your worst addons?

[misgav 2]

I've an fs addon junkie(software and hardware+flight movies); I often buy them on impulse, just because the advert says it's a must...you know the story.Surprisingly, most addons do eventually grow on you, except a few that turn out to be such flops.I'm just asking here-what's your most regrettable addon, which is lying in some dusty desk drawer, or your hard disk.Mine- E-Dimensional 3-D eyeglases. It may sound cool, but after several tries, my eyes really hurt, and I got a terrific headache. The glasses are clunky, and every time I put them on, my wife burst out laughing. I looked like a nerdy 1950's 3-D movie goerThe other is Roads and Rivers Europe scenery addon; You get correctly placed rivers, but next to them are the fs default ones, so you end up seeing double rivers!Worst video-some obscure company produced a video about the ATR 72-500, promising an "in depth look at aircraft systems", bla, bla. Owning the great Flight1 ATR, which models systems perfectly, I was convinced and bought the video. What a ripoff! The pilots spend five minutes at takeooff and landing talking about the panel; the rest is just the camera aimed at the scenery outside the cockpit, and ground shots of taxiing, takeoffs and touchdowns.So own up and tell us on what you wasted your hard earned money on.Eytan Ornstein

[altstiff 71]

I usually do my research in depth before a purchase. But I did buy the boxed version of the Wilco 777 at a software store sale.I also got hooked in on the captain sim 757 when they sold it a couple xmas ago for $10.Both were a complete waste of money.

[windycloud 30]

I second that 3D glasses. Things that are gone from my HD (NOT bad products, just some issues):Captainsim C-130slow VC gauge refresh rateEaglesoft C400an issue with TCAS that obviously bothered me more than most other peopleFlight1 MD80some small glitches with VC click spots and RAM issueFeelthere CXgood but just not good enoughSSW A310was a long term "love & hate relationship" a long time agoFSXwill dive for it eventually unless FS11 comes out before 2010.Also some addons that I enjoyed but became obsolete, such as F1 Meridian and PSS 320, etc.Freeware that I would gladly have paid money for:BAC 1-11, Soft Horizon, KBOS

[misgav 2]

Hmmm.. actually the above aircraft are some of my favourites. The Meridian is a high performer GA, and the A320, while not having an eye candy vc, is very stable and bug free. it's as easy to fly as a real A320,i.e, hands off/let the FMc fly the plane. Eytan

[Guest Nealoc187]

>Eaglesoft C400>an issue with TCAS that obviously bothered me more than most>other peopleWhat was your issue with the TCAS? I have that plane (it was the first add-on I ever bought as I love the real C400) but I haven't flown it in probably a year now.

[windycloud 30]

Both in the air and on the ground, as soon as the TCAS issues a traffic warning it knocks declutter to minimum and it gets stuck there. So I lose all the airports and NAVAIDs on the MFD and there is absolutely no way to get them back even after the traffic alert is gone unless I reload the plane. People with this problem just keep TCAS off. It so happens that I consider the TCAS one of the important features of the Avidyne system so it's unacceptable to me that it's practically unusable in my sim. Other than that the C400 is a fantastic piece of work.Jason

[mankal4 0]

Voicebuddy from edimensional

[Guest lgvpilot1]

I bought the edimensional glasses to fly my abacus airbus a380 !Well you know what they say about a fool and their moneyMark

[CaptKornDog 282]

Perfect Flight United Airlines Flight Operations several years ago...guess the "United Airlines" brand got to my wallet before my brain could. Just wayyyyy to simplified for my liking, had spelling errors, and basically glorified freeware/default repaints. Nowadays, some VAs have better interfaces.

[Jim Robinson 122]

I bought a Saitek X45 joystick that I really didn't care for, and of course, FSX. :)Jim

[Guest ThrottleUp]

While I think CLS' Airbus series is awesome their VLJ has got off the ground just once on my FS9....:(Jim - Im actually in the process of researching joysticks since I want a more capable one than the one I currently have (a very basic Saitek ST90)I did spot the X45 online...would you mind sharing what you didnt like about it? :) Thanks!

[Jim Robinson 122]

>Jim - Im actually in the process of researching joysticks>since I want a more capable one than the one I currently have>(a very basic Saitek ST90)I did spot the X45 online...would>you mind sharing what you didnt like about it? :) Thanks!Hi Nevin,It was a huge monstrosity to begin with, took up so much room on the computer desk I had no room left for beer cans; try as I might I couldn't get the hang of the rocker rudder control (but then I'm severely right-handed, my left hand may as well belong to someone else, and I'd been using the "twist grip" type rudder control for several years); last but not least the joystick centering spring was apparently adapted from some part of a Peterbilt truck suspension, you had to firmly hold the base down on the desk in order to operate the stick.In all fairness it was a high quality unit with very smooth control response and I believe it would have lasted a long time. Some folks reduced the spring tension by using tie-wraps to tie some of the spring coils together. If a person built a dedicated "simming chair" to which you could firmly attach both of the control bases it probably wouldn't have been bad (although I doubt I'd ever have become "one with the rudder"). Not positive but I think the pots were replaceable with common pots available from an electronics store.I sold the Saitek at an auction last summer for around $20 bucks I believe and went back to an el-cheapo Logitech extreme 3D something or another that's about shot already. I'll probably pick up another one soon. The boxes they come in make excellent computer room trash receptacles if you cut the flaps off and they'll generally outlast the stick :) .Jim

[HoratioWondersocks 4]

>>Jim - Im actually in the process of researching joysticks>>since I want a more capable one than the one I currently>have>>(a very basic Saitek ST90)I did spot the X45 online...would>>you mind sharing what you didnt like about it? :) Thanks!>>Hi Nevin,>It was a huge monstrosity to begin with, took up so much room>on the computer desk I had no room left for beer cans; try as>I might I couldn't get the hang of the rocker rudder control>(but then I'm severely right-handed, my left hand may as well>belong to someone else, and I'd been using the "twist grip">type rudder control for several years); last but not least the>joystick centering spring was apparently adapted from some>part of a Peterbilt truck suspension, you had to firmly hold>the base down on the desk in order to operate the stick.>>In all fairness it was a high quality unit with very smooth>control response and I believe it would have lasted a long>time. Some folks reduced the spring tension by using tie-wraps>to tie some of the spring coils together. If a person built a>dedicated "simming chair" to which you could firmly attach>both of the control bases it probably wouldn't have been bad>(although I doubt I'd ever have become "one with the rudder").>Not positive but I think the pots were replaceable with common>pots available from an electronics store.>>I sold the Saitek at an auction last summer for around $20>bucks I believe and went back to an el-cheapo Logitech extreme>3D something or another that's about shot already. I'll>probably pick up another one soon. The boxes they come in make>excellent computer room trash receptacles if you cut the flaps>off and they'll generally outlast the stick :) .>>JimJimI notice what you say about x45 and like you i have wondered about how i would get on with such a setup.I afraid my flight deck consists of and old armchair with beer to the right, manuals and assorted simming stuff to the left and various other things on the floor.Seriously i would imagine you have to have a proper custom setup where you can secure a fancy system like the x45 securely on a desktop or suchlike.Still it looks impressive though.I personally use a Saitek Cyborg which has served pretty well now for some years although one of the programmable buttons has stopped working.If like me you have a SLOB systems flight deck i wonder which out of the remaining standard joysticks would be considered the best for simming in the beer lane.cheers to Andy

[Guest ThrottleUp]

Hallo Jim,---------------------------------I had no room left for beer cans---------------------------------http://www.clicksmilies.com/auswahl/lachen001.gifThanks for the reply, I think thats the funniest and most informative review of a joystick I've read so far! Anyways...you hit upon a concern of mine - weighted sticks. I rerally hate it when your flying and have to do a turn (specially when you are playing pretend aerobatic pilot) and the silly stick scuttles all over the place. I seem to recall hearing about the spring issue in the X45. Anyways in case youre curious this is one of the other sticks on my shortlist, the Top Gun Afterburner II:http://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-Top-Aft...9/dp/B00007LP20

[Guest flusher1]

I put Velcro strips on my desktop and joystick to hold it steady while twisting the rudder and trying to land. I've got the old Saitek Cyborg Gold USB. Works great now.Flusher