Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler - Saitek Yoke or Microsoft Joystick

Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler | PC Support | Saitek Yoke or Microsoft Joystick

DVA12607
Captain, B757-200

Joined on April 13 2015
B737 50 Club
Century Club

Olive Branch, MS

184 legs, 346.5 hours
183 legs, 345.4 hours ACARS

Posted onPost created on October 17 2015 15:25 ET by Hunter Gatlin

So I've been flying with a decade-old Logitech Force Feedback 3D joystick and it's been a helluva controller. I love the way it feels and how it provides force feedback. However, the joystick is getting quite old and it's accuracy and button performance is decreasing. Time to replace I believe. But so many options are in front of me:

I could drop quite a bit of money on a Saitek flight yoke which does include a throttle quadrant but does not include rudder pedals. Right now a setup like that is roughly $150 on Amazon. I'd happily pay that but I have reservations about the lack of rudder pedals.

I could drop not a lot at all on a Microsoft joystick that would be a more direct replacement for my Logitech. It would have all the functions AND offer a twist feature for the rudder control but I believe this control lacks the force feedback capability of the Logitech. Currently the joystick is selling for $30ish on Amazon.

So several questions arise. Which should I go with? Are rudder pedals essential to a good FS experience? The yoke obviously provides a much more accurate sim experience but is it worth the $120 premium? Do I have any better options?

Hunter Gatlin

Captain, B757-200

DVA10323
Chief Pilot, B727-200
OLP

Joined on November 26 2011
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"GPS, we don't need no GPS"
Gulfport, MS

1,585 legs, 1,452.3 hours
737 legs, 681.1 hours online
1,577 legs, 1,444.8 hours ACARS
41 legs, 58.7 hours event
327 legs dispatched, 343.5 hours

Posted onPost created on October 17 2015 19:06 ET by Kevin Lundy

I use the CH Eclipse Flight Yoke. Has throttles, and has thumb controls for pedals. Hard to explain. You can see it here.

http://www.mypilotstore.com/MyPilotStore/sep/5709

Kevin Lundy

Chief Pilot, B727-200

DVA4176
Senior Captain, L-1011-100
OLP

Joined on March 11 2007
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Horn Lake, MS USA

7,087 legs, 11,502.4 hours
4,673 legs, 6,709.8 hours online
5,630 legs, 8,974.5 hours ACARS
371 legs, 587.0 hours event

Posted onPost created on October 17 2015 19:28 ET by Scott D Williams

Hunter, I have never used rudder pedals on my sim. The yaw damper on these jets in the real word does a lot of the rudder function so you don't induce a dutch roll tendency. If you fly single engine props in your sim you may want pedals however. I like the CH yoke over my 3D Pro stick. I have had the yoke for quite a while and I feel it is more realistic on the ac I fly.

Scott D Williams

Senior Captain, L-1011-100

DVA12719
Senior Captain, DC-8-61
OLP

Joined on July 26 2015
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"Let the FO land"
Boca Raton, FL

153 legs, 258.9 hours
32 legs, 43.1 hours online
145 legs, 252.0 hours ACARS
16 legs, 23.9 hours event
12 legs dispatched, 16.4 hours

Posted onPost created on October 17 2015 20:28 ET by Yisrael Wealcatch

Saitek. CH is basically all plastic. The Saitek yoke has a metal shaft that makes it super smooth. you won't regret it. I do wish it had force feedback though smile

Posted onPost created on October 17 2015 20:30 ET by Yisrael Wealcatch

Rudder pedals are not necessary. You only need them for keeping yourself centered on the runway during the takeoff roll. I personally don't have them, and just use autorudder which works fine.

Yisrael Wealcatch (DVA12719)

Posted onPost created on October 17 2015 20:58 ET by Scott D Williams

The CH performs well I may look into the Saitek when the CH dies. I have had the CH for about ten years. How many years have you logged with your Saitek?

Scott D Williams

Senior Captain, L-1011-100

DVA11021
Captain, B757-200
OLP

Joined on September 13 2012
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Milford, NH

375 legs, 620.5 hours
365 legs, 604.5 hours online
374 legs, 618.9 hours ACARS
21 legs, 51.4 hours event

Posted onPost created on October 17 2015 22:52 ET by Sean Zarella

If you like to use say BRAKES get pedals, and rudder control and also if you dont use a tiller use for directional control on the ground. Its SO worth it.

Sean Zarella (DVA11021)

Posted onPost created on October 17 2015 23:53 ET by Yisrael Wealcatch

Just got my Saitek a month ago. LOVE IT!

Yisrael Wealcatch (DVA12719)

Posted onPost created on October 18 2015 11:53 ET by Sean Zarella

Yisrael Wealcatch wrote:

Rudder pedals are not necessary. You only need them for keeping yourself centered on the runway during the takeoff roll. I personally don't have them, and just use autorudder which works fine.

wait till you land in a heavy crosswind, youll be sure you wanted a rudder smile

Posted onPost created on October 18 2015 13:54 ET by Yisrael Wealcatch

You can always program one throttle lever to function as a rudder...

Yisrael Wealcatch (DVA12719)

Posted onPost created on October 18 2015 22:34 ET by Scott D Williams

If you are serious about learning to land in a crosswind go out and fly with a CFI and do touch and goes when November winds are blowing in the 172. The best possible times when I was a CFI was having a student who could really get it right in the crosswind. The hardest thing about teaching these crosswind landings is they are too rare in the teaching environment.

Scott D Williams

Senior Captain, L-1011-100

DVA12607
Captain, B757-200

Joined on April 13 2015
B737 50 Club
Century Club

Olive Branch, MS

184 legs, 346.5 hours
183 legs, 345.4 hours ACARS

Posted onPost created on October 19 2015 00:35 ET by Hunter Gatlin

Looking like the Saitek is actually cheaper than the CH yoke and includes much the same functions. It's looking like the consensus here is that the yoke is worth it compared to a joystick and seems to be a-okay without rudder pedals.

Also, amazing how many folks in this thread are from my Magnolia State. Especially you, Scott. Fellow DeSoto County resident.

Hunter Gatlin

Captain, B757-200

Posted onPost created on October 20 2015 09:33 ET by Scott D Williams

Hi Hunter, I actually live in Shelby County but I used to work out of Olive Branch.

Scott D Williams

Senior Captain, L-1011-100

DVA12547
Captain, A320
OLP

Joined on February 21 2015
B737 50 Club
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Midwestern United States

246 legs, 544.6 hours
9 legs, 12.3 hours online
245 legs, 543.1 hours ACARS

Posted onPost created on October 21 2015 10:01 ET by Daniel Grovemiller

Just my experience.... I had the Saitek yoke for a couple of years when the throttle potentiometer suddenly went flaky -- I can't adjust the throttle smoothly or consistently and the thrust value jumps around a lot. I found a video on youtube that shows how you can take the throttle quadrant apart and clean the potentiometers, so may have to do that. It makes me wonder how many others have this problem, and why a sealed unit would get dirty. But now I am using another Saitek product, the X52Pro joystick (also expensive, but mine was a gift), which seems like a pretty good product. I like the joystick action and have no problems with it so far. The only thing I don't like is the detent at the bottom of the throttle range, which makes it hard to adjust thrust for taxiing. It also works better in my limited-space table top than the big Saitek yoke.

Daniel Grovemiller

Captain, A320

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