"Jay Honeck" wrote in message news:Y93Ib.691356$Tr4.1722695@attbi_s03...
I use the Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 and like it. While I'd
prefer to have a force feedback yoke, I haven't found one that I'd
consider
in the price range of a home system.

I'll "second" this choice. It's a great joystick, with pretty realistic
feedback.

I have a question & comment. Recently I purchased a Logitech WingMan
joystick for this exact same use - FS2004, IFR procedures, etc... I've
found the that 'haptic' or feel definitely adds something to the game,
but there are serious problems so I'm going to get something
different.

My question - do you have the same problems with the MS force feedback
stick?

Here are the problems I have:
1. The feedback feels somewhat like a ratchet... you can feel discrete
jumps almost like the throttle lever on old RC plane sticks.

2. The delay / latency causes the stick to jump all over when you take
your hand off. Basically - the FSim force effects (from airflow)
activate well after you move the stick in one direction. This causes
the stick to get a 'force' moving it to the opposite side. By the time
it gets there, the new control airflow-forces act on the stick causing
it to jump to the other side...

3. Basically - the latency is soo bad, that if you move the
aileron/elevator at Vno in a cessna (or any other speed), there is a
large (approx 1sec) delay on force feedback that ruins the illusion of
a real control. The force should be 'centering' in proportion to
speed.

Back to the original poster, I *strongly* recommend getting some kind
of joystick that includes throttle, rudder if you don't have pedals,
and several buttons and a hat switch (for panning/changing view). This
has made Fsim much more fun / easy to grasp.

-Noah