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Looking for HOTAS equip recommendations


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Hello,

 

Fairly new to DCS, but not flight SIMs. I'm running with a truly ancient Thrustmaster T-FLIGHT HOTAS-X that seems to work ok, but is missing castle switch among other things that would make life easier.

 

e.g. To effect radar lock or slewing, I have to lean forward, reach blindly over aforementioned HOTAS and meddle with the ,.; / and ENTER keys. Trying to operate many of the weapons in the A-10C or F/A-18C is a real drag with the keyboard.

 

Of course I've drooled over the Thrustmaster Warthog offering, but I'm still coughing and gagging on the price - that and there's no Z axis, so I'd be stuck buying a separate set of pedals or go back to using the Z / X keys which isn't helpful at all.

 

So, looking for a decent HOTAS with appropriate manifest of switches on stick and throttle. It needs to have Z-Axis somewhere so that I can operate rudders as I'm no longer working full time and have to keep the whole package to a limit.

 

H/W: Home built PC - i7 4600K / Win 10 Pro, 16GB RAM, RAID-0 1TB SSD, GeForce 970 Stryx GPU / Corsair keyboard and mouse / TrackIR 5 pro / Blue Snowball mic.

 

That said, my budget is <= $350 USD.

 

Recommendations? Aaand go...


Edited by Redgum
GPU correction
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Thrustmaster TWCS + VKB Gladiator + Upgrade kit + SCG PRO grip.

 

I wish the Gladiator PRO was still available.. It would have fit your budget.

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/hotas/search/?q=recommend&restrict_sr=1

If your browse those posts you'll see that the Gladiator is often recommended together with the TWCS. And if you upgrade it with the SCG PRO grip then you have a grip with similar layout as the A10C. It might not be cost efficient cause you'll end up with the KG12 being useless but.. VKB doesn't propose yet the "Space Gladiator".

Edit : Note that they are working on a Gladiator replacement. And also that a PRO version will probably come back soon or later.


Edited by Ant0ine
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Thrustmaster TWCS + VKB Gladiator + Upgrade kit + SCG PRO grip.

 

I wish the Gladiator PRO was still available.. It would have fit your budget.

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/hotas/search/?q=recommend&restrict_sr=1

If your browse those posts you'll see that the Gladiator is often recommended together with the TWCS. And if you upgrade it with the SCG PRO grip then you have a grip with similar layout as the A10C. It might not be cost efficient cause you'll end up with the KG12 being useless but.. VKB doesn't propose yet the "Space Gladiator".

Edit : Note that they are working on a Gladiator replacement. And also that a PRO version will probably come back soon or later.

 

Hello Ant0ine -- that really looks sweet - but the more recent posts are over a year old. Shame they haven't updated or posted more news - perhaps they ran into obstacles?

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Hello Ant0ine -- that really looks sweet - but the more recent posts are over a year old. Shame they haven't updated or posted more news - perhaps they ran into obstacles?

 

About the Gladiator PRO, yep not much news. I don't think they have obstacle, more that it is pretty low on their priority list.

 

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I have the twcs and gladiator I’ve not done the upgrade so you can change grips. The twcs is a throttle with a slap switch that can operate as the rudder if you get the stick that they sell with the twcs I think you might like it better but it doesn’t have the quality of the warthog also there’s the saitek x56 I have it also but hate it personally

 

Ideally the hotas depends on what you want for it and how often you’ll be using it. First of all I haven’t tried the newer stuff from Logitech, I’ve had various thrustmaster pieces from the 90s f-4 stick and r-16 tqs throttle. To the gear in my current inventory the twcs throttle which I’ll pair up with the vkb gladiator and vkb pedals for my travel kit in my Motorhome. I have the cougar hotas as well as the warthog hotas both I’ll use on my pit. The cougar fot the viper the cougar throttle for other single engine air planes. The warthog hotas for dual engine aircraft and center stick ones the cougar stick for side stick aircraft like the viper and airbus planes. Everything uses a Thrustmaster trp pedals. For rotary wings I have a Maxflight collective for the pit and for travel a pft puma.

 

I was when able trying to fly a hour a day at the minimum but I took Ill but I’m trying to rebuild my pit the way I want it but I’m inching my way closer to the completion. Some is on the pit some of it is upgrading the controls like the cougar hotas is getting new sensors for the axises and the throttle is getting a usb pcb I planted so I can connect it directly to the pc without the stick as the default setup did. On the wh throttle I swapped out the slew control for a better setup. The trp pedals are getting a dampner setup. The rift s got the point ctrl system. I added a Wacom tablet for a vrk’ s virtual kneeboard. Just finished upgrading the storage drives in the lapto to a 2tb gumdrive and a 4tb ssd sata drive. And reinstalling the software. One by one getting it to work as I go. So as you see you can put as much time and money into this hobby as you want or can afford. The best stick is a force feedback with a f-18 grip. Down from that you have several quality sticks without fob. These include the virpril and vkb lines among others. Below that I put the thrustmaster Warthog hotas and cougar which was its forerunner. Below that are the more economical thrustmaster hotas and individual items. Below that I would put ch gear.at the next lower level I would put saitek which Logitech took over and below that are the cheap stuff like Microsoft.

 

This is a hobby and like most become addictive and you’ll put as much money in it as you can/like.so you need to decide how much you wish to invest in it. Both time and money as I said above. For me I’ve been at most levels of this hobby going back to the original flight simulator fro. Sub logic on the Commodore 64 in the 80s the atp from sub logic in the 90s and also mfs. Then in the 2000’s I got out of it for a while while I concentrated on other things then my health started failing and my activity level was reduced so I went back to simming. So it about all I got left so I’m trying to set it up as I want with the pluses I think will work for me. If you would like to see what I have and why check out my blog I post something every week. So far I’ve listed what I have at the time, new items will be added as I add the then soMe weeks I describe an item or piece of software. It covers my two favorite sims to date dcs and xp11. But dcs has been my main object so far with just a couple of familiarization articles on xp11.


Edited by BlacleyCole

BlackeyCole 20years usaf

XP-11. Dcs 2.5OB

Acer predator laptop/ i7 7720, 2.4ghz, 32 gb ddr4 ram, 500gb ssd,1tb hdd,nvidia 1080 8gb vram

 

 

New FlightSim Blog at https://blackeysblog.wordpress.com. Go visit it and leave me feedback and or comments so I can make it better. A new post every Friday.

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Answering question if Gladiator PRO will be available again UIV (VKB) say NO.

 

What make sense, Gunfighter Mk.III base + SCG grip is $339, equals or a little less than Gladiator PRO + SCG grip.

 

Gladiator Mk. II "vanilla" ~$84 + SKG upgrade $100 (Lite)- $ 140 (Premium) make the best "middle cost" joystick option, with contacless sensor twist rudder.

Will by not difficult sell their KG-12A grip for ~$30 some people want one.

 

Anyway $350 buy a CH Fighterstick + CH PRO Throttle + CH Pedals.

Latter can upgrade stick with Rel4y contactless sensor and USB controller (12 bits resolution).


Edited by Sokol1_br
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At that price range , i would recommend CH . lots of high-qualty hats/buttons , excellent lifespan and if you shop around , you can get Hotas and rudder pedals for your budget .

9700k @ stock , Aorus Pro Z390 wifi , 32gb 3200 mhz CL16 , 1tb EVO 970 , MSI RX 6800XT Gaming X TRIO , Seasonic Prime 850w Gold , Coolermaster H500m , Noctua NH-D15S , CH Pro throttle and T50CM2/WarBrD base on Foxxmounts , CH pedals , Reverb G2v2

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I started with the Hotas X as well, added a CH Fighterstick, and later a warthog throttle and CH Pedals. (All used, saves a lot of money buying used, keep tabs in the for sale forum here, and the HOTAS discord channel)

 

 

 

I'd say Thrustmaster TWCS throttle with a used CH Fighterstick USB.

Awesome combo, more than enough hats to do everything. Highly recommend pedals at some point too.

 

 

Then later use Rel4y's hall sensor upgrade to give it 14bit resolution, super easy install.

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Redgum, check the used sections online in your country's Craigslist/Kijiji type outfits. I have a dozen places here in Canada as wells as various flight sim forums that I check daily (I've collected Hotas since the 90s). I recently found a brand new, like the twist ties never unwound, CH FighterStick and CH Throttle for $25 USD delivered. This would be perfect for you IMO, something along those lines/prices, and then buy a pair of VKB Pedals (the best bang/buck in custom pedals IMO, and someday if you upgrade your HOTAS they'll still serve you well).

Systems

 

 

Virpil T50x2,T50CM2x2,Warbrd x2, VFX/Delta/CM2/Alpha/Tm Hornet sticks, VKB GF3, Tm Warthog(many), Modded Cougar, VKB Pedals/MFG Pedals/Slaw Viper RX+109Cam Pedals/Virpil T50+T50CM Throttle/CH Fightersticks/CH Throttles/CH peds, Index x1, Reverb x1

 

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If money is tight...

 

Ebay Kijiji and other online used goods,

 

CH Fighterstick (more hatswitches than a Hornet, about the same as a Viper. very light spring makes easier for rotorbirds if that's your thing)

 

Thrustmaster TWCS-Throttle (Much like a budget Hornet throttle's button layout. often sold with the T.16000 stick, but that only has one hatswitch)

https://www.amazon.ca/Thrustmaster-663296420718-TWCS-Throttle-PC/dp/B01L28LVUG

 

And find some rudder pedals. Used market usually means either CH or Saitek.

 

On the used market you'll spend less in total for all three, than one of the premium items does before shipping or taxes.

Does it give you the best? Nope, but while it's not a Virpil, it's also a MUCH better set of products than the store-bought garbage that doesn't deserve to be used on anything with the word "simulation". And it won't crash your bank account.

 

As other pointed out, rel4y is making upgrades to CH's line of products. And you can upgrade to Virpils, Warthogs and so on later if you still want better.

 

One thing to consider: the more you spend, the more the products tend to be specialized for one specific aircraft, and maybe aren't the most awesome for other aircraft types. Some have very strong stick springs, meaning you have to press hard on the stick for full speed rolls or pitch. That's awesome for older fighters like Warbirds or Tomcats and older jets, helps you fly. But... that strong spring works against you very badly if you want to fly helicopters... because you aren't making a move and then returning to center. Instead, you make gentle stick movements and then hold the stick in that position, until a flightpath change is needed. So you would be fighting that spring for the whole hour of flight. For helis, a very weak spring, or no spring (some dampeners are often best) are considered by most to be the best for helis. Also, making a stick extension is considered good for both fixed and rotor wings, but especially rotors.


Edited by Rick50
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My question is how much money you have to spend and what you want for it. You can buy a cheap setup that gives you nothing but trouble. Or you can buy a middle of the pack setup that works for you but doesn’t feel right. Or you buy a quality setup that works and feels good. So if you only sim once a month then it doesn’t make much since to go above the setup that works, just like you only play golf now and then a pawn shop set of clubs is all you need if you play more then add a quality putter and driver once you on the Lynch twice a week but som quality irons and woods. The same holds true for simmimg. Once a month a working stick, throttle and pedals place on and under your desk is appropriate but if you start simming once a week you need to relocate those to a better more realistic position to aid in the immersion. Once you sim twice a week you need better gear more realistic placements and a decision on the next path you plan on taking virtual or multi monitor/projectors and panels or buttons boxes. I went multi monitor before vr systems became affordable. But switched to vr after that a couple years back. I have a pit to mount stuff to but most of the plan is going virtual so it will swap from plane to plane to helicopter to car to dozer to train without mush morethatswapping this or that.

BlackeyCole 20years usaf

XP-11. Dcs 2.5OB

Acer predator laptop/ i7 7720, 2.4ghz, 32 gb ddr4 ram, 500gb ssd,1tb hdd,nvidia 1080 8gb vram

 

 

New FlightSim Blog at https://blackeysblog.wordpress.com. Go visit it and leave me feedback and or comments so I can make it better. A new post every Friday.

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