Genius MaxFighter F-16U. USB PC Joystick with Turbo . Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After two weeks the first spring broke; a day later the second; repaired with rubber bands as item has no warranty; band repair lasted two months with many band replacements; then the plastic started breaking and now has completely failed and no other repairs are possible - only two months use with us as the repair authority (replacing the springs would have cost several times the unit for S & H). Would have purchased a different one if I had known it was so incredibly wear inferior to minimal play use.

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Product Description:
The MaxFighter F-16U adopting USB interface is the latest model of the Genius F-16 joystick family.

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Saitek J24C X45 Flight Control System Joystick and Throttle (USB) Review

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(More customer reviews)This product is quite fully featured for its intended use.The three major axes of motion (x,y and throttle) were rather stiff, but are adjustable to the users preference!
The unit is also programmable from a "button" point of view (i.e. keyboard macros) *and* from an axis point of view.This is important because it incorporates three additional axes that can be used (two thumbwheels and mini rudder "pedals" built-in to the forward side of the throttle handle).These other axes can be mapped to various features in your game software as well.In addition to that, there is a tiny "hat" switch that can be mapped to operate the mouse cursor in game...this truly means you never have to remove your hands from the controls...
Now, for the "not-so-good" stuff.IF you are running WinXP and IF you install the drivers right out of the box, you are in for some trouble and inconvience.At the end of the install from the CD, it mentions downloading a newer version of the drivers and to be sure to "un-install" the current ones before loading the new ones.Unfortunately, complying with these instructions also unloads your regular mouse driver as well.This is where you learn how to shut down your system using strictly the keyboard.Fortunately, once you reboot, XP re-installs your mouse driver and all is well.
One last thing:If you are using a USB hub that derives its power from the computer, your new Saitek joystick WILL NOT FUNCTION when plugged into that hub.I have a good Linksys USB hub that says it derives power from the computer, but also comes with an external supply.The Saitek would NOT work unless the external power was plugged in.Just a word to the wise.
Overall, I am quite pleased with my Saitek X45.

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Product Description:
The SAITEK X45 Digital Throttle & Stick combination, combined with contemporary flight-sim or gaming software, provides the most realistic flying experience available. Combining pro-feature content with authentic aeronautical styling, both Throttle and Stick propel gameplay to another level, supplying an impressive instrument set to complete the most complicated of maneuvers. Built to a precision engineering spec, the X45's on-board features are complemented by unlimited programming power and auto-configuration for each game played.Throttle Features - 2 Fire Buttons4-Way Hat SwitchThrottle Control with DetentsRudder Control2 Rotary Analog Controls8-Way Mouse ControllerSystem Requirements - Pentium 133MHz+ class processor, USB port, Microsoft Windows 98SE, ME, 2000 or XP, DirectX 8.1 compatibility

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Saitek X52 Pro Flight System Controller Review

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(More customer reviews)Ordering: 5 of 5
Direct from Amazon, arrived 2 business days after placing the order. The retail box is OK, with just egg shell cardboard for internal support, the oversized shipping box with airpacks was probably necessary. The Pro comes with one DVD (.html manual, drivers and Flight Simulator X demo) and a single page, multi-lanquage instruction sheet. Printed instructions stop at plug in and load the DVD to install the drivers.

Appearance: 5 of 5
Aesthetically superior to the X52 IMHO. And many other brands as well, this is a serious piece of peripheral, it just plain looks like it means business, unlike most of the splashy silver competitors.

Function: 4 of 5
Its a great stick, spring tension is consistant throughout the full motion range, although force is somewhat light. Not for lefties. Mode change knob might be easier for one-handing if it were on the left instead of the right side of the column, I find myself letting go of the joy handle to twist for a mode change. Toggle buttons at the base of the stick aren't the ancient mechanical potentiometer trimmers- up on the left toggle changes the viewpoint in the FSX demo, out of the box.

Throttle MFD display is angled, easier to see than the X52. MFD has a clock, push the wheel and it turns into a stopwatch timer. Switching force for the wheel button is light, quite easy to button when one only wants to wheel. Throttle handle has a button style mouse, works as well as the mouse button on some laptop keyboards. At about 80% throttle the force to pass the military/afterburner detent is severe, dialing down the adjustment helps some.

If you are into rudder control, the handle twists for Z rotation, or pull out the small tab at the base of the handle for twist lockdown and/or usage with separate rudder pedals. However, with a strong twist there is still about a 20% Z rotation even with the lockout set. Bump up the deadzone or ensure ZRot is disabled if not in use, perhaps a sensor lockout instead would work better here.

Software: 1 of 5
This is where we fall short, especially if your new PC came with Vista. The programming SW is on the supplied DVD, but go straight to the Saitek web site and grab the latest drivers and profile editor if/when available. Dialups beware, driver + editor downloads are up to 20+Mb depending on the OS. Latest Vista drivers recognize the device and installed, but the the lack of programming SW and profiles for Vista is a bust. The latest driver adds on/off/color control for each individual LED, very nice, but the control panel settings stay with the PC, not a game profile, best as I can determine. There is also an SDK for programming the MFD, requires MS Visual Studio CC++.

The FSX demo has a few small maps and five aircraft, including the twitchy helicopter- not the Bell. Only single engine choice is an ultralight but 65m/110k per hour airborn still beats a drive any day ;) and after about fifteen minutes or so the screen will blank and the demo exits.

A big caveat with the lack of profile editing software, files created for the X52 aren't compatible with the Pro. Nor will the Vista drivers recognize a Pro file created on XP. Until Vista-capable editor is released and/or Saitek posts more Pro-version profiles, the inability to customize is severe.

The iMFD plugin for FSX seems to have either the same X52 vs. X52Pro issue or maybe an OS .exe glitch. In XP SP2, a double click only results in an error dialog box. The demo output program in the SDK loads and runs, and has LED controls similar to the Vista control panel LED tab, except the button labels in the dialog box never change with the state.

But keep an eye on the support web site, this would item would be a 5 when the software is online, check the file dates from Saitek (DDMMYY).

Software versions tested:
XPHome 32bit driver 5.2.0.22 filedate 171006, editor 4.3.4.17, filedate 191206.
Vista 32bit driver 6.0.2.123 filedate 300107, editor NA.

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Product Description:
All the features of the X52 combined with premium engineering and advanced Multi-Function Display (MFD) for real flying interaction. 2 dedicated MFD buttons and 2 rotary dials with in-built buttons to control additional game functionality; MFD displays data directly from games, including Radio Stack info from Microsoft Flight Simulator 9 and 10; Software Development Kit included for creating game-specific programs to interact with the MFD; Choice of red, amber or green button illumination; Illuminated buttons and MFD - ideal for low light environments; Throttle unit illumination varies depending on throttle position; Enhanced MFD backlighting; Improved cable management system. Joystick: Precision centering mechanism, non-contact technology on X and Y axes and constant spring force reduce free play, improve control and increase durability; 2-stage metal trigger; 2 primary buttons in 1 convenient position; 4 fire buttons including missile launcher with spring-loaded safety cover for instant access; Conveniently positioned metal pinkie switch provides shift functionality to double up on programmable commands; 2 X 8-way Hat Switches; 3D rudder twist; 3-position rotary mode selector switch with LED indicators; 3 spring-loaded, base-mounted toggle switches for up to 6 programmable flight commands; 5-position handle adjustment system to suit all hand sizes. Throttle: Progressive throttle with tension adjustment, detents for afterburner and idle; 2 fire buttons; Scroll wheel with built-in button; Mouse controller / hat switch with left mouse button; 8-way hat switch; 2 x rotary controls; Smooth-action slider control; Clutch button initiates 'safe mode' to allow on-the-fly profile selection, or to display button functionality without activating. Compatibility: Windows 7, XP/XP64, and Vista

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Saitek X52 Flight Control System Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As a previous owner of the X45 flight control system and avid flight sim junkie, I was compelled to upgrade my HOTAS system to something newer.I was originally looking at the Thrustmaster HOTAS system, but could not conjur up enough money to purchase one.After playing with the X52 at a LAN party, I was sold and went out and purchased one that night.

The X52 has loads of improvements over the X45 - not even mentioning the LCD MFD.One addition which I would have loved to see in the X45 are the eight removable suction cups on the bottom of the stick and throttle bases.The cups first out of the box will do some sliding around, but nothing so drastic that it'll mess your flights up.They do a great enough job to keep the stick down during normal use - provided that you don't slam the stick around, but for a flight system that costs this much, I don't think that'll be too much of a problem for most people.

Just like all other Saitek sticks, the X52 is fully customizable in both hardware and software.Not only can you move the lower shelf on the joystick up and down to fit your hand, but you can also adjust the force on the throttle stick.Like all other Saitek sticks, however, you cannot adjust the centering force on the stick itself.But I did not find this to be too much of a problem as it is much looser than all other HOTAS systems that I have owned.The X52 also comes with the Saitek SST programming software, which (again, like all other Saitek sticks) allows you to program every button on the joystick to either an axis, mouse axis, single keyboard stroke, or a complex macro.

I also fell in love with the three modes and color coded mode identification LED to let you know what mode you are in.As a result I can have a mode for A-A, one for A-G, and one mode for general tasks when playing Falcon 4.0: Allied Force, making it easier to keep my hands on the flight system at all times.

The MFD is also a cool addition to the X52.It has a time display to let you know what time it is in up to three time zones, as well as a built-in stopwatch to time your flights and coordinate your turns right on time.And if you can't remember what you programmed a button to - just simply hold down the info button and click the button you want to know about and voila!Your button's function is displayed on the screen.

All in all - a great HOTAS system for those of us that cannot afford the Thrustmaster HOTAS systems.This flight stick runs perfectly with games like Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 and Falcon 4.0 - my two choices and recommendations to pair up with this stick.

And for those of you who want to know about Windows XP Professional x64 support - the stick works perfectly using drivers available on the Saitek website.

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Product Description:
The World's most advanced flight controller The X52 Flightstick and Throttle combination give the most realistic flying experience ever. With the feature-laden Throttle and Stick split into two separate units, the X52 delivers ideal flying position. Programmability and illuminated Multi-Function Display expand the possibilities for Sim Pilots everywhere!

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