ARRRRRGHHH!
There - now that I got that out of my system:
Recently a new kitten in our home decided that it liked chewing on things. One thing he liked chewing on when no one was around was the cable to my TWCS throttle. Broke it clean thru.
Based on various videos and a very long thread elsewhere on these forums covering the Logitech X-56 I got one.
Word of ADVICE: to avoid my experience (to be related) if your control system goes to HOTAS heaven replace it with the same model that just died. You'll save yourself a lot of time and effort (unless you have an eidetic memory then just skip what's about to come).
My Experience:
Got the G model X-56. Opened it up. No little manual to get started, no driver disk. WHAT? What stupid a'hole forgot those! Went online. Probably there. Found the drivers and associated software - barely. Didn't find the manual - for a while. Took two seperate visits and a google search which sent me to another Logitech site where I got the manual. Pretty good manual by the way.
Installed drivers all went well - or so I thought. Went back to the logitech home page to register the X-56. On pulling up the registration page all I get is a LOGI logo at the top. Rest is empty. Sent an e'mail to Logitech support explaining that I cannot register my product and why. Get a response next day providing me a trouble ticket number and sending me to the registration page which is the same one that is empty. I respond that the page they sent me to is the page that for some reason my browser (firefox) shows as an empty page with just a logo at the top and so I cannot register my product. They respond that due to system upgrades they are no longer accepting customer emails to the current published support address and to check check the status of my problem with ticket# and they provide a link to....
You got it - the page that won't load. Arghghghghghg!!!!!! I'm starting to believe that logitech either has the most stupid customer service reps ever or they're using email bots - either way....
I put together the Stick. Felt loose. Looser than the X-52 I used for the 1st two years I played ED (been using a Thrustmaster FCS since). This one has about 3/16" slop all around before the spring catches - just like the X-52 only moreso. Oh well the X-52 stick worked well we'll see if this one does too.
So I said screw it and loaded up ED and looked at the default control scheme for the X-56. Let's just say I am not a fan - gotta redo most of it to my liking. YAY. NOT. I get the main controls set up and decide to take a cheap rebuy ship (Cobra Mk3) out for a spin. Barely make it out the slot. You see - I setup the rotary sliders with indents on the main throttle for vertical and lateral thrusters and they were drifting all over the place and the indents didn't center and neutralize.
Parked the Cobra about 20KM from the station and exited ED.
Seems that both the stick and throttle with associated sliders (except the main throttle which is flawless) are less than quality parts. Every one of them except the mini-stick on the throttle required deadzone to be set with logitech software/device settings at least plus/minus 4 units to be stable in ED. (same thing in X-Plane 11 and DCS). The mini-stick on the throttle was only a bit noisey but mostly returned to center position with same digital readout plus/minus 1 unit every time so the deadzone that had to be set was small. The ministick on the joystick was the worst. +5 and -4 to get it stable. Had to go into the Logitech HUD setup program and adjust the deadzone sliders in it for all the axis available on both the throttle and stick. Not difficult - just annoying as HELL!
OKAY - back to ED. Got the flight controls setup. Knew there would be issues and there were. Long story short it took me the better part of an afternoon and evening to get just the flying, targeting and weapons controls setup for comfort and ease of access. Still got the map/driver/camera stuff to setup and then - OH JOY! I get to practice the all new super duper new layouts so I don't get killed by a harmless sidewinder pilot. Oh - and I moved the vertical/lateral thrust control to the mini-stick on the throttle. Works OKAY for normal flying - not so much for combat. Gotta figure out a different place to move those to. Any suggestions?
I now feel like I'm a brand new ED player. OH Joy. Wait - I remember those days from 4 years ago - fine times - fun times - but, but nah... this isn't the same.
Last word of advice: The X-56 works great with DCS and X-Plane 11 (especially XP11 - ED should hire whoever built the default X-56 control profile for XP11 to build one for ED). It will work for ED but not - IMO - without a lot of tweaking. And if you don't have piano/guitar player fingers then some of the buttons on the stick and throttle aren't going to be easy to use and most of the toggle switches on the throttle's side aren't accesible without taking your hand off the throttle unless it is fully forward or fully backwards. Ever see an orangutan's hands. An orangutan would be right at home with the X-56 without any problem.
There - now that I got that out of my system:
Recently a new kitten in our home decided that it liked chewing on things. One thing he liked chewing on when no one was around was the cable to my TWCS throttle. Broke it clean thru.
Based on various videos and a very long thread elsewhere on these forums covering the Logitech X-56 I got one.
Word of ADVICE: to avoid my experience (to be related) if your control system goes to HOTAS heaven replace it with the same model that just died. You'll save yourself a lot of time and effort (unless you have an eidetic memory then just skip what's about to come).
My Experience:
Got the G model X-56. Opened it up. No little manual to get started, no driver disk. WHAT? What stupid a'hole forgot those! Went online. Probably there. Found the drivers and associated software - barely. Didn't find the manual - for a while. Took two seperate visits and a google search which sent me to another Logitech site where I got the manual. Pretty good manual by the way.
Installed drivers all went well - or so I thought. Went back to the logitech home page to register the X-56. On pulling up the registration page all I get is a LOGI logo at the top. Rest is empty. Sent an e'mail to Logitech support explaining that I cannot register my product and why. Get a response next day providing me a trouble ticket number and sending me to the registration page which is the same one that is empty. I respond that the page they sent me to is the page that for some reason my browser (firefox) shows as an empty page with just a logo at the top and so I cannot register my product. They respond that due to system upgrades they are no longer accepting customer emails to the current published support address and to check check the status of my problem with ticket# and they provide a link to....
You got it - the page that won't load. Arghghghghghg!!!!!! I'm starting to believe that logitech either has the most stupid customer service reps ever or they're using email bots - either way....
I put together the Stick. Felt loose. Looser than the X-52 I used for the 1st two years I played ED (been using a Thrustmaster FCS since). This one has about 3/16" slop all around before the spring catches - just like the X-52 only moreso. Oh well the X-52 stick worked well we'll see if this one does too.
So I said screw it and loaded up ED and looked at the default control scheme for the X-56. Let's just say I am not a fan - gotta redo most of it to my liking. YAY. NOT. I get the main controls set up and decide to take a cheap rebuy ship (Cobra Mk3) out for a spin. Barely make it out the slot. You see - I setup the rotary sliders with indents on the main throttle for vertical and lateral thrusters and they were drifting all over the place and the indents didn't center and neutralize.
Parked the Cobra about 20KM from the station and exited ED.
Seems that both the stick and throttle with associated sliders (except the main throttle which is flawless) are less than quality parts. Every one of them except the mini-stick on the throttle required deadzone to be set with logitech software/device settings at least plus/minus 4 units to be stable in ED. (same thing in X-Plane 11 and DCS). The mini-stick on the throttle was only a bit noisey but mostly returned to center position with same digital readout plus/minus 1 unit every time so the deadzone that had to be set was small. The ministick on the joystick was the worst. +5 and -4 to get it stable. Had to go into the Logitech HUD setup program and adjust the deadzone sliders in it for all the axis available on both the throttle and stick. Not difficult - just annoying as HELL!
OKAY - back to ED. Got the flight controls setup. Knew there would be issues and there were. Long story short it took me the better part of an afternoon and evening to get just the flying, targeting and weapons controls setup for comfort and ease of access. Still got the map/driver/camera stuff to setup and then - OH JOY! I get to practice the all new super duper new layouts so I don't get killed by a harmless sidewinder pilot. Oh - and I moved the vertical/lateral thrust control to the mini-stick on the throttle. Works OKAY for normal flying - not so much for combat. Gotta figure out a different place to move those to. Any suggestions?
I now feel like I'm a brand new ED player. OH Joy. Wait - I remember those days from 4 years ago - fine times - fun times - but, but nah... this isn't the same.
Last word of advice: The X-56 works great with DCS and X-Plane 11 (especially XP11 - ED should hire whoever built the default X-56 control profile for XP11 to build one for ED). It will work for ED but not - IMO - without a lot of tweaking. And if you don't have piano/guitar player fingers then some of the buttons on the stick and throttle aren't going to be easy to use and most of the toggle switches on the throttle's side aren't accesible without taking your hand off the throttle unless it is fully forward or fully backwards. Ever see an orangutan's hands. An orangutan would be right at home with the X-56 without any problem.
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