MonsterTech Joystick/HOTAS Table Mounts Review

MonsterTech Joystick/HOTAS Table Mounts Review

By @PaulRix - September 26, 2017

Originally published at: Articles - Mudspike Forums


Mudspike Contributor @PaulRix shares his impressions of his recently acquired MonsterTech Table Brackets.


Earlier this year, I upgraded my HOTAS from a Saitek X55 to the Thrustmaster Warthog. Initially I planned to just put the throttle unit and stick side by side on my desk. The problem with that is that the Warthog stick sits pretty high and my desk, which is quite tall, made everything feel rather awkward. It felt like I was trying to fly with motorcycle “ape hangar” handlebars.

I very quickly moved the stick and throttle down to my rollout keyboard tray, mounted under the main desk top.

This was much better but the tray wasn’t designed for the weight (the throttle in particular, is quite heavy) and I was afraid that it wouldn’t take much for the whole setup to come crashing to the floor. Despite this concern, I continued to use this configuration for a few months. The units were still positioned too high to be truly comfortable though. Less than optimal positioning of the stick also made accurate control inputs harder to achieve.

I started looking around for a better solution and that is when I learned about the MonsterTech Table Brackets. The brackets securely clamp onto the edge of your desk, allowing you to mount the joystick and throttle several inches lower than I was achieving using the keyboard tray. Comments and reviews seemed favorable, so I ordered myself a pair with custom designed mounting plates for the Warthog HOTAS. You can also get mounting plates for other HOTAS units.

It took about two weeks before they were ready to ship out from Germany. When I got home from my last work trip the box was there waiting for me courtesy of DHL. The first thing you see when you open the box is a large cardboard envelope. This contains the mounting plates for the stick and throttle units.

The next layer down, you get your first glimpse of the brackets themselves. They are larger and heavier than I had imagined.

After fitting the joystick plate to the first clamp, I attached the assembly to my desk to see what adjustments would be needed. My desk top is an inch thick and it clamped on perfectly first try. The lever mechanism on the back makes any adjustments straight forward if you should need to make them.

It was then a simple task to remove the stock base plate from the Warthog joystick before attaching the stick to the new bracket assembly.

A very nice feature of the design is that you can adjust the rotation of the stick so that it fits comfortably in your hand if you intend to mount it in a central position, as opposed to a sidestick configuration. The majority of fighter aircraft and helicopters use a centrally mounted stick, so that is how I chose to set it up. I rotated the stick a few degrees counter-clockwise which seems comfortable to me.

The Throttle clamp is put together in much the same way.

I was a little concerned that the weight of the Throttle unit would create a less than solid feel when attached to the bracket but this was unfounded. The Throttle is held in a very solid manner even when adjusted to sit as low as possible.

So this is my setup now:

You do have to be careful when positioning yourself at the desk for a sim session to avoid banging into the stick or throttle with your knees. I think the clamp and HOTAS would be fine if you inadvertently bumped into one of the brackets, but you knees … not so much.

Overall I am very happy with the MonsterTech HOTAS mounting brackets. They are very well made with a solid feel and they look great. Most importantly, they allow the Joystick and Throttle to be mounted in a natural position, much like they would be in a real aircraft. Having the stick positioned in the right place allows for much more precise control inputs as well.

Pros:

  • The mounting brackets allow the HOTAS to be positioned realistically without the need for a full blown simpit or purpose-built chair;
  • The brackets are solidly built;
  • Easy to set up, attach to your desk and remove if necessary;
  • They look great (especially if you get the black version);
  • They are outstanding when used with VR – it makes quite a difference to have your physical controllers closely match the position of their counterparts in the virtual cockpit;
  • Because of the more natural positioning, I found it easier to make small precise control inputs. This was especially noticeable when flying helicopters or when attempting inflight refueling;

Cons:

  • They are little pricy at 89 – 109 Euros each plus shipping. That equates to $101 – $125 USD each plus shipping. The price varies depending on your choice of color (Silver or Black). It would be fairly straight forward to build your own similar solution for a lot less money. Having said that, I think most of us would be hard pressed to build our own setup and have it be just as solid while also being easily adjustable and still look as sharp as the MonsterTech units;
  • You have to be careful of your knees when you approach your desk;

Conclusion: Highly recommended if you don’t want to build a full-blown sim pit but would like to securely position your HOTAS in a more comfortable and realistic manner.

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Great review - thanks @PaulRix! Plus thanks again to @Fridge for herding this one through.

I’m not sure it’ll leave clamp marks on my big and cheap Ikea desk, do you reckon the clamps have a lot of force, i.e. is it spring loaded rather than turn clamps?

Well, my desktop is 1 inch thick. Both of my clamps came preset to that thickness, so I didn’t have to make any adjustments. There is a very thin protective layer under the main part of the clamping surface. When I am not flying sims, I move both the throttle and stick off to the side of my desk, still clamped, just off to the side. So far I see no evidence of either clamp marking the desk.

Here is a closeup photo of the clamping mechanism:

edit: I just messed around with adjusting the clamp. It was very easy to readjust it back to fit my desk correctly.

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+1 review, something I do need and as a Harley rider agree with the set up. My TH WH is up on my gaming laptop desk and not at all comfortable use over long periods, sad really considering how much the stick/throttle is.

Those Monster Tech mounts look pretty solid but I have a feeling when I spin in my chair to get up (I don’t have rollers on my chair), I’ll eventually break the joystick holder off.

I liked the idea though so for anyone on a budget of like $10, there’s always that “primitive technology” :slight_smile: alternative I posted a while back … really easy to make with a 2x4 and a piece of plywood …

The platform floats above my knees and if I do a full throw on my rudder pedals, my left or right knee is just grazing the bottom of the platform (good measurement point). I still love the thing and use a sturdy low side table for my throttle.

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I really like your solution Linebacker. I just know that if I attempted that it would look a mess and probably not work well. I have learned that DIY projects are just not my strong point. My usual M.O used to be:

  1. Spend money on a bunch of parts and materials for my project.
  2. Put it all together as best I could.
  3. Decide that my efforts are not nearly as good as the commercially available product.
  4. Buy commercial product.

Now I just tend to go straight to step 4. For me it actually works out cheaper that way ;).

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I just received DHL notification that my MonsterTech mounts will be here Thurs. Pretty pumped up to get them, although I will probably have to remove the armrests off of my beloved Aeron chair. I ordered silver to match the hardware on my Ikea desk. But looking at your photos again makes me question that choice. The black looks really trick. Will post photos when mounted.

Thanks for the great review Paul.

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I hope you like them Dan! The black ones do look good, especially as my desk has a black desktop. I continued the theme with the dark Graphite Crosswind pedals. My PC case is a graphite black, and then there is the Rift. Sometimes it all blends in together though!

chip, didnt you find the two-arms VESA monitor mount?

After trying a few different locations and orientation. I’m definitely at my happy place with the MonsterTech mounts. Initially, I thought that I would have a side mounted stick, knowing that the angle adjustment on the Warthog Joystick mount would change not only the grip angle, but the relationship of the control throws to the aircraft’s various axis. But the side setup never did feel correct, especially in the pitch axis when moving nose up. Pulling the stick aft caused conflict with elbow and chair. And it didn’t feel natural.

So, I moved the stick mount to the middle and rotated the stick counter-clockwise to a natural position. I tried various aircraft and felt that the stick mount needed lowering to a point where it overlaps the dropped leading edge of my Aeron chair. All of the adjustments are easily carried out with 3 different sizes of allen wrench, 4, 5, and 6mm if memory serves.

Then flew some more, and realized that the stick placement was so natural that my brain quickly adjusted for the angle of control throws. I have to say that flying with a center stick is pretty awesome. I had done it IRL taking aerobatic lessons in a Citabria, and later a tailwheel checkout in a Super Decathlon. But, all of my sim time had been with either desk mounted sticks or yokes. Now, I can’t imagine going back.

Yeah, so while the VESA mounts will work, the big clamp would have been right at the point of where I wanted to place my keyboard. The MonsterTech single throw lever clamps make it really easy to move my stick around, compared to releasing and tightening the VESA mount arms or relocating the arm. I have a cutoff wheel to trim the post, and could find a machine shop to make some mounting plates, but I had been really wanting to try some 80/20 profile gear. I’m hooked on it now. Very cool stuff.

Watching the MonsterTech founders YouTube channel, they seem to have a very logical and humorous approach to their current and future products. They seem like good guys, and I’m wishing them well in their enterprise.

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Having the stick slightly rotated really was a non issue. I am glad you like the desk mounts Dan!

Also, something I am seriously considering is a set of their new MFD mounts that are designed to be used with the TM MFD’s. They might be a nice addition for VR. You would have to feel your way around the bezel I guess, but possibly better than using a mouse…

C[quote=“PaulRix, post:11, topic:4813”]
They might be a nice addition for VR.
[/quote]

You are making a really good argument for separating me from some of the family income! Another thing that I am thinking about is Velcroing my trackball on the top of the left mount. Now, it serves as a perfect spot for a 12 oz adult beverage. Must carefully weigh the benefits.

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These are what @PaulRix is referring to:

Which are mighty interesting!

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I have a reputation to maintain you know. :wink:
IMG_0569

Regarding the trackball, I have started resting mine on my lap when playing DCS. I am thinking of buying a cheap pilot’s kneeboard from Sporties and velcroing the trackball to that. This would allow you to keep your beverage in it’s current location. :beers:

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Andddddd…we’re back.

I’m considering getting these table mounts. However, my current desk has a gradual chamfer at the front. Darn you, ergonomics!

Would anybody be able to check how much the support plate overhangs the vertical piece of the mount? I’m wondering if I have enough flat surface to support this.


When I have my racing wheel set up, I usually use a board, weighed down by my monitor, but I’m not sure I can get a similar setup going here.

Thanks in advance.

I just measured mine…58mm. Could you fashion a small wedge?

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If you use a small plank on the top of the table, the bottom clamp will make it clamp to the table still. You will have to be careful with forces that act towards you and diagonally downwards, but with the right plank it probably works.
I’ve had a slope like that before too.

A plank with a glued on wedge to push back on the table is even better. Add some rubber cover to keep it from sliding.

Meanwhile I have just received the vertical MFD plates with a Streamdeck mount on one side and my 11” display with MFD Cougars mounted on top on the other. (See pic)

Quality stuff once again.
Thinking about getting the mouse plate and keyboard clamp later.

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I use the MT chair mounts because every fighter jet should have a swivel seat, and cupholders

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:rofl: Welcome to MudSpike @DeltaMike … I have a feeling you will fit right in here :grin:.

@DeltaMike … ID check lol! Are you [insG]DeltaMike?