CH Products Fighterstick

[Cybrdroyd]

Hi, I just bought the CH Fighterstick and I wanted to share my experience, in case it might be helpful to someone else. First off, just to set the stage, I am handicapped, I have very small hands. I am currently using the Logitech extreme 3d pro joystick. Its a comfortable fit, it has a small lever throttle, has about 12 buttons, and the action is really light, you don't need to bench press 200 lbs to throw this stick around. I'm pretty happy with it.

I decided I wanted to go with a hotas setup, and after reviewing hours of youtube videos on different hotas products, I decided I would get the CH Products line. I have no complaints about the CH products fighterstick. I couldn't afford the whole set up at once, so I just bought the stick. The build quality was amazing, the action was smooth and light, and there were plenty of buttons with which to program. However, I had one major problem. The stick is way too big for my little hands. I just could not get comfortable with this thing. I am sure its perfect for someone with normal hands, but unfortunately, it just was not a good fit for me.

So, back in the box it goes, and I am back to using my logitech stick. Only now, I truly have a much deeper appreciation for my old stick because it fits me, it fits my playstyle, it does what I need it to do. I don't think my piloting skills would improve any using a hotas set up at all.

What I do plan to purchase is the thrustmaster MFD panels. You get two panels with 20 buttons and 4 rocker switches on each panel so there is 48 functions in all. Add that to to the 12 buttons on my joystick, that will give me 60 total button presses.

Now I didn't write all this so that you can feel sorry for me, or to try and sell you on the idea that hotas is a waste of money, no. I wrote all this for the player who thinks they need to spend $200 - $300 on flight controls to be competitive. Also for the player who may have disabilities that prevent them from using said hotas system, and they might feel bad about it. Well, don't feel bad about it. I paid $40 for my logitech stick and I've had it for close to 6 years now, and it still works just as good as the day I bought it. If it breaks, I will buy a new one, I am completely happy with it.

I think my next thing will be the TrackIr pro head-tracking system. That looks like it would make a world of difference in my game. Anyway, I hope this helped someone.

[Thannsen]

Dear Cyberdroyd,

sorry to hear that the fighterstick did not meet your requirements. I use the ch pro throttle and it is very good. It is actually rather light and easy to use. I do not know whether you could use all the buttons and sticks on it, but you might give it a try.

Regards

[SeeJay]

Sorry to hear as well. Have you considered the X52 Stick/Throttle?

I used mine for over 10 years and you can set a handrest on the stick to fit
different hand sizes. I had mine pretty high since my hands are not very big either.

[Cybrdroyd]

Originally posted by Thannsen:

Dear Cyberdroyd,

sorry to hear that the fighterstick did not meet your requirements. I use the ch pro throttle and it is very good. It is actually rather light and easy to use. I do not know whether you could use all the buttons and sticks on it, but you might give it a try.

Regards

I may actually try just the ch throttle with my logitech stick if that is actually possible. However, the throttle lever on the stick itself works for me. I normally have both hands on the stick, and occasionnally I need to take my left hand off to work the throttle or push a button on the base of the stick. I really don't have full control with one hand on the stick, I really need to use both hands. I don't have thumbs and my arms are really short, so I am kind of limited in what I can actually use. I wasn't sure if I could work a full size hotas, and now I know I really can't very well. It was a nice little experiment. :) I am able to return it for a refund, so I only lost the cost of shipping. No biggie. I thought about trying a yoke system, but I don't know how well that would work with dog-fighting. I've used racing wheels, shifters and pedals for racing games with no problem. As long as I don't have to type on the keyboard while I am driving, I'm good.

[Laurreth]

The X52 is a no-go for people with very small hands. The throttle is made for bears so even relatively "normal"-size hands just grip the very knob, and the stick is a problem with rather widely spaced buttons and hats too. The handrest is very limited in range and doesn't fix most of the issues.

[Cybrdroyd]

Now that I have tried a higher end product, I do have to say that the logitech stick is pretty good, and I appreciate it more now than ever. It's got a nice twist rudder for yaw. The only thing it really lacks is more buttons. Plus it doesn't slide around under normal use, so I don't need to velcro it down like you may need to on the saitek products. If it can work together with the CH throttle, that might be a viable option for me. The ch throttle has that nice little joystick on it that would be good for thrusting while landing and taking off. That's the only thing I think I would really need it for. I use the wasd, q,e, r and f buttons for thrusting while landing. Its not ideal, but it works, and I am quite good at getting in and out of the station quickly so smuggling is definately open to me.

[Thannsen]

Dear Cyberdroyd,

first of all the ch throttle should work fine with your stick, I myself am using it with a logitech force 3d pro.

About the ch throttle: I use the stick and the other buttons around it with my thumb, so I do not know how well you can use them. The stick is perfect for thruster control, especially during landing/takeoff as well as for fa off magic.

Regards