To X 52 pro or to not X52 pro?

[KoalaDoraemon]

Hey everyone, I'm in a little of a bind. You see, I had my heart initially set on the Saitek X52 pro, yup i've read the reviews and posts etc. and I know despite the hardware problems the stick has i.e hardware deadzones, the soft spring issue etc. it's a pretty darn good stick once modded- hardware wise that is.[ magnet mods etc]

 

Recently I've been regularly going through the Saitek forums and it's more than readily apparent that the stick has more than hardware issues- i.e USB power issues- problems with unpowered hubs, SST compatiblity issues etc. the list is pretty long- and all these seem software related.

 

My question is- has Saitek ironed out all these issues? Is this finally a reliable, good stick to buy or will i thoroughly regret my purchase?

 

I'm actually also thinking about modding my Thrustmaster T1600m- i.e building a separate throttle controller and rudder pedals using the pots from the unit- as for the control stick- I'm thinking of replacing the centering mechanism with metal gimbals i.e a spider from a U joint/ or four bearings welded to some rectangular plates- a simple design. I'm impressed with the precision of the T1600m Hall sensor -16 bits!:thumbup:

 

I'd hate to have to deal with long term software issues that nothing can help. A lot of people out there a really really unhappy with this stick.

Any positive comments? Anyone? I don't want to regret my buying decision, and though it's much cheaper than the TM/ CH models, it's not exactly dirt cheap.

 

Frazer, Pilotasso- you guys have been using the stick for a while- in Frazer's case quite a while I think.. any comments. Thanks.

 

[i'm not looking for info re. mods, more on if there've been firmware updates, or SST updates etc, impression of Saitek customer service etc]

 

Nonetheless, if this has all been covered.. you have my sincere and most abject apologies pilots. Fly straight!:joystick:

[Turk10mm]

I had great luck with my X52. I recently upgraded to a Warthog, but the X52 worked fine. It was an original X52. YMMV

[galagamo]

Hello long time user of an X52 standard

I've had it for going on 3 yrs now the only issue I've had is upgrading software going from .DAT to .pro format I had to redo all my profiles.

Regarding the software issues, unless its an underlying hardware issue, its guaranteed to be user error in most cases.

It's a good versatile & relatively cheap HOTAS.

I'd recommend it along with a warranty of course

Edited March 15, 2012 by galagamo
versatile

[speckfire]

Like all the simmers before me said. The only advantage I found with the pro vs the regular is that it had more choice of joystick profiles to download.

[Rhinox]

AFAIK, x52/pro can display useful info on throttle-display...

[Kaiza]

X52 Pro is a great stick for a great price. I had no problems with mine. I much preferred the dual spring in the pro to the regular.

 

Go have a feel of one in a store if you can.

[cichlidfan]

AFAIK, x52/pro can display useful info on throttle-display...

 

The display is the least useful feature of the unit unless you are flying FSX, which I think it works with, and it is one of the buggy areas in my experience.

[algerad3]

I have had both and i have had no problems with either. If you are into lua scripting there is a dll for the direct output function that you use to program a script to display information from the simulations.

So , if you want to get the information displayed get the pro.

If not , get the non. ( the non has a less return on the spring .)

[Heli Shed]

The display is the least useful feature of the unit unless you are flying FSX, which I think it works with, and it is one of the buggy areas in my experience.

 

Not so.

 

'Frequency Scratchpad' is an excellent utility that displayes the ATC Frequency, rwy dir's and other information for every airfield on the DCs map. Accessable via a scroll wheel, IMHO the only reason to the MFD on the x52 Pro.

[chardly38]

MY X52 pro is about 3 years old. Here lately it has given me 3 BSOD on windows 7 64bit and some times the mouse fire button just stops working. I have it programed as the trimmer. I have never been able to program the clutch button. Even though there has been small problems for me i still like the X52 pro.

[0utLAW]

Here is my 2 cents. I am new to flight sims and I recently purchased the pro. I would give it a 3.75 out of 5. While it does have a lot of buttons and looks cool, I think Saitek should listen to their customers and FIX the things that need fixing. If you are new to flight sims and your on a budget I would go with this stick. It's not that big of an investment and should last quite a while(I hope). After a couple of years simming you'll find out what you like and don't like about certain pieces of hardware. I also was using the Logitech Extreme 3d pro. While it has a stiffer feel I have come to like the softer feel of the Saitek. I would like Saitek to fix the following problems;

 

1. Magnet mod- dead zone

2. The wobbliness between the hand grip and the rod that goes into the base

3. When you dim the MFD on the throttle base the light flickers(annoying at night)

4. Better programming software

5. The PS/2 connection between the stick and the throttle. While I have not had a problem with this(yet), it would be nice to see a connection that clips or screws into place(not USB).

 

These are the reasons why I give this stick the 3.75. While being a good feeling stick with a lot of buttons there is room for improvement. I really like Logitechs products and they seem to be built better than Saitek products(IMO). If I had the extra cash(extra $100) I would have spent the money on this;

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Flight-System-Feedback-Joystick/dp/B002G1YPP2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332534619&sr=8-1

 

You get everything plus force feedback(If you like that sort of thing)

[KoalaDoraemon]

Hello again everyone!

 

Firstly I'd like to thank everyone for their prompt replies. Warms the cockles of me heart it does. :thumbup: :) Apologies on my part are in order for not replying to the posts sooner, swamped with work, what can I say.

 

I recently had the opportunity to handle the saitek x 52 pro, and I can say that I liked the look and the ergonomics of the stick but there were some glaring issues:

 

1.What do you guys think of the play between the handle and the steel rod that the stick is mounted on- as mentioned bu Outlaw in his post on this thread? Are there any mods to counter this? Is this an inherent design flaw in the X 52 pro, or did I handle a bad stick?

 

2.When moving the stick from the dead centre position, it's apparent that more force is required than if me move the stick from an already off centre position. I was trying to finesse the stick and it became very apparent that fine control would be a problem, as the stick would 'jump' , 'snap' during that initial movement past center- leading to a tendency to overcompensate. It's caused by the the friction of the metal cup on the ring underneath sure, but...

 

(a)is this normal i.e an inherent design flaw with all X 52 pros or was my unit FUBARed

 

(b)does lubing eg with gunoil, liquid detergent or parrafin completely eliminate this issue or merely make it tolerable to live with?

 

 

3.Are there any SIMPLE mods to amend the centering issue on the Saitek X 52 pro. I'm not keen on laser cut gimbals ala the sukhoi forums or a custom metal gimbal setup. Rather anything with RC shocks etc?

 

If not for these two issues I would buy this stick now... jury's still out for now. Thank you gentlemen for the feedback and do keep them replies comin!

 

Cheers!:beer:

[Peyoteros]

"Air refuelling with Saitek's X52 Pro felt like I'm 92 years old hardcore wanker (at least once a day), trying to piss in to the toilet hole from second floor, while hanging upside down and having 15 m/s side wind."

 

If you can, tighten your belt for a little while and save for TMWH Hotas, totally different league...

[Ratfink]

Here lately it has given me 3 BSOD on windows 7 64bit

 

I had this when I first got my X52 Pro in Jan. I found some advice on Saitek forum to keep profile names less than 15 characters. Never had a BSOD since.