Calling all TM-Cougar Owners

[Bacardi 0]

Hey All,

Was browsing through Terrapin's HOTAS Cougar site http://mpgnetz.de/images/cougar/tips1.html, Frugal's Cougar World http://forums.frugalsworld.com/vbb/)and the Cougar Forum @ the Warbirds III site http://agw.warbirdsiii.com/bbs/showthread....?threadid=21169. I'm surprised at the varying degree of modifications end-users have applied to the TM-Cougar and there's even an unoffical upgrade to the HOTAS, the Uber Cougar-2. http://forums.frugalsworld.com/vbb/showthr...&threadid=35029

 

I'm curious, have any of you guys and gals within the BioHaz community attempted modifications to your Cougar? (ex. personal refinements and/or major Mods. like the Uber Cougar-2) and if so, what were the results.

 

 

Thanks in advance.

[Sledge 0]

Hey Bacardi, I just ordered the hall sensors to replace the pots in my Cougar. I've already replaced two pots in my Cougar, so I figured this was a worthy investment. I'll let you know how it goes. - Sledge out.

[Seawolf 0]

The only thing keeping me from getting one of these mods is simply price. Most are around the $400 range and I only paid $250 for the HOTAS in the first place. I have never liked the stiff feel and dead spots between axis points, but I cant afford to spend $400 for a custom machined mod when the HOTAS should have been designed better in the first place. It is a great HOTAS and very rugged but I just dont like how it feels and sort of wish I had gotten CH gear.

[Sledge 0]

Yeah, I hear ya Seawolf. I certainly have had my problems with my Cougar, but I must say, I have never flown an aircraft with stick forces as light as the CH. (I have the CH F-16 fighterstick and pro throttle) It just feels too "fake". The Cougar on the other hand more closely approximates the stick forces I'm used to in the aircraft that I fly. This really adds to the realism factor for me. Also, every aircraft I have flown has a definite "dead band" in the center of travel of the controls, both in pitch and roll. When the aircraft is trimmed, a little "slop" helps to make flying the aircraft a little easier, because minute movements of the controls dont cause immediate changes in aircraft attitude. Flying without an autopilot for a long period of time would be very tedious without that dead band. So, that is why I'm goin for the simpler, and cheaper hall sensor pot replacement as opposed to a complete guts rework. To me the feel is realistic, and the look is definitely closer to the real thing than the CH. Those are my thoughts on the matter. - Sledge out.

[Overkill 0]

I have ordered the throttle sensor kit from CubPilot and will be ordering the rest of the sensors plus EvenStrain more reasonably priced EvenStrain Lites as soon as they come available. I fried my original throttle pot when I upgraded to the 2.03b firmware. I replaced that and now I am waiting.

[Seawolf 0]

Hey Sledge, I hear ya. I have gotten used to it over time and the good news is I just found out about a new evenstrain mod called the Evenstrain Lite which will be around $150-$200 , perfect for my price range. This should be a popular mod for the simmers on a budget our there and the biggest problem will be availability since this mod is made by one guy by hand so it will take a lot of time to outfit several cougars.

One thing about this cougar that I do like is it just keeps on working. I dont get any lockups, cutouts, freezes, software issues, nothing. It just site there until I need it then it just works. so I cant complain all that much. As soon as I get rid of the dead spots around the axis and loosen up the feel just a tad I will be a happy camper.

 

Yeah, I hear ya Seawolf.  I certainly have had my problems with my Cougar, but I must say, I have never flown an aircraft with stick forces as light as the CH.  (I have the CH F-16 fighterstick and pro throttle) It just feels too "fake".  The Cougar on the other hand more closely approximates the stick forces I'm used to in the aircraft that I fly.  This really adds to the realism factor for me.  Also, every aircraft I have flown has a definite "dead band" in the center of travel of the controls, both in pitch and roll.  When the aircraft is trimmed, a little "slop" helps to make flying the aircraft a little easier, because minute movements of the controls dont cause immediate changes in aircraft attitude.  Flying without an autopilot for a long period of time would be very tedious without that dead band.  So, that is why I'm goin for the simpler, and cheaper hall sensor pot replacement as opposed to a complete guts rework.  To me the feel is realistic, and the look is definitely closer to the real thing than the CH.  Those are my thoughts on the matter. - Sledge out.