Safe Hotas setup - RSI

Syax

Syax
Firstly, i know how up tight some get about re-occurring posts so apologies to any forum OCDs out there, i did search for a similar thread but didn't find anything.

so yes...Safe? yeah not quite something i was expecting to put into a thread regarding playing a game but it has taken my slow brain to finally work out why i have been aching all the time. the short answer? Repetitive strain injury.
Unfortunately i am an old fart, and spend a good amount of time blowing things up in space using the old bog-standard Thrustmaster. I have them set on to a desk like i am riding a chopper! very stupid i know, but it just didn't click (crack and crunch really).

So anyway, was wondering if anyone out there could point me towards a good setup or has any experience with ergonomics (or common sense which i believe to be currently lacking). Temporary setups or anything more would be great. Am considering building a purpose desk too at some point soon.
If this is a rehash question, please feel free to point me towards the relevant thread.

So any fools like me out there waking up in the morning feeling like you just got a beating from a 300 pound gorilla, before you blame the wife, look at your setup!
 

lysan

lysan
Use standard setup rules, your arm need to be in a 90 degree to the HOTAS controls. Use arm rests, if you have a warthog it has a hand rest on the JS.

Cockpit.jpg
 

CMDR MAIN SEQUENCE

CMDR MAIN SEQUENCE
You don't say where you are getting the RSI/aches. If it's in the shoulder it probably means you have the HOTAS too high up, in which case you should raise your chair if possible. If it's in your wrists then you need to use arm rests. I find if I spend too long doing combat either the tendons in my shoulder or my neck muscles will start to complain so I switch to trading or something else for a bit. I am unable to raise my chair any higher (so much for spending a small fortune on a Herman Miller, supposedly very ergonomic chairs, yeah right) so I bought a keyboard tray that slides out from under the desk that I put my HOTAS on. This means that I'm sitting a few inches further back from the monitor which introduces a new problem now that my eyesight is getting worse...:)

I'm assuming you have the T.Flight X as I do - it's worth mentioning that the stick and throttle have quite a tall base - taller than most other HOTAS so they are higher up. I hadn't really thought about this until someone mentioned it here a few weeks back.

The most important thing though is that we are all built differently so it's mostly a case of moving things around until you find the setup that is right for you.
 

Aussiedroid

Aussiedroid
I found myself in a similar situation after getting my HOTAS last year. Took me a while to realize that they were sitting too high relative to my position. HOTAS just don't seem to be great for plonking on a desk given the additional height of the units/base.

I ended up building some mounts on the side of the desk to lower the height so they are now in line with the arm rests of the chair (dropped them maybe 15cms down). Made the world of difference! Will do until I can afford a cockpit setup one day.
 

Yodafone

Yodafone
Some great advice from those above, it does indeed sound like you simply aren't comfortable holding your tools of the trade for sustained periods, most likely because you aren't supporting your arms.

I expect even a real pilot with their main surface control stick in the middle of their legs will probably be supporting this arm on their leg/crotch area as well as gripping the stick. This goes for the throttle too where I expect a similar armrest is available so the arm isn't hovering constantly.

So.. not only are you able to relax whilst holding your controls you will also find you'll be able to apply more precise inputs as you'll have a point that is anchored for each arm respectively. As those above have suggested, find a way to fine tune your setup to incorporate supports for your arms/elbows as well as matching your heights so your forearms are close to horizontal.
 

CMDR MAIN SEQUENCE

CMDR MAIN SEQUENCE
GJ51 said:
http://www.monstertech.de/en/product/joystick-hotas-table-mount/
Click to expand...

I've seen these before and whilst they look like quality products they are ridiculously expensive IMO (given that you need two, plus shipping). Also they don't make a model that fits the T.Flight (not surprising given the footprint of the bases). I'm considering making my own, maybe something like this: https://youtu.be/lyFtZf6QBi4

OP, one thing I forgot to mention - make sure your shoulders (esp. on the flightstick side) are not being pulled forward. Your shoulder joint is happiest when it is "sitting back", this may mean consciously pulling your arm back (lightly). I could never sit with the flightstick between my legs I feel like my shoulder is being yanked out of it's socket - oh well, there go my dreams of being a top gun fighter pilot :)
 

DNA-Decay

DNA-Decay
I worked for a company that made digital audio workstations for film and TV post production.

They made are what was essentially an "audio typewriter" where there was a key for each track and each sound editing function.
They were great and the folks who used them called our competition "Slow Tools".

But it using them required very little wrist action. The ones that were used to cut commercials at radio stations would have a rusted bit of paintwork under the wrist and many reports of RSI.

For the redesign a lot more labour and activity was put into the typewriter.
Longer deeper key presses. Instead of everything within a finger reach, you had to move your arm.

The result was that initially you experienced more "work" but in the longer term you experienced less fatigue.

But the RSI producing one WAS faster.

That doesn't immediately help you, but it does give you something to consider when designing your workspace.
 
Last edited:

domaq

domaq
I was having similar but less strenuous problems back in December so I put together a new HOTAS setup with the following parts:
HOTAS - X52 Pro
Keyboard - Razer Blackwidow
Keyboard tray - Kensington Fully Adjustable Articulating Keyboard Platform
Office chair - Aeron Office Chair (chosen for the adjustable lumbar and 4-way adjustable arm rests. You could choose any good ergonomic chair)

I installed a 1/2" plyboard under the desk and then attached the keyboard tray. Flipping the side mouse trays over increased their stability. There are already holes in the X52 Pro base so I simply screwed the throttle to the left mouse tray and the stick to the right one (drilling small holes in the trays as required). The entire tray is height adjustable so, after I found my seating height, I just adjusted the keyboard to right above my legs. That placed the stick/throttle at nearly the perfect height to avoid arms stress. Finally, adjusting the chair armrests, I was able to get a position with almost no pressure on my elbows or shoulders while hands sit comfortably on the HOTAS. The keyboard fits perfectly on the middle tray with the gel wrist bar at the same height as the base of the keyboard. There are also 5 macro keys on the left side, within easy reach of the throttle hand.

This is not cheap but it has saved a bad rotator cuff and wrist joints for the past 4 months.
 

Para Handy

Para Handy
After having used the Warthog and the X55 I decided that both were just too high off the desk for sensible use, they really need proper installation - the warthog also suffers from the ergonomic button positioning based upon a between-the-knee stick position. I bought the hotas-X as an interim while I decided what to do (since it was cheap I assumed it was going to be "cheap") I am happy to say that I find the control height and support surfaces (throttle and stick) are just about perfect and this on a system that doesn't take-over the desk and can be quickly repositioned when needing the space.

(P.S. My "interim, cheap" hotas-X is still going perfectly after over a year of daily use.) {touch wood}
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom