Hardware & Technical Are CH Still Making Joystics?

Giskard

Giskard
Are we in the middle of an international joystick recession?

If you go onto the CH website, the links for 'where to buy' do not work. Also, both the 'Fighter Stick' and 'Combat Stick' are no longer for sale on Amazon - and neither is the throttle.

Do you think they are in the middle of a product refresh?

Anyone else waiting for these items to become available?
 

brumster

brumster
While I can't really reproduce the conversation verbatim, I've had some discussions with UK suppliers about CH stuff and I think CH really are living under a rock when it comes to their product marketing and particularly distribution. Clearly there are no issues with the product; they know how to make very good sticks. But how they market and price them out to suppliers is a bit ridiculous, and I suspect there is very little incentive for any supplier other than the big-hitters like Amazon to stock them. Given the upcoming surge in demand, you'd think they'd spend a bit of time looking to make the most out of the opportunity... (CH that is).
 

Sumkawps

Sumkawps
The links for Where to Buy worked for the country in which I live.

Sounds like it may be a UK distribution issue.

Very pleased with the stick throttle combo I have purchased so far. And incidentally, Brumster's video on these products was very useful, so thanks for that.
 

Bromley86

Bromley86
Giskard said:
Anyone else waiting for these items to become available?
Click to expand...

Not me, because I bought my throttle from Amazon.com :) .

Only thing to be wary of is that they'll (usually) only pay $15 (£9) if you need to make a return (costs ~£25). That's offset as the US-sourced stuff is usually cheaper (even including shipping and import VAT).

All that said, UK Amazon seems to have the Fighterstick in stock.
 

Giskard

Giskard
Thanks for your comments everyone.

Brumster: Even though I don't really know anything about the situation, I tend to agree with you. It seems (to me) that the demand for these types of controllers is growing and yet CH for example, don't seem very good at getting their products 'out there'. Which is a shame!

Joe Nose: Thankyou for the link. I've taken a look and they do indeed stock some of the sticks. Unfortunately, they don't have the 'Combat Stick' which I think is the one I'm after (I think it has less buttons and is a little less complicated than the Fighter Stick).

Bromley86: I looked at the Amazon UK link you provided and it's funny because I ignored that one previously because it says 'MAC' after the product name and I didn't think it would work for a PC. (Is thee any difference do you know?) - But again, besides which I'm really after the Combat Stick...

I've never bought from the American Amazon site....perhaps the answer!

Cheers.
 

Bromley86

Bromley86
Yeah, I was the same. I've seen someone post here that Mac is fine, but I don't directly know.

What I did see on the Amazon UK page was this: Platform: Windows Vista / XP / 95 / Me / 7 / 2000, Mac OS X . So that would support the position that it'll be fine. And if it isn't, you can always return it (I'd assume for free). I see that the CH Products page for the Fighterstick indicates that there aren't different models for Mac/PC.

BTW, I'm sure you know about it, but the Fighterstick doesn't have twist-yaw. Only reason why I didn't go for it myself.

EDIT: Sorry, missed the Combatstick point.
 
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timbow

timbow
The "MAC" thing doesn't matter, it's USB. I bought the "MAC" CH throttle, needless to say it works just fine.
 

Zorbulev

Z
brumster said:
While I can't really reproduce the conversation verbatim, I've had some discussions with UK suppliers about CH stuff and I think CH really are living under a rock when it comes to their product marketing and particularly distribution. Clearly there are no issues with the product; they know how to make very good sticks. But how they market and price them out to suppliers is a bit ridiculous, and I suspect there is very little incentive for any supplier other than the big-hitters like Amazon to stock them. Given the upcoming surge in demand, you'd think they'd spend a bit of time looking to make the most out of the opportunity... (CH that is).
Click to expand...

This...

I spoke to the UK distributor of CH products... they were very happy to sell everything in the CH portfolio except flight controllers. They didn't even want to quote me.

I cannot remember verbatim what was said, but the general message was 'they are more trouble than they are worth' :S

Bit of a shame as I would have taken the entire range.
 

egoprovince

egoprovince
I recently had a similar spot of trouble. Seems they do some inventory control in early June and I've only recently seen stock on Amazon for US delivery. I've got the CH Combatstick and it's fantastic.
 

Helfix

H
Well, CH as a company that mainly makes high grade "joysticks" for things such as airplanes and vehicles. They are very good at it. Gaming joysticks are really not important to them as most of their profit is from the industry sectors.

If I remember a while ago on their forums one of their "personnel" said that its not really worth it for them to design new joysticks for gaming because of the costs associated with the design as well as how many they would have to sell to recuperate that cost.
 

Wrongway

Wrongway
I have used CH Products sticks and rudders for many years. Well before they ventured into USB interfacing. It was the old 15pin game port back then. The design of the throttle and stick hasn't changed much over the years. CH as a company specialise in industrial joysticks and switches and make very fine ones at that. I came across them in my field of work, industrial instrumentation, quite a few times. During a phone call to the company many years ago I got the distinct impression the flight sim market was more of a sideline to the main business. But I think it's because of this background in industrial manufacture that their products are so well made in comparison to a lot of other sticks on the market.

For anyone struggling to find a supplier of CH products. I would try RC Simulations, www.rcsimulations.co.uk who have been stocking CH stuff for many years. They are not necessarily the cheapest, but give very good support and usually have stock.
 

Coolts

C
I can vouch for RC Simulations. Very friendly. I live locally so popped in a a while back to pick up a TrackIR.

As for CH, If they cant be <BOTHERED> with the market then the market should go elsewhere. Try a warthog or one of the newer Saitek HOTAS.
 
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Wrongway

Wrongway
Coolts said:
I can vouch for RC Simulations. Very friendly. I live locally so popped in a a while back to pick up a TrackIR.

As for CH, If they cant be <BOTHERED> with the market then the market should go elsewhere. Try a warthog or one of the newer Saitek HOTAS.
Click to expand...

It's a shame they are not local to me. I know Bob and Carol quite well now having met them at many Flight Sim shows over the years. Their after sales service is second to non. They have sent me replacements for things when needed and found spares I didn't know existed.

I am using Warthog myself, though was torn between the CH and Warthog. The Warthog stick combined with CH throttle is a good combination and I may go back to that setup.
 

JonnyRedHed

JonnyRedHed
I have a still boxed brand new CH products FX force feedback stick. Its got the 15pin gameport and a 9pin serial.

But little hope of ever getting it to work with all the force feedback data. I've no idea how to do a USB conversion and still retain the force feedback. I would like to if anyone could help.

I had considered the frankenforce mod, but one of the requirements are it an expensive combat or fighterstick. The other is a cheaper force feedback stick which I have already.


I really hope we see full and proper force feedback (haptic feedback) support in ED from ships to right across the games universe.
 
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