Flight Sim TQ6 PLUS, thoughts.

[Rocky_53 1,566]

I am looking at buying this throttle quadrant but want to make absolutely sure about it, as it is a shed load of money! I would like to use it for P3D V4.5 with the NGX and also for GA use in MSFS2020. I thought it a good idea to ask on here to see if anyone has this unit and could offer their opinion. Thanks fellas.

Edited October 29, 2020 by Rockliffe

[qqwertz 772]

I bought it this summer, specifically for twin engine turboprop operations. It is of outstanding quality (all metal construction, hall effect sensors) and works very well in P3D 4.5 and MSFS, but so did my simple Saitek throttle quadrant. For some airplanes, you may need to use FSUIPC to get the detents right. 

I don't feel that I have much better control for each individual lever than with my previous quadrant, but having levers for each engine separately makes a big difference. TQ6+ is not designed to be flexible in appearance, so it will always look like a turboprop quadrant. For me it is perfect since I am planning to create a turboprop home cockpit and it has just the right look and feel. However, I could imagine that, for average simmers, a much cheaper quadrant would do a fine job as well.

Peter

[Rocky_53 1,566]

36 minutes ago, qqwertzde said:

I bought it this summer, specifically for twin engine turboprop operations. It is of outstanding quality (all metal construction, hall effect sensors) and works very well in P3D 4.5 and MSFS, but so did my simple Saitek throttle quadrant. For some airplanes, you may need to use FSUIPC to get the detents right. 

I don't feel that I have much better control for each individual lever than with my previous quadrant, but having levers for each engine separately makes a big difference. TQ6+ is not designed to be flexible in appearance, so it will always look like a turboprop quadrant. For me it is perfect since I am planning to create a turboprop home cockpit and it has just the right look and feel. However, I could imagine that, for average simmers, a much cheaper quadrant would do a fine job as well.

Peter

Thanks Peter. Unfortunately for me, I suffer to some degree with OCD  and so things have got to be just right! It's been the bane of my life. I would prefer to pay extra for something that is excellent rather than pay less for something I won't be very happy with. It sounds like I'm rolling in cash, but notging could be further from the truth  I bought the Saitek yoke years ago and it remained in my hands for about three minutes! I ended up buying the Thrustmaster Warthog, which as you know, is heavy, strong and all alloy. The difference is amazing, but of course it is not a quadrant. So now I want to retain some of the alloy/quality feel of the throttle system. I have a PFC alloy yoke. I have looked around and not seen anything that would fill such requirments except for this throttle. BUT, and this is the issue, I fly in a VC which allows me to fly multiple planes, so in addition to flying GA I fly the NGX. So, in all respects, the newly to be releaased Honeycombe Bravo throttle quadrant would be perfect, as I can swap from single engine/twin engine GA to the NGX at a swap of a few handles! Which is great, but hey, it's plastic and I fear I will be greatly disappointed. There lies my dilemma. I have given it some thougt and I am thinking I could quite easily make, or have a 3D printed 737 type handle that perhaps could be swapped onto the TQ6 that will give me similar flexibility to the Bravo. Decisions...

[FreeBird(Josh) 314]

I have the TQ6 and love it. If your looking for something solid and feel of the rel thing then this is it. I don'tfly airliners but do fly small jets.

[qqwertz 772]

1 hour ago, Rockliffe said:

 So, in all respects, the newly to be releaased Honeycombe Bravo throttle quadrant would be perfect, as I can swap from single engine/twin engine GA to the NGX at a swap of a few handles! Which is great, but hey, it's plastic and I fear I will be greatly disappointed. 

I hear you. Until July or so I was firmly set on getting the Honeycomb controls since they indeed look flexible and offer a large amount of functionality. But then I decided to go full turboprop, and then TQ6+ is really without par. It has a perfect feel since everything is sturdy and you can adjust the resistance of the levers to your needs. I had a look at a few other 6-lever throttle quadrants, but some have compatibility issues and others appear to be of inferior quality.

I think it would be difficult to make TQ6+ look like a Boeing quadrant. I suggest to look at pictures of it: the levers themselves are not straight but have the typical shape for GA airplanes. You could probably remove the coloured pieces at the top (each is fixed with two screws), but that would be it, I think.

You could contact Virtual-Fly and ask them if they have suggestions. I found them to be very responsive.

Peter

[Rocky_53 1,566]

1 hour ago, qqwertzde said:

I hear you. Until July or so I was firmly set on getting the Honeycomb controls since they indeed look flexible and offer a large amount of functionality. But then I decided to go full turboprop, and then TQ6+ is really without par. It has a perfect feel since everything is sturdy and you can adjust the resistance of the levers to your needs. I had a look at a few other 6-lever throttle quadrants, but some have compatibility issues and others appear to be of inferior quality.

I think it would be difficult to make TQ6+ look like a Boeing quadrant. I suggest to look at pictures of it: the levers themselves are not straight but have the typical shape for GA airplanes. You could probably remove the coloured pieces at the top (each is fixed with two screws), but that would be it, I think.

You could contact Virtual-Fly and ask them if they have suggestions. I found them to be very responsive.

Peter

Thanks Peter.

[regis9 4,004]

It’s a top notch piece of gear Howard, you really can’t go wrong.  Very solid construction, and it just feels good to use.  Since I’ve been working from home I’ve found myself pushing the levers back and forth when my video conference is not holding my attention 🙂

The detent is great for airliners, using FSUIPC I have it set up as a reverse thrust axis so I can now apply different levels of reverse thrust rather than it being all or nothing.

Probably the biggest different from the Saitek throttles (apart from the solid feel of a metal unit) will be longevity...that’s really what you’re paying for here.  With contactless Hall effect sensors this thing will last a very long time, I’ve worn out several saitek throttle quadrants over the years.

Imuse it for everything from a C172 to an A320, and it’s adaptable to feel good for all of those applications.

[qqwertz 772]

5 minutes ago, regis9 said:

Since I’ve been working from home I’ve found myself pushing the levers back and forth when my video conference is not holding my attention 🙂

Me too. Must be a Nova Scotian habit 😄

[Rocky_53 1,566]

On 10/31/2020 at 1:06 PM, regis9 said:

It’s a top notch piece of gear Howard, you really can’t go wrong.  Very solid construction, and it just feels good to use.  Since I’ve been working from home I’ve found myself pushing the levers back and forth when my video conference is not holding my attention 🙂

The detent is great for airliners, using FSUIPC I have it set up as a reverse thrust axis so I can now apply different levels of reverse thrust rather than it being all or nothing.

Probably the biggest different from the Saitek throttles (apart from the solid feel of a metal unit) will be longevity...that’s really what you’re paying for here.  With contactless Hall effect sensors this thing will last a very long time, I’ve worn out several saitek throttle quadrants over the years.

Imuse it for everything from a C172 to an A320, and it’s adaptable to feel good for all of those applications.

Hi Dave, great info, thanks. Just wondering... have you added any kind of airline 'handle' to the throttle lever, so it is more in tune with the look and feel of an airliner? Just curious. 

Edited November 1, 2020 by Rockliffe

[regis9 4,004]

On 11/1/2020 at 1:01 PM, Rockliffe said:

Hi Dave, great info, thanks. Just wondering... have you added any kind of airline 'handle' to the throttle lever, so it is more in tune with the look and feel of an airliner? Just curious. 

Hi Howard, no I haven’t.  Despite the handle being more or a turboprop style though, it still feels very convincing to me when flying an airliner too.  Plus I’d add that airliners are the aircraft where my hands spend the least amount of time actually on the throttle.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,929]

On 11/1/2020 at 5:01 PM, Rockliffe said:

Hi Dave, great info, thanks. Just wondering... have you added any kind of airline 'handle' to the throttle lever, so it is more in tune with the look and feel of an airliner? Just curious. 

When I visited the Main European flight sim show in Lelystad, Netherlands in 2018 I met the chaps who run VirtualFly and asked them that question. How about a 6 lever throttle unit designed for up to four engine aircraft.

Their reply was disappointing. They reckon there wouldn’t be the demand. That surprised me as there appears to be a gap in the market between Saitek at one end and PFC at the other. Even Throttletek are way beyond what I’m comfortable paying especially when it’s designed for one aircraft type.

What I would go for is something similar to the TQ6+ but hopefully British built so the exchange rate doesn’t make it prohibitively expensive.

[tutmeister 695]

It will require patience for that Ray! Manufacturing back log prevents rushing one out 😉

[Ray Proudfoot 8,929]

@tutmeister, I know you would never rush one out Chris but it's encouraging to know you haven't dismissed the idea.

[IanHarrison 521]

"Even Throttletek are way beyond what I’m comfortable paying especially when it’s designed for one aircraft type".

All this discussion made me curious but having looked into the costs for a 747-400 set up, which is what I fly almost exclusively, the throttle unit alone from Throttletek is a massive $2200 plus probably another $500 for Courier costs. At those sort of figures it moves into the realm of a new 3090 Graphics card. Both equally out of the question. (Sigh. Try the lottery again this weekend!)

So it looks like my old faithful Logitech Extreme 3d Pro Joystick will have to continue working and not go into retirement just yet.

 

[MarkJHarris 128]

I have the TQ6 ADV with the Boeing 737 levers fitted. to be honest I'm not that impressed. The friction is off on one of them and refuses to adjust. Once set up with FSUIPC it works perfectly well. The TOGA and GA functions are great.  Having adjustable reverse is a boon, if you can get it working.

My main problem is comparison. If I was comparing it to a SAITEK setup, I'd be over the moon. 

Unfortunately it's difficult to be objective when I fly the aircraft for a living. It's nothing like a real one. Doesn't move for a start.

Anyway, going back on to furlough so I'll get some practice in over Winter now...