Time for me to build my own little cockpit! Advice and help needed

Hello everybody.

I just gotta start with that this game, is ****ing great, unbelieveable! From playing BF4 every day, 10 hours per day approx, to end BF4 completely, and started playing this instead. GOSH ITS SO GREAT!

Its time to get a little "funny-serious-ish", hehe. Im planning to build a budget cockpit.

Things I already been looking on--

Saitek X-55 RHINO HOTAS - I will defo order this on Monday. (TM HOTAS Warthog is not a option)

TrackIR 5 - Been looking into this aswell... But I dont know man, is it really really worth fking over 100 bucks? Im just a student. And I dont get it. If I look to the right, how will I be able to see right ingame then, if I AM looking right.. My monitor is on my front..

Thrustmaster Cougar MFD - Is it compatible with DCS? Can I use it with both F-15C and A-10C?

a 7.1 surround headset.

This is my first "plan-to-buy". I will expand it next month, as I get money each month from school-something bla bla lend..

"If I look to the right, how will I be able to see right ingame then, if I AM looking right.. My monitor is on my front.."

The head tracker can be tuned to magnify you movements, eg; you move your heads 45 deg , the virtual world moves 90 deg.

Track IR was the best bit of kit, per dollar I have spent my money on. And it is so nice not to have to use a pov hat to look around

Randy

Track IR will change your world when it comes to flight sims.

Hi Alkaline,

I can only second what has already been said !

Once you have experienced flight sim with TrackIR, you won't be able go without it anymore. So it worths every bucks you can put into this device.

Regarding MFDs from Thrustmaster, you can definitly use them with the A-10C. They're just plug-and-play. Sorry, I can't tell about them with the F-15C. But I'm sure you can manage to use them also by configuring them in the options & controls panel for the F-15C

As for the TM HOTAS Warthog, this is probably the best option you can find, especially if you want to fly the A-10C. Nothing to worry about one more time since it is plug-and-play and you won't have to configure it to fly that beast (exept for one little things, namely replacing the POV by the trim function if you have TIR...)

Go ahead and feel the pleasure that DCS World provides when having good devices to fully enjoye it !

Laurius

did I read that right....BF4 10 hours a day EVERY DAY?!?!

did I read that right....BF4 10 hours a day EVERY DAY?!?!

Yes, atleast. I do that with every game I like. I only play one game, and when I do play, I play like a ****ing machine nonstop.

I have 639 hours of gameplay on my BF4 account, and I owned the game for about 3-4 months I think.

And as stated, please dont mention the TM HOTAS Warthog.. I already said clearly that it aint a option... I REALLY REALLY wanna buy it, but I cant afford it.. I dont wanna end up buying something I dont actually afford. Hehe.

Well.

no first hand experience, but somehow i did not come across much positive things said about x-55. instead i would get a preowned x-52pro (or non pro) and see how long your interest will last. by then you might save up some funds for the TMWH + pedals.

i simmed for some time without TIR, getting used to it was awkward , but now i can't imagine flying without it. its somehow instilled its own reflexes, friends were looking funny at me doing strange moves with my head while i fruitlessly try to look around flying the BF3 hornet.

not necessarily day 1 buy however, you will survive without it... for a little bit.

cougar MFD is compatible and nice to have, but i would put it lower in the priority list , only after TIR and pedals.

you said budget cockpit, you mean more like desk based simming station perhaps?

no first hand experience, but somehow i did not come across much positive things said about x-55. instead i would get a preowned x-52pro (or non pro) and see how long your interest will last. by then you might save up some funds for the TMWH + pedals.

 

i simmed for some time without TIR, getting used to it was awkward , but now i can't imagine flying without it. its somehow instilled its own reflexes, friends were looking funny at me doing strange moves with my head while i fruitlessly try to look around flying the BF3 hornet.

not necessarily day 1 buy however, you will survive without it... for a little bit.

 

cougar MFD is compatible and nice to have, but i would put it lower in the priority list , only after TIR and pedals.

 

you said budget cockpit, you mean more like desk based simming station perhaps?

Lol, pedals are the lowest priority product in ym list.. I barely even use rudder except when taxxiing.

You can make DIY track IR to save some money. But it can be time consuming, and if you don't get it right the first time it won't be as cheap as some say. I sometimes wonder if it wouldn't be better to buy the real thing from the start. Headtracking is a must for these kind of games in my opinion. The first thing you need after joystick.

Dont feed the troll

I think as a min-maxer gamer, the OP might not be the best fit for DCS World.

Spend the least amount of money possible on the stick if you refuse to get the TM warthog right now. You will be getting it sooner or later.

I spent $250 on the Logitech G940. Force feedback is nice, but you'll still miss 20-40% of this game's awesomeness using anything short of the warthog. Buy cheap now because if you play the game as it is intended to be played, you will eventually fork over the money for all the proper hardware. I wish I hadn't wasted time and money on anything short of the warthog, but if you must, keep this prediction in the back of your mind: you will be buying two joysticks.

You can make DIY track IR to save some money. But it can be time consuming, and if you don't get it right the first time it won't be as cheap as some say. I sometimes wonder if it wouldn't be better to buy the real thing from the start. Headtracking is a must for these kind of games in my opinion. The first thing you need after joystick.

I made a Freetrack setup. It works great, but I already owned a webcam I had modified for astronomy ( removed the IR block filter )

It cost me the price of 3 LED's and a little work to mount them on a baseball cap with current limiting resistors and a 9v battery.

If you have even the most simple electronic and mechanical skills then it is a much better alternative than spending all that money.

There is also FacetrackNoIR - but it is really fussy about lighting conditions and when it loses your face for whatever reason it takes a lot of CPU to re-acquire it, which has a huge impact on games if you haven't got a fast PC.

10 hours a day.....no wife/girlfriend/kids/friends and maybe no job? How do you do it OP?

I wouldn't buy any of that stuff.

If you are not flying DCS with the Oculus Rift DK2 then you are not flying DCS.

It is as if you are actually sitting in the cockpit.

10 hours a day.....no wife/girlfriend/kids/friends and maybe no job? How do you do it OP?

Im not a regular person. I'm "Institutionalized", lol. I have been on different institutions for a too long period of time in a row in my youth, I dno what I should call it.. Prison/Institution for youths that has problem with criminality. That made me more isolated. And 2nd of all, I am a little bit of a lonewolf. I dont enyoy to hang out just to hang out or be social. I say something if it's relevant or important. chit chat isnt for me.

10 hours/day could have been a little exaggerated. It isnt 10hours of actual gameplay, but my ass is infront of my pc all the time if I dont have something special to do. But srsly, who gives a shit about that, everyone who says "No-lifer" etc probably has some complex about himself and need to push down others to feel better himself....

Tho, I recently got into medschool, so no time to play so much anymore.. :(

OnT:

I got the X-55 Rhino now. Im really satisfied with it, its so so awesome, and my profile for the A-10c is PERFECT. Pretty much the same as the real TS Warthog HOTAS (The configurement and bindings) I also got a pair of 7.1 surround headset, Logitech G35. Feels like the surround sound in DCS isnt so good though compared to other games..

25th November is the time for my next continunation on my "cockpit". Im thinking of getting 2 more monitors and setup AMD EyeFinity. But everyone keeps saying that TrackIR is the thing to go, like the 1st prio.. Im having a hard time to really feel or understand the "joy" with TrackIR. I mean, the POV hat works for me, and it aint so often I actually use it.. But then again, that might be because I dont have TrackIR, lol.. But yeah.. To be honest, I think I will purchase TrackIR 5 the 25th November, and I really really hope it's worth it.. I mean, ~200 bucks, when I have a POV hat already.. :p And I dont sit in just one position when I play. I move pretty much, taking up my legs on the chair, different positions for my back etc.. How would the TrackIR handle that..?

I also want some kind of a MFD, like the "Cougar MFD". Tho, realized its more of a eyecandy thing. But after all, I love eyecandy, lol..

Rudder pedals is something I'll never even think of buying, lol.. I actually find that 100% unnessecary, as I only use rudder inputs during taxi / takeoff, and for that purpose, the joystick twist works perfectly fine.

I think as a min-maxer gamer, the OP might not be the best fit for DCS World.

Excuse me, but just because I have different opinions than you or maybe even most of the DCS players, DCS isnt a game for me?...

If I find a game fun to play and I like it, then the game obviously fit for me. You dont need to take DCS to a level of 100% seriousity and pretend that you're actually a pilot and call yourself a "Virtual pilot".. I like games that has realism in it, or atleast what I THINK is realistic.

Sorry if rude or something. I just dont get it why people over the internet cares so much about others, and appearantly, know all their life, lol... I dno, maybe DCS is full of kids, or im just mature for my age.. (20) I mean, I had this "behaviour" when I was like 15yrs old...

I used the POV hat fine, I got the track ir 5 and found it odd and reverted back to POV. I need as many POV or Hats to get the full hotas so needed track ir. And have started using it.

I suppose the thing is, even if you have 3 screens as I do, with POV and track ir you still only look at the front screen.

I don't personally shout track ir, it can go haywire at the extremes of head turning whereas the POV is nice and precise.

Plus three screens (or 4) you can have BF4 on one and the map on another.

Be playing a strategy on one screen and have a TV show on the other and the web on the third with tips for the strategy.

Excuse me, but just because I have different opinions than you or maybe even most of the DCS players, DCS isnt a game for me?...

If I find a game fun to play and I like it, then the game obviously fit for me. You dont need to take DCS to a level of 100% seriousity and pretend that you're actually a pilot and call yourself a "Virtual pilot".. I like games that has realism in it, or atleast what I THINK is realistic.

 

Sorry if rude or something. I just dont get it why people over the internet cares so much about others, and appearantly, know all their life, lol... I dno, maybe DCS is full of kids, or im just mature for my age.. (20) I mean, I had this "behaviour" when I was like 15yrs old...

I personally found you a bit rude when someone suggested pedals and you lol at the suggestion.

I am sure now reading your writing style it was not meant, it just sounded like you were mocking a suggestion you had asked for because you didn't personally use them.

I wouldn't buy any of that stuff.

 

If you are not flying DCS with the Oculus Rift DK2 then you are not flying DCS.

I guess you don't use the instruments.

Hello everybody.

 

I just gotta start with that this game, is ****ing great, unbelieveable! From playing BF4 every day, 10 hours per day approx, to end BF4 completely, and started playing this instead. GOSH ITS SO GREAT!

did you play BF4 helicopters?

i am hoping that next year, dual seat DCS helicopters will be released, and im always like to keep an eye out for pilot/gunners.

if you are going to build a pit, concentrate on good controls and a comfortable seat.. i have mostly CH product control, saitek pedals, the warthog too, but CH products do great job..

i dont like the saitek programming software.

i built my controls and seat around the oculus rift also...

good luck!

I personally found you a bit rude when someone suggested pedals and you lol at the suggestion.

 

I am sure now reading your writing style it was not meant, it just sounded like you were mocking a suggestion you had asked for because you didn't personally use them.

Hehe yea, im fully aware of that. Sometimes it can seem like im rly cocky or rude, but thats just my way to discuss u know, arguments etc..

I understand that pedals is awesome for some, but for me who hardly use any rudder inputs at all, it would be a waste of money IMO.

But I dont know if I got u. Did u get TrackIR, but you thought the POV hat was more nice?

And yea, I know I can have one monitor for the map only in BF4. But I have almost stopped playing BF4 completely.. DCS has replaced BF4, haha :D

did you play BF4 helicopters?

i am hoping that next year, dual seat DCS helicopters will be released, and im always like to keep an eye out for pilot/gunners.

 

if you are going to build a pit, concentrate on good controls and a comfortable seat.. i have mostly CH product control, saitek pedals, the warthog too, but CH products do great job..

 

i dont like the saitek programming software.

 

i built my controls and seat around the oculus rift also...

 

good luck!

Yes, my favorite playstyle is either helicopter pilot or gunner, both transport and attack. Haha jeez, I was the KING with the TV Guided missiles, hahah :D Tho, the feeling when u fly the heli in BF4 is sooooooo baaad.. It feels like the helicopter goes on a railroad, like a train, lol.

I have Track IR and I do use it now, but in my opinion, I was not blown away with it and I wouldnt say it was essential to have as the POV was fine, especially in the A-10c where you dont really need rapid head movements like in a dog fight.

However, as you can tell by reading, different people prefer different input devices.

Some say 1 big screen with Track IR is the best and I think that is where I want to go.

I am also thinking of giving F1 2014 a go and I can imagine the Track IR will be good for that. Track IR is also good in Arma, so its not just an investment for DCS - who knows what you might be playing next week.

I guess you don't use the instruments.

Yes, I use the instruments.

I love the X55's, I think bang for the buck you can't go wrong and I find the programming relatively easy.

Track IR5 is what I just starting using 2 weeks ago. Love it, really brings you into the sim. (lol, almost put game).

I am having a small problem with my saitek pedals but its just a reverse axis thing that I haven't spent enough time on.

You'll really enjoy the sim with your setup.

Game on

Dale