General? Beginner Here: Looking for Immersion | Controllers

[fcp4life 1]

Hello all! I've always wanted to try flight sims, and have tried here and there, but I really want to up the immersion and have been looking at flight controllers, and googling has yielded mixed results, some say stay away from logitech saitek and ch while others say they are great... 

-I am a complete newcomer so anything would be an upgrade and so far I am liking the price of the Logitech G Saitek PRO Flight Yoke System 945-000023 on eBay for $138 so is this option good? 

-Rudders aren't included, but I have seen them at low prices however, they are different brands.  Is that okay to use? does all the gear have to be the same brand? 

[skelsey 765]

Hello!

Personally my Saitek Cessna yoke has served me very well for the last four (I think!) years and for the price you won't get much better. You can, as I am sure you have seen, spend phenomenal figures on hardware but especially as a newcomer I think the Saitek yoke will probably do you very well and if a few years down the line you feel like you want to spend a serious amount of cash on some really serious hardware then go for it.

Rudder pedals are a must if you want to get a real sense of how to fly an aeroplane (and especially with a yoke as unlike a joystick you have no 'twist' option for separate rudder control). There is absolutely no need for them to be the same brand -- you can mix and match quite happily.

Welcome to the hobby... be warned, it's addictive...

[DaveCT2003 1,820]

Since you're just entering the hobby, I recommend getting a joystick that has a twist rudder action (you twist the joystick right or left).  There are plenty good, but inexpensive joysticks that has this feature and they are all about the same quality.

Best wishes.

 

[MarkW 1,490]

I have been using the CH products Yoke, Throttle Quad and Pedals for many years.  No real issues and it definitely adds to the immersion.  I would not spend huge dollars on hardware at this stage and upgrade as needed if you stick with the hobby and after you have had a chance to see how you use the hardware.

[himmelhorse 1,276]

To insert my 2 cents I think there are quite a few aspects to this question.

If you go with the saitek yoke/throttles/pedals set up, it will, in the long run, be the cheapest part of your new simming world simply because it can be used by any sim platform and for all fixed wing aircraft and even helicopters, I believe, with the total cost not exceeding about USD600.00. If money is tight these can even be picked up second hand.

There are very worthwhile alternatives to Logitech, Logitech/Saitek and CH products. If you seek a joystick instead of a yoke throttle combo, then I would have to say that Logitech is better than Saitek. 

For the cheap alternatives, look at FSXthrottle pro and Honeycomb (although I am not sure if the yoke or throttle combination has yet been released)  You will also need to buy Rudder pedals and Saitek ones are quite good and reliable. Please note that there are better rudders available, all easily found through Google. It will all depend on your budget.

I also want to add my voice to the "Welcome to our World" sentiment. For me, it has been a world of wonder, frustration, expense and intense satisfaction. This, I am sure you will find, that you share with all of us in this segment of "gaming"

Best of all, I guess, is the fact that there is incredible support in this community and in particular, this forum, for which ever platform you choose to fly, regardless of the problem you may be facing.

I think we all wish you the best.

Regards

Tony Chilcott

[Chock 17,769]

Saitek rudder pedals are pretty good, although be aware that they do take up quite a bit of room under your computer desk, but they are tough and last a very long time, I've had mine for years with no problems. The Saitek Yoke and throttle is pretty good too, it's not the best one out there, but it does the job okay and lasts well enough so long as you take care of it. Having said that, a cheaper and just as usable option is to go for a flight stick which has a throttle and rudder function on it, there are a few out there and they do the job just as well for a lot less money.

I use one of these, works pretty well and isn't too expensive at all:

https://www.speedlink.com/en/BLACK-WIDOW-XE-FLIGHTSTICK-BLACK.html

It's true that a lot of aeroplanes have yokes, but not all of them do, all new Airbus airliners have flight sticks for example, many small general aviation aeroplanes - particularly some of the newer ones - have stick controllers rather than a yoke. The majority of military combat aircraft have a stick controller, as do all helicopters and all gliders, so you're certainly not using an odd controller if you use a flight stick rather than a yoke.

Welcome to Avsim too 🙂

 

[fcp4life 1]

Thank you for all the replies everyone! I just ordered the following Yoke/Throttle Combo, & Rudder Pedals.... 

- The Yoke System is refurbished but managed to shoot an offer for $120.

- The pedals were around $80 after some digging.

(Also had to bought myself a copy of X-Plane 11)

Logitech G Saitek PRO Flight Yoke System 945-000023

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thrustmaster TFRP T-Flight Rudder Pedals