General HOTAS advice
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I’m now trying to get a X56. The X65 could be great, but it’s just too risky. It’s totally outdated, every Windows update might break it and I’m not a fan of editing stuff in the registry. And even thogh I’d have a plan to allow the stick to move a very little bit, there is still the risk that I might just hate force sensing (and force sensing is wrong for almost all other aircraft). Of course, if a X65 pops up for 300€ (350€ if with rudder pedals) or less, I’d still buy it.
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You may still try your luck with a used Cougar. I bought mine used in pretty good nick, but after a few years I noticed the pots really started to get old. (axis drifting). But Vipergear sell a ‘drop-in’ hall sensor kit that works very well and it wasn’t that expensive at all.
And now my Cougar is as sharp as she must have been straight out of the box.If you want full 1:1 mapping with the real F-16C HOTAS, a Cougar (or TQS+WH) would be your best option.
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I dont understand where people get the automatic assumption that force sensing sticks are exclusive only to f16 (or fbw). Ive flown with x65 since it was released and have no issues flying precision maneuvers with traditional aircraft like ww2 and helos alike. As long as u have a concept of trim then its more than adequate for most everything. From my personal experience, you will have a frustrating time with X52/55/56/or warthog doing precision flying. Sometimes i might come off as a troll on these forums because i rear my ugly head to reiterate this repeatedly and sound like a broken record, but its because ive flown in wings with countless people who buy those junk sticks thinking theyre great mid level sticks only to quickly get frustrated and quit altogether because they dont think they have what it takes to AAR for example, when its really more to do with crummy hardware they have to contend with (yes, those sticks are THAT BAD). Not saying that with a butt load of practice it cant be achieved with these toys, people even do it on gamepads, but i recommend doing yourself a favor and saving the headache. You dont have to spend extra money either to get good quality. Fighterstick, t16000 and warbrd are all far superior choices if u cant find an x65
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Well, I certainly haven’t heard of a force sensing stick being used on any other production aircraft (though I did hear somewhere it was used on the Commanche). TBH, if you want a truly realistic experience with any other combat aircraft, you need to rig up a center stick of some sort, preferably with a long shaft. That doesn’t change the fact that the x65 is a fine stick, at least according to those who use it.
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Airbus uses them on their airliners, and iirc the C17 does as well.
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Which airliners? I’m pretty sure all the ones I’ve seen were position-sensing:
Dunno about the C-17.Technically, the Viper’s stick is also position sensing, just with a really tiny travel range. I was surprised to learn it uses very precise LDVTs (which are linear positional sensors) to detect how much the central flex bar is bent. I know because I’m in process of trying to design and build one. The fixed ones in prototypes were almost certainly force-sensing, but pilots didn’t like that at all.
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… From my personal experience, you will have a frustrating time with X52 … doing precision flying. … [people] quit altogether because they dont think they have what it takes to AAR for example, when its really more to do with crummy hardware they have to contend with (yes, those sticks are THAT BAD).
Just gotta say, for X52 – Magnet Mod FTW – crack out the tiny screwdrivers and warm up the googles. Difference in precision and accuracy is NIGHT AND DAY!
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Can confirm X52 with magnet mod and in addition spring tension mod makes another stick
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i have just upgraded from T flt hotas x loving my new warthog set up, a bit daunting to start but lots of help to be had on here…
John.
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@oakdesign- I truly hope that worked out good for you but a simple hall effect mod and stiffer spring doesnt make up for a poorly designed gimbal. Try a virpil or vkb and come back to this
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Dragon completely missed the point so let me reiterate it…you can still have a load of fun using a force sensing stick on aircraft that never had such in the first place
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@oakdesign- I truly hope that worked out good for you but a simple hall effect mod and stiffer spring doesnt make up for a poorly designed gimbal. Try a virpil or vkb and come back to this
I don’t care about gimbals at all as I use force sensing right now
And as the X52 is still a wide spread HOTAS and depending on the budget- not everyone might be into spending into a virpil or vbk -
Just offering tips how to improve a given picr of hardware
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- not everyone might be into spending into a virpil or vbk -
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I’m now trying to get a X56 from the last shop that might have them, If it doesn’t work, I’ll get the X52 (for the throttle) and the CH Fighterstick (from UK, because there’s the only shop that still has it) and try to turn my old stick into rudder pedals.
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50€ DIY Rudder Pedals
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I’m now trying to get a X56 from the last shop that might have them, If it doesn’t work, I’ll get the X52 (for the throttle) and the CH Fighterstick (from UK, because there’s the only shop that still has it) and try to turn my old stick into rudder pedals.
You could try Ebay for the stick. I got mine for £30 and it was like new in the original box. They are built to last so a faulty one would be rare IMO.
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50€ DIY Rudder Pedals
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200622/a6a6a8fac51a1ffba103d17c483ba203.jpgGesendet von meinem SM-G930F mit Tapatalk
Very interesting. How do I make this?
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Everything documented there
https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/showthread.php?37707-DIY-3D-Printed-Rudder-PedalsAnother DIY Rudder pdeal project that look promising (Maybe I build those one as well
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4407778 -
Hey, Uwe !!! Ich habe einen Warthog und bin seit Monaten sehr unglücklich darüber, dass (aus mir nicht bekannten Gründen) mein Target nicht mehr funktioniert ! D.h.: Sobald ich das BMS-Profil “Morphines Profile” lade, stürzt anscheinend der Warthog-Treiber ab… jedenfalls steht bei Geräte: “Treiberproblem” … sowohl unter dem Stick, als auch beim Throttle !!! — Heisst weiterhin, dass ich es seither vergessen kann, BMS zu fliegen ohne Profil (nach einem erneuten Versuch mit dem 2. Rechner und dem selben Ergebnis & E.-Mail Kontakt mit Schrottantwort von “Thrustmaster”) BIN FRUSTRIERT UND BETTELE ÜBERALL UM EINEN LÖSUNGSVORSCHLAG ODER EIN WARTHOG-PROFIL… doch bislang ohne Antwort !!! Hast du eines für mich, was taugt. Sonst bin ich raus… selbst ein Profil bauen, dazu bin ich nicht fit genug in Sachen Technik. Konnte ja auch nie mit Target neue Profile bauen. Konnte das nur bei meinem alten Saitek X52. Wäre schön, wenn ich durch dich etwas erfahren würde. E.-Mail: [email protected] … Mit Dank im Voraus !!!
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Even so I’m German we have a rule. All posts in Englisch please.Otherwise use PM
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There is currently a used TM Cougar on eBay Kleinanzeigen for 200€. If it is significantly better than the X56 I’d buy that one (if it’s still available when I get an answer).
It might be the better stick (it’s Thrustmaster) and it’s a replica of the real F-16 HOTAS, which is of course nice. This probably includes throttle detents which the X56 doesn’t have. However, I could improvise an AB detent for the X56 (I don’t care about the idle detent).
But if I get this right, there is no twist rudder on the stick, so I’d have to get rudder pedals. Also, the X56 has significantly more buttons on the throttle which can be assigned to comms commands (attack target, request picture etc.) and could also be configured very well for the A-10.
And of course I also have to ask for the breakdown risk of the Cougar. If I get a new X56 and it breaks down, I still have warranty. If the used Cougar breaks down, I won’t.
If you can convince me that the Cougar is much better than the X56, I’ll try to get the cougar.