Need First HOTAS Advice!

[xaborus]

Doing research over the HOTAS on the market, everything seems terrible quality. It seems like the Saitek x52 pro's, Thrustmaster Warthogs both have reliability issues and terrible tech support when something goes wrong.

Then there is CH Products and i have heard that their quality has gone down over the years.

 

So really everything on the market is sub-par quality and i have no idea which

company/HOTAS to go with. So far i have limited it down to 3 options:

 

CH Products: around $340 for Pedals, Fighterstick, and Throttle.

Thrustmaster Warthog: around $620 including Pedals

X52 Pro: around $268 including Pedals

 

Which would you do?

Edited March 17, 2013 by xaborus

[mmaruda]

Go for CH! Warthog is not that versatile, if you plan on playing anything besides the A-10, also very expensive and there are reports of failures. X52 is a good entry level HOTAS, but since you already consider more expensive stuff, no need to waste money on something with less functionality, when you will feel the need to upgrade at some point.

 

That leaves CH - all it lacks is analogue axis on the throtle and maybe a dual-stage trigger. Sturdiness-wise, it's rock solid and feels unbreakable. Sure there are reports of breaking but nowhere near as many as with Saitek or TM. If you need a versatile HOTAS with solid build quality, there is nothing better.

[cichlidfan]

IMHO, the Warthog is as versatile as you make it. Granted, it is definitely geared for the A-10 but I have no trouble using to fly helicopters badly, as well as everything from modern civilian to WWI aircraft.

 

From everything that I have seen, the 'bricked' throttle problems are history. There have been other issues but none that I would consider out of line for any product of this type.

 

My only dealing with TM customer support involved another product and could not have gone smoother though it does take them about a day just to answer an email.

 

Just my opinion of course.

[jjohnson241]

u

 

I've had the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog for nearly two years and I fly all my flight sims with it. I've had no problems with either the hardware or the TM Target software. The Target scripting language (LUA) has a learning curve but it can be mastered.

Prior to purchasing the Warthog, I had a full compliment of CH gear (Fighter Stick, Pro Throttle, Throttle Quatrant) and I loved it. I did not like the CH Pro Pedals as the width between the pedals is too narrow for my taste. The CH Control Manager software (used to produce profiles for the ch devices) is very powerfull and the support for both hardware and software is top knotch.

I used the Saitek Pro Flight Fighter Rudder pedals with both the TM and CH gear and had no problems.

 

Neither TM or CH is force feedback capable. I don't think there's a quality FFB HOTAS on the market currently. Logitech is dropping their FFB HOTAS rig.

 

Frankly you can't go wrong with either TM or CH. If money is the issue, then CH is the way to go. If I were making the decision today, I'd go with the CH gear for the HOTAS and the TM MFD's for extra control (Key) input.

 

Good luck

[snafup]

Hi, what reliability issues and terrible tech support has happened with Thrustmaster ? If you look at the serial database the numbers are at 17500 and still going.( starting at 1) They must be doing something right. A lot of the issues were taken care of with new firmware as far as i know. The joystick has 19 action buttons and a pov hat, the throttle has 17 action buttons, one mouse , a one 8 way. All which are programmable , either in dcs world or using target,so i don't know how it can't be versatile, you can program it any way you want.

It helps that it's plug and play for a10c.

As for what i would do ,I already got the thrustmaster and pedals, and haven't looked back or regretted my decision. The precision and feel is great.

[xaborus]

Wow i really appreciate all the quick replies guys!

 

Ill definitely go with the Thrustmaster or CH then.

 

Money is an issue, as I'm only 17.. but its so appealing to buy the TM sense it is made for the game I'm learning with. Not to mention the uber cool green cool lights :P It's such a hard decision!

 

I guess the best way to decide is with the law of diminishing returns. So is the TM 2x better than the CH? If so its definitely worth it in my book.

 

Also, its worth noting that this is my first ever flight sim and im doing this mostly to gain an advantage over the competition ill be encountering after graduating AFROTC. So right now im a complete noob and know litterly nothing about flying. Any advice/help at all that will translate to a performance advantage in real life will be extremely greatly appreciated. With that said, does having logged flight time/sim time play any advantageous role in competing for a pilot spot in the military?

 

Thanks again guys, sorry for being so long winded.

[agrasyuk]

if you have money - TMWG.

if not a used x52 (non pro) form ebay will set you back 50-70$ so you can fly while saving up for TM. pro is exactly the same thing just different color scheme and different (but still pretty useless) screen.

[spikenet]

I love my Warthog controls, was such a revelation compared to anything I'd had previously. A good long-term investment!

 

Not sure why anyone claims they are not versatile, once you learn the scripting language they can do nearly anything you can think of!

 

The only thing I would suggest with the WH is putting some decent grease on the stick, makes a huge difference!

 

As for training, anything that gives you an edge has got to be an advantage! :)

[xaborus]

Just a curiosity, are most of you guys actual pilots/ex pilots or hobbyists? Some of these youtube videos are utterly incomprehensible with all the lingo you guys use, but its the coolest thing ever.

 

My goal is to work up to this:

[Cali]

Just a curiosity, are most of you guys actual pilots/ex pilots or hobbyists? Some of these youtube videos are utterly incomprehensible with all the lingo you guys use, but its the coolest thing ever.

 

My goal is to work up to this:

 

There are some current and ex-pilots in here, as well as military, but the majority of us here are hobbyists.

Edited March 17, 2013 by Cali

[julian265]

I wouldn't buy a stick that uses potentiometers for roll or pitch.

 

Whilst CH plastic is of decent quality, they need to update their sensors and ADC resolution, given their price.

[Cali]

I wouldn't buy a stick that uses potentiometers for roll or pitch.

 

Whilst CH plastic is of decent quality, they need to update their sensors and ADC resolution, given their price.

 

 

CH sticks are very precise even after years of use. Being precise is one of CH strong points. I had one from 2003 to 2011 and it worked the same in 2011 as it did when I first opened it up in 2003. I sold it for a modded cougar, which lasted about 1 month. I soild the cougar and bought a fraken-potato modded CH and guess what, it was like I had my old CH back, no issues. I don't even know how l=old it is, but guess what, it doesn't matter....cause CH works. I agree that CH does need to update some stuff, however, that isn't one thing I was thinking of.

[Slayer]

Personally I use the TMWH. Nothing like the feel of heavy metal in your hands. Bought it the day it came out ~ no regrets. Get used daily.

 

Another option to consider as well is the Saitek X-65, it is a force sensing stick (kind of like what they use in a real F-16) Some people really like it , others can't get used to it. I believe this is a metal stick as well . http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/x65f.html about $400.00 too...

 

I've owned many Saitek products throughout the years and generally they are reliable ~ kid still using my old X-52Pro and it's real old..

[jjohnson241]

I'll jump back in here to agree with Cali.. I had no issues with the accuracy of the CH gear I used for years. Also agree that CH needs a general update of their consumer controllers.

One thing to consider.. CH makes controllers for the industry/government market. The gear they sell to the government features hall sensors, metal construction and "state of the art" design.

However, they have not opted to make that gear available to the consumer market. IMO, that is a business decision that considers the ever-shrinking marketplace for consumer flight sims. Whether or not they intend to stay in the consumer market remains a good question.

[xaborus]

what do you guys think of the TM t-flight? It has great reviews on nearly every site. Aslong as I don't lose any functionality I'd rather get it than an x52..

[JetBLASTER]

Hi bros need help.

I have Thrustmaster Warthog and need to download new drivers.

The problem is ,I have Windows 8 and on Thrastmaster site said Windows

2000,7,XP drives only .How Ican download the drives for window 8?

Very appreciate any help and thanks in advance.

[NhiTrac]

Hi bros need help.

I have Thrustmaster Warthog and need to download new drivers.

The problem is ,I have Windows 8 and on Thrastmaster site said Windows

2000,7,XP drives only .How Ican download the drives for window 8?

Very appreciate any help and thanks in advance.

 

Shouldn't be a problem as I'm using it now on Win8, both drivers and software.

 

That was one of the things I noticed as well re TM not having Win8 drivers and software. I guess they didn't need to?

[JetBLASTER]

Thanks NhiTrac for the info , very appreciated.

All the best to you bro.