Lateral and vertical thrusters with X55 or other HOTAS?

Coccolino · Feb 12, 2015

How did you bind them? I use them a lot with keyboard and mouse and I'm wondering if there is something I'm going to miss switching to a HOTAS.
Also, how did you manage to use the reverse throttle?

Thank you.

Belsameth · Feb 12, 2015

There's multiple hat switches on most HOTAS which can be used for Laterals.
How the throttle works depends on which you get. My x52 has a tumb button on the throttle I use as modifier to change the throttle from forward to reverse.

Tarman · Feb 12, 2015

I run a CH throttle; it has a little analogue thumbstick that I use for laterals. There's buttons on the main handle that I use for U/D thrusters. I believe the Saitek also has a thumbstick for this as well.

For me, I much prefer the full-range on my throttle. CH does not have a detent but I marked my zeropoint and after lots of flying I don't even need the marker. I find it's more intuitive for me to use pullback for reverse than messing with a Reverse button.

Hap · Feb 12, 2015

On the x52pro I bound thrusters to the Throttle hat, up /down /left /right and then I use the pinky trigger as a shift and bound up/down to forward / back for use when docking.

The reverse throttle is something I've not really mastered....

Midian27 · Feb 12, 2015

For the x55 I bind up, down, left, and right thusters to the gray hat on the stick. Forward and reverse secondary thrusters to the upper thumb hat switch on the throttle part.

KombattWombatt · Feb 12, 2015

I found that having thrusters on the stick was a detriment to my combat effectiveness. I like to change my power distribution frequently and do that during the tight turns when thrusters are needed most. So I bound (maybe started there, dunno) my thrusters on the hat of the throttle and my power adjustment on the stick hat. That way, I can adjust speed, thrusters and power while turning and firing at the same time.

Edit: this is an x55 pro, by the way

Cmdr Pli55ken · Feb 12, 2015

on my X55 I use the two 4-way switches on the throttle (next to the big red button):
The upper has thrust forward/reverse (and target next ship/previous ship)
the lower one has up/down/left/right thrust.
and I use one of the buttons on the front of the throttle as 'reverse' button when I want to use the throttle (e.g. during combat. For landing/mining I use the 4 way switches)

jgm · Feb 12, 2015

KombattWombatt said:
I found that having thrusters on the stick was a detriment to my combat effectiveness. I like to change my power distribution frequently and do that during the tight turns when thrusters are needed most. So I bound (maybe started there, dunno) my thrusters on the hat of the throttle and my power adjustment on the stick hat. That way, I can adjust speed, thrusters and power while turning and firing at the same time.

I ended up mapping thrusters on both stick and throttle. On the stick I bound them to the POV hat and on the throttle I bound them to H3. This was the only way I found that I could always have access to thrusters in all situations.

BadSector · Feb 12, 2015

Sorry i read the too hastely the Topic. It depends, try what feels for you most natural and tweak it as close to perfection as possible. That's all i can say

Magic Man · Feb 12, 2015

Using a Warthog. I have lateral and vertical thrusters on the coolie hat of the throttle. Additionally, I have all three axis mapped to a 3D Space Pilot Pro for finer control docking etc.

Throttle is set for max forward with the speed-break switch acting as reverse (both in locked forward position and in the momentary back position - like a speed break)

bonsek · Feb 12, 2015

X55 here. I bound the rotary dials for my thrusters. I use the hats for power distribution and target selection.

roryact · Feb 12, 2015

Using a speedlink black widow, very few buttons for a hot as. I've got thrusters on the hat so I can operate them through a turn and power on the keyboard arrow keys which aren't far away.

I don't bother with reverse thrust, I don't know where I've mapped it but I find I can cope without during docking just by pitching the ship and thrusting up and down to go backwards at an angle.

Flyinpiranha · Feb 12, 2015

Two gray hats on throttle:

Top one: L\R\U\D
Bottom one: FWD\REV

mdlman · Feb 12, 2015

X52 Pro -- Thrusters are bound to the throttle .. hat? (4-way switch on front of throttle). If you load up the programming software they offer, you can switch it to an 8-way (doesn't seem you can do the same from the control panel).

Feels digital, though, so it's all thrust or no thrust.

Freedom Frank · Feb 12, 2015

Using the Thurstmaster X here, which has rather less options than the more expensive HOTAS setups. I found it most natural w/ the thrusters mapped to the throttle side. Reverse thrust is done by pulling the throttle back. I use the little paddle thing on the front for left and right and then the two top buttons on the back are up and down. This was kind of a mind jerk after switching from a Xbox controller since on that I had the thrusters on the right side but once I got used to it I like having them bound to the same hand that controls forward and reverse.

OrLoK · Feb 12, 2015

Hello there

Im running a halfbreed Thrustmaster Cougar Stick and A flightstick X throttle. (Dont ask).

Anyhoo i bind my thrust up,down,left and right to a hat om my stick. Makes landing a joy.

Rgds

LoK

Keevan Vass · Feb 12, 2015

While not a traditional throttle I use a G13 gamepad which has an extra joystick I use its fwd/back as throttle which works nicley. Then I use its wasd keys for verti-lateral thust with pinky finger always rdy to toggle flight assist.

Works great a good solution with eveything layed out nicley at finger tips.

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

OrLoK said:
Hello there

Im running a halfbreed Thrustmaster Cougar Stick and A flightstick X throttle. (Dont ask).

Anyhoo i bind my thrust up,down,left and right to a hat om my stick. Makes landing a joy.

Rgds

LoK

Might make landing a joy but what about when you want to turn FA use vert-lateral and continue firing both weapons.

Personally I use hat for the menus since its use in combat takes away from other things you could and probably should be doing!

[VR] Frank_G · Feb 12, 2015

I bound them to the upper hat of the throttle control unit... But actually i will change it to one of the joystick hats, as i have head movement on the mouse yoke of the throttle... And not being able to look while doing complex maneuvers (only got one thumb on the left hand, damn) is not optimal.

Speculative · Feb 12, 2015

on the X52 I use the throttle leaver as ahead and astern, then the hat in the "back" of the throttle stick (use left fore finger) for up down left and right.

DaveB · Feb 12, 2015

On my X52, one hat on the stick is always lateral/vertical, the other is used for other things most of the time but when I switch the stick into mode 1, which I have configured as "landing mode" the second hat on the stick becomes fwd/back/lateral - so I have fine control on all three axes around the docking pad. I have the throttle in full range mode so no need for configuring a "reverse" binding.