Warthog Review

[335th_GRSwaty]

I had the system for testing for a week and I did the best I could!I fliew IL-2 many hours but less than A-10C during this week and I relly love it. Many will miss force feed back but if You aren't use to , there is no problem

I am a non-native English speaker so I am sure you will find a lot of errors, my apologies for this.

Here is the link for the review http://www.hotas.gr/content/view/81/1/lang,en/

and if you don't want to read 9 pages you may check the videos I made form IL-2 flights

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMp9Xyn_TkM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWnM4F4p3k8

[Flanker35M]

S!

Thank you! Getting the stick this week :) Can't wait to fly with it!

[T}{OR]

Without a doubt this is the best HOTAS out there right now. Thanks for the review.

I am wondering who is the plonker who gave this thread just one star? :)

[House M.D.]

I am wondering who is the plonker who gave this thread just one star? :)

lol I just went to give a 5* to this thread and saw that I "have already voted".
It seems that I pressed the rating by accident :confused:
I'm sorry and if possible I'd like to ask from the moderators/admins to change the vote to 5*.

Thank you 335th_GRSwaty for this great review!

[House M.D.]

By the way, what's the price of this hotas?

[335th_GRSwaty]

Thank you all!

The price is close to 400 €,very close!

I have almost cried when I had to re-pack it to send it back!

[JG52Krupi]

Thank you all!

The price is close to 400 €,very close!

I have almost cried when I had to re-pack it to send it back!

Hi Swaty,

It says on the Hostas.gr website that you will be reviewing the tarmac aces equipment have you had the chance to use them yet?

[Triggaaar]

Thanks for the review.

There looks to be a ton of buttons etc, but is there only one rotary switch, for trim?

[335th_GRSwaty]

@JG52Krupi

No I don't had the change. I can only post info in Greek from Tarmac Aces website to let people know about this oprion.I wish I could.

@Triggaaar

Yes you are right! During the test I use the actual trim Hat on the stick,but you can use the second throttle. Worked exelent for pitch control, so I quess will be OK for trim. Throttleσ can move independently.

[JG52Krupi]

@JG52Krupi

No I don't had the change. I can only post info in Greek from Tarmac Aces website to let people know about this oprion.I wish I could.

@Triggaaar

Yes you are right! During the test I use the actual trim Hat on the stick,but you can use the second throttle. Worked exelent for pitch control, so I quess will be OK for trim. Throttleσ can move independently.

Thanks for the reply, its unfortunate that not many ppl have had the chance to experience them but at the asked price I can understand :D.

If the new warthogs are ~£400 and i already have a throttle from my retired x52 i am seriously thinking about buying a KG13 :D

[HFC_Dolphin]

Nice work Swaty!
And lucky you :)
I wish I had the doh to get it and try it against my CH fighterstick :)

BTW, it seems that the rating of this thread must have some problem, because I tried to rate it (a pure 5* of course :)) and it wouldn't accept the rate because I have already voted, which I haven't.

I did some test and went to another 1* thread, which I haven't even watched (a recruit thread, which I'm not interested in, thus never looked it before) and got the same reply that I have already voted!

Maybe someone can give 1* votes and lock the rating after it?
Can anyone else try to rate this thread?

[JG52Krupi]

Yes I'm having problems as well, says that I have already voted :/

[335th_GRSwaty]

Thank you guys!
No problem about the vote!

[Flanker35M]

S!

Warthog arrived today. This is the BEST stick I have EVER used to fly any flight sim. Hands down. Simply amazing response and accuracy on this thing :D Highly recommended!

[HFC_Dolphin]

Hey Flanker35M,
Nice to hear this!
Which other hotas/sticks have you used and how do you compare Warthog to them?

[Flanker35M]

S!

Dolphin :) I have used Microsoft FFB2, Saitek something, CH ForceFX, CH Fighter Stick + CH Pro Throttle, Thrustmaster F1(converted to digital) + TQLS, Thrustmaster Cougar x 2(both modified) and now the Warthog.

Warthog is the best of them with the ÜberMod NXT modded Cougar being second, almost equal. I tried IL-2 and Rise Of Flight..in both the difference was huge. The precision of this stick makes flying so much smoother, no more erratic stick movement or excessive waggling. Just pure joy to me. And the buttons being "stiffer" is so much better, very close to the real thing ;)

So all in all, TM Warthog if you can budget for it. Now I just need to learn the new TARGET software. Foxy is still a bit more straightforward than this IMO, but matter of preference and learning I guess :)

Have a good weekend all :)

[House M.D.]

A quick question: is the stick stable as it is, or does it need to be screwed on the table?

[Flanker35M]

S!

House, it has rubber "feet" and the plate is big and heavy enough to hold it still :) I have had no problems with it moving nor does the throttle move either.

[JG27CaptStubing]

Hey Flanker...

What do you think of the lack of trim wheels for IL2. I know the Warthog has wheels but they aren't on the throttle itself. I have a modded Cougar as well (Evenstrain with Hall Sensors) and I've been thinking about this as my next HOTAS.

Let me know what you think about the trim wheels. I like using both my Ant Elev and Radar Range for certain axis.

[Matt255]

A quick question: is the stick stable as it is, or does it need to be screwed on the table?
It's not stable enough, atleast not for me. But then i only fly WW1 and WW2 sims (for now) and those probably require a bit more quick movements than jet or helicopter sims.

If you move it quick from one side to the other and then hit the edge of the movement area, it will tilt a bit and the base-plate will move. I know 99% of the owners don't have this problem for some reason (probably because it costs ~400 €), but i'm certainly not abusing it (because it costs ~400 €). So better try it yourself. :D

You can unscrew the big baseplate and then only have the cylinder, which you could attach to your desk or pit. You can also rotate the base-plate 90°, which is what i've done, before attaching it to my table (when it's needed, i don't have a pit, so it's not permanent).

This is thing i don't like with this HOTAS, but since i screw it on anyway, it's not a problem.

Except for that, i can highly recommend it. It's worth the money imho. As for recent sticks i owned, that would only be the Saitek X52 and the MS FFB2 (which was my favorite before i got the Warthog). I did test the Cougar and didn't like it at all (weird movement, a bit sluggish). I also tested some of the latest Logitech sticks (excluding the G940), but they just don't even stand a chance against the X52 imho.

I especially like the TARGET script editor, it's very handy to assign all those switches on the throttle (which btw is even more impressive then the stick), especially for older flightsims like IL2. I'm pretty sure you won't run out of switches for WW1 or WW2 sims. All switches and buttons feel like very high quality, as does the overall throttle and stick. Accuracy of the stick is excellent. All axes use hall-effect sensors, so it should last for a while.

It's true, that it probably has too few rotaries (none) or axes (one) for trim. So if you really need more then one trim axis (which is something i don't need), this could be a problem for you. You could of course use one of the hat-switches for aileron and/or rudder trim.

Only bad thing is, that i now have two FFB2 that are collecting dust (almost breaking my heart, i plan to keep one of them :)).

[TUSA/TX-Gunslinger]

Hey Flanker...

What do you think of the lack of trim wheels for IL2. I know the Warthog has wheels but they aren't on the throttle itself. I have a modded Cougar as well (Evenstrain with Hall Sensors) and I've been thinking about this as my next HOTAS.

Let me know what you think about the trim wheels. I like using both my Ant Elev and Radar Range for certain axis.

Hi Stubing :)

Since you have not taken the plunge yet AND you have an Evenstrain stick - let me offer you an alternative evaluation - my own after a couple of weeks off and on.

I'll keep my Warthog - however - since every review says "it's better than a mod Cougar" - here's some food for thought. This is from a post I made over at ROF forums:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, it's time to let the "cat" out of the bag a little bit - if for no other reason - to keep some users from perhaps making the same mistake as I did.

Let's start out with my predjudices, which drive my experience:

A. I fly prop sims, almost exclusively. DCS Black Shark would be the occasional exception, and of course - it has a few propellers :)

B. My Cougar is equipped with Ian Johnston's U2Nxt, high end gimbal system. This system get's it action/feel from precision ball bearings and 4 springs.

C. Very importantly, I have REMOVED the rubber boot from my Cougar - since 2005. This btw, reduces the joystick tension considerably. If you have a U2NXT and have left the boot on - you are flying with significantly more tension than I am, and dampening.

D. I have at least 7,000 hours of Il2 and ROF experience on this stick (conservative estimate). That of course, would highly skew my "preferences" with respect to props and my main stick itself.

E. I tend to be best at stick and rudder things - worst at gunnery - love acro and gain the most fulfillment from simulation in my ability to control my aircraft.

F. As a musician for over 40 years, mainly guitar - I am very sensitive (perhaps overly so) to small changes in the tactile feel and ergonomics of "input devices".

Now, last caveat:

I've only had my Warthog for two weeks, most of this time working on designing optimum application profiles for Rise of Flight - which has been complicated by all the new commands which came with 1.016

1. Stick tension of the Warthog joystick is noticably greater than U2Nxt Cougar without the rubber boot. For jet sim people, this may not mean much - particularly since I'd imagine most of the "Kept the rubber boot". I was a little miffed at this, because I read SIMHQ previews and reviews which said just the opposite. I remember from the first preview - the SIMHQ reporter saying:

"SimHQ's preview article was short on details about how the HOTAS Warthog felt to use. My initial impressions were very favorable; I have a Cougar modded with NXT gimbals and I think that the HOTAS Warthog stock gimbals feel even better. The HOTAS Warthog throttle feels very nice, too, and has a detent system that is worlds better than the Cougar's. However, for a true comparison SimHQ needs more time with the controller and the ability to do side-by-side A/B testing. When we review the HOTAS Warthog we will publish more thoughts on how the HOTAS feels."

2. There is a CENTER DETENT! The main reason for the U2Nxt was to eliminate the center detent to obtain greater control in this very critical area of flight. Of course, almost all other joysticks have a center detent, so this is a non-issue to anyone but a U2Nxt or perhaps other custom joystick user.

3. The switches are very heavy duty - a plus. On the down side, the buttons all have a longer throw - more travel is taken to actuate the buttons. The S1, S2, S3, S4 - Left Throttle button are stiffer and have at least twice the amount of travel-to-actuate. One would imagine that some of the stiffness will get worked out over time - however the travel/distance-to-actuate is what it is.

4. The rotaries are gone. Replaced with a single trim slider - which functions very smoothly and accurately.

5. You must keep TARGET running and initiate a script to keep a "profile" active in the Warthog. This was a surprise to me. One of the great things about the Cougar, is it's ability to retain a profile in memory inside the Cougar. If you fly the same profile, over and over - it's a great feature that I wish they would have retained. Again, most joysticks do not retain profiles - so most users won't notice this.

In summary, this is a great system - UNLESS you are a prop sim addict like me who already has a U2Nxt modified Cougar that you are happy with. If you are, then you might want to hold off on your Warthog order until I can get a more time with the stick.

The SIMHQ reviews and coverage of this device lead to me to believe things that just are not true about this package. In all fairness, the main reviewer's previous stick was an X-45,X-52 and the reporters who compared this stick to the U2nxt Cougar - were Jet Simmers.

Now, If you are an X-45/X-52, stock Cougar user or if you are U2Nxt guy and fly jet sims alot - then I think this stick is a large upgrade for you.

In many areas I'm impressed with the Warthog, however so far - I have the sinking feeling that I would have been better off to just keep my trusty modded Cougar.

I will let you know more as I gain more experience with this system. Perhaps some of my impressions will change. We'll see.

S!

Gunny
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope this helps...

S!

Gunny

[TUSA/TX-Gunslinger]

Stubing - one last note, I forgot to add.

I'm sure you've seen the review video from SimHQ - where the reviewer sits a U2Nxt side by side with a Warthog joystick. He proceeds to deflect both sticks to their X stops (left) and then lets them go abruptly.

The Warthog stick immediately fixes to the center with no "wobble".

The U2Nxt stick passes the center and wobbles around it.

It seems an impressive demo, until you realize that the reason the Warthog "sticks" immediately to the center is that it has a center detent - which of course the U2Nxt doesn't have. I was too dense to think about this while viewing the video before ordering.

Guess what - the stock Cougar will do exactly the same thing. Now with that said - the Warthog stick has significantly less tension and much more precision than the stock Cougar - but it has about the same center detent.

Since you have an Evenstrain mod (which I would have purchased if it were available when I modded) - which I think has slightly lower forces than my U2Nxt - and no center detent - this will be different for you.

I'm not recommending that you don't buy this stick, btw - that choice is personal, and I'm not sure how in love you are with your Evenstrain.

Hope I've helped...

Gunny

[Flanker35M]

S!

I agree with Gunny about the IanJ's ÜberMod NXT. It is one of the best mods your Cougar could ever get. I also flew it without the rubber boot for better feel. At "worst" time I had over 200h sticktime per month between 2001-2006 :) Tells about the durability of Cougar(not all the time of that but most). For me Warthog feels quite the same. I bet most of the feel will improve when I take the stick through the paces and the "brand new feel" wears out :)

About lack of rotaries..As I fly mainly Fw190 and Bf109 there are no problems with the rotaries being too few. For planes with more trims it could be, but again if using a TrackIR or similar you can use the trim on the stick :)

Buttons feel very good to me. About the same stiffness and movement as in the F-18C for example :) I like it this way. I assign buttons in-game, point and click. Far easier than using the TARGET for example. Works in IL-2 and RoF just fine :) I need no fancy macros or anything.

If you have a Cougar with EvenStrain or IanJ's modification then I would think a bit if REALLY need the 400€ stick or not. Your Cougar will for sure serve you for years ahead. But if a HW junkie like me, then go for it ;) :D

[TUSA/TX-Gunslinger]

S!

But if a HW junkie like me, then go for it ;) :D


Are you my long lost brother?

S!

Gunny

[Flanker35M]

S!

Heh, who knows Gunny! :D I do not even dare to count how much I've spent on my computer just because of IL-2, Aces High and RoF alone..not to mention some other games needing some HP to run :mad: :-P

Moving soon and FINALLY will get an OWN room for my computer! Will for sure start a simpit project! I want the stick to be where it should be, not on the table. Maybe a Bf109G cockpit or Fw190 even :) A dream coming true..:cool:

[HFC_Dolphin]

Right now Amazon.co.uk offers it at £199.99!!!
If I wasn't afraid of its stability (I can't screw it on my desk) and didn't hate the lack of rotaries, I'd buy it at once :)

[Flanker35M]

S!

Dolphin, I would not hesitate on it's stability. You must fly pretty hamfisted with it to rock it. I have had zero problems with that as the accuracy of the stick is impressive = you can do more precise inputs minimizing the so called PIO(pilot induced oscillation) or excessive stick movements. I finally put every control to 100% in IL-2 config and and the stick is 1:1 with the input shown in the small window. Good enough sales speech?! :D ;)

[HFC_Dolphin]

Hi Flanker, you didn't have to say much cause I had already ordered it :)
It seems that I have a strong will against buying, ahahahahaha!
When I say "I won't buy this thing", I resist for about a couple of minutes and then...I buy it :D

TBH, this is such a good price, that I would hate it after a couple of days (or hours) when I'd see it back to £299.99.

As soon as I get it and set it up, I'll let you know of my thoughts and be sure that as a strong lover of CH products, I won't give it an overrated credit unless it really deserves it ;)

[Flanker35M]

S!

So you have as "solid" spine against shopping as I do ;) I am sure you will like the solid feel of the Warthog. The throttle is very good too. :) Please write something when it arrives :D

[JKeefe]

1. Stick tension of the Warthog joystick is noticably greater than U2Nxt Cougar without the rubber boot. For jet sim people, this may not mean much - particularly since I'd imagine most of the "Kept the rubber boot". I was a little miffed at this, because I read SIMHQ previews and reviews which said just the opposite. I remember from the first preview - the SIMHQ reporter saying:

"SimHQ's preview article was short on details about how the HOTAS Warthog felt to use. My initial impressions were very favorable; I have a Cougar modded with NXT gimbals and I think that the HOTAS Warthog stock gimbals feel even better. The HOTAS Warthog throttle feels very nice, too, and has a detent system that is worlds better than the Cougar's. However, for a true comparison SimHQ needs more time with the controller and the ability to do side-by-side A/B testing. When we review the HOTAS Warthog we will publish more thoughts on how the HOTAS feels."
Hi everyone, Joe here from SimHQ (I wrote SimHQ's HOTAS Warthog Review).

Gunslinger, I wrote that the HOTAS Warthog feels better than an NXT-modded Cougar. This is a statement of opinion. I did not write "the HOTAS Warthog requires less force to displace from center than does an NXT-modded Cougar", which seems to be what you are implying I said (i.e. "better" does not equal "easier to move / less stiffness"). The reasons I think it feels better are because of its more equal force distribution (i.e. the force required to displace the stick from center does not change at the ends of its motion) and because of its complete lack of resistance to pure diagonal motion. I'm sure that an NXT-modded Cougar without a boot comes closer to equal tension than does an NXT-modded Cougar with a boot.

Clearly the preference of the NXT-modded Cougar or the Warthog is up to the individual. I happen to prefer a stick feel where I know where the center is absolutely, and sometimes I feel with the NXT Cougar that I can wobble about the center too much for my liking. I truly do believe that the HOTAS Warthog feels better than an NXT-modded Cougar, but readers must understand opinion for what it is. My intent in composing that comment was certainly not to mislead anyone.

FYI, there were two SimHQ reviews of the Cougar written. The first was by me; I focused on the stick and throttle hardware (including the internals), the T.A.R.G.E.T. GUI, and the T.A.R.G.E.T. Script Editor. My previous controller experience is based on a Gravis Blackhawk, a Logitech Wingman Strike Force 3D, a stock Cougar, and an NXT-modded Cougar. I am not an aviation professional.

The second review was written by BeachAV8R, who is a commercial pilot. He used the HOTAS Warthog with a variety of sims and reported on the experience, based on his professional and sim experience. Previously he has used an X-45 and X-52.

[svanen]

Right now Amazon.co.uk offers it at£199.99

Hi Flanker, you didn't have to say much cause I had already ordered it :)

+1 :)

Thanks for the tip, great price!!

[TUSA/TX-Gunslinger]

Joe, (my given name also) thanks for responding! My comments were written fairly quickly with a little frustration. That frustration was with myself for not realizing the center detent existed in the video, which I should have clearly picked up on. I apologize for sounding a bit harsh toward the SIMHQ reviews and admit it was my translation of them that was the main source of error. On the other hand - if I can "read incorrectly" so can others.

I wrote this post with only one thing in mind - to inform the few people who have high end mod-Cougars, to think about the items I described before rushing out and investing in a Warthog. I sought to amplify previews and reviews - aiming more at these individual propeller and gun applications like Il2, SOW, ROF - etc...

In fact, I realized these features more than a week ago - but at the time thought I'd wait until I had give the Warthog a more thorough trail. As I said in my post - my comments should be construed as preliminary only. I don't think I would have been so quick to grab my Warthog, if I would have re-read all the previews and reviews more thoroughly with a more critical mind.

With that said, I know that I won't have the complete picture for myself until I've flown with the stick for many hours. As you said, it's a matter of personal preference. I can find the center of my U2Nxt Cougar easily, though maybe I have too many hours with it.

Since you are seeing this thread - could you answer a question?

Do you fly propeller sims or jet sims mainly? Or would you say you fly them all equally?

BTW, as I said - I'm keeping my Warthog. There are many great features it has - and I suspect I can change what I don't like. The single spring provides great possibilities and I can figure out a way to remove the detent if I need to.

S!

Gunny

[JG27CaptStubing]

Stubing - one last note, I forgot to add.

I'm sure you've seen the review video from SimHQ - where the reviewer sits a U2Nxt side by side with a Warthog joystick. He proceeds to deflect both sticks to their X stops (left) and then lets them go abruptly.

The Warthog stick immediately fixes to the center with no "wobble".

The U2Nxt stick passes the center and wobbles around it.

It seems an impressive demo, until you realize that the reason the Warthog "sticks" immediately to the center is that it has a center detent - which of course the U2Nxt doesn't have. I was too dense to think about this while viewing the video before ordering.

Guess what - the stock Cougar will do exactly the same thing. Now with that said - the Warthog stick has significantly less tension and much more precision than the stock Cougar - but it has about the same center detent.

Since you have an Evenstrain mod (which I would have purchased if it were available when I modded) - which I think has slightly lower forces than my U2Nxt - and no center detent - this will be different for you.

I'm not recommending that you don't buy this stick, btw - that choice is personal, and I'm not sure how in love you are with your Evenstrain.

Hope I've helped...

Gunny

Gunny,

First off... Thank you for the insight and review. This is very helpful. Having talked with several folks that have modded Cougars the Evenstrain and Ian's design are very similar in feel. In fact my Evenstrain is so good it often shows other flaws in the original Cougar design. I too have some crazy number of hours with my Cougar and know exactly what you're talking about in terms of resistance and a centering detent. I don't miss that feel though I still use the rubber boot. I think I got used to it and kept it that way.

Moving forward I really am on the fence about the Warthog. I fly a variety of sims but mostly IL2 and I enjoy my rotories for obvious reasons.

I may sit on this one a while and let the first wave of Warthogs and wait for all it's problems to come out before taking the plunge. What's pretty sad is I have a brand new Cougar sitting in the box as a back up. If anything goes wrong I'm pretty well set for parts and such.

Again thank you for the write up. It was very helpful.

Stubes

[JG27CaptStubing]

are you my long lost brother?

S!

Gunny

lol

[TUSA/TX-Gunslinger]

Gunny,

I don't miss that feel though I still use the rubber boot. I think I got used to it and kept it that way.


One of the amazing subtleties of the "Cougar World" is the Evenstrain mod. I studied this one and was very close to ordering in when production terminated. As I remember it had the lightest stick forces of all the mods at the time. After it was discontinued - Ian finished the U2nxt, and I was able to get serial #37.

If the Evenstrain has lighter tension than the U2Nxt, then that would allow you to keep the boot, and have about the same tension as I do now. Wish I had a strain gauge to test...


Moving forward I really am on the fence about the Warthog. I fly a variety of sims but mostly IL2 and I enjoy my rotories for obvious reasons.

I may sit on this one a while and let the first wave of Warthogs and wait for all it's problems to come out before taking the plunge. What's pretty sad is I have a brand new Cougar sitting in the box as a back up. If anything goes wrong I'm pretty well set for parts and such.



LOL, that was my plan - until I got overexcited. I'll certainly let you know what I find, later.

Great to see you Stubes!

All the best,

Gunny

[albx]

Right now Amazon.co.uk offers it at £199.99!!!
If I wasn't afraid of its stability (I can't screw it on my desk) and didn't hate the lack of rotaries, I'd buy it at once :)

probably it was an error?? till this morning was £199.99, but right now is £299.99!!! had a good deal who bought it for £199.99....

[Flanker35M]

S!

Yep, paid over 400€ for mine..but hobbies are not free at times ;)

[JG52Krupi]

probably it was an error?? till this morning was £199.99, but right now is £299.99!!! had a good deal who bought it for £199.99....

Last time I checked you could get it on play.com for 199

[Triggaaar]

probably it was an error?? till this morning was £199.99, but right now is £299.99!!! had a good deal who bought it for £199.99....

Last time I checked you could get it on play.com for 199Wow, bargain. I don't exactly need one, and couldn't afford one if I did, but if I'd have seen those mistakes I'd have bought. Price comparison sites show that amazon and play have it at £199, but when you go to their sites it's back up to £299 on both.

[svanen]

probably it was an error?? till this morning was £199.99, but right now is £299.99!!! had a good deal who bought it for £199.99....

My order has status dispatched and got a tracking number from DHL, £199 with free shipping to Sweden, thats really great price.. :D

[JG52Krupi]

My order has status dispatched and got a tracking number from DHL, £199 with free shipping to Sweden, thats really great price.. :D

Just out of interest where is it right now? :evil:

[335th_GRSwaty]

Mine is at Saran FR,

265 € Priority Express to Greece!Estimated tomorrow 17 Dec!

[JAMF]

When anyone is checking the Warthog on Amazon and checks the right-most image(s) that includes notes when you "mouse over" the image... click the "like" in the top-right if you like it. :D

[335th_GRSwaty]

When anyone is checking the Warthog on Amazon and checks the right-most image(s) that includes notes when you "mouse over" the image... click the "like" in the top-right if you like it. :D

Done, really like it!

[HFC_Dolphin]

Nice work JAMF!

By the way, I think some of us were lucky to get it at £100 discount :D

[JKeefe]

Since you are seeing this thread - could you answer a question?

Do you fly propeller sims or jet sims mainly? Or would you say you fly them all equally?I am definitely a jet sim guy. Sorry for the late response; I chose instant email notification for this thread but never received an email...

By the way, there has been some discussion over at the Eagle Dynamics forums about how to remedy the sticktion that some are feeling with this stick.
http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=62564
One of the solutions focuses on removing the main coil spring and moving the plate tensioning screws from the bottom to the top of the plate. This reduces stick force markedly, and by definition this would also reduce the center bump. It might be something you are interested in.