One stick for all
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With what we know and have with development and tech today I cant understand why we cant have a modular type of hotas.
Let me give you a what if starting with what we have today ( Thrust master Warthog ) reality based looks good feels good high priced limited longevity . ( CH Products ) old dog on the block and could come back and blow everybody out of the water if they weren’t stuck in the past. ( Saitek ) Wiz Bang flashy paint multi button and bright lights old car with new paint.What if:
Lets start with QUALITY why not make all the buttons and knobs in a Hotas system a modular configuration a stick the you could build your way ( Roccat Nyth ) Ref
A modded type of software ( Thrust Master Target ) Open to program any Hotas
Base hardware that could be ( twist or Strain Gauge X-65 ) Saitek Ref in box hardware or purchase mods but make it all one stop shopping
The need to have one type of stick or another stick for Space or Airplane or Helicopter with the wide range of pricing and questionable build quality could be cut in half with some with some smart thinking but maybe that’s the problem I think that the company that get to a simplified version of plug and play will win this battle and will be more than happy with the customer base that they will have. ( If you build it they will come ) -
I’d just be happy if TM did what they said from the outset and made/offered the modular grips they had stated they were going to…
…the throttle(s)…er…OTOH…are a different animal. Need modular grip offerings of both single and/or dual throttles. Really don’t like the current Warthog lockup lever…just give me an updated Viper grip/quadrant!
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I had this same idea a while back. But I don’t think it would work.
The market is simply too small. I know you are thinking that they would sell more simply because, being customizable, people would buy tons of those switches / hats and stuff (I know I would). But I think there would be too much overhead the distribution of those individual components (hence, cost). Also, I’d imagine that having buttons that can be swapped by a hat, or a two way switch, or three way switch, from an engineering and manufacturing POV, that can’t be cheap neither. While electronic products look like one of a kind deals, they really use off the shelf components as much as possible, and I don’t think there’s anything like a multi-contact button-socket-thingie you can use, so you would have to manufacture them specially… $$$$$
At the end I think what Stevie says would be a lot more feasible… but if TM is not doing it, probably it is because they are either dumb, or they made their homework and know it’s not feasible… not sure which one is it.
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Thrustmaster Warthog Stick with R3 Mod and F16 and A10/F15 Style TQS’s offered.
IF they wanted to expand they could offer a stick for choppers.
That would cover 90% of the flight sim community… yes?
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Thrustmaster Warthog Stick with R3 Mod and F16 and A10/F15 Style TQS’s offered.
IF they wanted to expand they could offer a stick for choppers.
That would cover 90% of the flight sim community… yes?
Interest? Yes.
Affordability? No. And that is the issue. There are plenty of entrepreneurs out there. Its a niche that would have been filled, if there was demand for such a quality stick, in the quantities needed to justify production overhead, and at the price point that could justify the time and effort.
People just are not willing to spend that much money on hardware, in great enough numbers to justify it.
On that note, modular buttons and switches would be very gimmicky, and not very durable - or not very cheap. Given that its not going to be cheap to start with…
Still, there already exists production of quality HOTAS’ with Mil spec components. People just dont want to pay for them at their price.
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I guess there is a market for a good interchangeable stick at the right price point, cause according to what you’re saying Thrustmaster is missing the mark and is not on the pulse of the flight sim community… which I believe may be the case.
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well you never know what a company can or will do.
But the point is that they have prices way high. I’m confident that production cost ain’t that high but what can we do?
Having two unified bases one for stick and one for Throttle is a very good idea and buy the handles separately and change them as we say plug and play is a way good idea and for those that need more it can drop the cost of purchase.They have set the psychological price barrier to 400 $€ which is high considering that you might need another 400 for addons to make them more realistic like force sensing.
If the street price could go bellow the 300 I believe it would be a success story.
This community could start it as an open source project.
One guys puts the 3d design.
Another the electronics.
Another the 3d printer files.
Another the 3d printer.
Another the electronics parts.
Another the software needed and profiles per stick per Throttle…This will reduce the price only to parts purchase and the rest will be free for all. The user will purchase all from the list by himself or the team for a small operational cost could gather and send them. Then according to guides provided by this open source project the user will have to assemble the devices.
I just saw an open source 3d printer unboxing and assembly and I was amassed.
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Thrustmaster have just to make a F-15 or F-18 grip and renew the old Cougar throttle to Warthog standards, so you could combine them like you would.
They have also the good old X-Fighter, they could use as mold for a standard B8-grip like used in the F-4.F-16 = Warthog Stick (Grip) and Cougar Throttle
F-15 = (New) F-15 or F-18 Grip and Warthog Throttle (o.k. F-15 has an antenna up/down dial but the Warthog already exists)
F-18 = same as F-15
F-4 = Warthog Throttle and (new) B8 Stick and so on…I think that’s enough for most sim enthusiasts, not 100% real but close enough.
I’ve done this by my self with the old FLCS/TQS, Suncom SFS/Talon and the X-Fighter, modded them to be interchangeable and useable with modern hardware. Now I could fly most of the fighters relatively realistic.
As an extra feature I have added a nozzle control to the TQS, to use it in conjunction with the F-15 Talon as
a AV-8B HOTAS. I know its not 100% real, but the handling is perfect for me. -
Well that’s what we are talking about… more close to real and not that expensive. I have this but doesn’t do that. I like the F-16 but no solution, I like the F-18 but lacks DMS (Example) I like F-15 but no actual solution
I like both but too expensive for a second one.
So 2 bases and x handles for those.
Handles that will be closer to anything that exists right now. Not easy but doable.
If it can go bellow 100 for the bases and 50 per handle I believe lots of ppl will be glad.Does anyone know about for the mass for a full stick and throttle how much would it cost to make it 3d printed? and I’m talking about material cost only. no electronics or wiring, or springs or metal that might be needed, just the chassis and buttons.
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Don’t know about 3D printing, but if you could get an old Suncom SFS and a Talon on ebay (there are sometimes very cheap offers) you have the chassis and the buttons. They are plastic but not the worst quality. Think they were much better in quality as Thrustmaster those days. Little more like CH Products, not as good but nearly the same in case of the used synthetics.
For the mass this isn’t the solution. But as long as you could get those old HOTAS it’s the only solution I knew at the moment.
Their is a company that makes HOTAS for different military aircraft called Bugeye Technology, but they are really expensive.
I’ve looked a lot at their page while building my own HOTAS. Very detailed pictures for every HOTAS. -
sure…
Here in this forum we have guys and knowledge and experience to achieve the best quality and the lowest cost… Many from viper pits have done miracles on pit building with few…
This project is very strict as specific and can be started for fun and end up to pro. Example pistoleros thread and solution. Already there exist many good suggestions and solutions.So as Falcon took birth from it’s asses this could also… same goes for non natural point track ir solutions… many guys manage it at half the or way less price.
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Think the most complicated are the molds of the HOTAS. Have no experience with 3D printing, cause good printers are still too expensive for my budget. What I’ve heard from others is that printed chassis aren’t very durable and you have a lot of work to finish them, cause affordable printers don’t work very exactly.
There are many edges to remove after printing. As I said, I don’t have my own experience with this, but it was the reason for me not to buy a 3D printer at the moment. Later times this could be an option, cause as we all know things in the computer category get better and much cheaper over the years.
For the electronics there are still much options to make an own hotas. Another more complicated thing are the mechanics. But I think good, durable, real looking chassis, buttons and switches are the main problem.
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If you want a durable stick body, 3D printing is not an option today nor tomorrow. Not at hobby price points - nor commercial for the most part.
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Well, I’m working on a project that’s essentially a DIY Warthog firmware with support for profiles and what not. So, if someone manages to get the 3D parts, then produce them, then assemble them, and then shipping them to costumers, we are good to go!
Just kidding of course, but one can dream…
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Look guys the main point of the first post was not to criticize or diminish the development of the current hardware if it came out that way it was not my intent I was only wondering out loud if instead of making new models COUGAR / WARTHOG / X-55 / X56
just stop and fix what’s there. I would think that it would be easier to fix the current version rather than going to a new model if you have a good foundation. now I’m not in on corporation cost and development and what it takes to do these things so it may just
be a simple matter of misunderstanding but looking at this forum and other like it the R&D / Hardware / Software short comings are the thing that will be the first things people will be talking about and building on that would make your product better.
Now some of the above post talk about community development and I think that might be the game changer that the industry needs given the current state of technology and the cost of what’s on the shelf being able to say give us what we want or we will build it
for our selves instead of buying it from you. Think about it -
Kickstarter?