CH Products Pro Throttle USB with 8-Way Switch3 4-Way Switches 3-Buttons Review

First of all, I believe this product should be complemented with a good joystick, CH Fighterstick being the first choice. Of course, it can function alone, but I really can't think of any situation where one would need a throttle without a joystick.
The device is extremely light compared to similar units. The resistance, however, is slightly stronger, making some kind of fixing it to the table almost mandatory. Either that or you'll have to push it down every time you move it, so the friction does the stabilizing.
The motion is linear rather than arcing, which requires some time getting used to. I'm still not sure if this was a good decision.
There is a number of hat switches and buttons on the throttle and you'll probably never run out of them. Their placing, however, is not as good as with Cougar's throttle, for example. In my opinion, an ergonomic rework of the unit would be beneficial. In any case, if you need more buttons, programming options make further possibilities almost infinite.
There is also a microstick which is quite useful, but there are no dials. A minus, as modern flight sims make good use of dial controls.
Programming abilities are exceptional and belong to the very top. Complemented with CH Fighterstick, there is no other equipment to rival it.
As with other CH gear, the feel is somewhat toyish, but don't be fooled by it - this is a quality product and it will last very long time.
Verdict: Fine product to complement your CH gear. Reliable, with great programming abilities, but it could have been even better with dials, arcing motion and somewhat improved ergonomics.

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Product Description:
This is the one you've been waiting for. The USB Pro Throttle is the foundation of the advanced gamers control setup. The Pro Throttle button features will add the ability to successfully conquer the most advance sims and your best opponents. The smooth throttle slide control will help you out maneuver your opponents for hours in online combat arenas. You want the best, get CH Products.Sporting combat features to allow the new throttle to excel at flight sims to first person shooter games. New features of the pro throttle include a mode switch to allow three defined sets that can be switched on the fly. An LED light array to show the user which button set he or she has loaded: regular, combat, or advanced mode. A mini joystick is mounted for control with the thumb to allow advanced targeting, 360-degree view control, an excellent tool for racking up the "frags" in first person shooting games. The Pro Throttle USB is the meanest tool for combat / flight simulation produced by CH Products to date.

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CH Products Fighterstick USB Review

Being a long time flight simmer and after using many different joysticks, throttles and pedals, I finally tried this one.
With my last stick being the TM Cougar, I learned to appreciate softer springs, precision and overall reliability. Most of these were missing with my one year old Cougar which now seems was all about looks.
Being made by dedicated flight simming accessories company, CH Fighterstick seems to be one of less known secrets of hardcore sim crowd.
At first, I was suspicious because of its plastic feel. The stick is big enough even for large hands, while people with smaller hands may find it somewhat uncofortable.
Springs are very light. This is a plus for me, as it allows higher precision, especially near the center. You don't get to wrestle the springs during your flying. It has great throw, so there is a lot of room for precision input throughout the range of motion.
Trim wheels for both axes help even in simulations without trim controls. Smart stuff.
There is a throttle wheel at the base of the stick. If you have a throttle, this wheel can be mapped to another function, but you won't be able to reach it without letting your hand off the trottle or stick.
Software is excellent and it actually rivals the software being shipped with the Cougar. As with the stick itself, at first it looks toyish. After a while you learn its huge capabilities.
Verdict: The best high end joystick out there - precision, programming abilities, reliability and simplicity being its trump cards.

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Product Description:
Awarded the #1 Joystick in Multimedia World's Readers' Choice Awards, the FlightStick looks and feels just like a real jet stick, built with potentiometers rated to 2 million cycles, sturdy base and fire buttons rated to 10 million shots; when you grab on, you'll feel the difference of CH's quality craftsmanship and durability.

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Saitek J24C X45 Flight Control System Joystick and Throttle (USB) Review

This product is quite fully featured for its intended use.The three major axes of motion (x,y and throttle) were rather stiff, but are adjustable to the users preference!
The unit is also programmable from a "button" point of view (i.e. keyboard macros) *and* from an axis point of view.This is important because it incorporates three additional axes that can be used (two thumbwheels and mini rudder "pedals" built-in to the forward side of the throttle handle).These other axes can be mapped to various features in your game software as well.In addition to that, there is a tiny "hat" switch that can be mapped to operate the mouse cursor in game...this truly means you never have to remove your hands from the controls...
Now, for the "not-so-good" stuff.IF you are running WinXP and IF you install the drivers right out of the box, you are in for some trouble and inconvience.At the end of the install from the CD, it mentions downloading a newer version of the drivers and to be sure to "un-install" the current ones before loading the new ones.Unfortunately, complying with these instructions also unloads your regular mouse driver as well.This is where you learn how to shut down your system using strictly the keyboard.Fortunately, once you reboot, XP re-installs your mouse driver and all is well.
One last thing:If you are using a USB hub that derives its power from the computer, your new Saitek joystick WILL NOT FUNCTION when plugged into that hub.I have a good Linksys USB hub that says it derives power from the computer, but also comes with an external supply.The Saitek would NOT work unless the external power was plugged in.Just a word to the wise.
Overall, I am quite pleased with my Saitek X45.

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Product Description:
The X45 Throttle and Stick combination promises to give you the most realistic flying experience ever. The Throttle and Stick come in two separate units - giving you the ideal flying position - and they are laden with features to keep your hands off the keyboard during complicated maneuvers. The X45 combines stunning looks, an advanced feature set and virtually unlimited programmability thanks to Saitek Gaming Extensions (SGE), the advanced software interface from Saitek. The sculptured design and fingertip control allow hours of fatigue-free game play - and as the X45 is one of the most solidly built controllers on the market today, it won't let you down. So the next time you take to the skies, be sure to come fully equipped with the X45, the world's most advanced Flight Control System.

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Thrustmaster Hotas Cougar PC Flight Stick Review

I have been using the Cougar for over a year now and have concluded that it is a combination of the best and the worst in consumer products. In the end analysis it is ok for someone who doesn't mind tinkering, modifying and repairing. If it wasn't for the online community I would have thrown my Cougar away a long time ago. These guys are the BEST thing going for the Cougar. Support from the manufacturer is far from acceptable. Now for the good and the bad.
This product has a great feel about it. Largely because it's all metal, heavy and seems durable. The metal, however, is very soft and, consequently, easy to strip threads. The switches and pots are low quality. Replacement pots are only available through the manufacturer as they were specially made. (I think by CTS) The Throttle Quadrant has a speed brake switch which is on in the forward position, off in the middle position and momentary on in the back position. The switch itself is the toggle variety. It is guided by a plastic guide that works well when properly aligned but there is nothing designed into the product to insure alignment. You'll have to fix this yourself or the guide is likely to break. Fortunately the procedure is detailed in Frugals World Cougar forum.
Programmability is a big plus with the Cougar. Again, if you are not up to tinkering and just want to plug and play, look for something else. If you don't mind spending some time with your face in the manual and working through a profile or two you will have incredible flexibility.
The throttle itself is rather sticky through its range of motion and there are two detents for idle and afterburner. All in all it is clunky and I opted to remove the detents. As far as the sticky motion is concerned I have yet to find a way to fix it.
The Cougar is not really a desktop item. Sure it's heavy and you would think it would stay put but it doesn't. It is a lot more enjoyable when anchored to a platform. If you are contemplating this purchase I suggest that you go to and get familiar with http://cougar.frugalsworld.com/. They will be your primary support group and you can get some insight to the problems and soulutions that the rest of us are working through.
Pay special attention to the instructions when loading the software. There seems to be a problem with version 2.04 that damages the throttle pot.

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Product Description:
The most realistic flight simulation controller is here: the HOTAS Cougar, lifelike in design, lifelike in performance. This is truly "Hands on Throttle and Stick" gameplay. Based on the actual controller found in F-16 fighter aircraft, the HOTAS transports you to the furthest reaches of flight-simulation technology.From the second you grab hold of both the stick and the throttle, you notice the difference. All metal, black, and ready for business--that is the HOTAS. This controller offers up to 28 programmable buttons, multiple programmable hat switches, and adjustable resistance for the throttle, afterburner, and idle detent. These are just a few of the many features of this revolutionary stick and throttle combo. Without question, the HOTAS Cougar is the controller for true flight enthusiasts.

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Saitek X52 Flight Control System Review

As a previous owner of the X45 flight control system and avid flight sim junkie, I was compelled to upgrade my HOTAS system to something newer.I was originally looking at the Thrustmaster HOTAS system, but could not conjur up enough money to purchase one.After playing with the X52 at a LAN party, I was sold and went out and purchased one that night.

The X52 has loads of improvements over the X45 - not even mentioning the LCD MFD.One addition which I would have loved to see in the X45 are the eight removable suction cups on the bottom of the stick and throttle bases.The cups first out of the box will do some sliding around, but nothing so drastic that it'll mess your flights up.They do a great enough job to keep the stick down during normal use - provided that you don't slam the stick around, but for a flight system that costs this much, I don't think that'll be too much of a problem for most people.

Just like all other Saitek sticks, the X52 is fully customizable in both hardware and software.Not only can you move the lower shelf on the joystick up and down to fit your hand, but you can also adjust the force on the throttle stick.Like all other Saitek sticks, however, you cannot adjust the centering force on the stick itself.But I did not find this to be too much of a problem as it is much looser than all other HOTAS systems that I have owned.The X52 also comes with the Saitek SST programming software, which (again, like all other Saitek sticks) allows you to program every button on the joystick to either an axis, mouse axis, single keyboard stroke, or a complex macro.

I also fell in love with the three modes and color coded mode identification LED to let you know what mode you are in.As a result I can have a mode for A-A, one for A-G, and one mode for general tasks when playing Falcon 4.0: Allied Force, making it easier to keep my hands on the flight system at all times.

The MFD is also a cool addition to the X52.It has a time display to let you know what time it is in up to three time zones, as well as a built-in stopwatch to time your flights and coordinate your turns right on time.And if you can't remember what you programmed a button to - just simply hold down the info button and click the button you want to know about and voila!Your button's function is displayed on the screen.

All in all - a great HOTAS system for those of us that cannot afford the Thrustmaster HOTAS systems.This flight stick runs perfectly with games like Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 and Falcon 4.0 - my two choices and recommendations to pair up with this stick.

And for those of you who want to know about Windows XP Professional x64 support - the stick works perfectly using drivers available on the Saitek website.

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Product Description:
The World's most advanced flight controller The X52 Flightstick and Throttle combination give the most realistic flying experience ever. With the feature-laden Throttle and Stick split into two separate units, the X52 delivers ideal flying position. Programmability and illuminated Multi-Function Display expand the possibilities for Sim Pilots everywhere!

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Logitech Flight System G940 Force Feedback Joystick Review

I bought this from Amazon, took the super-saver shipping and received it two days later, on a Thursday evening.The packaging was more than adequate and the controller arrived without a scratch on it.I've now had an entire weekend to play with it so these are my thoughts.

I run Windows XP and, like other reviewers, I ignored the CD and downloaded the latest drivers from the Logitech website.The programming software works ok, but is nothing special.My previous stick was the Thrustmaster Cougar and the flexibility of the Foxy software is in a different world to the Logitech one.That being said, however, I didn't personally use the vast majority of those features and instead downloaded other peoples' profiles from the web.Hopefully, the community will also supply a large number of profiles for the G940.

There is a minor nuisance with the software in that you can't assign stick functions, program a profile or, in fact, start the software at all without the controller plugged in.This is inconvenient,but not a showstopper.

The stick itself feels good in the hand and has a slightly rubbery feel to it.It has a larger footprint on the desk than any other stick I've owned which, presumably, is to accommodate the force feedback motors.The micro-stick on the joystick that looks like a POV-hat isn't, and the castle switch is instead used as the POV.Not sure that I particularly like that choice but the micro-stick can be programmed to act as a normal hat if needed.I've found I need to keep the dead-zone on the microstick axes relatively high to prevent unwanted inputs in flight as the calibration seems to drift slightly.

The throttle unit also feels decent in the hand but isn't exactly going to win any beauty contests.The twin throttles separate easily and also recombine easily.The action is smooth and the friction adjustable.The lit buttons on the throttle base also function nicely as buttons and, I'm told, will function as working LED indicators in the future.One of my gripes with the throttle is about the R1 and R2 rotaries.It would have been nice to have had either a detent or at least some physical means of telling when they were centered without having to look at the painted line on them.But if you're picky about that you can always file a small groove into the center-point yourself.

The pedals are lovely.Nice and solid, and wide enough for me.I'm 6"3 and find them pretty comfortable.I've never actually used any other sim-pedals before but I fly little single engine planes in real life so have a pretty good idea how rudder pedals should feel.

I've been playing IL2 and DCS Black Shark and have been loving the force feedback.At the default settings the feedback is nice and strong, and the force can be ramped up or down in the Logitech software to suit your tastes.Using the trim function in Black Shark and having the stick actually stay in the trim position is fantastic and actually 'feeling' your warbird about to enter a stall in IL2 really helps with both my flying and my sense of immersion in the sim.

The 3-axis trims on the stick are great in IL2 and incredibly useful.Once again, no 'feelable' center position but you can't have everything.

One thing I did after a few minutes of using the stick was to put a little piece of tape over the "dead man's switch".This is a little sensor that detects whether the user's hands are on the stick or not and turns down the force feedback if necessary.It's a nice feature in theory but, especially in black shark with the stick in a trimmed position, I find the stick will jump around if I loosen my grip on the stick and no longer cover the sensor, so I took the decision to cover it up permanently.I just make sure to unplug the DC power to the stick if I leave it unattended.

Overall, very happy with the product with just a small wish-list for extra software functionality.

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Product Description:
An authentic design inspired by military and commercial planes and helicopters provides a flying experience that's more realistic and more fun, with important controls that look, feel and work like the real thing. The force feedback joystick allows you to control your aircfraft with confidence as you feel its movement as well as its reaction to air turbulence and g-forces. The dual throttle allows you to precisely control multi-engine aircraft using the split lever. Rudder pedals with toe brakes give you true-to-life control, especially when rudder control is essential such as performing definsive maneuvers and crosswind landings, or piloting helicopters. Interactive, programmable throttle-base buttons integrate with simulation software and illuminate red, green, amber or off to indicate the status of critical aircraft systems, just like they would a real cockpit.

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