so the Saitek seems to be working ok...the elevators are definitely sticky, which is unfortunate, but I'm not sure the CH would be much better.In terms of calibrating it, I only have the freeware version of FSUIPC..do I need the registered version? Should I get that, or is it OK to calibrate it through FSX?

You got to get the registered version to calibrate and set your button functions properly. Since you have the yoke already, the possibility that you will have to continue tinkering with your settings will be great. It seems that when you buy this system it is a bit of a crap shoot. There are very few that report flawless operations from the start, but it seems to me most owners do report the dreaded GHOST SWITCH. My personal experience have been a bit on the negative side. I started out with the GHOST SWITCH problem with a yoke that was off centered to the right by about 10 degrees. My present yoke is twitchy and needs recalibration every so often.OH, and if you plan to build a twin engine setup, you will need FSUIPC to set up the axis of each lever and for setup of the reversers.

I received two Saitek yokes that were horribly because of the view switching problem. The third unit I received also had the problem but I was able to cure it with a fix that didn't help with the first two ones.Anyway, now my whole Saitek setup always works flawlessly (yoke+throttle with an extra throttle and the rudder pedals). Ealier I owned a setup based on CH Products - the Yoke USB, pro Pedals and the throttle quadrant. They added an incredible amount of feel to flight simming so I thoroughly enjoyed them. However, in my view the CH Products felt quite flimsy and they way you clamped the yoke to a table didn't work very well for me. Both are cheap, plastic and still adds a whole lot of value, but for me the Saitek is the winner.