SurClaro Flight Simulator Resources

Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:17 pm Post subject: saying good bye to an old freind

hi all. i got my new x52 flightcontroll system. it's my second. my first love of 5 years has died Crying or Very sad

i go the store and they recommend logitech joysticks for flying. but i prefer the x-52. she seems to be a lot better. more precise in controll. but my first lasted me 5 years Very Happy

but it sure was a good stick. thats a milestone i think for joysticks ain't it? or am i wrong there? Laughing

Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:26 pm Post subject:

a milestone for the X-52 no doubt. I have the Saitek ST-290 Pro (yeah i know, walmart special $20) and I have the X-52 Joystick. For helicopters i like the 290 pro, but for the bigger planes, i love the setup on the X52... ahhhhh the features!!!

Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:39 pm Post subject: saying good bye to an old freind

yes i have to agree. the fetures are awsome. and yes i agree about the 20 dollar joystick. i had 3 of them break befor i found my saitek. and it's the only thing i'll fly with. lol

Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 11:57 pm Post subject:

How about a yoke?

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 4:25 am Post subject:

Great title....

My Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 will be 4 yrs old in Dec. The only time it was calibrated, was when I first installed it.

I wonder how many flight hours I've had with this thing. But when it does go, I am not sure what I will look for or get.

But I will miss it, and probably cry..........................because they haven't made them for over 3 yrs, and the prices they want for a used one, is horrible.

RD

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 1:14 pm Post subject: saying good bye to an old freind

lol i agree with ya rd sir. i had 1,400 on my old stick. i took it around the world with many virtual airlines. and flew bombers with a virtual military squadron. and i cried when she died. but her little sister saved my flying yesterday. Laughing

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:00 pm Post subject:

I bought my Sidewinder Pro 9non-FFB) when it first hit the store shelves. I can't even remember when that was! It was one heck of a rock-solid stick.

About one year ago (perhaps more) I wanted to see what all this Force Feedback business was about, and RD spoke so highly of his that I tried to find one. That was when I discovered that Microsoft had dropped that production line. I eventually located a few of them being advertised on Ebay. I bought one and paid $120 (including shipping)!!!

It arrived a few days later in it's original "but opened" packaging.

That's the stick I'm using today and it works flawlessly!

My older, Pro stick eventually gave up the ghost when it could no longer be recognized by my USB Hub architecture. I sacrificed a USB mouse that I was no longer using and cut off the USB connector and spliced it to my old Pro Stick with Scotch tape!

Much to my surprise, it worked! But every so often my fancy scotch tape work fell apart, rendering the stick useless. So I went through a time consuming process of soldering the spliced wires and carefully shrink tubing the whole mess. But again, the USB hub failed to recognize it. I was heartbroken! I might have saved it for another attempt at rewiring, but in the end, life is too short. I tossed it into the garbage can a couple of weeks ago, regretably.

I have no idea what kind of solution I will seek out when my MS FFB stick rolls over and dies!

Jaeg-

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:26 pm Post subject: saying good bye to an old freind

ok i have the solution for ya jager52. go to your local best buy and get the saitek x-52. man it's the best. ya don't have to calibrate it and it works great. it's a little high in the price. but it's a great stick. i don't fly with any thing else. Very Happy

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 7:00 am Post subject:

^^^^^ WRONG ANSWER.........

Reason being, is that the Sidewinder ForceFeedBack2 was, and still is the best stick you can get. The only problem is, they stopped making them in 2004-2005.

Original cost was $60 brand spanking new. The reason why MS didn't continue it, was for the lack of sales. Nobody wanted to buy a stick from MS, because it was high dollar at the time, and they also produced the FS line. So people bought the Satiaks (sp), and Logotechs (sp). Only to find out, they were crap.

If mine was to die, I will not have a problem buying another one, even used. They are that good, and rock solid dependable.

Don't knock it, unless you've tried it.

If I would have known that MS was going to stop producing this stick, I would have bought a couple more.

I can knock the others, as I have friends that own the others, and have had problems with them.

RD

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 12:17 pm Post subject: saying good bye to an old freind

gee sorry rd my bad. but i was just saying that after having two logitech sticks that i thought saitek x52 was great. but don't get me wrong i didn't mean to knock the other sticks. i was jaust saying he might want one Smile

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 12:53 pm Post subject:

Without doubt, the Microsoft Force Feedback stick it the ultimate in sticks, it's robust, solid, and depenable....... mine gets, and has had so much abuse.... even had a glass of red wine over it, still works great today... nothing breaks, or wears out.

And if you know where to look, you can still get hold of one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=sidewinder+joystick&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=698256729&ref=pd_sl_4855oso8fd_b

Mel.

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 1:13 pm Post subject: saying good bue to an old freind

hey thats cool. thats like the one they show on the training videos on fs04. but what excatly dose the force feed back do for flying? i have a steering wheel for my pc with force feed back in it. but i never had it for flying.

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 1:21 pm Post subject:

You'll feel resistance on the stick when airborne maneuvering, the stick will practically leap out of your hands when encountering strong wind gusts and turbulence.

Also feel the bump of wheels on landing. You can feel the texture of the runway surface during landings and takeoffs. Feel the "whump" when your gear is retracted or extended.

You'll feel different ground textures: taxi ways, dirt, grass, concrete, etc.

Jaeg-

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 2:16 pm Post subject: saying good bye to an old freind

ahh now that would be cool. that would give ya slightly more realism i think. Very Happy

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 2:40 pm Post subject:

One other little slice of technology that has long held my interest is the "Butt Kicker".

http://www.thebuttkicker.com/gaming/index.htm

I think it would add tons of realism especially when flying rotary wing. I'd like to hear from anyone who has bought into this thing and find out their opinion.

Jaeg-