MFG Crosswind

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

S~

 

Has anyone purchased the Crosswind pedals? I've read several reviews and they seem like the cat's meow. I'm more curious, at this point, on how your purchase and the customer service aspects went for you. I'm likely to buy a set in the next couple of days unless anyone has some serious reservations about their interactions with the company/personnel.

 

Also, how robust do they seem to you?

 

I've had a set of CH pedals (USB) for about eight years now. So, it's not like I'm hard on the gear. They have served me well but it's time to upgrade. I think I'm moving up to Warthog controllers (from CH as well) for Christmas thanks to SantaWifey. (Thanks SantaWifey  and the ThrustMaster dude who talked her into it at the Hornet game release. ) 

Edited November 19, 2013 by HerrMurf

[AndyHill]

I received mine some time ago and I don't have much experience yet, but here goes:

 

Purchase was slightly more complicated than in bigger web shops, since it wasn't a simple credit card transaction. My bank proved to be surprisingly advanced, so it was a breeze.

 

The customer service has been exemplary, there were some delays (as was to be expected with first batches of small scale production), but communication was great throughout the process.

 

The material is kind of odd to me so it's hard to estimate how much abuse they can actually take, but the pedals feel robust and the build quality is high. The pedals are also somewhat heavy, both physically and in use.

 

So far I'm pleasantly surprised by the pedals even though my expectations were quite high. Of course I haven't used them for months or years so I don't have personal experience on durability and such, but I think the only potential issue is the heavy feel of the pedals. The feel is actually great, but I can mount the pedals into my cockpit so that they won't move when I use them. They should work just fine if you can push them against a wall like they're designed, but I think you should give a few thoughts to the installation.

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

Thanks Andy,

 

I pulled the trigger and ordered just before your reply as payment isn't due until he manufactures the next batch.

 

Murf

[Matt]

It has been discussed in this topic already

http://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/759-rudder-pedals-your-wet-dreams/page-2

Even though the title is not too obvious and it also leaves room for other pedals, so i think a topic for the Crosswind pedals alone makes sense.

 

I got the second batch.

 

To sum it up quickly (see that other topic for longer description):

 

 

Good:

 

Customer service is exceptional (i've received constant updates on how things progressed, because he was including improvements gathered from experience with the first batch)

Very accurate (4096 different positions on every axis)

Very sturdy (it's some sort of solid composite material, it seems to be unbreakable by normal use, the same applies for the mechanical parts)

Very smooth action (lots of ball bearings)

easily adjustable in all way necessary (excluding width, but i heard that even that will be possible to adjust in the future)

Perfect size (for me, very similar to Simpeds)

Bootloader to update firmware

 

 

Could be better:

 

The Base a bit wobbly (if you place only one foot on one pedal, the base can tip over, but i've hard mounted the pedals, so it's no issue for me personally)

Auto calibration is not working for me yet (the developer is working on fixing that, it's not a big problem to calibrate them manually, i guess that will be fixed very soon)

 

 

 

Overall, i would highly recommend them.

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

Thanks Matt,

 

I did read the thread and some other articles didn't see much on the customer service aspect. I'm moving forward now. Hope to have them ordered at or slightly after Christmas. And in hand two to three weeks later.

 

Murf

[ST_Pirato]

I have a set from the first Batch,it has some heavy use almost every day since mid August. Don't worry,I'm pretty sure they will outlast all your other Flightgear. They are very sturdy and precise,as others have already mentioned. There are no noises when you move the pedals,exept maybe from the Spring. But that is barely noticalbe if you don't listen for it. I replaced the stock Spring with a lighter one,it's no problem to install a Spring to your own preference. I mostly did it because I have an Office Chair with wheels and I was sliding back because of the strong Spring. If I ever going to use a Chair without wheel I'll install the stock Spring again.

The Customer Service is indeed very good,Milan is a very helpful and nice guy.

I can't comment about the Baseplate,I hardmounted the Pedals from the start,as I did with my old Simpeds. My Joystick mount and the Pedals mount are one unit.

 

I too highly recommend them.

[Quax]

Although i use the spitsim rudder, i highly recommend the Crosswind. It has the best quality/price ratio and does only get the best critics by the experienced guys.

[Rivet]

You won't go wrong with these pedals. As has been mentioned, they are very well built and extremely sturdy and fully adjustable. They should last a lifetime. Mine are from the first production run and I have had no issues at all.

 

I did contact Milan about the brake calibration process but that was unfamiliarity on my part not a fault in the pedals. He responded to my questions very quickly. His customer support is exceptional. You need have no fear on that aspect or any other for that matter. He is still improving the firmware for the pedals and has kept everyone up to date with the process and firmware updates etc.

 

Go ahead and take the plunge. Oops, I see you already have  . You won't be sorry. They are certainly one of my better purchases. I would recommend fixing them to a baseboard or similar as they will tend to tip over otherwise.

Edited November 21, 2013 by Rivet

[Matt]

Does anybody else using the Crosswind pedals have a asynchronous response from the brake pedals?

 

What i mean is, if i push both brake pedals simultaniously with about half the possible brake angle, one of the brake inputs is about 180% of the other pedal already. I've now fiddled around with DIView to compensate for this, but i'm considering taking it apart and checking the sensors.

[Panzerlang]

Mine are fine. I assume you've calibrated them correctly in the supplied software app?

[Matt]

That's kind of the problem. Since one brake pedal reacts with sooner than the other (i'm not using set dead zones), calibrating has no impact on this issue.

 

It's a bit hard to explain.

 

Pedal 1 : linear input from idle position to maximum deflection

Pedal 2 : no input for about 10 degress deflection, then linear input to maximum deflection

 

Like pedal 2 has a hardware deadzone around the idle position.

 

It's a minor problem, but i think it's hardware and not software based.

[Panzerlang]

The software can be "reset" (I guess it sets everything back to a baseline), have you done that? Asking the obvious, I know.