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    Rise of Flight: Iron Cross edition review
    Dagger
    By Dagger,
      With all the talk about this sim, we decided it was time for us to take a look at it, and I am glad we did. Read the review Rise of Flight: Iron Cross Edition

    Rise of Flight:Iron Cross Edition
    Dagger
    By Dagger,
    Rise Of Flight:Iron Cross Edition Publisher: 777 Studios Rise of Flight official web site: Rise of Flight   First Thoughts   Every virtual pilot has an era of flight that really gets his juices flowing, starts his heart pumping faster, and makes his palms sweat with anticipation. For me it is WW1 with the open cockpits, wire and fabric planes. The feeling of being one with the plane. So you can guess my excitement when I saw Raise of Flight:Iron Cross Edition and looked at the screen shots of the game. The selection of planes and the assorted eye candy looked top shelf. We've all seen sims and arcade games with wild claims and have been disappointed when we finally got the game. So I decided the best way to go was to try the demo. I downloaded and installed the demo, made an account and logged on. The Demo Experience   The demo is basically a scaled down version of the full game.The playable aircraft are limited to a Spad 13 for the Allies and the Albatros D.Va for the German pilots, BUT the flight experience is the full game. The really cool thing about this is you can go and fly in most on-line servers. After logging on and selecting the Multiplayer, I found my server. I then selected my side, of course I flew Allied, and then went to the hanger. Here you can do some really great things, you can change your load out by adding bombs if the aircraft you are using had them, You can even select your planes skin, with the demo it is limited, but they do have some very nice skins to choose from. One really cool thing that I can’t remember seeing in sims before is you can adjust the machine guns convergence point with a visual slider, this is the point where your machine gun rounds come together. As for the options, this sim can be as hard to fly as any modern era flight sim, or you can scale the realism down and make it easier to learn. The game has a nice feature in the options, you can adjust your stick and throttles input curve. The nice thing is you can help "calm" the planes down. Yes they are very "twitchy" and unless you have a very light hand the planes bounce around, and makes accurate gunnery almost impossible just like the real planes. One of the first things that strikes you is the level of detail in the graphics, all I can say is WOW! The terrain looks like a picture post card, and the aircraft themselves are so detailed you will think you are looking at an actual plane. The water is second to none, and if you fly through a cloud be prepared to get a little wet. Another thing that jumps out at you is the sunlight and the glare off the aircraft. I have to say, nothing like being blinded by the sun in the middle of a flight, but you can make adjustments. Now on to the important part. I am not a pilot, and having said that, if I were I have a feeling that the flight model on these planes are going to be very close to accurate. The fact that the numbers come from an engineer help to make all the models as close to real as you can get. You can almost feel the wind in your face, and feel your scarf flapping behind you, and unlike modern jets that almost fly themselves, you are basically forced to keep an eye on the gauges as they sometimes have a mind of their own and keep an ear open to the sounds of your engine as the RPMs will increase and decrease on their own. The cockpits are works of art, you get the impression of an old sports car. Take offs require a light touch to keep your plane heading down the field and the bumps and ruts will make it fun, a little rudder and you’ll be fine. Once airborne I highly recommend some time down low to just take in the sights. Remember most of these planes were flown at much lower altitudes, so flying over the French country side, chasing down your prey is an experience. Once you have caught him, and you bring your guns into play, the damage model is first class. From the smallest tear in the fabric, to wings getting blown off at the wing root, it all seems "right". Speaking of damage models, I made a fast low level ground attack run, just for fun, and what did I see? My rounds ricocheting all over the place. If you are close enough and at the right angle, they will also ricochet off an airplane.   My impressions of this demo? I will say this demo made a believer out of me, The graphics, the game play and stable multiplayer are rock solid. It recognised my throttle and stick. The track IR support also adds realism to the game. 777 Studio maintained a high set of standards with this Sim even after releasing 16 updates with more on the way. Just remember you only have 2 weeks to decide if this sim is for you, sorry but that is all the time you get with the demo. If you are a “pilot” then this is for you.   The final score: For a demo, this one gets 9.5 out of 10 stars.   The Upgrade from Demo   If I had to pick a word to describe this process it would be “user friendly”. There are several different ways to upgrade this sim. You can purchase the boxed set, digital download, or by buying directly from 777 Studios, which just unlocks the planes for you. The hardest part is typing in the numbers.   The Packaging   While I normally don't say much about packages, this one just begs for some time to investigate it's contains. The DVD and the user manual is well written and presented. Then I looked at the goodies that came along it. First, there is a grid map of the area, which makes mission planning easy, and if you are flying with your squad mates, knowing where you are really comes in handy. It's just plain fun to have it on your lap while flying to add to the experience. Another nice addition is the key card which shows some of the most important keys and key combinations to enhance your flying. Then there's a sheet that folds out and shows all the medals that a pilot can be awarded. Medals from all countries which are very accurate. Turn the paper over and examine the awards you can also achieve in the game. They make you want to do your best.   The Full Game   From the first time I fired Rise of Flight up after installing the full version, I had a tingling that I haven't felt in a flight sim in a very long time. I decided to check everything out.   Off-Line Game Experience   First I logged in off-line and found campaigns, quick missions, and a solid platform of a sim for single play. There are basically 3 campaigns, all scripted,but more on this part later. The single missions could be flown with what ever plane I wanted with missions designed for that aircraft. A quick mission editor so I could quickly make my own mission, what targets, weather (including rain and snow), enemies, this is basically a great idea for the person who wants to change things to their liking. No need to be connected to the internet now. The missions are as difficult as you want, and some are just plain killer, at least for me as a rookie.The reason I am all worked up is the feeling of immersion is there. I picked a mission and as soon as I came in game I was looking at the windsocks blowing in the wind, trucks rolling around the hangers, and men manning their AA guns.     The weather plays a big factor in the way the planes fly, rain, snow, and even the wind can be set to your liking and you feel it.You have to adjust your flying style to fit. The cockpits are so detailed, even down to the wicker seat in my Camel.           I flew out of the field in the rain trying my best to see through the rain now soaking my goggles. If I wasn't impressed before I am now. How did the mission end you may ask..not well is all I can say. Which reminds me, not only do the planes take damage, you do too. The red seems to splatter and your vision blurs.     On-Line Experience Once you log in on-line you'll find the same options for game play as the off-line mode, PLUS a career mode, very nice, and of course multi player. The cool things about the servers is you can see not only how the server is set up, but your ping, and the names of other pilots in the sever.I wanted to try the on-line side of the game now. My squadron, the U.S. 95th (http://us95th.org), is now flying Rise of Flight , and we have 2 servers. I jumped in and picked my plane, picked my skin, set my fuel load and gun convergence, and went to fly. Folks I am so impressed with the On-line play of the is sim, it is rock solid and very fun. The interface is not as tough as some of the newer sims, but it still has it's points, so take the time to look over the key mapping before you start. In our training server they have the easy gauges turned on, and as you turn to make your attack on an enemy plane, there's a aiming point to help you. In the main server these aren't there. So you can find a server to meet your needs easlily. You can record your flights, or fights with just a touch of a couple keys, the standard screenshot is easy as touching a key and the sim stores your pictures in the main folder. The different views are a nice touch, and you can even spectate if you're not up flying, or just want to watch for awhile.   Realism Factor         Most WW1 sims don't take time to worry about engine warm ups, or mixture settings. I have never seen the radiator open and close switch before now. If you have your realism settings turned up these are 2 things you have to worry about. You'll need a 2-3 minute warm up period. During your flight you are constantly checking your gauges, listening for changes to the tone, and sounds. You'll even look at the exhaust smoke, check it for color, engine damage causes the exhaust to change color and the sounds made by the engine. They even modeled in the torque effects of the rotary engines. I didn't know the German and Allied aircraft rotary engines spun in different directions. Hows that for real.   Campaigns and Careers   Now back to the campaign point I mentioned earlier, there are 3 campaigns included, 1 German, 1 Allied, and 1 training. OK they are scripted, after flying a mission or 2 I think you'll find they are really good missions, and very fun. There is a wide assortment of targets, as well as different objectives. If you like balloon busting, intercepts of enemy bombers, or ground attack, it's all there.If you read the 777 Studios forums you'll see there is actually going to be a career mode upgrade. In the mean time, I suggest try the campaigns and a career that are already in the game, if for nothing else the practice, and the learning experience. They are all well designed and put together missions.   You might have noticed I haven't mentioned the mission editor, not the quick editor, but the full feature one. The editor is a very powerful editor, and there are several how to articles on line, but that will get a review of it's own. It's that powerful. This is the same editor used by the team when they do missions. So be patient. I will say this, you can make missions for both single player and multiplayer, and then share them.   Want more planes? If you want more planes, you simply go to the Rise of Flight web site store and purchase what you want. planes are available by the single plane, or in bundles of 2 or more planes. it is as easy as buy then log in. Your plane will be in your hanger. All planes are available in game when you make missions, BUT when you buy them it unlocks them so you can fly them. You also can make custom skins to use and share. My over all impressions   The Pros   For a change lets start with me a statement, I am like most folks and I don't like being nickled and dimed just to play a game. I have heard the complaints of having to buy add-on planes, and It took a talk with Mr. Jason Williams, the owner of 777 Studios and Rise of Flight, to get me thinking about this. Yes if you want the extra planes you have to pay for them, BUT if you play other sims you pay for add-ons, and most don't think anything about it. Also 777 Studios is not one of those companies that has a giant company bank rolling them, the money you spend helps the game continue and grow.   Now where to start? What did I like? The graphics are great, some of the best you'll find in any flight sim, and all the small details like working windsocks, trucks running around the bases, trains look like the trains of the period. Even the pilots can use hand gestures and head gestures, and that's cool to watch your fellow pilots give you a quick thumbs up. The game play is solid, and the “feel” is right. The flight models and damage models are correct, how do I know this? They use a engineer and he crunches the numbers to make sure they are correct. The missions are well written and fun, the campaigns,while scripted are well thought out. So many small touches that I will not be able to mention them all. Another plus is you can track your progress as the game keeps your stats, a neat feature.   777 Studios have released 16 updates, with more on the way, new planes coming soon, as well as the new career upgrade. I love a company that doesn't just fade away once they release a game. They do listen to their customers. What a novel idea stand behind your product and listen to the folks that spend their money on it. Also the games is based on a completely new engine, nice to get a game not using old engines with dated graphics.   The Cons   The main one, if you want to turn everything up it takes a pretty decent system to run, and I miss the shell music, I know it's nit picky but I had to come up with something.   The recommended system specs:   Operating System Windows® XP / Vista / Windows® 7 CPU Intel® Core™ Quad 3 GHz or Intel i7 3 GHz RAM 4 Gb or higher Free Hard Drive space 10 Gb Joystick Direct X 9.0/11 compatible joystick Internet Connection required for Registration, 256 Kb/s - for Multiplayer Graphics Card 1024 Mb, GeForce GTX 285/Radeon ATI 5850/HD5850 Sound Card DirectX 9.0c/11 compatible Supported Operating Systems Windows XP Service Pack 2 or higher Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Windows 7   My test system AMD quad core running at 3.0, 8 gigs of ram, and a GTS 250 1 gig video card, a X-45 stick, and a surround sound system using a creative labs sound card running 5.1 dolby, and cable internet connection, Windows 7 64 bit.   . My final thoughts and how it scores   So how do I score this one? Ok it is true I am reviewing it after it's been out a little over a year, and a lot of the problems fixed, but the fact that 777 Studios are still releasing upgrades, and new aircraft says volumes about the company. This is one of those titles you have to have on your hard drive, and being a WW1 sim, that alone makes it worth the time and money. The main problems are already being addressed, so it is hard to hold them against the company. Also saying I've played the demo, but not the full game is like saying ”I owned a Chevette once, so I know how a Corvette drives” Yes they are both Chevrolets but there is so much more to the full game. So at the end of the day, I have to say this is the highest scoring sim I have ever tried. I give this one a final score of 9.85 on the 10 scale. If you are a fan of WW1 aviation then this is one sim you have to have. Here are a few screenshots if you have any doubts about this sim.You might call them parting shots        

    Invisible tanks could be on battlefield within five years
    FastCargo
    By FastCargo,
      By Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent, The Telegraph (UK)   Armoured vehicles will use a new technology known as "e-camouflage" which deploys a form "electronic ink" to render a vehicle "invisible".   Highly sophisticated electronic sensors attached to the tank's hull will project images of the surrounding environment back onto the outside of the vehicle enabling it to merge into the landscape and evade attack.   The electronic camouflage will enable the vehicle to blend into the surrounding countryside in much the same way that a squid uses ink to help as a disguise.   Unlike conventional forms of camouflage, the images on the hull would change in concert with the changing environment always insuring that the vehicle remains disguised.   In Helmand, for example, all armoured vehicle have desert sand coloured camouflage, which is of little use in the "Green Zone", an area of cultivation where crops are grown and the Taliban often hide.   Up until recently such concepts were thought to be the stuff of science fiction but scientists at the defence company BAE Systems now believe battlefield "invisibility" will soon become science fact.   Scientists at the BAE hope the new technology will be available to use with the British Army fighting in Southern Afghanistan and in future conflicts.   The concept was developed as part of the Future Protected Vehicle programme, which scientists believe, will transform the way in which future conflicts will be fought.   The programme is based around seven different military vehicles, both manned and unmanned, which will be equipped with a wide variety of lethal and none lethal weapons.   The unmanned vehicles or battlefield robots will be able to conduct dangerous missions in hostile areas, clear minefields and extract wounded troops under fire.   The vehicles include:   * Pointer: an agile robot which can take over dirty, dull or dangerous jobs, such as forward observation and mine clearance.   * Bearer: a modular platform which can carry a range of mission payloads, such as protected mobility, air defence and ambulance;   * Wraith: a low signature scout vehicle;   * Safeguard: an ultra-utility infantry carrier or command & control centre;   * Charger: a highly lethal and survivable reconfigurable attack vehicle;   * Raider: a remotely or autonomously controlled unmanned recce and skirmishing platform – similar in design to the "Batmobile"   * Atlas: a convoy system which removes the driver from harm's way.   BAE's Future vehicle project is, in part, a reaction to the Ministry of Defence's (MoD) 'Capability Vision' for armoured vehicles, designed to spur development along different paths from the MoD's previous research.   Commanders are aiming for a prototype within four years and an experimental operational capacity by 2013.   The brief is for a lightweight vehicle, weighing 30 tonnes, powered by a hybrid electric drive, with the same effectiveness and survivability of a current main battle tank.   The UK's current tank, the Challenger 2, weighs 62.5 tonnes, and runs a 1,200hp V12 diesel engine.   Britain's current fleet of armoured vehicles are also close to approaching the end of their service life and armoured vehicles designed specifically for use in Helmand, such as the hugely successful Mastiff, may be inappropriate for use in other operational theatres.   Scientists at BAE are also looking at a number of revolution battlefield inventions which will increase troop protection as well as making the vehicles more lethal.   One concept being developed is to develop technologies, which will cut the use of fuel on the battlefield. In Afghanistan, the cost of fuel is 50 times that of the pump price.   All fuel currently used by NATO troops comes in via road convoys which are often attacked by insurgents which are responsible for 80 per cent of US casualties.   Scientists are close to developing a form of transparent armour - much tougher than bullet proof glass – which could be used in turrets of on the sides of armoured vehicles which would improve the situational awareness of troops inside.   Also being developed is a technology known as "biometric integration which uses advanced algorhythms to analyse crowds and to search for potential threats from suicide bombers by analyzing suspicious behavior in groups or individuals.   Electronic scanners would search for suspicious behavior, inappropriate clothing or individuals on wanted lists who can be identified through facial or iris recognition.   The information would then be displayed on screen within vehicle or handheld vehicles carried by dismounted troops.   Hisham Awad, the head of the Future Protected Vehicle project said: "The trick here is to use machines to do what they are best at (and humans are not) - ploughing very quickly through dull, repetitive data to strip out the overwhelming bulk which is of no use and would take a long time and enormous human resources to process.   "Then you can quickly bring human intelligence to bear where it excels - making life-or-death decisions based on 'real time' information on suspicious activity flagged up by the machines."

    Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Review.
    EricJ
    By EricJ,
    http://hubpages.com/hub/Logitech-Extreme-3D-Pro-Review

    Cheap SF2 Review
    EricJ
    By EricJ,
    http://hubpages.com/hub/Erics-Stuff-and-Musings

    CH Fighterstick/Pro Throttle
    Ruggbutt
    By Ruggbutt,
      HOTAS   Hands On Throttle And Stick. The HOTAS can do many important functions in the cockpit without having to look down. It's how fighter pilots control their aircraft while keeping their heads out of their cockpit, increasing their situational awareness. It decreases workload. How can that help the virtual pilot? As computers get more powerful flight sims are becoming more complicated to navigate in. Even the most simple of flight sims has dozens of commands that need to be chosen quickly. There's an urgency. Looking down at your keyboard and remembering the right sequence comes only with lots of virtual flight hours under your belt. Many of us have a "cheat sheet" we rely on because time can be of the essence in a virtual dogfight.   There are several offerings of HOTAS available to us flight simmers. Some are inexpensive and some are (IMHO) overpriced and over-hyped. You can buy a joystick for as low as $30 or spend $600 or more on an old design heavily modified by aftermarket offerings. I'm going to review a tried and true design that has had longevity in the market for at least a decade. I'll explain the capabilities of the software as well, a good HOTAS isn't just a pretty piece of hardware.     CH Products   CH Products is located in Vista, California. It's literally in the shadow of Camp Pendleton. I say this because it's a product that's made in the U.S.A. They've competed with products produced cheaper elsewhere and still are a driving force in the market. There are several reasons why this is, and I'll get more into detail about that later. One thing that most people don't realize is that CH also produces joysticks for real aircraft. They produce commerical controllers for industry as well. If you've played a video game with some kind of joystick controller in an arcade you've most likely had your hands on CH Products.   Requesting units for Evaluation   I contacted Debby McDowell at CH Products and requested a Fighterstick and Pro Throttle for evaluation. The response was quick and a request back for my home address. I received the Fighterstick (FS) and Pro Throttle (PT) within a few days. That is by far the quickest I've ever received a unit for evaluation, including some that I paid for with my credit card! I'd like to say that I've heard that CH is on top of things customer related. I've had experience with CH Products in the past so it's much more than something I've heard. I've experienced it. More on that later.   My history with CH   I own several CH Controllers, the FS and PT being two of them. I'm a member of CH Products forums, the CH Hangar. I've uploaded profiles for the community as well as providing custom graphics for those that have purchased one of CH's MFP units. As a CH owner I've found the CH Hangar (or to us cool kids: The Hangar) to be one of the best resources available for programming the CH controllers. Since I've had my current CH HOTAS for 6 years I thought long and hard about what was the best way to do a review for CH Products. I've gone through more joysticks and HOTAS than I can shake a stick at. Some lasting only months.     Unpacking   I opened the boxes with the new controllers and found that nothing had changed with the packaging. It was the same as mine had been 6 years ago. I double checked to be sure, I still have my original CH Products boxes. The controllers haven't changed in appearance. They look identical to the ones I own.     Software - CH Control Manager   CH Products isn't just about hardware. A good HOTAS has programmable software that will allow you to customize which button/hat sends which commands to your game. CH's sofware is called Control Manager (CM). It's an extremely versatile software that allows the user to do everything from programming simple keystrokes and macros to full blown scripting of how your CH Products controller operates. Any new software can be overwhelming to the new user. I've helped out countless people over the years who had questions about how to do this or that with CH Control Manager. I've also been the guy who needed help and guidance. I found it at The Hangar. Bob Church, the creator of Control Manager was often one of the guys who answered my questions. He would carefully explain how and why things worked the way they did. He also offered scripting examples. If you dowload one of my profiles at The Hangar you'll see I have heavily scripted my controllers and Bob is just one of the guys there that has helped me learn how to use Control Manager. There are a few others as well, and I feel I have to name them by name: Ken "Ghost" King, Ulf, Michael CH (he works for them) and Revvin (who is the owner of The Hangar) are just a few. The answers always came quickly. Some answers I got in an hour or two. The worlds record for the longest wait (for me) was 18 hours! I've never seen this kind of tech support from anyone, regardless of whether they make shoes or computer gear. Where else can you talk to the guy who wrote the software? I dare say, nowhere. Except The Hangar.........   It's time for some examples of what scripting can do for you. Some don't fully understand what scripting is, so I'll give you the quick and the dirty. With scripting you can make a controller do something that isn't programmed for in the sim. For instance, I fly fast movers (jets) in the sims I own. I can't count how many times I'd forgotten to drop my airbrake over the years. That is, until I learned about scripting. I now have a script running in CH Control Manager that will automatically drop my airbrake if I move the throttle all the way forward. No more flying around in afterburner at 350 knots wondering what the heck is wrong with my jet..........Another example, programmed countermeasures: The main sim I fly has offerings of chaff, flare or chaff/flare on a toggle. I wanted something more along the lines of what the real jets can do so I scripted my Control Manager profile so that I can release a set amount of countermeasures in a set amount of time. One setting is 4 pairs of flares, one second apart. Instead of having to program the flare button and press it myself 4 times, I have it scripted so that once 4 pairs are dropped in the correct spacing the script stops. I also have another hat switch programmed that will release 4 pairs of flares and 4 chaff bundles 100 milliseconds apart. I start the sequence and it automatically stops. In the sim I fly when using wheel brakes there's only off and on for brakes. I have a script for that as well. When I press the wheel brakes on my CH Pro Pedals I get the equivalent of pressure sensitive braking. I press the brakes down 1/4 of the way and the script sends the wheel brake command 10 times a second to the game. I press halfway down it sends the command 15 times a second. 3/4 of the way, 20x a second and if I press the pedals all the way it sends the braking command constantly, as if I'd locked up the brakes.   "I don't care about scripting"   What about those people who don't want to mess around with scripting, what can Control Manager do for them? There's plenty. Control Manager by default has DX (Direct X) commands mapped, so you can program just a few buttons/hats while using default mapping for the sims you fly. You don't have to install Control Manager if you don't want to, the CH Products controllers are plug and play. You'll want to install Control Manager, trust me. You'll also want to peruse the fantastic Control Manager for Dummies guide that Ken "Ghost" King created. It's available on The Hangar. There are several different ways to program your hardware. You can use a CMC file for example. A CMC file is a text document that has all the available commands for your game/sim. You create a new profile by choosing from a list what hardware you have and you assign the CMC file to that profile. You can then pull down commands from the CMC file and assign them to the button/hat of your choosing. Say that flaps down is CTRL F, you don't have to remember that when you're programming. You choose the hat or button you want to program, right click and choose "Flaps Down" from the list of commands. You can download a CMC file for just about any sim made, they're all at The Hangar. You can also right click and choose to record your keystrokes and hit your control and f keys. You can also choose a "List Mode" to program your commands. Let's say you want to use your castle hat-right to send a zoom command, but your sim has two (or more) levels of zoom. Program them one at a time in List Mode. The castle hat right with repeated key presses will scroll through all your zoom levels and back to no zoom if you like. It couldn't be easier and with all the help available at The Hangar you'll be up and running in no time.   Installation   Installing Control Manager is a cinch. Go to the CH Products website and download the newest version Control Manager. They don't provide a CD with the software because often it will be an older version as Bob Church updates Control Manager regularly. You can run Control Manager with XP, Vista, Windows 7 in both 32 and 64 bit. Control Manager was first retail sim controller software to be available for the new OS platforms. CH and Bob are about leaving no customer left out. To install the software make sure your controllers are unplugged. Install the software and follow the prompts. Drivers will be installed. Then plug in the hardware. If you're using a USB Hub make sure you're using a powered hub. I'm running 5 CH controllers off of a 7 port Belkin powered hub and they never lose power. Once you've plugged in your controllers more drivers will be installed. You'll get confirmation that your hardware was installed correctly.       Hardware   CH's Fighterstick and ProThrottle are made of a glass filled polymer. Some folks call it "plastic" but that's like saying a Ferrari is just a car. Remember earlier when I told you that CH makes joysticks for real aircraft? It's not just "plastic" folks. I've dropped my Fighterstick several times from counter top height to the tile floor. There was no damage to the stick. CH uses quality parts in their controllers. They use high end pots (potentiometers) and switches rated for an extremely high amount of cycles. Don't let the word "pots" scare you away. Some of the competition likes to tout the fact that they're using "Hall Effect Sensors" in their hardware. They say that Hall Sensors are more "accurate" than pots. Maybe cheapie pots...... I have a 1961 Fender Stratocaster guitar. I played as a professional musician for 13 years and not once have I had to replace a pot in my Strat. That's because Fender used quality pots in the construction of that guitar. CH uses quality pots as well. There's no way they'd have survived 6 years of my abuse if they didn't. I used to own an X-45 HOTAS. At the time CompUSA sold warranties on them for about $25. It's a good thing I bought the warranty because I went through 3 of them in a year. Their cheapie pots kept dying on me.   CH is more than just tough on the outside, it's about tough on the inside as well. Once in a while their hardware breaks. I've seen people post at The Hangar asking how to warranty their hardware. Often a warranty rep will handle that right from the forums at The Hangar. If you need to speak to a rep you can reach him on the phone. There's very little time left on hold when you call. They want to help you, they don't treat it like a chore. And their warranty? Two years!!! There's no other HOTAS manufacturer out there that offers that kind of warranty.     Old v New, Calibration Test   I mulled over what's the best way to show prospective customers how reliable CH Products are. There are plenty of people who post at The Hangar that have had their controllers for years. I picked my brain for several weeks before I came up with the (obvious) answer! I requested a pair of brand new controllers that I would pit against my 6 year old controllers. I hadn't handled a new CH Fighterstick/Pro Throttle for many years so I was excited when my new package arrived. My criteria for comparison would be simple: I would test each controller side by side against each other for "feel". I wanted to test dead zones, spring resistance, etc between old and new. Then I would plug both in, run a calibration test on them and check the pots for spiking. In CH Control Manager when you calibrate you move your controller and the movement is shown not only in a digital graph but by numerical value. The value range is from 0-255. For example, when the Fighterstick is centered, at rest both X and Y value is 128. In moving the controllers to each extreme I moved as slow as possible to see if there was any spiking or "skipping" of the numerical values, which would show wear or damage to the pots. For the "feel" test I kept it simple: I wore a blindfold and my girlfriend swapped out controllers (several times) to see if I could feel the difference between my gear and the new test examples.     Test Results   I was mildly surprised at the results. For the "feel" test I couldn't tell the difference between my Fighterstick and the new Fighterstick. The same results occurred for the Pro Throttle. I had (incorrectly) guessed that the new gear would feel "tighter". There was literally no difference! Under the calibration tests both old and new performed identically. All pots went from minimum to maximum (0-255) with no spiking or skipping of values. For all intents and purposes there was no difference between old and new. This will surprise many of you. I'm used to offerings from other manufacturers that just don't hold up. I had a Cougar last 6 months before I needed replacement parts. I went thru 3 X-45's in a year. I've owned just about all of the joysticks available and CH Products are the first controllers that have 1) been used constantly for 6 years 2) that still work! To be fair, I got about 3 1/2 years out of my old Microsoft Sidewinder and it was still working last time I plugged it in. When comparing modern releases CH exceeds the reliability of everything else out there. As far as I know, this is the first test of it's kind and CH wins it hands down!     Final Thoughts   When I originally purchased my CH Gear I was fed up with my previous controllers not working when I expected them to. CH was roughly the same price as the several other offerings and I thought I'd give them a chance. I heard other CH owners speaking positively about them so I jumped in head first. I consider myself fortunate that the events laid out as they did. I've come to love CH and Control Manager and the fact that I can do absolutely anything I like with the software. I can speak to Bob Church directly on The Hangar regarding programming questions. Bob helped me out with a script not a month ago. No where in any flight sim community will you be able to speak not only to the software creator, but people like Debby and Michael who are instrumental in the every day operations of CH Products. Never have I seen customer service managers do their job sometimes as a result of a forum thread. These things are more common than not and they all happen on The Hangar. When you take all of these positives and add them up, you have a company who delivers a product that is superior to anything else available. The CH Community is amazing and way back when I was a newbie who had no clue about programming there was a forum dedicated to helping someone just like me. 6 years later nothing has changed, the new CH owner can post his concerns and have all his questions answered.   Bang for the buck CH Controllers are WIN! They're moderately priced and made in the U.S.A. You'll find no cheapie chinese electronics inside. This cannot be said about every other option from other manufacturers. You can pay $500 retail for some of these controllers and there have already been unacceptable failure rates along with software that's unfinished. Buy CH. It works. Every time.   I'd like to thank Debby for sending me the eval CH gear. Michael (CH), Bob Church, Ulf (and ex-Cougar guy) and Ghost 531 for all their help past, present and future for all their scripting help. Be sure to check out Ghost's "CH for Dummies Guide", it's a must read. Last but not least Revvin deserves a huge thanks for creating and keeping The Hangar up and running for the community.         Other Products   CH also offers two different kinds of yokes, Throttle Quadrant, Pro Pedals, MFP (Multi Function Panel), several other joysticks, and DT225 Trackball. The trackball is amazing, I use it for my radar and targeting cursor in game.

Portal by DevFuse · Based on IP.Board Portal by IPS


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