I recently received my BlackHog b-explorer controller. It’s a button box that can be fit neatly to the end of most throttles or just mounted independently. The build quality is excellent and I find it very comfortable to use. Wish it had some rotary encoders though! Here is my video overview…
Nice Video! 
I like it but I’d want buttons useful for tuning radio’s, a wheel lever and if at all possible a keypad for data entry
Hmmmm…I like. Knobs are good!
Now that I’m VR-ing in DCS, what I really want is a set of separate Function keys (F1 thru F12) near my throttle hand so I can quickly communicate. I’ve seen some interesting things that might work. Any experience with this?
I used a Razer Tartarus keypad adjacent to my throttle as pictured below for coms and other functions in DCS. I have since got rid of it and now use Voiceattack as @schurem mentioned. It’s less hassle and much more immersive.
F,Y your I…
or
http://derekspearedesigns.com/p1p2.html
I use the latter, in VR. Over time I’ve settled on the toggles/buttons for autopilot, dials for radios. “Big Red Button” for jettison (with control key modifier). Pretty well made. Requires you buy a separate USB cable though (not too expensive). $100 US.
Some scrap wood from my house construction, to make an angled shelf that spans about 4 feet (MFD’s, keyboard, etc go there), and Velcro and the setup it similar.
All good stuff! I’m working on redoing my “sim station” so as to to be flexible enough for DCS and XP11 (and MSFS 2020?) with minimal rearranging. These items will have a place in it all 
And also Vaicom:
Fur Sure…I don’t use a lot of the fxn’s but I use the basic ones all the time: Tanker, Dilbert the wingman, Inbound calls (hoping it will be more useful with the new Super Carrier mod and more advanced ATC)
