Honeycomb Yoke and Throttle news

[Ray Proudfoot 8,957]

2 hours ago, polosim said:

In that case, I know an excellent option but the price goes very above average, however it is pure quality.

http://throttletek.com/lear-45-g-throttle/

Only $999? I’ll have two. 😀 But lovely quality as you say.

[NismoRR 191]

Hey Gabe, I agree with you 100,000%. I have no idea of the stubbornness to stay at the $200 price point. I am dying to spend double that, $400 or so for a decent quality yoke. I also race on the computer and Thrustmaster makes great, heavy duty, force feedback wheels for $450, and they're very good. I mention this because I just got an email about the upcoming Flight Sim Expo here in Vegas this weekend, where Thrustmaster announced "Three new flight products designed for the elite sim gamer." The new hardware will be demonstrated at the Expo. I am hopeful that a yoke will be part of their new flight hardware. Stay tuned.

 

As far as Fly Honeycomb, and following this thread since October, I've concluded they are a "Shlock operation," and I highly doubt I would purchase any of their products. 

Edited June 4, 2018 by NismoRR

[NismoRR 191]

Here's the Thrustmaster info I just got in an email.

 

Thrustmaster is proud to be a Gold Sponsor of FlightSimExpo!

As 1,000 of the most loyal members of the flight sim community prepare to take flight into Las Vegas for the inaugural Flight Sim Expo, Thrustmaster is also gearing up for what will be what may be its most exciting year ever for flight simmers.

In the next week, Thrustmaster will announce three new flight products designed for the elite sim gamer. One of which will be a total game-changer for simmers looking to recreate an accurate in-home cockpit experience. And attendees of FlightSimExpo will have a global exclusive first chance to try it for themselves! 

Thrustmaster hardware will be demonstrated at the following booths:

Aerosoft (Booth 504): The Hotas Warthog and an exclusive chance to try our brand-new elite flight hardware.

X-Plane (Booth 501) and MilViz (Booth 307): T-16000 Hotas

Watch for an extra chance to win your own Thrustmaster gear from FlightSimExpo!

This event is the first stop on Thrustmaster’s Summer of Flight. We’re thrilled that FlightSimExpo will be the first stop. Follow the official Thrustmaster social network for more hardware details the week before the event. Happy flying!

[Ray Proudfoot 8,957]

@NismoRR, as this is the Honeycomb thread you might get more attention by posting your news in a separate thread.

[NismoRR 191]

Understand Ray, and will, just the situation with this company and its beyond slow rollout with minimal information has been so unbelievably frustrating, that I thought many in this thread, you and I included, might have an different alternative in the not too distant future. 

[Ray Proudfoot 8,957]

@NismoRR, I think the reason things are so slow is because it's a fledgling company primarily run by Nicki Repenning alone. In his latest post on FB he did say support staff will be available once the products are being sold.

I'll follow your thread once the show has taken place. It might provide an alternative but with my two Saitek throttles arriving tomorrow the pressure is off for the foreseeable future.

I don't like having to make decisions when under duress. For example, a couple of years ago Saitek kit was as rare as hen's teeth and if my kit had failed then I may well have been rushed into a decision I later regretted. Not the case now. I always like to read reviews of kit I'm considering rather than jump in blind.

Enjoy the show!

[Phantoms 800]

To those that say the price needs to go up I disagree. There are a lot of people that would spend $200 for a yoke that outshines the other $200 yokes, but at $300-$400 you will cut your market drastically. At that price point, you have many who would stick with the CH or Saitek, and ones that would then opt to spend a little more and buy one of the true quality yokes. This would severely limit the market who would still buy it at a $300-$400 price range.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,957]

8 hours ago, Phantoms said:

To those that say the price needs to go up I disagree. There are a lot of people that would spend $200 for a yoke that outshines the other $200 yokes...

That's assuming it will outshine other yokes in that price range. If it doesn't then it's just another competing with CH and Logitech. Given the way Honeycomb have been advertising the Alpha / Bravo they appear to aiming at a more discerning user but keep having to change components to keep to that price point.

Personally, the lack of Hall Effect sensors is disappointing and I'm not alone in feeling that. Why use potentiometers with all the drawbacks they have?

[Phantoms 800]

Ray, I agree. I would prefer it have hall effect sensors too. Their sells depend on the promises they made, a better yoke for about the same price. If they fail on either (better or price) then they risk their potential consumers who remember that promise disappearing,

It's a hard place Honeycomb has put itself in. If they increased the price $100-$200 I believe a few would pay it, but not enough to sustain them from the loss of sales numbers. Look at how much the real quality yokes sell for to account for the lower sales.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,957]

@Phantoms, I believe there is plenty of scope for raising the price by up to $150 without deterring many potential customers.

If you price it slightly more expensive than the Saitek / Logitech yoke / throttle then the quality is not going to be substantially better. How can it be especially when it's built in China, just like Logitech?

Having used my new Logitech throttles replacing my old Saitek ones the quality has dropped quite a bit. Steel shaft replaced by plastic one means friction has reduced significantly making them feel cheap.

All the talk about Honeycomb has been about the yoke. But for those of us who fly Boeing / Airbus / Concorde the a/p is engaged early in the flight so I don't use the yoke that much. I use the throttles far more preferring to handle power manually far longer. So the quality of the throttles is just as important for me but little info has been posted about the throttles. Hall-effect sensors are just as important with throttles but again, Honeycomb appear to be going for cheaper potentiometers which will eventually fail. Hall-effect sensors won't so it baffles me why they insist on pots.

I don't want Saitek Mk 2. I want something substantially better that fills the gap between $150 basic stuff and $1000 out of my price-range stuff.

[Wise87 1,281]

I already have a quality yoke like many others and have been waiting to hear more on the throttle quadrant. For some reason the TQ has less love by the developer and one of the biggest issues in the community is the lack of a affordable, quality TQ. While there design for the TQ looks great I do have concerns about switch placement when it comes to the throttle levers being full forward. From the design it looks like it’s desk mounted. There are some who use a lower stand to simulate actual TQ placement. I’ve posted on there FB page asking about the TQ and they seem more concerned about switch placement on the yoke.

[MarkDH 234]

5 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

my new Logitech throttles replacing my old Saitek ones the quality has dropped quite a bit. Steel shaft replaced by plastic one means friction has reduced significantly making them feel cheap.

I have never seen a Saitek quadrant with metal levers! I had my first one in 2009, along with a "Pro Flight" yoke and its captive quadrant. I bought another, probably in 2014 when I was making my Twin Otter cockpit. All three have plastic levers.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,957]

They appear to me to be metal although I’m open to persuasion they’re not. Bought mine in 2008 or thereabouts and there is far more friction in the original levers than the Logitech ones.

[polosim 845]

😁😁

Let's see, we bought an accessory that costs $300.-, we use it for an average period of 10 years, in the end it costs us $2.50 a month. If we take into account all the fun we get, I think it's a good deal, Isn't it?

[Ray Proudfoot 8,957]

29 minutes ago, polosim said:

😁😁

Let's see, we bought an accessory that costs $300.-, we use it for an average period of 10 years, in the end it costs us $2.50 a month. If we take into account all the fun we get, I think it's a good deal, Isn't it?

Depends on why it lasts only 10 years. Let me hazard a guess. It has potentiometers and they eventually fail meaning 99.9% of the remainder is still in good condition but the unit has to be junked because repairs are not possible.

Whilst not costing $300 that is precisely why I will be throwing away two Saitek throttle quadrants tomorrow.

However, if instead of pots they used Hall effect sensors the likelihood is the units would last twice or three times as long meaning they could be kept or sold to someone else.

But we live in a throwaway society so no one thinks it matters. 🙄