Thrust master HOT AS in P3D

[dougal]

Does the Thrustmaster HOTAS work in P3D? The switches are mostly on-off and not single action. Can they be used?

[jmig]

Yes! 567890

[DaveWG]

Works great. I don't use the supplied "Target" software, just the drivers. Everything programmed through FSUIPC.

[dougal]

Thanks guys.
This is gonna be SUCH a tough call for me... I'm disabled and live on a small fixed income, so either way, this is a major purchase.
The disability can sometimes make it very difficult to use rudder pedals for yaw. Hence, the HOTAS that really fits my needs MUCH better (and is a lot cheaper), is the Saitek X56. Trouble is, I'm scared to death with all the bad press the Saitek models get. I have manipulated both the TM and the Saitek while on display, and TBH, fantastic as the TM obviously is, it just feels too stiff, even with the weakest spring installed.

I know this subject comes up from time to time, but most comparisons are with the X55 and TM, not the X56, so any up to date info, experience and recommendations are most welcome.

Thanks

[IanHenry]

Dougal,
I don't think there's that much difference between the X55 and the X56, it's just that some of the switches are a little different, but the stick is basically the same.

I have both a Warthog Hotas and an Saitek X55, the Saitek has the ability to use the twist stick for rudder control so I can see how that would be an advantage to you.

My Warthog is my usual stick but every so often I plug the Saitek in and give that a run. I like both of them for different reasons, the Warthog is a more "serous" stick and the Saitek is fun to "play", I know that might not make much sense but it's the best way that I can describe the experience if you can understand what I'm trying to say

Regarding reliability, I've had the Saitek for a couple of years and I've not seen a single problem with it but bear in mind that the Warthog does get the most use, but I've never felt that there are any weakness about the Saitek. Weight is another thing to think about, both the Warthog stick and throttle unit are very heavy if you need to move them around regularly as I do when I want to use them, the Saitek is a lot lighter due to it's plastic construction (it's pretty good quality plastic though) I use both sticks for P3D and DCS World.


I hope this is some help to you in making your decision, I'd guess from what you've said that you'll be happy with the Saitek, but obviously that's up to you. Good luck.

Regards,
Ian

[dougal]

Dougal,
I don't think there's that much difference between the X55 and the X56, it's just that some of the switches are a little different, but the stick is basically the same.

I have both a Warthog Hotas and an Saitek X55, the Saitek has the ability to use the twist stick for rudder control so I can see how that would be an advantage to you.

My Warthog is my usual stick but every so often I plug the Saitek in and give that a run. I like both of them for different reasons, the Warthog is a more "serous" stick and the Saitek is fun to "play", I know that might not make much sense but it's the best way that I can describe the experience if you can understand what I'm trying to say

Regarding reliability, I've had the Saitek for a couple of years and I've not seen a single problem with it but bear in mind that the Warthog does get the most use, but I've never felt that there are any weakness about the Saitek. Weight is another thing to think about, both the Warthog stick and throttle unit are very heavy if you need to move them around regularly as I do when I want to use them, the Saitek is a lot lighter due to it's plastic construction (it's pretty good quality plastic though) I use both sticks for P3D and DCS World.


I hope this is some help to you in making your decision, I'd guess from what you've said that you'll be happy with the Saitek, but obviously that's up to you. Good luck.

Regards,
Ian

Thanks Ian, some good useful info. Do you fly any tube liners with the TM? Any problems with small adjustments in any aircraft with the TM? It seems so stiff.

[IanHenry]

Hi Dougal,
No I don't fly tube liners very often mainly because they don't interest me that much. I've never had any difficulty making small adjustments with the Warthog. The Saitek is a much more light weight stick both in terms of it's physical weight and the operation. I like to use it because it's a refreshing change. One slight criticism of the Saitek if that the throttle movement isn't nearly as great as the Warthog, which means that the Throttles have to be more sensitive, but maybe that's because I get used to the Warthog. I like both units, but if I was buying again and cash was an issue, I wouldn't hesitate about buying the Saitek.


regards,
Ian

[dougal]

Hi Dougal,
No I don't fly tube liners very often mainly because they don't interest me that much. I've never had any difficulty making small adjustments with the Warthog. The Saitek is a much more light weight stick both in terms of it's physical weight and the operation. I like to use it because it's a refreshing change. One slight criticism of the Saitek if that the throttle movement isn't nearly as great as the Warthog, which means that the Throttles have to be more sensitive, but maybe that's because I get used to the Warthog. I like both units, but if I was buying again and cash was an issue, I wouldn't hesitate about buying the Saitek.


regards,
Ian

Thanks Ian - appreciated

[jmig]

Thanks guys.
...
The disability can sometimes make it very difficult to use rudder pedals for yaw. ...
Thanks

If you click on the Auto Rudder box in PD3's preferences you can steer on the ground with the stick and the rudder is automatically added in turns. The only thing you can't do is things like rudder rolls, hammerhead stalls, etc.

[dougal]

If you click on the Auto Rudder box in PD3's preferences you can steer on the ground with the stick and the rudder is automatically added in turns. The only thing you can't do is things like rudder rolls, hammerhead stalls, etc.

Hi John
Yeh I've been playing around with that. Makes crosswind landings interesting too without side slip;-)

[evvatc]

I wouldn't count the Warthog out because it doesn't have a twist grip for the rudder. There are 3 more axis' that are on the throttle that could be used for rudder function along with buttons. I'm not a fan of the twist rudder on the joystick.

[alehead]

I wouldn?t ignore the Warthog either. Okay, it?s more expensive but can be set up really well with a licensed version of FSUIPC. Furthermore, if the spring is too stiff for you, there are quite a few aftermarket extension tube solutions that increase the length of the stick. This automatically reduces the effective stiffness of the spring and makes the stick feel much more like a real-world device...

The budget decides, but it was one of the best decisions in terms of hardware I have ever made, particularly with the Hall effect sensors instead of potentiometers...


Andrew Entwistle
Germany