Switched Back to CH From Saitek EeeeeK!

[Dougal 165]

After all my flight controllers pretty much died at the same time (mostly due to dust), I just went back to a CH yoke after 8 years of using a Saitek Pro Flight Yoke.  I have though, bought a pair of Saitek throttle quadrants, as I like to fly tube liners.

 

Its sooooooo bizarre going back.

I'd forgotten how noisy the plastic shaft of the CH yoke is compared to the steel Saitek shaft. Age old question..... Can those plastic shafts be SAFELY lubed with anything?  PTFE spray perhaps?

 

By FAR the biggest problem I'm having though, is having the 'pan' switch on the right.  This means its impossible to pan around the VC whilst also manipulating the throttles.  How do other CH users deal with this (apart from using TIR etc) ?

 

[BaldyB 20]

After all my flight controllers pretty much died at the same time (mostly due to dust), I just went back to a CH yoke after 8 years of using a Saitek Pro Flight Yoke.  I have though, bought a pair of Saitek throttle quadrants, as I like to fly tube liners.

 

Its sooooooo bizarre going back.

I'd forgotten how noisy the plastic shaft of the CH yoke is compared to the steel Saitek shaft. Age old question..... Can those plastic shafts be SAFELY lubed with anything?  PTFE spray perhaps?

 

By FAR the biggest problem I'm having though, is having the 'pan' switch on the right.  This means its impossible to pan around the VC whilst also manipulating the throttles.  How do other CH users deal with this (apart from using TIR etc) ?

My C&H yoke never made noise, it did start to slightly bind at times. I gave it  a shot with a dry silicone spray. go to your Auto parts store and pick up a can of Prestone silicone dry lube. It leaves no trace of oily lube, it's dry, yet it is slippery. When your trying to hand land a tuber a sticky yoke is exactly what you don't need. I used the stuff maybe 5-6 years ago, no stickiness since.

It works like new!

Best Holaday's

BaldyB         

[jandjfrench 3]

Hi Dougal,

I have a CH yoke which I found at a Goodwill store.  When I first got it it made some noise and I tried using rubber bands in place of the springs to return the yoke to center.  This didn't help with the noise so I lubricated the shaft with pencil lead and that solved the problem. The rubber bands failed so I returned to the springs.  I haven't had any problems in the last 3 1/2 or 4 years.  I do have 2 types of silicon spray but don't recall using either on the yoke but it seems that would work as well..

Regarding the throttle adjustment::  I've created VC cameras for the most common views and rather than use the pan switch to view the throttles I use the camera view.  I do have my yoke right trigger button assigned to "Look forward (3-D cockpit)" so no matter which view I'm using I'm instantly returned to the VC looking straight forward.

Jim F.

[JYW 2,977]

I feel your pain Dougal.  My Saitek Yoke and throttles failed last week.  I'm back to flying everything with a cheap Logitech Atk3 joystick and no throttles (apart from the crappy, tiny slider on the joystick!)..... painful!

 

I checked eBay for a cheap replacement Saitek Yoke.... cheap, ha!  People are making the most of the supply problems with the Saitek stuff and I saw new Saitek Yokes selling for £210+ ($259).   Not great when I paid £69 new for my last Saitek Yoke.   Even used ones are selling for over £100 ($130).

 

Not going to pay that so looking at other options, and in the meantime, I'm just flying the Aerosoft Airbus, and some GA aircraft that use a stick!

[MichaelTurner 5]

I think the lesson to be learned from this thread is that Saitek gear eventually fails while CH goes on forever. That is why it is still there to go back to when other controllers give up the ghost.

I bought my first CH gear starting in 2005 and have been using it more or less daily since then for all manner of flight sims. It is still working as well as ever apart from one lever on the TQ which is showing some slight excess movement at the detente position.

 

Given its longevity, CH is probably a safer buy secondhand and comes up regularly on eBay e.g.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Flight-Simulator-Yoke-/142217295726?hash=item211ccfb76e:g:JksAAOSw5cNYRAbR

 

I bought a Fighterstick and Pro Throttle bundle for £90 from that source.

 

The yoke movement is certainly not as smooth as a yoke shaft made from metal. At a Sim fair, I once had the opportunity to do a side by side comparison witha Swiss built yoke costing £600. Not surpringly the all metal Swiss yoke was noticably smoother and weightier

but I have not had any problems wth the CH. Wiping it over with a cloth to keep it free from dust and debris seems to be all that is required.

[Dougal 165]

I think the lesson to be learned from this thread is that Saitek gear eventually fails while CH goes on forever. That is why it is still there to go back to when other controllers give up the ghost.

I bought my first CH gear starting in 2005 and have been using it more or less daily since then for all manner of flight sims. It is still working as well as ever apart from one lever on the TQ which is showing some slight excess movement at the detente position.

 

Given its longevity, CH is probably a safer buy secondhand and comes up regularly on eBay e.g.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Flight-Simulator-Yoke-/142217295726?hash=item211ccfb76e:g:JksAAOSw5cNYRAbR

 

I bought a Fighterstick and Pro Throttle bundle for £90 from that source.

 

The yoke movement is certainly not as smooth as a yoke shaft made from metal. At a Sim fair, I once had the opportunity to do a side by side comparison witha Swiss built yoke costing £600. Not surpringly the all metal Swiss yoke was noticably smoother and weightier

but I have not had any problems wth the CH. Wiping it over with a cloth to keep it free from dust and debris seems to be all that is required.

I wouldn't go quite as far as agreeing with that....

The reason I bought my last Saitek yoke, was that my then CH model died after less than 3 years.  The Saitek that I replaced it with, lasted about 8 years.  Being medically retired, my hardware gets a LOT of use - sometimes possibly 8-10 hours a day!  I won't say one is 'better' than the other. They each have their pro's and cons.  I probably would have gone for Saitek again, it were not as Bill mentioned - the prices.  Seeing what folk are paying for used items on eBay, is eye watering!

The right sided pan switch is driving me insane.  Not very true to life, but I may even switch my throttles to the left side of my desk:-)

[Dean_EGTC 57]

 

 

I've created VC cameras for the most common views and rather than use the pan switch to view the throttles I use the camera view.

Mind if I ask you how you do that?

[JYW 2,977]

I'd have to say that my experience was similar to Dougal's - I only bought the Saitek Yoke because my CH one broke -after 2 years.  That was 6 years ago, so the Saitek lasted 6 years for less than half the price of the CH (at the time; the Saitek stuff goes for silly money now).

 

But in all honesty both the Saitek and CH yokes are very much built to a price and quality was lacking in both IMHO.  I too would replace the Saitek in an instant but I have this thing about being ripped off by 'market forces'  :wink:   Saitek are apparantly manufacturing and distributing again (under their new owner) so I doubt the profiteering will continue much longer. 

 

In all honestly what I'm missing the most is the throttle.  But again, the standalone Saitek throttles go for silly money on eBay.

 

Here is a used Saitek throttle, with no box, documents etc, going for £106 ($130) including delivery !!!!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SAITEK-USB-THROTTLE-QUADRANT-PRISTINE-CONDITION-/182397491437?hash=item2a77bcd8ed:g:CBEAAOSwux5YNDjZ

 

Meh...

[pmanhart 176]

To the OP, I think the only way to get around this is to use the onboard throttles and reach your right hand across the yoke.

 

Since you are using different throttles, why not pull a "lefty" or "copilot" and just move the throttles to the other side of the yoke?

 

When I still had my CH Eclipse Yoke (I wish I never would have gotten rid of it for the POS Saitek garbage I have now), it wasn't a problem because the Eclipse has POV hats on both sides.

 

When I can get around to getting an Eclipse again, I'll finally be able to put down my 15 year old CH Fighterstick and Pro Throttle (still working great BTW).

 

I may put the Saitek Yoke and Throttle up for sale, but I don't want to cause anyone any harm... :wink:

[laserit 93]

Logitech purchased Saitek back in September. Some seem to be price gouging, but you still can buy them at a decent cost.

 

http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?item_id=045869

 

$199cad

 

Hopefully supply improves.

[BaldyB 20]

Don't know when the C&H yoke and pedals went on the market. I can tell you i have been retired for 16 years and I owned them for at least 4-5 years before that. The treatment I described worked like a champ, I may have done it a few times, cannot remember. I had some (I think it silicone based) spray I used on my leather bench seat on my 1959 Lincoln Premier. On my first left hand turn I found myself in the passengers seat, slippery as heck! Almost lost it!

Merry Xmas

BaldyB

[Dougal 165]

I'd have to say that my experience was similar to Dougal's - I only bought the Saitek Yoke because my CH one broke -after 2 years.  That was 6 years ago, so the Saitek lasted 6 years for less than half the price of the CH (at the time; the Saitek stuff goes for silly money now).

 

But in all honesty both the Saitek and CH yokes are very much built to a price and quality was lacking in both IMHO.  I too would replace the Saitek in an instant but I have this thing about being ripped off by 'market forces'  :wink:   Saitek are apparantly manufacturing and distributing again (under their new owner) so I doubt the profiteering will continue much longer. 

 

In all honestly what I'm missing the most is the throttle.  But again, the standalone Saitek throttles go for silly money on eBay.

 

Here is a used Saitek throttle, with no box, documents etc, going for £106 ($130) including delivery !!!!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SAITEK-USB-THROTTLE-QUADRANT-PRISTINE-CONDITION-/182397491437?hash=item2a77bcd8ed:g:CBEAAOSwux5YNDjZ

 

Meh...

Hi Bill.  I'd not buy used Saitek throttles at all.  Those pots are crap even when new.  Getting old old ones is a sure fire way getting VERY frustrated.  As you know, the difference in price right now, between new and used can be minuscule.

I might actually try to attach a hat switch to the left side of the yoke.....

Don't know when the C&H yoke and pedals went on the market. I can tell you i have been retired for 16 years and I owned them for at least 4-5 years before that. The treatment I described worked like a champ, I may have done it a few times, cannot remember. I had some (I think it silicone based) spray I used on my leather bench seat on my 1959 Lincoln Premier. On my first left hand turn I found myself in the passengers seat, slippery as heck! Almost lost it!

Merry Xmas

BaldyB

Thanks.  I've had MUCH better luck/service from my old CH pedals than the CH yoke.  Like you, I've had my CH pedals for many years (probably close on 12-14), and apart from having to disassemble and repair a couple of times, they've been outstanding.  They get abused something terrible. Both by aggressive use, and kicking them around under the desk when not in use.

[jmdriskell 178]

I been using the same CH yoke, pedals and throttle quad for about 10 years now.  I lub the yoke shaft with a tiny amount of gun slick which seems to make it move freely.  I do have a question about one of the levers on my throttle quad that someone may have an answer to.  # 2 lever (and its pot) apparently generates lots of noise when it's in the fully closed position.  The other levers are quiet throughout there range of movement.  Does anyone have any suggestions for correcting a noisy lever?  I have thought about taking the quad apart and spraying the pot with contact cleaner but thought I'd ask before I wreck the rest of the quad.  Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[fppilot 4,355]

 

 

Logitech purchased Saitek back in September. Some seem to be price gouging, but you still can buy them at a decent cost.
 

 

I can report from experience that some online sources list products that then backorder when checkout is completed!  Today it appear throttle quadrants and pedals are available at Amazon, but not the yoke.

[jandjfrench 3]

Hi Dean_EGTC,

Regarding creating a new camera (view):  Briefly I create a new camera definition in the aircraft.cfg, with then with FSX running I adjust the new views to what's appropriate to see what I'd like, save the flight and then extract the values from the saved .FLT and plug them into the new CameraDefinition. 

On my CH yoke I have the right trigger (button 2) programmed to "Look forward (3-D cockpit)", on the right rocker switch button 3 set to change category and button 4 set to change the view within the category.

To create the camera I first add this new camera definition template to the aircraft.cfg adding an appropriate title,  CameraDefinition number and GUID.:

[CameraDefinition.XXX]

Title = New Camera Title 

Guid = {XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX}

Origin = Virtual Cockpit

MomentumEffect = Yes

SnapPbhAdjust = Swivel

SnapPbhReturn = False

PanPbhAdjust = Swivel

PanPbhReturn = False

Track = None

ShowAxis = YES

AllowZoom = TRUE

InitialZoom = 1.0

SmoothZoomTime = 2.0

ZoomPanScalar = 1.0

ShowWeather = Yes

XyzAdjust = TRUE

ShowLensFlare=FALSE

Category = Cockpit

PitchPanRate=20

HeadingPanRate=60

InitialXyz=0, 0, 0

InitialPbh=0, 0, 0

 

I next start FSX and with the new camera selected I adjust the view to what i want and save the flight with an easily recognized appropriate name.

 

After exiting FSX I examine the saved .FLT file and using the GUID to determine the proper camera I plug the saved values into the new camera.  The b and h values are transposed in the FLT "InitialPbh=0, 0, 0" from what's needed in the "InitialPbh=" but there is a one to one correspondence in the other values,

 

I usually end up adding several VC cameras to any aircraft that I like.  Clicking the rocker to get to the desired view is very quick and returning to looking forward is equally so.  In each view I try to emulate as closely as possible what the pilot would actually see.  In order to emulate tilting of the pilot's view I've assigned, the rather confusingly named, "Slew (tilt left)" and "Slew (tilt right)" to Ctrl + Num 9 & 7 respectively.  The Slew mentioned here has nothing to do with Slew mode.

Jim F.