Joysticks-any good ones out there?

[Abra Cadabra IV]

Since it's my team's rookie year, we spent most of our season driving with the standard kit joysticks. However, about halfway through our competition, another team loaned us a pair of CH Flightsticks to drive with and...well, let's just say it was MUCH better! Since our team won the All-Star Rookie award at our regional and we're now going to nationals, we figured that we should get some better joysticks. (Well, that and the fact that two of ours actually stopped functioning.)

So, considering that we're having trouble getting some Flightsticks and that we're short on time, what are some good (and affordable) joysticks? Unfortunately, they can't be USB ones as we don't have any way to connect them to the OI.

[Racer26]

CH makes similar flightsticks I've seen a few teams using that have a hat and a couple buttons like the white joysticks, that don't appear to suck.

Other than that, I haven't really found much, try checking yard/garage sales in your area, its starting to become that season again, and you might find someone trying to unload ancient joysticks in with old computer equipment.

Of course, it doesnt really matter, since we're getting an entirely new control system (likely one that supports USB natively) for 2009.

[cbale2000]

Our team still uses the older joysticks (black, 2 buttons, don't know what they're called). They work a lot better than any of the new ones, it's a shame you can't get them anymore (especially since we're down to the last 3 of them)

[chaoticprout]

Originally Posted by cbale2000

Our team still uses the older joysticks (black, 2 buttons, don't know what they're called). They work a lot better than any of the new ones, it's a shame you can't get them anymore (especially since we're down to the last 3 of them)

Those are the CH Flightsticks the previous posters are speaking of.

[SpaceOsc]

http://www.amazon.com/Interact-SV200...8&s=videogames

http://www.flyby.pt/product_info.php...roducts_id=393

[dtengineering]

We tried the USB dongle from IFI this year in conjunction with a Logitech game controller. Very nice, very easy to use and very flexible.

Jason

[Akash Rastogi]

I think we used the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro joystick

[waialua359]

CH flightsticks FTW.
We dont have extras as we keep taking apart previous controllers to use them.

[Jimmy Cao]

The old CH flightsticks from the old KoP are great. Unfortunately, they are no longer manufactured. We purchased all of ours off e-bay I think.

Also, when those flightsticks begin to give a good deal of error, try to put schims in between the pots and the stick. It reduces error greatly.

[whytheheckme]

IFI's (Cross The Road Electronics) USB Chicklet (manual) works wonders. I went to Best Buy and found Logitech's Attack 3 Joystick for 30 bux (mine was actually open box, for 17.) I know the chicklets are expensive, but are a good investment. We have 2 chickets. They really rock.

It can support the following:

  Logitech Dual Action Gamepad 
  Logitech Cordless RumblePad 2 
  Logitech Attack 3 Joystick 
  Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Joystick
  Logitech NASCAR Racing Wheel 
  Microsoft XBox Controller 
  Microsoft XBox 360 Controller 
  Microsoft IntelliMouse Optical 
  Saitek Aviator Joystick 
  Saitek ST290 Joystick 
  Saitek ST290 Pro Joystick

Plus I imagine other basic USB controllers (please, don't quote me on this. I'm just saying, if you decide to go this route, try plugging in some controllers you have before you shell out more cash for new ones.)
******

Don't invest too heavily though. Who knows what kind of control system we will see next year (I'm hoping for mind control support.)

Jacob

[SpaceOsc]

Originally Posted by whytheheckme

IFI's (Cross The Road Electronics) USB Chicklet (manual) works wonders. I went to Best Buy and found Logitech's Attack 3 Joystick for 30 bux (mine was actually open box, for 17.) I know the chicklets are expensive, but are a good investment. We have 2 chickets. They really rock.

It can support the following:

  Logitech Dual Action Gamepad 
  Logitech Cordless RumblePad 2 
  Logitech Attack 3 Joystick 
  Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Joystick
  Logitech NASCAR Racing Wheel 
  Microsoft XBox Controller 
   Microsoft XBox 360 Controller 
  Microsoft IntelliMouse Optical 
  Saitek Aviator Joystick 
  Saitek ST290 Joystick 
  Saitek ST290 Pro Joystick

Plus I imagine other basic USB controllers (please, don't quote me on this. I'm just saying, if you decide to go this route, try plugging in some controllers you have before you shell out more cash for new ones.)
******

Don't invest too heavily though. Who knows what kind of control system we will see next year (I'm hoping for mind control support.)

Jacob

if your using a basic tank drive setup for your robot then you can follow all the advice above but instead of buying two crickets and two sticks cut the cost in half by buying one cricket and a Xbox360 controller. they work well out of the box, support two analog sticks and handle alot better than two larger joysticks. and if your driver has any Xbox experience it a no-brainier.

since the 15 pin Gameport is up in the air for 2009 investing in multiple crickets might not so be wise.

the cricket only requires a few minutes of electrical work such as cutting wires and stripping them to interface with a backup battery or another battery of your choice. a small brick of 6 AA batteries is a great bet to as they don't require any special chargers. with a single controller and a single cricket battery life goes from 7-8 hours but id only guarantee 6 as in testing the controller was never actively used.

[whytheheckme]

Originally Posted by SpaceOsc

if your using a basic tank drive setup for your robot then you can follow all the advice above but instead of buying two crickets and two sticks cut the cost in half by buying one cricket and a Xbox360 controller. they work well out of the box, support two analog sticks and handle alot better than two larger joysticks. and if your driver has any Xbox experience it a no-brainier.

Beware of traditional xbox controllers. Of the two that I tested, both analog sticks were very wacky and inaccurate, and almost never returned to the same value when centered. I can't say about 360 controllers, as I have not tested one.

Jacob

[thefro526]

I was actually talking with a friend about this, and does anyone know if a 360 Guitar Hero Controller works with the USB chicklet? We were thinking that it would because it plugs in like a normal 360 controller.

[Abra Cadabra IV]

We were actually considering using an Xbox controller at the beginning of the season, but by the time we realized we needed the Chiclet it was out of stock. And at this point, we don't really have the funds to buy it.

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone! I think my team has found what we need.

[Francis-134]

From what we have found, the easiest way to make the standard joysticks better is to unscrew the upper plastic part, then remove it and replace it with either a piece of plasic, or even just a screwdriver. This removes any of the slop due to the heavy top of the joysticks.