[Nuke]

the x45 still used pots, which tend to decay. could try getting a new set. you may also want to consider removing the springs (i removed mine on my x45).

[TobiasGreenich]

I'm running with the Saitek x52, and I paid about 75 total for it.

Check out the Saitek store, and look for the refurbished section. If you're "thrifty" like me (or poor... like me), you can pick up some great stuff for cheap there. The thing feels new, too, and I haven't had any problems so far.

All the buttons are supremely useful, too! I can share my setup if anyone wants.

[colecampbell666]

Hmm... any way to change my X45 so it doesn't require throwing the stick to extremes to dogfight?  If you adjust it too much towards being sensitive, it drifts to the left.  My problem is, to reverse direction, by the time I get the stick to the full opposite direction, it's way too late.  With a mouse, I have extremely snappy response, which I love... only to lose my advantage when I have to pick it up to move the mouse down so I can drag it again. 

No! Blasphemy! Drifting to the left is like the trademark of Logi****s! Might try re-calibrating it and adjusting the normal/center/whateverit'scalled.

[jr2]

Might try re-calibrating it and adjusting the normal/center/whateverit'scalled.

First thing I tried.

[Flaser]

I've been using a Saitek Cyborg Gold for years. It's a shame they discontinued the series; the really nifty part is, you can customize the joystick with a hex screw driver that actually attaches to the joystick housing.

Namely you can set the height of the hand-support, reconfigure it for either left or right handed use (you can switch the throttle too), change the inclination of the thumb buttons and the hat. All in all it's pretty handy for everyone.

However as good as CH sticks are, they're no competition for the die-hard Thrustmaster models:

http://cougar.frugalsworld.com/

Here you find modded Thrustmaster Cougars. Almost all serious mods use hall sensors, however there's something even more die-hard: a force sensitive joystick. Yep, no deflection; the input depends on how hard you push the stick in a given direction.

[Nuke]

cougars are nice but hard to get ahold of and hella expensive. something about a joystick with metal gimbals is very appealing and i like the idea of a joystick which can be modded to hell.

every joystick ive owned has left something to be desired. of the usb sticks, ch included, seem to have 8 bit axes. where most software supports about a 16 bit axis, for example sdl seems to pass axis data to games as an Sint16 data type. most of the legacy gameports were on 16 bit soundcards and therefore were 16 bit axes. so apis accept 16 bit axis data. but all the people who make usb joysticks want to keep their expense to a minimum and use a less capable micro controller and encode the axis data as 8 bit.

if i were to design a stick, id use metal gimbals, metal switches and buttons, id even make the cases metal. id have 16 bit axes, leather grips, hardware trim on all axes, and toggleable hardware detents on all main axes which can be switched on and off as needed. also spring tension and friction settings on main axes. as an added bonus id make the whole setup wireless. it would come with rudder pedals that actually look and feel like rudder pedals. id also raise the joystick handle a few inches above the gimbals. on of joysticks to get the full vertical range requires considerable handstrain. id reduce the range of motion while making the handle a bit longer. of course the whole thing would sell for a grand

[colecampbell666]

I've been using a Saitek Cyborg Gold for years. It's a shame they discontinued the series; the really nifty part is, you can customize the joystick with a hex screw driver that actually attaches to the joystick housing.

Namely you can set the height of the hand-support, reconfigure it for either left or right handed use (you can switch the throttle too), change the inclination of the thumb buttons and the hat. All in all it's pretty handy for everyone.

The EVO is pretty adjustable. It has all of the same stuff except the adjustable throttle and screwdriver.

[jr2]

<snip>

You know, Nuke, if you made a setup for every price range that was a decent, sturdy, accurate setup, you'd be rich... you need to get ahold of a manufacturing place and patent some designs.  Have one $70 - $100 joystick, one $140-$200 joystick / maybe HOTAs, one $300 HOTAS with rudders, one $700-$1000 built just the way you'd do it for yourself.... I think you'd make a lot of money.  Make it 16-bit USB... s'pose you could also include a gameport port and make your stick capable of emulating any other decent joystick out there.  XD  I tell ya, you'd be rich!    The people have no decent alternatives; you'd blow the competition out of the water.

[colecampbell666]

If it was that easy M$ would have it monopolized already.

[Nuke]

<snip>

You know, Nuke, if you made a setup for every price range that was a decent, sturdy, accurate setup, you'd be rich... you need to get ahold of a manufacturing place and patent some designs.  Have one $70 - $100 joystick, one $140-$200 joystick / maybe HOTAs, one $300 HOTAS with rudders, one $700-$1000 built just the way you'd do it for yourself.... I think you'd make a lot of money.  Make it 16-bit USB... s'pose you could also include a gameport port and make your stick capable of emulating any other decent joystick out there.  XD  I tell ya, you'd be rich!    The people have no decent alternatives; you'd blow the competition out of the water.

*already started reading books on usb, several wireless standards, and standardized hid interfaces. im sure i could program the machining tools. surely its something i could do. but sence i have zero desire to do anything with my life il just sit on the sidelines and ***** about how every product on the market sucks

If it was that easy M$ would have it monopolized already.

joysticks was actually one of the things that microsoft did right. i swear that my old first gen sidewinder force feedback was the most accurate joystick ive ever used other than my ch stick. it was the optical sensors and midi port hacking (ms hacked the midi interface on soundcards to allow for more information to be sent) which made it a kickass stick.

*error fixed*

[colecampbell666]

I never said that!

[redsniper]

There's no market for joysticks though, because there aren't any games that require them, and no one makes games that require joysticks since no one has a joystick, since there aren't any games that need joysticks...

[Nuke]

I never said that!

oops, error fixed. i was half asleep or on something

There's no market for joysticks though, because there aren't any games that require them, and no one makes games that require joysticks since no one has a joystick, since there aren't any games that need joysticks...

there also seems to be very few games that support them. let alone require them. which is unfortunate. its not like joystick interface code is hard to write.

[jr2]

@Nuke: Heard of XPadder?

[Nuke]

seeing as i usually have at least 3 or maybe 4 input utils running in the background at once when i play most games, i dont think adding another util to the mix is a solution to the problem. the ch software is plenty capable of outputting keystrokes and mouse movements. but if a game requires such, then it already shows signs of piss poor input code.

[Flaser]

cougars are nice but hard to get ahold of and hella expensive. something about a joystick with metal gimbals is very appealing and i like the idea of a joystick which can be modded to hell.

every joystick ive owned has left something to be desired. of the usb sticks, ch included, seem to have 8 bit axes. where most software supports about a 16 bit axis, for example sdl seems to pass axis data to games as an Sint16 data type. most of the legacy gameports were on 16 bit soundcards and therefore were 16 bit axes. so apis accept 16 bit axis data. but all the people who make usb joysticks want to keep their expense to a minimum and use a less capable micro controller and encode the axis data as 8 bit.

if i were to design a stick, id use metal gimbals, metal switches and buttons, id even make the cases metal. id have 16 bit axes, leather grips, hardware trim on all axes, and toggleable hardware detents on all main axes which can be switched on and off as needed. also spring tension and friction settings on main axes. as an added bonus id make the whole setup wireless. it would come with rudder pedals that actually look and feel like rudder pedals. id also raise the joystick handle a few inches above the gimbals. on of joysticks to get the full vertical range requires considerable handstrain. id reduce the range of motion while making the handle a bit longer. of course the whole thing would sell for a grand

MJoy is a joystick controller, with very powerful capabilities, several people use it to build their own cockpit.

http://www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?$=main/howto/mind.htm

The original site (mindgaus) disappeared off the face of the net, but this mirror is still online.
Happy Modding!

EDIT - New stuff:
http://www.peschuster.de/elektronik/mjoy16.php

This page has the documentation for MJoy16, big brother of the MJoy. It has awsome capabilities.