Joystick Query

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blanston12
Vintage Pair
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Re: Joystick Query

Post by blanston12 »

I have one and to be honest, I never use it. Maybe because I normally fly from the recliner in the family room and don't really have space for both items but more its that it has so many little mini joysticks I could not figure out what to do with them, I wish it had more buttons instead.

Seams well built though, with MSFS I am thinking of pulling out again but for now I am staying with my logitech 3d extreme and the saitek throttle.
Joe Cusick,

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chrispbits
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Re: Joystick Query

Post by chrispbits »

I've got the X56 now. Took a few weeks to get back in stock but it arrived late last week. These are big beasties... the bases are around 6" x 10" and about 2" thick. I suppose I ought to measure them with a ruler but frankly CBA. Anyway they don't leave much room on the desk. More switches and stuff than you can shake a erm stick at. Talking of stick - it's a bit big... I have medium sized hands and can't easily reach the very top hat switch whilst retaining a full grip but there's more than enough of these hat things to go around so I don't really need it. I've managed to set it up for nearly max ease of use in MSFS. Of particular benefit is the TRH side rotary on the throttle which I use for trim and the mini joysticks - being analog - are a delight for panning around. Overall MSFS makes good use of the X56. Less so for X-Plane - it's a bit of a faff and the analog sticks aren't recognised, which is a pain. I find that the layout of the buttons on the throttles are well placed to easily manage all the primary flight control settings, including airbrakes and thrust reverse toggle. I've not yet found a use for the base mounted toggle switches.

As frequently mentioned this thing comes with four springs for the joystick. They all have the same gauge wire and the same number of turns but are of four different lengths with the shortest providing the weakest return to centre force. That's the spring I use and it's fine for my purpose.

Things to consider - they take up a lot of desk room. The height of the bases means that your desk may be a touch too high to use these comfortably - ideally your forearms, when level, should be no lower than the top of the bases (unfortunately not in my case). The size of the stick is a bit excessive.
An addition to the joystick rest provides another 5mm to the height of the rest, which makes life easier, but see previous comment re forearms. The throttle has a good deal of friction, even on the minimum setting. Not enough to move the base at minimum but could be slightly freer. The bases have non-slip feet so don't tend to move (they're too bl@@dy big) even in all the excitement of trying to keep your aircraft straight on the MSFS runways. Speaking of which the joystick is considerably less twitchy than that of the VKB that I have and aircraft in MSFS behave much better as a consequence and that's with dead-zone and sensitivity settings at default.

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Airspeed
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Re: Joystick Query

Post by Airspeed »

Thanks for that detailed review, Chris. ;)
Makes my CH FS Yoke sound under-endowed!

chrispbits
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Re: Joystick Query

Post by chrispbits »

Size IS everything Mike. :lol:

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