Stick for A-10c ?

Hi, I'm started play DCS A-10c before few months ago and I play it with my outdated stick so I've decided to buy new "PRO stick" so one of options for me is an "Mad Catz Saitek X55 RHINO" with HOTAS system and I'd like to know what you guys think about that stick ? Because I was thinking also about X52-PRO and I found many dissatisfied users of that stick. So I want to ask what you guys think?Do you have experiences with any of this sticks?Or can you simply recommend me some other stick in fact i don't have many experiences with flight sticks and its not so cheap for me to buy something disappointing because I am really excited about DCS series and I want enjoy every piece of A-10c.

Sorry for any mistakes in English. It's not my main language.

Thanks for replies or any kind of advice.

Sincerely Strelok. :pilotfly:

Then you will need this one :)

For X-55 info, see this thread.

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=122307

X52 is great for its price, as long as you realize its not built like a $600 stick. I wouldn't expect the X55 to be phenomenally better since its made by the same company with almost certainly many of the same parts on the inside.

Frankly, without having used it, I think there are some aspects of the X52 that are still superior. Main advantage of the X55 is its split throttle, but I don't consider that terribly useful 95% of the time. I actually think the control layout on the X55 throttle looks inferior personally. Biased X52 owner's opinion though.

My advice is not to buy Saitek's stick. I had the X52 PRO and I still have the Pro Flight Headset and both products are not made to last and they are not so cheap as well.

I now have TM Warthog and it is beyond the Sun compared to the quality of Saitek's products.

If you can't afford TM Warthog HOTAS, you can buy just a stick for less than $300 and pair it with throttle from another HOTAS bought at classifields (I think that's word).

It is just an option. Good luck with decision!

Before I got a Thrustmaster Warthog I was using CH Fighterstick and Pro Throttle hotas. There are some good A-10C profiles available for them, but they're not as easy to learn the sim with as the Warthog setup. I didn't really begin to enjoy or understand the A-10C until I got the Warthog, it made a huge difference!

Save up for the warthog. I used a x-52 for a year before and didn't enjoy the Sim as much as I do now with the warthog. and is much easier with less slop in center and guns among other unguided weapon deliveries is so much more satisfying. It is worth every cent, but remember that it won't make you a better pilot, but it will help a lot.

I am using the CH Fighterstick, Pro Throttle and Pro Pedals

They work very well with the sim as they have enough buttons to map all the HOTAS commands without modifiers. You can get all three for less than the TM Warthog.

The Saitek products are good, I have has over 7 years same stick. If you have the funds buy the TM warthog you will not be disappointed.

The Saitek products are good, I have has over 7 years same stick. If you have the funds buy the TM warthog you will not be disappointed.

^ I have to agree with this. Had the X52 and X52 pro for many years and was very happy with them and would strongly recommend them for the price. However, the TM Warthog is a marked grade above these (and cost more) but well worth it in my opinion. They certainly helped me master Air-Air Refueling. I still have the Saitek pro rudder pedals which are about five years old now and still work fine after all this time.

I don't want to hijack the topic but my 7 YO X52 just broke and I'm looking for a new one.

It'll be between the X55 and the TM Warthog but both seems to have pros and cons.

IIRC both had some physical problem in their early days, and was wondering how are they now?

I don't want to hijack the topic but my 7 YO X52 just broke and I'm looking for a new one.

 

It'll be between the X55 and the TM Warthog but both seems to have pros and cons.

IIRC both had some physical problem in their early days, and was wondering how are they now?

Except price, I don't know about cons of TM Warthog. Maybe the lack of rudder pedals?! I think that we all made it clear how we feel about Warthog. It's expensive, but THE BEST that money can buy right now. :smilewink:

I've read many reviews about X52 and in most of them, users claim that stick itself is pretty well done and accurate but they mostly blames Saitek drivers and stick setup as buggy and not very user friendly. I hear even drivers for X52 do not support USB 3.0 and even not working well with Windows 7 64bit... so for me X52 itself is really good option but I fear of that Saitek software issues. I know there are on the Saitek website new drivers for X52 but I also heard they're not very helpful and problem solving. So can someone tell me where is truth?

The problem with Saitek is they insist of using pots instead of sensors. And they don't appear to be high quality pots either... so yeah their stuff works fine until the pots die. They only have HAL sensors on the stick x / y axis. And even those have some issues at least with the X52 / X52pro (they are too far from the magnets at center => hardware deadzone).

I have an X52 (only ever used the throttle) and had no problem whatsoever on win7 x64. I'm using older drivers however since i'm a firm believer in the "if it ain't broken don't fix it" paradigm. Since these drivers from 2011 (Saitek_X52_Flight_Controller_SD6_win7x64) and software (SST 6.6.6.9) work perfectly i had no reason to update.

I actually think the SST software is very easy to use, and you don't even need it if you don't want more advanced mapping. It's really not a must have.

I used it use an X52 pro for about a year without any issues at all even with W7 64. It was my first separate joystick and throttle combo and really enjoyed it especially for Falcon 4 AF. Then I bought the TM Warthog because of DCS A-10C and never looked back. The only issues I've had with it are a couple of LEDs have gone out and each of the throttle have become a tiny bit loose. I have the joystick on a 9 in extension and adjusted the curves accordingly. I've never had any issues with strict ion although that doesn't mean that it could do with a grease up NAND I've never used Target software

I wonder if CH sells this for consumers?

Hey now that the Hog is retired they probably have a surplus

Why another A-10C stick?!

I think this was before the TM. In any case I don't know if it was available to consumers. It has a rather big base that wouldn't really work on a tabletop too

Remember CH makes mostly professional-grade stuff. As good as the TM Warthog is, I doubt the US military was using it.

Then you will need this one :)

Oui! this if you can save away the fund for it. I know it can be rather pricey. So Hopefully you're able to get it. There is no other stick that matches the TM Warthog! No other! :thumbup:

Oui! this if you can save away the fund for it. I know it can be rather pricey. So Hopefully you're able to get it. There is no other stick that matches the TM Warthog! No other! :thumbup:

I agree with the TM HOTAS Warthog guys. I've had a variety of Saitek products, such as the rudder pedals, yoke, X52 pro, throttle quadrant. They're nice, but most of their products are plastic fantastic, so they'll break easily, not have a very premium quality feel, and as mentioned earlier, Saitek uses pots instead of sensors, which isn't really the best option. I have heard that the new X55 is quite a bit better, but I would still trust the HOTAS Warthog over any other HOTAS. Best build quality, realism, software, user friendly and sensors of any stick.

@aeliusg, The TM HOTAS Warthog is better than any similar CH stick, such as the fighter stick or the flightstick pro. The HOTAS Warthog is Air Force certified, and it is actually used in the USAF to train A-10C pilots. Not in the full fledged simulators that are exact replicas that use the same parts, but the more simple grade simulators in the USAF for A-10C pilots. They also use the exact same simulator, the ED A-10C, only we have a consumer version, not the exact same version.

For a nice comparison of the sensors, see this link. It shows the HOTAS Warthog has the best sensors of any stick currently available.: http://www.simhq.com/_technology3/technology_174g.html

I was looking for a replacement stick, and I was really happy I spent a little more for the HOTAS Warthog. I don't even use my Saitek yoke anymore for commercial flying, as the HOTAS Warthog just feels so much better to fly with.

Check out the virtual thunder birds. They also use the TM HOTAS Warthog.

I agree with the TM HOTAS Warthog guys. I've had a variety of Saitek products, such as the rudder pedals, yoke, X52 pro, throttle quadrant. They're nice, but most of their products are plastic fantastic, so they'll break easily, not have a very premium quality feel, and as mentioned earlier, Saitek uses pots instead of sensors, which isn't really the best option. I have heard that the new X55 is quite a bit better, but I would still trust the HOTAS Warthog over any other HOTAS. Best build quality, realism, software, user friendly and sensors of any stick.

 

@aeliusg, The TM HOTAS Warthog is better than any similar CH stick, such as the fighter stick or the flightstick pro. The HOTAS Warthog is Air Force certified, and it is actually used in the USAF to train A-10C pilots. Not in the full fledged simulators that are exact replicas that use the same parts, but the more simple grade simulators in the USAF for A-10C pilots. They also use the exact same simulator, the ED A-10C, only we have a consumer version, not the exact same version.

 

For a nice comparison of the sensors, see this link. It shows the HOTAS Warthog has the best sensors of any stick currently available.: http://www.simhq.com/_technology3/technology_174g.html

 

I was looking for a replacement stick, and I was really happy I spent a little more for the HOTAS Warthog. I don't even use my Saitek yoke anymore for commercial flying, as the HOTAS Warthog just feels so much better to fly with.

 

Check out the virtual thunder birds. They also use the TM HOTAS Warthog.

I'm with you. I have a Warthog myself. It's pretty good. :thumbup: The concept in the CH pic looks like something that would be more than "simple-grade", however.