with my particular brand of reality. I started with a Saitek X52. Rubbish. Sent it back for a X52 Pro. Rubbish. There a lot more to be taken into consideration than the sensors/potentiometers.

I've always thought it's obvious that when sticks are being discussed it's about sticks in working order :) I didn't have any problems with my X-52 Pro. That is after I modded it (see: sensor mod).

 

As for the Cougar. Well, if someone praises it's mechanics and pots it has to be a case of a particular brand of reality indeed i.e. I'm not going into the discussion.

Edited December 4, 2011 by Bucic