homepage Forums Technology Flight Sim Controllers Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog Discussion Thread

Here is another US site selling it.
TM Warthog at ShopBLT

$405.00

So it is out there

$385.55 at Provantage huh? Interesting!

Guess we'll just have to wait til it's released to see what the prices is.

Sorry that's what TM gave us a replica controller, you always have the X65, X52 and Logitech FFB to choose from. In this world we have Ford Pintos and Ferrari's it's not the same thing but in way yes. One is a everyman car the other a high priced street legal racecar. X-52 = Pinto Warthog HOTAS = Ferrari, it's pretty simple. You don't have to buy the Ferrari if you don't want to. My first impression way back was that TM was making a Replica Warthog HOTAS so no secret there. It comes down to this: "To each there own". I respect your opinion and hope you can do the same for me.

But it sucks when you buy the "Ferrari" and it breaks down shortly after you drive off the lot, then it breaks down again after the warranty runs out. Also if the radio dial is turned 45 degrees in the wrong direction. The gear shifter is to long in the front and back movement. The gasket's leak after about a year of driving, plus the service department is just plain lousy. In this case, maybe the pinto is a better choice...if things are working the way they should.......Wouldn't you agree or anyone else agree?

I just named a few things wrong with the "Ferrari"

Who knows really? The Pinto was no rockstar car either. I'll reserve my judgment until the HOTAS is released and reviewed. My comparison isn't so much in regards to quality as it is price difference anyways.

EDIT: And my earlier reference to replica commercial aircraft yokes (737 in that case) stands true those yokes are marketed to the home enthusiast although I'm sure a level D sim could use one. I mean how many people with F16 simpits have a Cougar in them? Probably damn near all of them. I can see the the WH HOTAS in my simpit for sure. It's just my opinion that it's fairly priced and besides that there are lot's of conflicting reports on pricing anyways.

Its on UK amazon again!


booked the monday off work to play!! YAY!

Not my Ferrari. I am still using the same unmodded Cougar that I bought when it was initially released and it is still working fine.

You must be one of the rare lucky ones then.

Thanks for the links guys. I have no experience with either company.

I bought a lot of stuff from Provantage in the past, including most of my CH gear, my Cougar, video cards and motherboards. They are very reliable. Their headquarter is in Ohio, and I believe they have warehouses throughout the U.S.

I was one of the lucky ones as well. My Cougar had a stick pot (original BTW) that just died shortly after I sold it to a guy and he is now going to mod it himself.

I like the box that they are putting it in. Same type as the old Cougar box from what it looks like. That was a well packaged piece of equipment.

Oh yeah. The packaging is easily up to (if not exceeding) the Cougar's.

I take it that unlike my Cougar stick, yours isn't modded at all, in which case I understand your feelings. Of course, with the way mine's modded (Force-Controlled Cougar), it works excellently with Falcon 4.0, OK with DCS: Black Shark, and horrible for IL-2 Sturmovik, which is why I now have that SWFFB2 for the latter two. Too bad it's lacking in buttons by comparison; the Cougar handle and programmability with the SWFFB2 FFB and overall gimbal/sensor setup would be darn near perfect for a deflecting stick, and DCS:BS benefits massively with the extra buttons and switches, especially the dual-stage trigger with a bit of press/release programming for the first stage.

Perhaps it's because of this that I've had relatively few issues with my Cougar, though it could very well be that the prior owner may have had more issues to put up with before selling it to me. I don't have issues using it with Win7 64-bit, and it's just a nice, ergonomic, programmable piece of kit to use, though the pots in the microstick and the main throttle arm have become a bit iffy and need replacement. Hopefully, that doesn't happen with the Warthog if they have indeed used Hall sensors or other precise, reliable means of tracking every single analog axis, even the microstick.

Actually the packaging for the Warthog is MUCH better than the Cougar IMO. Remember those polystyrene sections you had to place to support the throttle arm? No more of that thank goodness I never found the Cougar that easy to rebox up either. I'd definitely say the Warthog packaging is better designed and far superior in every way.

Of course we've only seen prototypes packaged so I have no idea if the final packaging is different.

Cheers

James

To make it a tad easier finding it online, the EAN code is 3362932913771

can someone point me in the direction of a technical drawing of the socket/plug design of the cougar/warthog joystick? I'm thinking about making a middle piece to elongate the stick.

The electrical plug/socket? It's a PS/2 keyboard style plug/socket, but not exact(1 less pin).

The mechanical shape, well I think you could try contacting the creator of the FCC, Arend "Eagle" van Oosten and see if he has a drawing of the shape you need.

Now, that is what I like to hear.

There has been a lot of discussion on a lot of things Warthog, but you are about one of the very few, myself included, that think the Warthog wouldn't be true to its name without a grip extension.

And in all honesty, the way someone from the Virtual Thunderbirds had mounted it centered and off the base without an extension, just doesn't look kosher to me. If you're using it in a F16 fashion, then it's OK without an extension. I am surprised - and I hinted at it in one of my posts - that TM is not manufacturing at least a general size extension for this stick.
It's not like it would cost that much to thread a piece of pipe and put 2 fittings on them.

[EDIT:] I asked this before and am asking it again; does the T.A.R.G.E.T. software allow to 'zoom' the range of movement IF using a grip extension? Similar to Leo Bodnar's module, that allow for you to tweak the signal. As a longer stick would logically translate into a longer motion needed to cover the same angular motion.