Left-Handed HOTAS Poll (No right handers please)

[snomhf]

As you probably know, I've been working on this project for a while. I'm getting close to making a run of these handles and am looking for your feedback.

My desire is to sell the replacement handle for just enough to cover cost and ship them with detailed instructions for installing them. This would of course, void your warranty. I have not discussed with the CH folks if there would be a way to do this without voiding warranty. Perhaps this posting will show how important that issue is.

Feel free to be as honest as you want. This is absolutely not a business venture for me. I'm just doing it for fun. I have promised a couple of leftys some handles so if those are the only ones I make then that's fine with me.

I appreciate your comments.

-mark

[DonULFonso]

I'm right handed but just stop by to tell you that I do keep my fingers crossed for you and your project :thumbsup: . May it become a thorough success!

[gabi]

Mark,
I am a "southpaw" left hander as they call it up here.
I can't just give a simple answer so please bear with me.
I started simming with a set of analog CH ProPedals and Virtual Pilot Yoke. When my next computer arrived with USB ports I could see the handwriting on the wall and ,since I fly mostly helicopters, I bought a USB MSFF2 Sidewinder stick which I still use today and have adapted the CH ProPedals to work in conjunction with it. However the toebrakes do not work and the stick is, as you know, for right handers. Don't really need differential brakes for the helo.
I started following your posts here about your project and am most impressed with it. I'm tempted to sign on but it would depend on the price and that it would work with the pedals I use now. I suppose I would have to own a HOTAS then transfer the guts into your molds ...is that correct?
All the best
Gary

[snomhf]

Canuck,
My handles will only work on the CH FighterStick and/or CH Pro Throttle. If you don't have those now and don't plan to get them, my handles won't help you much. Sorry

[Thunderbolt56]

I've been following this project since I first heard about it. Problem is, I can't seem to easily find the thread. Still looking...


:blink:

[gabi]

I've been following this project since I first heard about it. Problem is, I can't seem to easily find the thread. Still looking...


:blink:
[/b]
Try http://www.ch-hangar.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=3152

It's a really interesting and well documented project. Guess I'm out of luck for now. :shrug:

Gary

[snomhf]

. Guess I'm out of luck for now. :shrug:

Gary
[/b]

You can do it yourself! :D

[Condor]

Mark,

I think you can guess how I voted. I've been practicing right handed flying with my fighterstick for 3 months. Even though it's a better stick than the Saitek Evo I used before, I'm still not nearly as good as I was with the Saitek. I doubt I ever will be. (The Saitek, of course, can be configured for left handed use.)
I guess I just need to give up my ambitions to become an F-16 pilot when I retire in a few years.

I'll either make my CH gear left handed with your handles or on my own or find something else to do for fun. Fortunately the SIM software won't know or care the stick is in my left hand. I'm glad you mentioned instructions. The external part is straightforward. It's dealing with the wiring, etc. inside that concerns me. I'm not worried about the warranty. I'm convinced CH makes good gear and if I got the unusual lemmon a problem would probably have shown up by now.

Thanks for your efforts.

Mel

















i

[snomhf]

Ok, it's been one week now since I put up the poll. Six (five legitimate) people have responded. Sure looks like the demand for left handed hotas is pretty darn low.

I am asking $30 per handle plus shipping cost ($4-$5 or so I guess). If you are interested, please send me a PM with your mailing address and when I get them done, I'll send you what you request. Please give me a month or two to get them ready for you. Sorry, I'm just kinda old and slow. :)

I'm currently working on six sets and I think I know who most of you five who took the poll are. I may actually get them to you quicker if I can get motivated to get back out to the shop. [Truth be told, I just updated my Falcon4 AF to 1.07 and can't stop playing it long enough to get out there and work on these handles. I probably need you guys to push me a little.]

Oh, did I mention that celebrating the 2006 National Hockey League Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes :cheers: :thumbsup: :D has caused a little distraction too!!!!!!???

[Condor]

Mark,

I'll send my address. Personally, I think your giving us too good a deal. I don't see how you will even recover your cost at $60 a set for the stick and throttle. I'm willing to pay more. It may be that you didn't get much response because you posted under buy/trade/sell. I only saw it by accident. Many who were following the thread may not look here. you may sell a few more if you put a post in the other thread. On the other hand, it may be prudent to keep a low profile so as not to be inundated with requests.

[DonULFonso]

Hm, I do understand Mark's decision to post it here - and I do agree with you that posting it in the general forum would attract more users. Maybe, Mark, it might make sense to 'split' this topic? For instance, over on Cougar World there are the usual discussions about dis mod and dat on dis board and dat, plus one 'special' thread that's only meant to inform the users about news, progress, state of orders, etc., concerning the available mods. Maybe, if you're ready, Kevin could consider an according "sticky" in the general forum to ensure that new users don't miss this info?

[snomhf]

When I created this poll, I posted notes on all the major message boards that I thought "hotas types" would hang out (Frugal's, the IL2 boards, Aces High, etc.) directing them here. There was the typical "real men don't fly left handed" sort of banter but not many actually came here and voted or commented. I'm thinking we're seeing about all we're going to see. Apparently, there just isn't that much interest in this. Of course, I could be wrong about that. I agree that having a sticky message about this in the general forum would be helpful though for new people coming along that might be interested.

On the other hand, I'm kind of glad that I'm not getting bombarded with requests. I'm going to concentrate on the six or so sets for those who inspired this project in the first place and then get back to flying.

Many thanks to all of you who have offered advice and encouragement. This really has been a fun project. I've treated it as a learning experience and it has certainly been that.

[ruggbutt]

I'm impressed that you'd not only find a solution for your problem but that you'd make an attempt to include other lefties in your "fix". That's what I like about this community, everyone helps out the next guy/gal. I think that once word gets out you may have to make more sets than you're figuring on. The sim community tends to be standoffish about something thats "in progress" rather than having a finished product. I'd bet that once you get the handles finished and post some pics of them installed that you'll be hearing from more lefties.

[DonULFonso]

Exactly - once your left-handed handles are available, this nonsense about "real men fly right handed" hopefully will cease.

Know what? When Ian posted his first thoughts about the stock gimbals and their woes and how it might be possible to fix them, he got shouted down and almost ended burned at the stake for his "blasphemy" - hard to imagine now, but that's exactly what happened back then!

I think it could be similar with your left-handed handles: once they're there and avaliable there isn't any need to discuss the if and why any longer!

[Thunderbolt56]

P.M. sent. <thumbs up>


TB