Taranava wrote:I'm looking at an upgrade to my HOTAS setup and am likely getting an X-56. Does anyone have this particular one? If so, what are your thoughts on the setup and use with Elite: Dangerous? Any caveats?
I recently purchased the x56 and here's what I can tell you from my personal experience. First let me give you a little bit of my background. I started as a electronics tinkerer at the age of 8. My Father was an engineer in the space program in the 60's . He had a room in the house devoted to electronics and model railroading. He came home one day and found his multimeter taken apart in pieces on his bench and went Ballistic..pun intended.. Took me by the hand and started explaining the complexity and expense of such delicate equipment. I told him I didn't mean any harm I just want to be like my daddy and see how it works. Looking back on that what could a dad do? I asked him if he wanted me to put it back together? I'll never forget the look on his face. He said sure and proceeded to watch me, offering some helpful information along the way.
Since then I've been a life long electronics junkie which naturally branched into computers. Repairing electrical systems and avionics systems in the Air Force and then building home computers.
Sorry if I board you to sleep. I thought it's important to get some background from the person giving advice!
Now to business.. The X56 has received some really bad press. Along with Saitek.. some maybe well founded but you have to understand the materials used are massed produced in a country that has no other interest than the bottom dollar. Especially when it comes to...Yes...toys.. Now I know that's blasphemy to us flight/space simmers. But in today's world of computer games we are a Niche, not worthy of high quality electrical components.
The design and build planing of the X56 is sound and in some ways better than the X55 . The truth is the switches, wiring and circuit board connectors are somewhat cheap and assembled in quick fashion to save time and money. The real truth is get ready for it.... All the company's that build factory produced flight sticks use the same electrical and electronic components... That's right.. ALL...including the venerable Warthog!!! Now I know I'll take some heat for that but take a breath and search in your head, not your heart and you know it's true.
Some things to be aware of with these electrical devices is, connections in the white connector plugs, the pins have a tendency to become loose and back out of the connector, I push them back in using a small wood toothpick, make sure the wiring looms are loose and not binding at the "choke" points for the throttles. If you receive a new unit and just some of the switches or axis are not working, that's probably your problem. After that run the reset and calibration procedure given on the Saitek website to bring everything into proper alignment. I'll give a link below.. the next week point I've heard about is the yaw return spring in the yoke handle. Now I personally have not had a problem with that but I've seen a lot of press regarding it breaking rendering your twist grip loose and floppy. I've had an X52 for 13 years and have more than 1000 hrs on it playing DCS, ILII, MS FS and Elite Dangerous and have had no problems and is still fully functional and still working. Now it may be a weaker spring or heavy handed use but in any case I've seen Saitek say they have shipped new springs out to their customers.
Here are my final recommendations should you decide to get this stick. First purchase from a company that has a good return policy. I bought mine from Amazon and purchased the extra 2 year warranty for about 10 bucks. I feel pretty confident in my purchase. Second if you have any experience in electronic repair their are few non repairable pieces in this unit.
Final disclaimer.. I am not an employee or professional advocate for any electrical or electronic company including Saitek or Logitech.
Just a fellow flight/space simmer trying to help people out and get the straight story.
Now hears some helpful links.
https://logitechsupport.force.com/saite ... Rhino-axesSome helpful YouTube post as well
https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=1Nth2UD1jIYhttps://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=wRnoc9a72hw