CH Products Flight Sim Yoke USB ( 200-615 )
by CH PRODUCTS
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List Price: Our Price: $104.77 You Save: $45.18 (30%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of CH Products Flight Sim Yoke USB ( 200-615 )
Customer Review: Absolutely the best flight sim setup available
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me start by saying that this setup is not for the typical gamer or the flight simmer that likes to yank n bank. This setup is more for fans of Flight Sim, and other more "serious" simulators out there that focus more on reality than action. That being said...For the price this setup cannot be beat. I treated myself to the CH Yoke Pro USB and USB Rudder Pedals about 8 months ago, and I am still greatly enjoying them today. I probably paid about twentyfive more for each (Fifty total) at that time, but even at that price it was a great deal considering the quality and entertainment I've received from them. I've always been a big fan of flight sims and I must say that this rig in conjuntion with MS Flight Sim 2004 is the best commercial flight sim there has ever been. The level of realism increases immensely with the use of the yoke and rudder pedals.
Also, with the number of buttons and levers on the yoke, you almost don't need to use the keyboad at all. Just about everything you need is right at your fingertips; Throttle, Mixture, Prop Pitch, Gear Up/Down, Flaps Up/Down, 8-Way View Hat, Rudder Trim, Elevator Trim, plus 4 other misc buttons to do more stuff with. Note that all of the buttons and levers can be customized to anything you like. MS Flight Sim immediately recognizes this yoke and sets it up with a default set of controls that does just about everything you need.
Another really nice feature is the rudder pedals have independant variable braking (something I didn't know that real planes even have) which means you can break the left and right wheels independantly. This is done by each foot pedal being pushed in the typical way a gas or break pedal would work on a steering wheel setup. This is not only used for braking, but also as an aid in steering. Of course the pedals also slide forward and back for rudder control, all exactly the way a real plane works. This adds an even higher level of realism that no joystick can reproduce.
A review would seem biased if I didn't mention something I didn't like about the product, but I can honestly say that I am perfectly happy with it, and have nothing bad to say. The yoke and pedals are built solid and meant to last, and the performance is flawless. So all I can say is if you enjoy flight sims, or if you're toying with the idea of getting your pilots license, then this setup is a must. I have no regrets on my purchase, and it's even cheaper now. I hope that doesn't mean they are going away, but if it does make sure to get one before they do.
Customer Review: Best yoke for the price...and just plain great!
Summary: 5 Stars
See my full review with photos on my website (look it up by my name).OPERATION: I used the CH Products Flight Sim Yoke with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 A Century of Flight. Flight Simulator immediately recognized the yoke at startup and already had all the buttons mapped. I changed them to my preferences using the setup panel in FS. On my first flight I noticed that the elevator was really jumping around. It wouldn't stay where I put it! I really thought the yoke was broken. Then a very distant memory began to emerge from my checkered past. I recalled that I still had my old Gameport joystick plugged in...problem solved. These USB devices do not work with Gameport devices.
The yoke felt very much like the Cessna's that I fly (C172R), albeit a bit lighter weight. The resistance was a little surprising, very stiff, which is good for cross country flying. It took a little getting used to the button locations, especially the hat switch, but after a few hours it falls right into my grasp. Having an 8-position hat switch sure makes the landing pattern easier to fly, and with all the buttons on the yoke I don't need to touch the keyboard. The trim wheel was very stiff, so I wouldn't use it to trim the airplane, just to adjust the joystick centering during calibration.
SELF CENTERING OR NOT???
I was concerned about the lack of center detent when I initially read the literature. But this doesn't mean the joystick doesn't self-center. It snaps back to center with about 1/4 inches of center play, just like in a real airplane.
Customer Review: This is so cool!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I ordered the yoke and rudder pedals for my 45th birthday and got FS2004. First I want to mention how fast they came. I ordered them both on Sunday afternoon. I received the rudder pedals on Tuesday afternoon (yes, two days) and the yoke on Wednesday (three days). The amazing thing about that is that it came that fast even though I used the free shipping option.
I has FS2000 several years ago and had a joy stick to use. That was nice but I wanted it to be more realistic. That is why I got these things. They work great. I plugged them in and everything was pretty much set. I tweaked the sensitivity and the null zones a bit and that was about it. The yoke and pedals make the whole fight sim seem more realistic and enjoyable. Now I am not a pilot so I cannot speak with authority at to how realistic it makes things but it at least seems more realistic. I am thoroughly glad that I made the plunge.
As to the quality of the products, they seem fine and sturdy to me. Yes, I did have to use a 1/2" x 2" x 18" piece of wood I had laying around as a shim to get the yoke to attach to my pull out keyboard tray but it works great. The only complaint that I can really come up with is that the elevator trim wheel does not give the full range of trim, only a short way up and a short way down. Not a horrible thing seeing as the buttons can be programed to be used as the trim. Not as realistic, but I can certainly live with it.
Overall, they are great and I certainly would recommend them.
Customer Review: Over six years of happy ownership and counting!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have this with the USB Pro rudder pedals, and both have performed flawlessley through three versions of MSFS up to FS9, three home-built PCs, three different MS operating systems, and three different desk designs. As a real world Cessna 172 pilot, I think this offers the best bang for the buck.
There are better and more realistic flight controls out there, but they cost 5-10x as much. Quick off-note about the pedals: I don't think the CH rudder pedals are very realistic because most aircraft rudder pedals are mounted in such a way that the heels of your feet are on the floor and you use the top half of your feet for rudder movement. You only plant your entire feet in the pedals off-floor when reaching up for the toe brakes (the 4 different types I've flown anyway including a 414 twin). However, for the money, the CH pedals are close enough.
But back to the yoke, yes, the mounting can be challenging, but every desk is designed a little different. You have to make adaptations for your application. On one of my desks, I had to use a small 1/2" piece of wood to make the clamps work underneath. In any event, if you can't find a way to mount this, then you are either in the wrong hobby or need to find a new desk that better mounts steering wheels and yokes. It's as simple as that.
Overall, this is an inexpensive way to get the feeling of what it's like to really fly. Of course, there's always the $100 introductory flight at your local FBO.
Customer Review: Great for flight sim enthusiasts
Summary: 5 Stars
As I've said in the title, this yoke is great for flightsim enthusiasts. As such, the review will frame it in this context.
There are two caveats and one suggestion, however:
(1) Numerous reviews here slight the yoke for its inability to clamp down on thin desktops. I used to have a solid, 2"-thick desktop when I used this (see my MS Flight Simulator 2004 reviews), and it worked beautifully. I could suggest using either a phone book or block of wood as a caul if your desk is thinner than about 1". I don't see why a bit of scrap wood and neoprene or a couple of large rubber bands wouldn't hold the yoke quite well. Remember - my experience with this is in flight SIMULATION - not combat - so I'm not violently jerking the yoke all over the place.
(2) The CH equipment (flight yoke and pedals) ate up 100% CPU on Windows XP PRO, SP1. This was fixed by installing the software drivers that came with the hardware. Simple fix, I know, but it was initially alarming to see the CPU get pegged by "a joystick device".
And the recommendation: Buy this with the pedals to get the full effect. With features like toe brakes, you can conduct more true-to-life turns and taxiway movement, to say nothing of applying correct rudder to slew around a turn. I would also recommend buying a powered USB hub with these two devices, as many people have more than just these two devices they'd like to plug into the computer at one time.