Jump to content
Spartans Home

HOSAS equipment and software review


custard~SPARTA~
 Share

Recommended Posts

WIP

 

Review of my Star Citizen setup hardware and software.

 

Monstertech

 

Flight Chair MFC 2 + casters with brakes

Left and right chair mounts with quick release 

Right side extension for Mouse pad

Left side extension for throttle

Chair mount for keyboard

 

Virpil

 

Constellation Alpha sticks left and right

Warbird bases x2

MongoosT-50CM3 Throttle

ACE Collection Pedals

Flightstick Z-Extension

WarBRD Base - CosmoSim Cams

 

Voice attack with HCS voice pack Celeste

 

Monstertech Chair

 

I have sat in better office chairs but they were Herman Miller and over £1000 this chair is really comfortable for me and apart from supporting the Monstertech mounting soultions directly it has a narrow back so it avoids the problem of elbows when using as a flight chair. The locking casters although not easy to lean over and reach to lock/unlock work very well on a carpeted floor I only have to lock two of them to have a chair that will not move. A good investment.

 

Monstertech mounting solutions

 

Left and right joysticks - These are excellent, the quick release options are also excellent but do not work for me (I will get to why)

Right hand mouse pad - I ordered the wrong part and had to alter the brackets to make it work it now does a good job

Left hand extension for the throttle - Complete waste of money you have to have it so far left to not conflict with the joystick it's unusable, unless you have arms like Mr Tickle

Chair mount for keyboard - This is on a really long swinging arm and I have had to massivley reduce the size of the pad (for a small form factor Dierya DK61E mechanical keeboard) so it doesn't come in to contact with the joysticks I have also reduced in length some of the aluminium profile to make it more user friendly. It now does an ok job.

 

Overall the build quality of the Monstertech parts are very good (it should be for the money) the joystick mounts are superb the keyboard and mouse extensions are a compromise and I would have been better off going with a rail solution for them. The throttle extension is so unusable I think they shouldn't even offer it for sale when I eventually need to use my throttle for DCS I will just swop out the left joystick this is very easy to do. I am now using the chair with the joysticks, keyboard and mouse extensions permantly attached (so not using the quick release brackets) and swopping the chair for another for general use, although not ideal it does work and I have an overal excellent experience using it in Star citizen however awkward it is to get in and out of. If I had thought to go with a rail system under my desk for keyboard/mouse and the two joysticks with quick release (swinging out and back for general use) on the chair I know it would have been even better. I still need to work on cable management and tidy up the edges (with router) on keyboard base before posting pictures.

 

My experience with Monstertechs customer service was poor they didn't even repond to a polite email I sent requesting an update on ETA of delivery many months after placing and paying in full for my order. Mixed feelings on value for money.

 

Virpil HOSAS and pedals

 

So I have a chair I am comfortable in and doesn't move when using the rudder pedals a joystick on the right and a joystick on the left angled (pod racer style).

 

Right joysticks twist is locked out Pitch and Roll are on Y and X

Left joystick twist is strafe up/down X is left/right strafe Y is throttle forward/back

Pedals are Yaw (I am not using the toe brakes for anything yet)

 

Build quality is better than anything else I have seen (not had hands on VKB or other similar) it makes thrustmaster and Saitech/Logitech look and feel a bit meh and I thought both of these were good/excellent before I got to touch Virpil. The options of buttons etc is bewildering to start with and a few are not easy to reach/use (my hands are between Large and Extra Large in glove size) initially you have too much choice. I am now using the heavy spring in the left hand joystick but have not tried any of the other cam choices yet (I paid extra for cosmo sim cams). I have played with Virpils software it is a bit clunky but very versatile I have custom s curves for all axis, they are all the same except for strafe up down on the left joysticks twist (made less sensitive than the others). I am still figuring out the best button mappings for me. The level of control I feel I have with this kit makes me smile not sure I needed pedals with toe brakes (remains to be seen if I use them in DCS) or the cosmo sim cams but to say I am happy with the Virpils products would be somewhat understating it. I cannot give an honest review of the throttle because I haven't spent enough time with it.

 

Virpils customer service is superb. Expensive yes, value for money hell yes.

 

Voice attack and the Celeste voice pack from HCS 

 

I probably (definitely :)) do not need this with the button choices I have but for emmersion it's just mega, for example I say launch and it will raise my ship 30M raising the landing gear while giving me vocal updates on what is happening. I am enjoying it so much that I am considering asking Cent to show me how to record a session in Twitch to show it off ingame.

Edit: using voice attack you can even 'command' a continuous ping

 

In summary - all the gear and no idea 

Edited by custard~SPARTA~
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Luggage has been nagging me for them, when I have sorted the cables and tidied up the keyboard plate I will post some

 

This is a video of the chair

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rZeh7g8Vlk&t=100s

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My parents were very generous to me and my brothers at Christmas and I used the excuse that I had upcoming chemo to spend a ridiculous ammount of money on this kit :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...