The Official Custom Arcade Sticks Thread

[TuRbiN NaTOr]

whats up peeps

i need two godly PS2 sticks

let me know what u guys can do

MAni

Hit me up on aim if u want my aim name is TuRbiN NaTOr

[donaldducktm]

wow i'm so surprised that i've attempted to make on! it looks and feels so god damn good!!!

only thing is...i didn't solder and wire yet. i need some mad tips cuhz i only have 1 madcatz DC controller and it's fucking rare to find one.

Big props go to J-ride for helping me and encouraging me for bringing my hopes up to actually make one. so far i've done a very good job :) . thanks buddy :D

[MrJamie]

Yea, I'd love a nice dreamcast stick, and I read that request two replies up so please don't flame me if this isn't a thread that allows requests, but if you'd be interested in helping me make or making me one, give me a message... Schizio over AOL IM or cardboard@mac.com

[Gnam]

go buy a 10 ohm resistor and replace it i belive its the one one the left a little i think there is only 2 then after that it should be able 2 handle a little more wear.
Will this fix a broken DC or just prevent breakage on a new DC? I had my controller ports blow, and I heard it's fixable, but I have no knowledge of soldering or electronics, so I figure I'm stuck buying a new one (at this point most places won't fix it for less than 30 some dollars, and a new DC is $30-40 at EB).

Oh yeah, is there any advantage to ball top sticks? I know most commercial sticks they sell over here are ball-tops, but I allways found them annoying and uncomfortable, and they aren't accurate to the arcades either. However, a korean friend of mine said in Asia they use ball tops in the arcades. I remember back when Capcom released an official SF2 stick for SNES it was a ball top also. What's the deal?

[Dreaded Fist]

trackz try doing an ex move in 3s with hp+mp or hk+mk. Because i made a stick using the performance astropad and there was analog problems, with i press L+x, i would get L~X instead. very weird.

btw trackz: for putting custom artwork on my stick should i print on a sticker and just lay it on top? or print regular on glossy paper and use plexi. Can i get a sticker printed on glossy paper? I need one of 20" x 17". How much would that cost to print on glossy and glossy w/ sticker? It says on your site that 1 square foot is $10. Does that mean that i can get a whole 20 x 17 printed on one sheet and not have to tape 2 11x17 pieces together?

[Shin-RoTeNdO]

Originally posted by Dreaded Fist

btw trackz: for putting custom artwork on my stick should i print on a sticker and just lay it on top? or print regular on glossy paper and use plexi. Can i get a sticker printed on glossy paper? I need one of 20" x 17". How much would that cost to print on glossy and glossy w/ sticker? It says on your site that 1 square foot is $10. Does that mean that i can get a whole 20 x 17 printed on one sheet and not have to tape 2 11x17 pieces together?

I'm not trackz, but I'll help you out with this one. Kinkos my friend, Kinkos. You can have it printed on vinyl. Expensive, but well worth it. Just put that shit on a disk, take it over there and they'll print it out on whatever size you want. Hope that helps.

[Ultima-X]

so what is the SAV stick link? Is the guy still in bussiness?

[ssjbrydon]

madcatz ps2 pads = EASY shit too solder! im amazed at how easy it is for me to work with this pad.

[ashurax]

Originally posted by Gnam

Will this fix a broken DC or just prevent breakage on a new DC? I had my controller ports blow, and I heard it's fixable, but I have no knowledge of soldering or electronics, so I figure I'm stuck buying a new one (at this point most places won't fix it for less than 30 some dollars, and a new DC is $30-40 at EB).

Oh yeah, is there any advantage to ball top sticks? I know most commercial sticks they sell over here are ball-tops, but I allways found them annoying and uncomfortable, and they aren't accurate to the arcades either. However, a korean friend of mine said in Asia they use ball tops in the arcades. I remember back when Capcom released an official SF2 stick for SNES it was a ball top also. What's the deal?

well for your first question yes it will fix broken controller ports, but a 10 ohm resistor is too much. With 10 ohm, jump packs might not work properly and your vmu might become all screwy. If u can try and get a resistor as close to the original specs (the dc original uses a .37 ohm resistor, 1.0 ohm resistor worked fine for me and my P360 joystick).

for your second question ball sticks are the standard in Japan. They say its more comfortable, more precise, and has a lower throw (distance and time to register input)due to their being shorter.

[epyonx]

Where can i find this arcade stick for cheap , anyone in NYC will sell it to me?Is it any good? Is that a JAPANESE arcade stick since its a ball? Can someoen help me make a custom arcade stick? damn i asked to many questions.

[ashurax]

Originally posted by epyonx
Where can i find this arcade stick for cheap , anyone in NYC will sell it to me?Is it any good? Is that a JAPANESE arcade stick since its a ball? Can someoen help me make a custom arcade stick? damn i asked to many questions.

Thats the official DC arcade stick. You can get it on Ebay cheap if your lucky. It is a pretty good arcade stick, but I would rather just build my own joystick and put a ball top joystick in if I really wanted a Jap joystick.

[LiLa2nb0l]

is shadowblade good for ps2 using playing marvel vs capcom 2?

[MajinCable]

Originally posted by LiLa2nb0l
is shadowblade good for ps2 using playing marvel vs capcom 2?

MvC 2 for the PS2 so shitty. Don't even bother with the Shadowblade is it just as bad..Please don't waste your money on that joke stick. Also you should take you MvC 2 for the PS2 back to the store and try and get a copy of MvC 2 for the DC.

Rotendo, Thanks for the Info on hooking up 360 sticks. I just finished the hack for a PS2 controller. Now I am in the process of making money and building other people controllers.

-Majin Cable

[Ultima-X]

hello? so whats the deal....:confused:

[Gnam]

Don't even bother with the Shadowblade is it just as bad..Please don't waste your money on that joke stick
Damn, I just bought one and it's in the mail coming to me right now. What's so bad about it?
Where can i find this arcade stick for cheap , anyone in NYC will sell it to me?Is it any good? Is that a JAPANESE arcade stick since its a ball? Can someoen help me make a custom arcade stick? damn i asked to many questions.
I heard the Sega arcade stick can short out your DC controller port eventually unless you install a stronger resistor. Mine shorted out from a PSX/Saturn->Dreamcast converter. It worked fine with my PSX and PS2 controllers, but the one time my friend tried his saturn controller, nothing happened. We ignored it and kept playing with DC controllers, but then tried again a week or two later, and after it didn't work, none of the ports worked with any controller. Anyway, the moral of the story is watch out what you stick in your DC.

Anyway, I remember some guys down here were selling custom sticks. I think they were called SAV sticks. What happened to them, did they quit?

well for your first question yes it will fix broken controller ports, but a 10 ohm resistor is too much. With 10 ohm, jump packs might not work properly and your vmu might become all screwy. If u can try and get a resistor as close to the original specs (the dc original uses a .37 ohm resistor, 1.0 ohm resistor worked fine for me and my P360 joystick).
According to this FAQ: http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/dreamcast/file/dreamcast_controller_port_repair.txt the standard DC resistor is near 5 ohms and it doesn't mention problems after installing a 10 ohm resistor. Maybe we're talking about 2 different resistors. The one he mentions in the FAQ is marked 'F1'. It sounds easy enough, but I still need to learn how to solder.

for your second question ball sticks are the standard in Japan. They say its more comfortable, more precise, and has a lower throw (distance and time to register input)due to their being shorter.
Wierd. I remember in the official Capcom SF2 guide they had a section on different hand positions to use the ball stick. The one that seemed most effective was holding it under-handed, but that was still slightly akward, and sucked for doing anything left-sided. Even just trying to hold it the normal way felt uncomfortable to me because the ball was too small and the wrong shape for normal human hands. I guess they're just used to it in Japan. The odd thing is how american console sticks are mostly ball tops even though no one over here knows it's standard in japan and over here the standard is a true stick. These guys http://www.arkino.com.tw/stick.htm make a cooll stick because it's like a compromise/combination of the ball and stick, but I emailed them and they didn't respond. Don't know the price or if they even ship to the US.

[LiLa2nb0l]

damnit! guess i waste on money on that pos shadowblade.... ya its really crappy.... can even do a speical with that pos. thanks for the advice

[qaotik]

Im glad to see that this topic is still alive since I have some questions. I want my stick to be compatible with PC/PS2/DC and maybe Saturn also. So the the big problem is the pad + adapters compatability with each other and games.

Is the ps1 dualshock the most compatible pad to hack?




We need to build some info on what are the best adapters and help each other out. If you have bought some please share your thoughts about it.

1. Adapters name and model (picture)?
2. Does it have lag when buttons are pressed?
3. How many buttons can you press simultaneously?
4. And what pad were you using?
5. Extra info like DC VMU slot and incompatabilities with games etc.

[soyboy]

hey, i have the ps to dc converter called Total Control plus and for some reason the L1 and R1 buttons on my ascii FT2 stick dont work when i try to play 3s. this is strange because the L1 and R1 buttons work when i play cvs2 or mvc2 on dc. im wondering if anyone else has the same prob and if there is a different converter that u know of that works on 3s where the L1 and R1 buttons on the ascii stick work properly.

thx

[sevenD_eight]

Originally posted by soyboy
hey, i have the ps to dc converter called Total Control plus and for some reason the L1 and R1 buttons on my ascii FT2 stick dont work when i try to play 3s. this is strange because the L1 and R1 buttons work when i play cvs2 or mvc2 on dc. im wondering if anyone else has the same prob and if there is a different converter that u know of that works on 3s where the L1 and R1 buttons on the ascii stick work properly.

thx

i had the same problem when we tried to use my friends converter for 3s..but for mvc2 it worked perfect..i will find out what his adapter is called and get back to you..but i use an adapter i bought off ebay..some guy sells a whole bunch of them for only 9 + 1.75 shipping...i've made custom sticks w/ 3rd party controllers using this adapter and never had any problems(not even playing 3s)..and i been using my stick for a couple months..

btw, there have been threads on adapters..try searching for them..there are a variety of adapters from different sites..try looking around the threads..

[Ookima]

Well...since people are talking about converters...I was wondering, I have a stick with a P360 wired into it for the PS2, will it still work if I buy a controller adaptor for the Gamecube...I mean will it still draw or will the GC supply the 3.3v that the PS2 did before?

[Horseflesh]

Originally posted by Ookima
Well...since people are talking about converters...I was wondering, I have a stick with a P360 wired into it for the PS2, will it still work if I buy a controller adaptor for the Gamecube...I mean will it still draw or will the GC supply the 3.3v that the PS2 did before?

I used the Nyko Playcube adaptor with my 360 stick on my MAS and never had any issues.

[ComboMasher]

Ok, i want to make joystick for my DC. I have a crappy TOPMAXX arcade stick, but i want to use some parts from it to make my stick. I have arcade buttons,wire's and cherry switch's to replace the crappy rubber sensor buttons that it had. Does anyone know how I can wire my buttons to the TOPMAXX circuitboard?

[Ultima-X]

OK Let me say this again.... :o

What happened to the SAV stick?:(

[Vinnyman]

Originally posted by Gnam

Will this fix a broken DC or just prevent breakage on a new DC? I had my controller ports blow, and I heard it's fixable, but I have no knowledge of soldering or electronics, so I figure I'm stuck buying a new one (at this point most places won't fix it for less than 30 some dollars, and a new DC is $30-40 at EB).

replacing the resistor on a blown port will fix that problem for good if you replace it with a 10ohm resistor......soldering part is easy, u should give it a shot, you have nothing to lose. lemme re-salvage my post that explains the process.

[Vinnyman]

Originally posted by Vinnyman

replacing the resistor on a blown port will fix that problem for good if you replace it with a 10ohm resistor......soldering part is easy, u should give it a shot, you have nothing to lose. lemme re-salvage my post that explains the process.
this is a quote taken from one of my earlier posts in this thread:

dood, are you sure you used the right port....now i'm kinda reluctant to try it. you just blew out the resistor and can be easily replaced. to fix the problem, simply open up your DC and take the controller port out. then if you look closely, you will see a little resistor (blue color). snap that mofo off and replace it with another....preferably a more resistant one. take it to your nearest electronic store and ask around for an F5 10ohm resistor, solder that one on there and voila, a working DC controller port.

[Tigerstile]

Has anybody ever hacked the Enforcer joystick for the DC.

see this link

http://images.auctionworks.com/hi/58/57601/topmax_dc_joystick.2.jpg

http://images.auctionworks.com/hi/58/57601/topmax_dc_joystick.1.jpg

I need some tips on how to solder this board.It has these round points on the PCB under the buttons and I can't tell where the hot and ground are.

[soyboy]

Originally posted by sevenD_eight


i had the same problem when we tried to use my friends converter for 3s..but for mvc2 it worked perfect..i will find out what his adapter is called and get back to you..but i use an adapter i bought off ebay..some guy sells a whole bunch of them for only 9 + 1.75 shipping...i've made custom sticks w/ 3rd party controllers using this adapter and never had any problems(not even playing 3s)..and i been using my stick for a couple months..

btw, there have been threads on adapters..try searching for them..there are a variety of adapters from different sites..try looking around the threads..

k, i did a search and found the adapter i think that u have on ebay. i think ill give it a try since its cheap.

thx for the help and plz let me know what your friends adapter is called out of curiosity.

[TrackZ]

I'll let you know when I get a chance to fire up that game if I have problems with it.

Regarding the printing, Kinko's can do anything so it all depends on what you want. For the main overlay, I wouldn't recommend printing on a sticker. Too much chance of screwing something up if you don't set it correctly. Either get it printed on vinyl or regular paper. If you go regular paper, have it laminated. That's what we did. It's about the same price. Printing is $10/sq foot. Yes, you can get a 20" x 17" print. Ours was around 36" x 12" single piece. They just calculate the square footage x $10 to arrive at the price.

Originally posted by Dreaded Fist
trackz try doing an ex move in 3s with hp+mp or hk+mk. Because i made a stick using the performance astropad and there was analog problems, with i press L+x, i would get L~X instead. very weird.

btw trackz: for putting custom artwork on my stick should i print on a sticker and just lay it on top? or print regular on glossy paper and use plexi. Can i get a sticker printed on glossy paper? I need one of 20" x 17". How much would that cost to print on glossy and glossy w/ sticker? It says on your site that 1 square foot is $10. Does that mean that i can get a whole 20 x 17 printed on one sheet and not have to tape 2 11x17 pieces together?

[TrackZ]

I'd recommend staying away from the adapters and just hacking the controllers for each system individually. You can design your arcade stick with an interface that allows for easy hookup of any controller type. See my web site from the link below.

Originally posted by qaotik
Im glad to see that this topic is still alive since I have some questions. I want my stick to be compatible with PC/PS2/DC and maybe Saturn also. So the the big problem is the pad + adapters compatability with each other and games.

Is the ps1 dualshock the most compatible pad to hack?




We need to build some info on what are the best adapters and help each other out. If you have bought some please share your thoughts about it.

1. Adapters name and model (picture)?
2. Does it have lag when buttons are pressed?
3. How many buttons can you press simultaneously?
4. And what pad were you using?
5. Extra info like DC VMU slot and incompatabilities with games etc.

[sevenD_eight]

Originally posted by soyboy


k, i did a search and found the adapter i think that u have on ebay. i think ill give it a try since its cheap.

thx for the help and plz let me know what your friends adapter is called out of curiosity.

lol..he has the total control plus...

[ComboMasher]

Originally posted by Tigerstile
Has anybody ever hacked the Enforcer joystick for the DC.

see this link

http://images.auctionworks.com/hi/58/57601/topmax_dc_joystick.2.jpg

http://images.auctionworks.com/hi/58/57601/topmax_dc_joystick.1.jpg

I need some tips on how to solder this board.It has these round points on the PCB under the buttons and I can't tell where the hot and ground are.

I am asking the same question. Does anyone know how to do this? Please respond ASAP.

[neoKEN]

hey, i have the ps to dc converter called Total Control plus and for some reason the L1 and R1 buttons on my ascii FT2 stick dont work when i try to play 3s. this is strange because the L1 and R1 buttons work when i play cvs2 or mvc2 on dc. im wondering if anyone else has the same prob and if there is a different converter that u know of that works on 3s where the L1 and R1 buttons on the ascii stick work properly.

I have FT2 and 3s for me. My adapter is by Innovation. I bought it from electronic boutique near my area for 20$

[Dreaded Fist]

i use the dc dream connection 3 in 1. never had a problem with any game including 3s/cvs2/mvc2/jojo/ggx/ etc...

you can get it at elite for $10

www.flash.to/ege

[DarkBuu]

Originally posted by ComboMasher


I am asking the same question. Does anyone know how to do this? Please respond ASAP.

Im pretty sure that some1 has already posted the schematics somewhere earlier in this thread, I would look for it but there is a lot of pages and im too lazy:cool: .

[Shin-RoTeNdO]

Originally posted by Tigerstile
Has anybody ever hacked the Enforcer joystick for the DC.

see this link

http://images.auctionworks.com/hi/58/57601/topmax_dc_joystick.2.jpg

http://images.auctionworks.com/hi/58/57601/topmax_dc_joystick.1.jpg

I need some tips on how to solder this board.It has these round points on the PCB under the buttons and I can't tell where the hot and ground are.

Hey Tigetstile!! I have. You don't need to solder t he joystick part, but you'll nee to do some slight soldering on the pcb for the buttons. I returned it to EB, cuz I was looking for a solder less type pcb to work with, but anyway.

[Hayabusa]

What about the PCB of an S-controller?

I have the guts of one that the casing was unfortunately broken. It looks like it would take some serious solder work, but is it even worth attempting?

[Shin-RoTeNdO]

Originally posted by Hayabusa
What about the PCB of an S-controller?

I have the guts of one that the casing was unfortunately broken. It looks like it would take some serious solder work, but is it even worth attempting?

Yes if the casing is broken. What else are you going to use it for? Shouldn't be that much work.

[Gnam]

OK, thanks a lot for the info on DC controller ports and resistors. It turns out my room mate has a soldering iron, and a couple of my friends know how to solder, so I should be able to so it pretty easily.

Now the question is....should I send back my Shadowblade? It came in today, and I tried it out. It's hard to judge since I don't have much experience with actual arcade sticks. Of course, I had trouble with it since I'm not used to using a joystick, but overall the control problems I had seemed to be more or less the same as when I played in the arcades. The clicking is kinda annoying, though I can get used to tha t if necessary.

My main question is... does anyone have a lot of experience with both actual arcade sticks AND the shadowblade? I want to know wether there's a major difference control wise between a shadowblade and an actual arcade stick. Obviously there are going to be slight differences, but theoretically getting used to a different stick wouldn't be any easier than getting used to a different stick, and I would assume if I finally perfected using the shadowblade (as opposed to a PSX or DC pad) it would only take some minor adjustments getting used to a real arcade stick. Anyone have some input on this?

My other problem is having the stick's unit wobbling around in my lap while I play, especially when I'm trying to hit up or down. It's really a pain in the ass. Unfortunately I live in a shitty college dorm room, so trying to steady it on a chair or desk doesn't work because the furniture itself wobbles too. Also, theres no space in the room to get a new table or something just to use as an anchor for a game controller.

[Ton]

What kind of power drills do you guys use? How much amp/volts or whatever it is called? See how much I know about tools. I just need an idea how powerful of a drill do I need to drill holes for the buttons. I borrowed a friends drill which was like 6volts and i couldn't drill the holes. Any help will be appreciated.

[damion]

Me and my friend made a couple sticks over the weekend. This one is mine. The 3rd strike symbol is temporary until i go to kinkos and get my real design printed out. i think im going to leave it like this for a while tho. So tell me what you guys think.

[Rick Fn Stalvey]

Originally posted by Shinma_sama
I am working on the DC newer Madcatz and got everything to work except all of the kicks seem"analog" The kicks only come out when u release the button. What is that. Here is a link to the type of dc madcatz I am working on. I found this pic on CD vissions homepage.

http://www.darkravenwind.com/cdvision/newpad.htm

Can anyone help???

Still having the trouble were the kicks will only come out when the button is released. I tried soldering 2 grounds like ant one said but still no luck. Does anyone know what causes this???

[haduken111]

I'm thinking about trying to mod my agetec to be able to play psx games has anyone ever done it? we have an old agetec with like 3 buttons in it that is expendable, just so we can see how it works. If anyone has heard about this being done, impossible, really hard/easy or not worth it lemme know. I'm probably gonna try regardless though, but i'd just like to know. I would by a custom stick, but they are too huge, and i just want something i can throw in my bookbag, and i dont really want two agetec size sticks, does a DC--> psx adapter exist?

[J-ride]

Yeah Ive seen people do that, most people just cut out the wires to the Agetec PCB and then they wire it to a barrier strip then wire in a controller, the agetec is wired with one ground (I think) so any one ground controller would wire up fine, but if you wanted to do even more work you could rewire everything...But Im lazy so you know how that goes.

[Shin-RoTeNdO]

Originally posted by haduken111
does a DC--> psx adapter exist?

No, but probably there is someone who have made one using parts bought from Radio Shack and shit like that. If you know how a pcb works, then you can make your own. Try www.howstuffworks.com That's where I get a lot of my info and shit. Maybe you can find out in there. Good luck!

[Ensenga]

to anyone??:How do you wire an original SONY brand psx controller and on original SEGA brand dc controller

also when soldering is it neccessary to drill a hole into yur soldering pionts or can you just solder directly on the soldering points

one last question when wiring a DC controller how do you wire the L and R triggers

thx anyone who helps


Jay

[TrackZ]

Originally posted by Ensenga
to anyone??:How do you wire an original SONY brand psx controller and on original SEGA brand dc controller

also when soldering is it neccessary to drill a hole into yur soldering pionts or can you just solder directly on the soldering points

one last question when wiring a DC controller how do you wire the L and R triggers

thx anyone who helps


Jay

For PSX info, look here:

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/jdpyle1/controls_playstation.htm

For DC info, look here:

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/jdpyle1/controls_dreamcast.htm

You don't need to do any drilling, just solder directly to the points on the board. You can see where the L and R trigger connection points are on the web site.

[Ensenga]

Originally posted by TrackZ


For PSX info, look here:

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/jdpyle1/controls_playstation.htm

For DC info, look here:

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/jdpyle1/controls_dreamcast.htm

You don't need to do any drilling, just solder directly to the points on the board. You can see where the L and R trigger connection points are on the web site.


I'm at school and can't look at that page and I don't have a comp at home:( . You mind just telling me I don't need to know that much, just were to solder the triggers

[haduken111]

Originally posted by J-ride
Yeah Ive seen people do that, most people just cut out the wires to the Agetec PCB and then they wire it to a barrier strip then wire in a controller, the agetec is wired with one ground (I think) so any one ground controller would wire up fine, but if you wanted to do even more work you could rewire everything...But Im lazy so you know how that goes.
Thanks but I dont really understand. Could go in to a little more detail. How the button switches work ect.

[Rick Fn Stalvey]

Originally posted by Shinma_sama


Still having the trouble were the kicks will only come out when the button is released, This is on the new Madcatz. I tried soldering 2 grounds like ant one said but still no luck. Does anyone know what causes this???

[LotusJuggalo17]

Who here has used velcro to velco the top or bottom to their stick? Does Velcro work well? I want something that will stick very well, but doesn't feel a little too loose.

[donaldducktm]

hey could someone help me how to wire a Dreamcast controller?

i dunno why there is one wire that goes all around (blue wire) once and the others single wire from board to buttons (blue AND red wire)...look at the picture

how do i know if i have 1 ground or multiple grounds? :confused: :confused: :confused:

[Tigerstile]

Originally posted by RoTeNdO


Hey Tigetstile!! I have. You don't need to solder t he joystick part, but you'll nee to do some slight soldering on the pcb for the buttons. I returned it to EB, cuz I was looking for a solder less type pcb to work with, but anyway.


Thanks.I don't have a problem soldering.I just need to know how to identify hot and groung on the pcb each button has some sort of circular point undernieth which the little rubber part touches down on when you press down on the button.

[Vinnyman]

Originally posted by donaldducktm
hey could someone help me how to wire a Dreamcast controller?

i dunno why there is one wire that goes all around (blue wire) once and the others single wire from board to buttons (blue AND red wire)...look at the picture

how do i know if i have 1 ground or multiple grounds? :confused: :confused: :confused:
the blue wire is the ground, for most controllers, you only need 1 common ground. the red wires are for the buttons.

[donaldducktm]

Originally posted by Vinnyman

the blue wire is the ground, for most controllers, you only need 1 common ground. the red wires are for the buttons. okay that explains a lot. but last question, when i connect all the blue wires to the stick and buttons...where do i put it on the pad?

[Running Uppercut]

I ordered a Red Octane stick (to hack of course) on Monday, and I still haven't received the "its been sent" email. How long did it take you guys to get yours?

[Ten]

Quick question:

How would one go about replacing the gray controller cord for an Agetec Arcade Stick?

Everything else is intact, but a short in the cord has rendered it nonfunctional.

Help appreciated.

[Zivilyn Bane]

This might be posted 100x.. sifting through these boards for the 5th time in a while doesn't sound fun...

Anyway...
Graphic under Lexan. How should I go about doing that?
I have NO clue how this works...

I've heard from one a while back, the fellow mentioned printinf something on your comp, getting it enlarged to photo paper at Business depo or whatever?

What about vinyl? Cost? What do you need to bring them?

My box is 10x14, so I can't really print anything on my printer....

Thanks.

[PiBlondin]

Originally posted by RunningUppercut
I ordered a Red Octane stick (to hack of course) on Monday, and I still haven't received the "its been sent" email. How long did it take you guys to get yours?

I ordered one in the morning and picked it up the same afternoon.

Pierre B.

[Ookima]

ack...i just cant get the P360 to work with my madcatz PS1 controller...Dual Force 1 its called. All my buttons work and I wired the P360 to a 3.3v source...but for some reason it is some how voltage dividing and only being provided around 1.7v. I tried all the wires that were giving out 3.3v and nothing is happening.

[Ton]

I'm gonna make a stick for my bro, so I want to know which stick is better. The Super or Competition joystick? He mostly plays the Vs games and I would like to know which is better for those games? Which one is the closes to the actual sticks in the arcade and which one is better in doing fireball motions? I would get him the P360 but don't want to spend 40 bucks just for him to mash with and probably break in a few days. Any help will be appreciated.

[sevenD_eight]

Originally posted by Zivilyn Bane
This might be posted 100x.. sifting through these boards for the 5th time in a while doesn't sound fun...

Anyway...
Graphic under Lexan. How should I go about doing that?
I have NO clue how this works...

I've heard from one a while back, the fellow mentioned printinf something on your comp, getting it enlarged to photo paper at Business depo or whatever?

What about vinyl? Cost? What do you need to bring them?

My box is 10x14, so I can't really print anything on my printer....

Thanks.

print out your graphics on your comp..as large as you can..a full page is good...should be 8 1/2 X 11..then go to kinkos and have them enlarge it..only costs $2.14 for a 11x17 color copy on photo paper..

then cut your graphics to size..you said 10/14..then put it on top of your joystick..then place the plexiglass on top and drill all your holes(buttons, joystick, carriage bolts, etc)..screw in everything and you're done..

this is the way i've always done mine and quality has been excellent...you can always save your pics to a disk and bring them the disk so they can print the pics also...just depends on how you wanna do things..

ps.look for sticks made by other people on this thread..theres plenty of good examples..pics are all over the place..just search..

Originally posted by Ton
I'm gonna make a stick for my bro, so I want to know which stick is better. The Super or Competition joystick? He mostly plays the Vs games and I would like to know which is better for those games? Which one is the closes to the actual sticks in the arcade and which one is better in doing fireball motions? I would get him the P360 but don't want to spend 40 bucks just for him to mash with and probably break in a few days. Any help will be appreciated.

i've always used competitions in my joysticks...tried super and ultimate and didnt like it..i think the comp stick is as close to p360 as you're gunna get w/out spending 40..IMO

[epyonx]

all i need is help with making a casing for the arcade stick since i think i can have everythign else taken care of. any help for a box of sorts.

[LotusJuggalo17]

I have a question about overlays. I have a wood finish on the top of my stick, but can I get the overlay printed out on vinyl and still be able to stick it to my stick somehow? I really don't want to use lexan or any other plastic over it. I just want the overlay right on top of the wood. Thanks

[sevenD_eight]

Originally posted by LotusJuggalo17
I have a question about overlays. I have a wood finish on the top of my stick, but can I get the overlay printed out on vinyl and still be able to stick it to my stick somehow? I really don't want to use lexan or any other plastic over it. I just want the overlay right on top of the wood. Thanks

making a custom stick is all about experimenting...i would think double sided tape would do the trick..or some kind of glue that sprays out of a can(forget what its called) would keep it intact also..

doing it that way would definately save time & money(deending how much they charge to print on vinyl) and you wouldn't have to be as careful drilling as you would plexi/lexan..

you can also laminate your artwork and find a way to secure it to your box(buttons will hold it in place but you would want to hold down the edges with glue/screws, something very durable)[[although you don't want plastic over your art, it will protect it..not having anything over your art might leave it vulnerable to scratches/ripping/wearing down.]]

thing is, the plexi is a real nice touch and you can expect the overlay to outlast the buttons/lexan/joystick/etc.

[LotusJuggalo17]

sevenD_eight: Do you know what Mas Systems uses on they overlay/underlay dealy? That seems to hold really well and I wanted something very similar to that.

[Rick Fn Stalvey]

Anyone know where I can purchase online the japanese joystick with the american "bat style" top. I had a link befor but lost it :(



Also I am having trouble with a Madcatz soldering project. All buttons work fine except the kicks, which do work except they will only work when the button is Released. Wierd. Its colored madcatz with 6 button face and analog triggers. I tried soldering 2 seperate grounds like AntOne suggested but it didnt work. Any advice is well appreciated.

[donaldducktm]

i just got a new controller FOR FREE and i'd like to know where the soldering points are...please help :confused:

[LotusJuggalo17]

donaldducktm: If I am not mistaken, that is a Madcatz pad right? If it is, here is a site with all the soldering points and tips for that pad.

http://www.darkravenwind.com/cdvision/madcatz.htm

Hope that helps. Check out the links on the first page and look at people's examples of pads to try and figure out the soldering points. :)

[Ookima]

Shinma_sama: Apparently we have similar problems...I also used 2 different grounds but no matter what I just can't draw 3.3v needed for my P360. I had no problems before using a digital Sony PS1 pad.

[OmegaRed]

Sorry this may have been said I didn't read all 21 pages - is there any way to get a MAS stick to play on Sega Saturn?

[sevenD_eight]

Originally posted by LotusJuggalo17
sevenD_eight: Do you know what Mas Systems uses on they overlay/underlay dealy? That seems to hold really well and I wanted something very similar to that.

from what i hear its just a laminated overlay that is secured somehow to the stick...i dont have a mas but i've played on some..i'll ask one of my friends with a mas what it is when i get a chance..or maybe someone on this thread can answer it...

i know that some people were talking bout it on this thread..just dont ask me where..i know this isnt any help..but maybe those people that do remember read your/my post..laters

[Shin-RoTeNdO]

Originally posted by Tigerstile



Thanks.I don't have a problem soldering.I just need to know how to identify hot and groung on the pcb each button has some sort of circular point undernieth which the little rubber part touches down on when you press down on the button.

Just follow the trace on the pcb. If you find one that traces through all of the buttons and maybe the controls, you've found the ground. Usually it's the nearest copper point to that button/on the trace on the buttons.

[Dreaded Fist]

The Mas artwork overlay is just a laminated sticker. I think i'm going to go this way since if i use plexi/lexan, it would add to the thickness of the top piece and make the shaft of the stick shorter. Unless i can find 1/16" lexan/plexi.

[sevenD_eight]

Originally posted by Dreaded Fist
The Mas artwork overlay is just a laminated sticker. I think i'm going to go this way since if i use plexi/lexan, it would add to the thickness of the top piece and make the shaft of the stick shorter. Unless i can find 1/16" lexan/plexi.

isnt that how sticks in arcade machines are made??5/8 in. thick wood w/ 1/8 in. plexi on top?...i've made a few joysticks all w/ plexi...the height is perfect installing a joystick with plexiglass on top of the wood...

having the stick stick out even further would make it look awkward..+ the longer the joystick the longer it takes to execute movements on the joystick..thats why japanese players prefer the shorter ball & stick joysticks..movements are easier and faster(although i still prefer bat joysticks)..

[Dreaded Fist]

actually i used 3/4" thick mdf so there lies the problem.

on another note: does anyone know a place that'll cut your wood for you?(mdf and slanted cuts), because i need to make some minor changes to my sit-down setup, like making it shorter.

[Tigerstile]

Originally posted by RoTeNdO


Just follow the trace on the pcb. If you find one that traces through all of the buttons and maybe the controls, you've found the ground. Usually it's the nearest copper point to that button/on the trace on the buttons.

I think i have everything narrowed down to the joystick part(up,down,left and right).Problem is...... :confused: the positive and ground on each direction is daisy chained to the next direction counterclockwise.

[magnus]

I was browsing the thread looking for info on how to install a p360 on a dc. I havn't been through the whole thread yet, but if anyone could help direct me that would be really appreciated. i'm pretty sure i can hook up the everything but the power source. any help would be really appreciated. thanks in advanced!

[Maho]

i heard of big arcade sticks burning out dreamcasts.... any thoughts on this?


My cool site (http://www.outwar.com/page.php?x=881029)

[Zivilyn Bane]

Can anyone tell me if I should avoid buying one of those 9 buck DC adapters on eBay?
Any lag and whatnot?

[Running Uppercut]

I got my Red Octane stick today. I ripped out the stick and buttons, and put in my Comp stuff. Everything is grounded well and there are no wires touching anywhere. However, when I press up, it activates Start and X at the same time, and not Up. I've looked at all of my contacts, and the only thing I can come up with is that they fucked up on the soldering of the PBC. Any thoughts from you pros?

[ashurax]

Originally posted by magnus
I was browsing the thread looking for info on how to install a p360 on a dc. I havn't been through the whole thread yet, but if anyone could help direct me that would be really appreciated. i'm pretty sure i can hook up the everything but the power source. any help would be really appreciated. thanks in advanced!

I wired a P360 and took the +5v right off my MadCatz DC PCB. I got this one guy named antone to help me. Look through the thread for his post wid pictures and infor. PM me or him if u need more help.

[ashurax]

Originally posted by Maho
i heard of big arcade sticks burning out dreamcasts.... any thoughts on this?


My cool site (http://www.outwar.com/page.php?x=881029)

Well thats only if u wire the arcade sticks wrong, such as soldering a P360 power source to the wrong wire. If u do burn out the DC controller ports, u can fix it easily by replacing a resistor on the controller board.

[magnus]

Originally posted by ashurax


I wired a P360 and took the +5v right off my MadCatz DC PCB. I got this one guy named antone to help me. Look through the thread for his post wid pictures and infor. PM me or him if u need more help.

i pmed the same guy and i didn't supply all the info he needed to help me out. so i pmed him again. He said that most dc pads have a red (or blue, i have to refer back to my pm) wire that would be able to supply the 5V. Which wires did you use? any help would be really appreciated.

[Vinnyman]

Originally posted by magnus


i pmed the same guy and i didn't supply all the info he needed to help me out. so i pmed him again. He said that most dc pads have a red (or blue, i have to refer back to my pm) wire that would be able to supply the 5V. Which wires did you use? any help would be really appreciated.
most of the DC pads are different...it'll be safer to use a multimeter tester.

[mystikazien]

what do u do if you have 2 grounds? how would i use the wires to connect ANOTHER Common...there is only 1!

help :confused:

[Rick Fn Stalvey]

Anyone know where I can purchase online the japanese joystick with the american "bat style" top. I had a link befor but lost it :(



Also I am having trouble with a Madcatz soldering project. All buttons work fine except the kicks, which do work except they will only work when the button is Released. Wierd. Its colored madcatz with 6 button face and analog triggers. I tried soldering 2 seperate grounds like AntOne suggested but it didnt work. Any advice is well appreciated.

[Heihachi]

Originally posted by Shinma_sama
Anyone know where I can purchase online the japanese joystick with the american "bat style" top. I had a link befor but lost it :(

>>>HERE <<< (http://www.ultimarc.com/controls.html)

[ashurax]

Here's a pic of my arcade stick. P360 joystick and competition pushbuttons interfaced to a Mad Catz DC pad and a layer of lexan covering some strider artwork.

[Ensenga]

Who could sell me a basic (meaning no fancy artwork or extra useless stuff) PS2 stick a japanese joystick for a good price??? I'm tired of breaking shit and tryin to make my own:lol:
holla back

Jay

[magnus]

Originally posted by ashurax
Here's a pic of my arcade stick. P360 joystick and competition pushbuttons interfaced to a Mad Catz DC pad and a layer of lexan covering some strider artwork.


what did you use to cover the box with the artwork? I want to replace the current one that comes on the MAS stick with something that looks better. thanks alot!

[LotusJuggalo17]

Why Happ Controls is so Awesome
The newspaper that they give you! You get to read news from like Chicago and Las Vegas! Happ rules!

Oh, they also have pretty awesome buttons and sticks :p

[ashurax]

Originally posted by magnus



what did you use to cover the box with the artwork? I want to replace the current one that comes on the MAS stick with something that looks better. thanks alot!

Well I printed the artwork out on glossy paper at Staples. Then I put a 1/8" sheet of Lexan (material similar to Plexiglass but A LOT more durable) over it.

[ComboMasher]

Originally posted by ashurax
Here's a pic of my arcade stick. P360 joystick and competition pushbuttons interfaced to a Mad Catz DC pad and a layer of lexan covering some strider artwork.

What are the dimensions to your box?

[Gnam]

Sorry this may have been said I didn't read all 21 pages - is there any way to get a MAS stick to play on Sega Saturn?
If MAS doesn't do saturn connectors, you can probably get a PSX-Saturn converter. I don't know if they make em, but I have some PSX-DC converters that also have saturn ports for saturn-DC conversion, so that shows there may still be some demand for saturn converters.

So, how much does it cost total for the materials to make a stick, and much time does it usually take you guys to do the wiring and stuff?

[ashurax]

Originally posted by ComboMasher


What are the dimensions to your box?

I copied the Box 2 dimensions from here (http://members.cox.net/joysticks/)

[Ensenga]

I just brought the hori SC2 arcade stick for gamecube and I was just wondering were can get a PS2 and/or DC and/or X-box converter.....anyone???:confused:


Jay

[ssjbrydon]

how come when i solder my wire on to my copper points, they fall off after about 10 mins.........they look good and all, but then they just fall......... and go plop.







and also wtf do i use to open up that little piece that goes on the end of the joystick. its like a C shape with a lil point in the middle. i cant push it on the end of my stick for shit.........

[Vinnyman]

Originally posted by ssjbrydon
how come when i solder my wire on to my copper points, they fall off after about 10 mins.........they look good and all, but then they just fall......... and go plop.
try putting a little solder on the copper point itself...and don't forget to tint the wire...if that doesn't work, get some flux.

Originally posted by ssjbrydon

and also wtf do i use to open up that little piece that goes on the end of the joystick. its like a C shape with a lil point in the middle. i cant push it on the end of my stick for shit.........
just use more force...weakass.:lol: :p

[Shin-RoTeNdO]

Originally posted by ssjbrydon


and also wtf do i use to open up that little piece that goes on the end of the joystick. its like a C shape with a lil point in the middle. i cant push it on the end of my stick for shit.........

That shit is as easy as cake!! Get a screwdriver, brace the 'bat handle' of the stick against yourselft or on a surface, then with one hand push down on the square actuator, while with the other hand with the screwdriver, you 'pry' out the C-clip/guard. Just stick in the screwdriver in the gaps and pull the screwdriver handle back. <= [had to explain it Kindergarten style for yous and or everyone else to not get confused or whatever]

[ssjbrydon]

Originally posted by RoTeNdO


That shit is as easy as cake!! Get a screwdriver, brace the 'bat handle' of the stick against yourselft or on a surface, then with one hand push down on the square actuator, while with the other hand with the screwdriver, you 'pry' out the C-clip/guard. Just stick in the screwdriver in the gaps and pull the screwdriver handle back. <= [had to explain it Kindergarten style for yous and or everyone else to not get confused or whatever]




thnx rotendo, imma try it tonight.







vimmy, stfu catboy, u aint pushin that thing on with ur bare hands, im sorry but in not risking coporal tunnel syndrome or some shit.

[sevenD_eight]

Originally posted by Gnam

If MAS doesn't do saturn connectors, you can probably get a PSX-Saturn converter. I don't know if they make em, but I have some PSX-DC converters that also have saturn ports for saturn-DC conversion, so that shows there may still be some demand for saturn converters.

So, how much does it cost total for the materials to make a stick, and much time does it usually take you guys to do the wiring and stuff?

cost:under 70 if you have the necessary tools. most of the cost is the stick and buttons..

time:i've got it down to less than 10 hours.(including wiring/soldering/plexi/paint).if you have everything ready to go.

[N00b_Saib0t]

sorry, but i dont want to read through 50 something pages...

can someone point me to where i can get info on replacing the stick on a red octane stick? what page is it on, if it was discussed?

[Vinnyman]

Originally posted by ssjbrydon

vimmy, stfu catboy, u aint pushin that thing on with ur bare hands, im sorry but in not risking coporal tunnel syndrome or some shit.
/me shines and cocks up his sniper rifle

:lol:

[LotusJuggalo17]

Which hole am I supposed to use to mount my joystick? I've got a Happ Competition, and there's a small hole and an oval looking hole. Which one do I use?

[sevenD_eight]

Originally posted by LotusJuggalo17
Which hole am I supposed to use to mount my joystick? I've got a Happ Competition, and there's a small hole and an oval looking hole. Which one do I use?

depends on the size carriage bolts you use. if you have those large bolts from HD, then use the oval holes...cuz they won't fit..if you have the smaller sized carriage bolts, then use the smaller holes...

theres also a way to mount your joystick w/ out showing bolts..if you get some metal screws which have flat heads..you can mount the bolts under your artwork flush w/ the wood, under the plexi/lexan..which gives the stick a somewhat cleaner look..either way is fine, having the carriage bolts exposed does not affect gameplay..

[LotusJuggalo17]

I bought an AstroPad for DC, and my friend is almost all the way done hacking it, he is having problems with the L and R triggers, which are analog. I just now looked thouroghly through CD-Vision's pad's that don't work, and I now see the Astropad is in there, tell me this isn't true. :(

I enclosed a picture of the wiring to one of the triggers. Sorry if it's bad, but I don't have the pad with me.

[Dreaded Fist]

is u use an astropad, you will have problems wiht the analog buttons, so when you press L+x, you will get L~X instead. Its weird how L would come b4 x,

but heres how you wire the shoulders:

You have to use all 3 wires. from the pcb L1 will go to Com, 3v will go to NO, and GND will go to NC, do the same for the R button.

[Ookima]

hey guys...do any of you know how to draw 3.3v from a PS1 Mad Catz dual shock pad??? I can't seem to do it for some reason...my p360 keeps drawing lower than 3.3v.

[Tech Gaming]

I bought the MadCatz 900mhz Wireless controller pad for PS/PS2. Wondering if anyone has hacked this pad. I need help with figuring out the wirings for analog&digital. Also trying to figure out how to hookup the recharging station.

Any help on this topic would be greatly appreciated :)

... and yes, I actually read through the last 58 pages of this discussion thread :fury:

[Shin-RoTeNdO]

Check this shit out!

www.lowerhell.com/mame/


and the most perfect/professional looking stick I've ever seen... ever!! webpages.charter.net/mjellis1




Is it me, or does it seem that random people have been going through threads and downgrading the thread ratings? Because just about two day ago, it was like 5 bars/max, then I have seen it go down one, and today it's on 2 bars!!! :eek: WTF is going on? I know that no one here did it because I haven't heard any complaints except for having to read through all the damn pages, but come the fuck on, it's valueable information! Anyway, as long as the people get what they want, rating doesn't matter. I just think that it's fucked up someone/some group of people would do that just to do it.

Or maybe it's just me and only a few people have rated it (6 at most) and 3 were max, then the recent ones were like 1 or 2 bars, then it's understandable. Oh well... THIS IS GOOD SHIT!!

[Shin-RoTeNdO]

Originally posted by Tech Gaming


... and yes, I actually read through the last 58 pages of this discussion thread :fury:

I only show 22 pages, because I have it set to view it by 40 posts per page and not 20 or whatever the default is. You should do the same, less trouble. I'm thinking of adjusting it to a higher number.

[Vinnyman]

Originally posted by Tech Gaming

... and yes, I actually read through the last 58 pages of this discussion thread :fury:
IMAO
:lol:

[m3talslug]

Originally posted by RoTeNdO
Check this shit out!

www.lowerhell.com/mame/


and the most perfect/professional looking stick I've ever seen... ever!! webpages.charter.net/mjellis1


That's because it is a professional stick. The X-arcade is a commercial outfit.

[Vinnyman]

Originally posted by m3talslug


That's because it is a professional stick. The X-arcade is a commercial outfit.
why don't they get their heads out of their asses and stop making those sticks sooo close together......man, they're asking for people to have bruised elbows.:bluu:

[Running Uppercut]

Originally posted by RoTeNdO




Is it me, or does it seem that random people have been going through threads and downgrading the thread ratings? Because just about two day ago, it was like 5 bars/max, then I have seen it go down one, and today it's on 2 bars!!! :eek: WTF is going on?

Yeah, they do it to the Computer thread also. Haters:bluu:

[Dreaded Fist]

Originally posted by RoTeNdO
[B]Check this shit out!

www.lowerhell.com/mame/


and the most perfect/professional looking stick I've ever seen... ever!! webpages.charter.net/mjellis1






damn that trackball guy looked like he did wayyy more work than needed. Buying the metal carriage bolts to tie him over until the brass ones get there. lol.

[Shin-RoTeNdO]

Originally posted by m3talslug


That's because it is a professional stick. The X-arcade is a commercial outfit.

I was referring to the second link I posted. I know that they sell the X-Arcade and knew before it was popular and was linked by many websites. I mean that guy had all the tools and shit, literally he had a freakin wood shop with everything he needed to work with. I don't have much, but if I did my sticks would look somewhat professional like his.

[m3talslug]

Originally posted by RoTeNdO


I was referring to the second link I posted. I know that they sell the X-Arcade and knew before it was popular and was linked by many websites. I mean that guy had all the tools and shit, literally he had a freakin wood shop with everything he needed to work with. I don't have much, but if I did my sticks would look somewhat professional like his.

He's a woodworker. In my opinion, the woodworking is more difficult than the electronics in joystick making. Not necessarily in terms of complexity but effort, time, and patience are taxed much more when building the box compared to doing the actual crimping, and soldering (I find it quite relaxing to crimp and solder actually).

[Shin-RoTeNdO]

I agree, building the enclosure takes me a while. Getting the proper measurements, experimenting, sanding, cutting, drilling, painting, leveling and etc... That shit adds up to mad hours, then putting it together is another thing, making sure everything fits and are even and whatnot. The wiring part doesn't take that long, not does the crimping or soldering.

[Orochi_Shoto]

My friends and I are making 4 arcade sticks in our electronics class at school. This will be the first sticks we've made, and although we feel we have a fairly good grasp on what we are doing, we currently aren't entirely sure what sticks to use.

Currently we already have a Perfect 360 and a Super, and we were originally planning to make the other sticks both Ultimates. Then we read the reviews at arcadecontrols, and they mostly gave us negative thoughts about the Ultimate joysticks. We aren't going to get anymore Perfect 360s, so that's not an option really. So what are all your opinions on the Ultimates? I'm sure this has already been talked about earlier in this thread, if so, what pages? If they suck, should we use more Supers, or Competition joysticks? Of course, if the Perfect 360s go on sale again, I just might open that option back up. So anyways, I need opinions.

[armorK_I_N_G]

I'm extremely new to this, I just wanna know how u can switch the X-arcade stick and buttons for new Happ ones? pics also plz

[Tech Gaming]

Originally posted by Orochi_Shoto
My friends and I are making 4 arcade sticks in our electronics class at school. This will be the first sticks we've made, and although we feel we have a fairly good grasp on what we are doing, we currently aren't entirely sure what sticks to use.

Currently we already have a Perfect 360 and a Super, and we were originally planning to make the other sticks both Ultimates. Then we read the reviews at arcadecontrols, and they mostly gave us negative thoughts about the Ultimate joysticks. We aren't going to get anymore Perfect 360s, so that's not an option really. So what are all your opinions on the Ultimates? I'm sure this has already been talked about earlier in this thread, if so, what pages? If they suck, should we use more Supers, or Competition joysticks? Of course, if the Perfect 360s go on sale again, I just might open that option back up. So anyways, I need opinions.


Yeah, you're better off with competition joysticks. They're the closest thing to real arcade joysticks... heck they ARE what most arcades use. Ultimate joysticks are not as good because when you rotate the joystick, you will feel restricted because the rotation will be in an octagon shape and not in a full circle, making it really hard to pull off 360 rotations.

Go with the Competition joysticks. I haven't made a controller using Perfect 360s yet, you'll have to tell me if it's worth spending the extra 30 bucks for that.

[m3talslug]

Originally posted by Tech Gaming



Yeah, you're better off with competition joysticks. They're the closest thing to real arcade joysticks... heck they ARE what most arcades use. Ultimate joysticks are not as good because when you rotate the joystick, you will feel restricted because the rotation will be in an octagon shape and not in a full circle, making it really hard to pull off 360 rotations.

Go with the Competition joysticks. I haven't made a controller using Perfect 360s yet, you'll have to tell me if it's worth spending the extra 30 bucks for that.

Ehm, the Competitions have that SAME square actuator. It feels square and it's not as easy to do 360 and 720 motions.

I'd go with the Supers if I wanted a round feel and couldn't get the p360s.

If you like that square feel then sure, go for the Comps. But stay away from the ultimates.

[Tech Gaming]

Originally posted by m3talslug


Ehm, the Competitions have that SAME square actuator. It feels square and it's not as easy to do 360 and 720 motions.

I'd go with the Supers if I wanted a round feel and couldn't get the p360s.

If you like that square feel then sure, go for the Comps. But stay away from the ultimates.

Yes, Competition and Ultimates both uses square actuators(whatever they're called). Let's see, how do I explain this...

Competition joystick's square actuator only triggers the microswitches and stops short from hitting the housing units of the microswitch... while Ultimate sticks has an larger radious to its rotation and hits the housing units, generating an restricting octagon feel to its rotation.

I explained this to the people at HappsControls a while ago when I returned my ultimates. When you actually play with the Competition stick, there's no restricting feel when you do 360 degree rotations. Competition joystick is basically the best priced sticks for game play. My friend has a controller using Supers, it's a bit shorter than Competition and performs about the same.

I guess it's really preference which sticks you use... just stay away from Ultimates because it really sucks.

[LotusJuggalo17]

I'd go with competitions. This is how I view this and how it feels to me.

Competitions: I can feel each direction (8-way), and I know I am hitting each direction.

Super: I can't feel each direction as much as a competition, but I know I am hitting each direction.

Like m3talslug said, the competitions feel more sqaure, but it's a little harder to hit 360's and 720's, but still pretty easy. And the supers you can hit a little easier, but I think you loose some feeling with a super...

that's my $.02

http://www.oscarcontrols.com/joycompare/joyreview1_2.htm
There's a review site for each of those. I personally like the competition best, I even like it better than a 360 because I can feel each direction...

[Dreaded Fist]

I've use an ultimate stick for a year and never really had much trouble for it, and thats is right about competitions stick. You can't feel the corners as much on a competition stick. I'm using a super stick right now and it works great. The shaft is a little shorter though.

[sambao]

I want a custom arcade stick, but Im not so
techy in making them. but my friend is!
however, he's not good with the wood,
only good at wiring. so, I wanted to point
this one out!
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=pete77_sbay&include=0&since=-1&sort=3&rows=25
stay tuned to that guy! he usually puts up
empty wooden cases so people horrible
at woodwork like me can make custom sticks!
(btw the link may be empty. if that's the case
check out an old auction of his:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3021202993&category=3677 )
the only bad part is price!! I won a case for $8
and T Molding + Rubber feet + shipping
added another $16 to the total!! not to mention
I still needa buy the buttons, a stick, ps2 pad,
and pay my friend a bit of cash to do it for me.
and down the line there's the ps2->dc adapter...
SO EXPENSIVE!:eek:

edit: for no good reason at all, here's somethin
else u can find on ebay (sorry if ive seen it before)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20385&item=3016493858
pretty on the outside, but skin deep it's UGLY!!
look at how huge it is!! it's taller than me!:lol:
btw his latest ones are small... finally

[Shin-RoTeNdO]

I don't know how many times I explained it in this thread, but here it goes again...

It's all preference to what game(s) you play
Some people like their sticks tight...
... others like theirs loose and broken in.
Ultimates have the cheap feeling, but you're able to perfrom 360's and 720's better than Competitions
Competitions feels nicer, but you can feel the directions a bit too much.
P360's are really great. No clicking noises, the handle feels nice, but it's bit pricey.

About the shaft length, that could be fixed with a little routing of the joystick mounting box or whatever you want to call it. Just route in the wood about half way or less (the deeper, the longer the shaft), insert the mount box and screw it down then install the shaft and test out the length. No problem.

Almost forgot... Supers are okay as some people love them cuz of the 360 feel or something. I hate em and this is why: In the end, the leaf switches tends to bend in and you won't get a response so you'll have to go in and bend them a little so it'll connect when the ROUND actuator makes contact. Personally I prefer the square actuators over the circle ones.

Whatever feels good to you it the one you should get. Not only that, but if you can pull everything off also, then that's the one.

[RANDoM_MAI]

Rotendo,

I would just like to say thx for starting this thread and even now helping ppl out, with this thread i been able to make great sticks for me and my friends. and saved lots of money.

I have a masstick and i gotta say that there is nothing better then playing on your own stick. With your own stick you can choose the spacing between your the joystick and button, add more wrist space and make the stick itself heavy or light and have a custom design of your choice.

about joysticks, how long does it take you guys to "break" in a p360? i have had mine for at least 2 months now and it still so stiff.

Thanks again Retendo, your da man!
~RaNDoM

[Shin-RoTeNdO]

Originally posted by RANDoM_MAI
Rotendo,

I would just like to say thx for starting this thread and even now helping ppl out, with this thread i been able to make great sticks for me and my friends. and saved lots of money.

I have a masstick and i gotta say that there is nothing better then playing on your own stick. With your own stick you can choose the spacing between your the joystick and button, add more wrist space and make the stick itself heavy or light and have a custom design of your choice.

about joysticks, how long does it take you guys to "break" in a p360? i have had mine for at least 2 months now and it still so stiff.

Thanks again Retendo, your da man!
~RaNDoM

Thanks, I really appreciate the appraisal and shit. If you have a older joystick that's broken in, what I would suggest doing is using it's spring (as it should be really loose and springy) and put it in the p360. Of course you'll have to take it apart and etc... to switch out the springs. DON'T LOSE ANY SCREWS OR PIECES!!

note: doesn't matter what previous stick i.e. super/competition/ultimate; they all use the same type springs.

There you go, a broken in p360 in a matter of minutes!!

[Necroeconomics]

I would like to say thx also, for starting this thread and helping people out with making sticks. Much info was scattered through different webpages in the past, unless people had the idea to look for it, they would've never find it.

What we need is to clear up the threads, because after awhile the threads just grows too big for people to read through everything, so newbies keep asking questions previously answered... adding more volume to the threads.

Have you tried to contact the webmaster to see if we could start a FAQ page on building sticks? I guess info on modifying various pads would be helpful so people don't ask the same questions over and over.

Thanks Rotendo

[Orochi_Shoto]

Ok, so I'm thinking at least 1 Competition. I'm not too worried about needing to bend the micro-switches in the supers, because, that's nothing. One thing I like about sticks beside P360 is that they click, and clicky is coo! :cool:

So I know I'll get at least one Competition one, but I'm not sure if the other should be Super or Competition.

[Shin-RoTeNdO]

I've been meaning to write a faq for the longest on building sticks, but have been extremely too busy to. As far as contacting the WM, I never thought about it to tell you the truth. I guess whenever a faq gets compiled, it could be added to the "Articles" section of the site. Who knows...

anyway for you controller techies, enjoy.

Sony Playstation controller information

Sony Playstation (PSX) controllers are intelligent devices and communicate with the Playstation device using a special syncrosound serial bus and protocol. The controller system is implemented in bus architechture, which means that all signal wires are all tied together in PSX end (except select which is seperate for each device).

The Playstation Controller Pinouts (from http://www.gamesx.com/controldata/psxcont/psxcont.htm):

LOOKING AT THE PLUG
-------------------------------
PIN 1->| o o o | o o o | o o o |
\_____________________________/

PIN # USAGE

1.DATA (Signal from Controller to PSX.)
2.COMMAND (Signal from PSX to Controller)
3.N/C (9 Volts unused)
4.GND
5.VCC (can vary from 5V down to 3V)
6.ATT (select)
7.CLOCK (Signal from PSX to Controller)
8.N/C
9.ACK (Acknowledge signal from Controller to PSX)

The following picture (fron Linux parallel port joystick driver document) gives a little bit better view how the signal are organized in the PSX connectroller connector. Note that the picture below uses a different pin numbering scheme than the picture above:
+---------+---------+---------+
9 | o o o | o o o | o o o | 1
\________|_________|________/
| | | | | |
| | | | | +--------> Clock
| | | | +------------> Select
| | | +---------------> Power
| | +------------------> Ground
| +-------------------------> Command
+----------------------------> Data

All transmissions are eight bit serial LSB first. All timing in the PSX controller bus is syncronous to the falling edge of the clock. One byte of the transmissions will look kinda like this:



|BIT 0|BIT 1|BIT 2|BIT 3|BIT 4|BIT 5|BIT 6|BIT 7|
CLOCK -----___---___---___---___---___---___---___---___-----------

DATA -----000000111111222222333333444444555555666666777777--------
* * * * * * * *
CMND -----000000111111222222333333444444555555666666777777--------

ACK ----------------------------------------------------------__-


More information on Sony Playstation joysticks can be found at http://www.gamesx.com/controldata/psxcont/psxcont.htm. That page includes lots of technical information and a circuit to emulate PSX controller. It might be also worth to check the following documents:

Playstation Programming without official tools
http://stekt.oulu.fi/~flame/hware/

More information on similar topics
Game Station X web site at http://www.gamesx.com/ has lots of technical information on game consoles. It is a good place to look for game console joystick information.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

author: Tomi Engdahl



I just copied and pasted this, so if the controlle port doesn't look right, it's because of the way it was fitted on the page and shit.

[Rei]

Originally posted by RoTeNdO

http://www.gamesx.com/controldata/psxcont/psxcont.htm

This is actually a very useful link. Here is a similar page that talks about the Dreamcast controller:
http://mc.pp.se/dc/controller.html

In theory, you could use those two pages to build your own psx/dc arcade style controller without ever having to hack an existing pcb.

In practice, not many people have the time or resources to flash their own pcb controller chips and etch their own pcb.

[magnus]

Originally posted by RANDoM_MAI
Rotendo,

I would just like to say thx for starting this thread and even now helping ppl out, with this thread i been able to make great sticks for me and my friends. and saved lots of money.

I have a masstick and i gotta say that there is nothing better then playing on your own stick. With your own stick you can choose the spacing between your the joystick and button, add more wrist space and make the stick itself heavy or light and have a custom design of your choice.

about joysticks, how long does it take you guys to "break" in a p360? i have had mine for at least 2 months now and it still so stiff.

Thanks again Retendo, your da man!
~RaNDoM


You have a Mas stick? Did you replace your stick with a P360 yourself? or did you buy it like that?

I am trying to put on in mine, but i need help finding a power source. I haven't had time to test for the voltage of the wires, any help would be appreciated. thanks in advanced!:)

Magnus

[RANDoM_MAI]

Originally posted by magnus



You have a Mas stick? Did you replace your stick with a P360 yourself? or did you buy it like that?

I am trying to put on in mine, but i need help finding a power source. I haven't had time to test for the voltage of the wires, any help would be appreciated. thanks in advanced!:)

Magnus

sorry but my mass stick is using a normal ulimate stick, i made a custom stick using a p360. i used the psx 1000 pad from cd visions page for the p360 stick.

~RaNDoMMAI

[Orochi_Shoto]

Ok, as a summation of the project as it currently stands, we are ordering from HappControls:

Perfect 360 joystick
Super Joystick x 2
Competition Joystick
Ultimate Pushbutton x 40

This is for 4 sticks of course, and we are going to be using 10 buttons per controller (I know, :eek: ). Anyways, I already have a Super and P360, so I simply have yet to order the rest.

We are planning on making all 4 sticks compatible with PSX/PS2, DC, and USB PC. The base system is going to be PSX, because logic should aim that way since it would then work for PS2, and DC adapters are easy to come by (from PSX-DC). The harder part is goin to USB IMO, so I may need help with it.

Also, where should I be drawing the +5 volts from for the P360? I'm thinking with some tinkering, I could make use of the PSX controller's 3rd pin with the unused 9V. That's easy, but how would I be able to make use of that when using it on USB? Can someone summarize the best way to go about doing this? If it's too hard, I may just not make the P360 stick USB compatible.

EDIT: If any has the pin info for USB devices, THAT would be helpful!

[RANDoM_MAI]

Originally posted by Orochi_Shoto
Ok, as a summation of the project as it currently stands, we are ordering from HappControls:

Perfect 360 joystick
Super Joystick x 2
Competition Joystick
Ultimate Pushbutton x 40

This is for 4 sticks of course, and we are going to be using 10 buttons per controller (I know, :eek: ). Anyways, I already have a Super and P360, so I simply have yet to order the rest.

We are planning on making all 4 sticks compatible with PSX/PS2, DC, and USB PC. The base system is going to be PSX, because logic should aim that way since it would then work for PS2, and DC adapters are easy to come by (from PSX-DC). The harder part is goin to USB IMO, so I may need help with it.

Also, where should I be drawing the +5 volts from for the P360? I'm thinking with some tinkering, I could make use of the PSX controller's 3rd pin with the unused 9V. That's easy, but how would I be able to make use of that when using it on USB? Can someone summarize the best way to go about doing this? If it's too hard, I may just not make the P360 stick USB compatible.

EDIT: If any has the pin info for USB devices, THAT would be helpful!

you can order the ems psx to usb adapter. its really ccool and works great. you can get it from www.levelsix.com or www.liksang.com i recommond levelsix since it is in america.

~RaNDoMMAi

[Orochi_Shoto]

Ok, thanks for the link. My other question for now is will the +9V I draw through the PSX 3rd pin also be drawn through a USB port and/or DC port? I don't want the P360 to only work on the PSX/PS2 because the stick will only get power from the PSX/PS2 or something like that. So will the DC and USB supply power to the stick? Or am I forced to forfeit to the evil power supply o' d00m?

I really hope this project sails off with success, but I, like many, am worried how the wood work will turn out. I want to actually do it though, not order it. I should mention we only have maybe 5 weeks to complete all 4 sticks, so we shall be pushing hard for completion. I don't feel understaffed though, we have 5 people including myself. I'm the producer, manager/director, and masutaa soldering man man man man man! :cool: :lol: :rolleyes:

We aren't worried about getting stuff like solder, wires, etc... because of course it's all available to us in the class. I'm still not exactly sure how we are to make these USB compatible, that will require yet more research and help. Aside from that and the wood cases, I haven't many concerns except maybe time. We should be able to get some graphics on them too.

Thanks for all your help and recommendations thus far, and thanks in advance for future help. The PSX pin data helped more than I thought it would when I first read it, so thanks Rotendo.

[Dreaded Fist]

For those of you who cannot get to a table saw, i found an alternative. After making my full size setup i found that it was a little bit too high. So I went and took it apart to be trimmed down. The thing is I can't get ahold of anyone with a table saw so I cut it myself with a $5 saw. Thats right.

If you were to cut the wood with a hand saw, there is no way to get a perfect straight cut, but using the below method you can make any cuts you want, as long as the blade of the saw is long enough.

1.First mark a straight line with a pencil or whatever.

2.Next, position the saw at a 45° angle(or whatever) to the board. It helps to clamp the board down.

3.then saw a little bit, decreasing the angle as you saw until you have about a 2 inches groove on top of the wood. When you are done with one side, do the same for the other side.

4.Heres the good part. Instead of saw through the board at an angle, you're gonna saw thru it sideway. That is, hold the saw with 2 hand(one at the handle and one to secure the top of the blade). The slowly saw down the wood using the 2 grooves made in step 3 as a guide. Saw slowly until you have a groove as a guide.

5. Squat down, (make sure you wear gloves because you might get blisters) then saw the shit out of the wood. Since you are cutting throught the wood using this method the line will be straight. It won't be as straight as using a table saw but it will work.

TIP!!!! To make the guiding grooves easier and more precise, use a metal cutting saw(they have smaller teeths). And put some K2Jelly on your saw blade to make cutting smoother.

[LotusJuggalo17]

Rotendo: Hey. Thanks for having an awesome thread and for all the help, and that goes to everyone who has helped. But how exactly did you "route" out the buttom of your board to make the Joystick stick up farther out of the board? I would appreciate some help on this. Thanks

[Dreaded Fist]

you do it with a router tool, its like a drill but you can set how far you want to go and you can move it around. Basicly you route the board by "cutting" out a square groove.

[Nigga_D]

I done with my dual joystick project I haver one question though. For my DC connex I use a Interact Quantum Fighter pad. I ripped off all the individual boards and just straight wired the wires to the buttons. Even found a good 360 source. But the problem I have is that the C and Z buttons are weaks instead of Fierce and Roundhouse. The buttons are programmable buttons. Im having a hard time programming them to be fierce. Thats pretty much it. Hope someone can help me out. Aight hope someone can help me program them or something. Also the trigger buttons wont work they seem to act as jump whenever i try to use them as fierce/roundhouse. Im pretty much stuck here.

D

[Shin-RoTeNdO]

Originally posted by LotusJuggalo17
Rotendo: Hey. Thanks for having an awesome thread and for all the help, and that goes to everyone who has helped. But how exactly did you "route" out the buttom of your board to make the Joystick stick up farther out of the board? I would appreciate some help on this. Thanks

Exactly what Dreaded Fist said: "Use a router tool" to make you square qroove.

Depending on what type of wood you are using, you have an alternative... Use a chisel and a small hammer. That's how I've been doing mine. Of course I use MDF board so that shit just peels off like paper being that the wood is soft like. After I hand chisel-routed it, I make sure that the joystick box fits into the groove nice and smoothly otherwise I make some adjustments. If it's just right, then my next step would be to sand it down inside. So there you have it. Routing for the needy.

[Dreaded Fist]

Rotendo, did you use a router at all? or just straight up chisel and sandpaper, I would think it'll be hard to get a flat surface with a chisel. If the surface isn't flat and the base of the joystick is mounted with a slant in it, it could throw off the sensitivity of the stick.

[Running Uppercut]

I just wanted to advertise that I have a Competition stick (medium spring I think) that has never been used for sale. It has been put together, but that is it. I also have 8 black competition buttons (all put together, but never used), two white competition buttons (NEW), and 2 extra sensors. All sensors are new. All buttons include sensor and stick uncludes 4 sensors (duh:D ). This is a complete set that would be perfect for any new stick.

I will ship at cost, or if anyone is So Cali is interested, I could probably meet up for the exchange.

PM me an offer if interested.

[Shin-RoTeNdO]

Originally posted by Dreaded Fist
Rotendo, did you use a router at all? or just straight up chisel and sandpaper, I would think it'll be hard to get a flat surface with a chisel. If the surface isn't flat and the base of the joystick is mounted with a slant in it, it could throw off the sensitivity of the stick.

Nope. No router at all. Straight chisel baby, besides, it's MDF board. With MDF board, it's not impossible to get a flat surface. I only chisel-route MDF boards, and never had a problem with any type of sensitivity cuz I'm That good!! LOL. As a matter of fact, Yesterday a friend came over to use my tools to start building his stick, I made the top control panel layout for him that's customized to his hand placement and whatnot. It turned out great and we even busted out the camcorder and I had a made a short mpeg of "a custom stick building", really short, but not in details; just a look at it and shit. Me and another friend of mine plan to put together a vid/tutorial and then post pictures and shit up online. Not any time soon though.

[Dreaded Fist]

that should help alot of people who are new to this. I mean now That I've made a few sticks I can't imagine how easy it is, but when I made my first stick it was a mess. Look at it below in the attachment. Its ugly as sin. Btw what do you guys think of my woodcutting technique for handsaws?

For those of you who are hesitating to use plexi, IT"S REALLLY EASY!!

I went to home depot today and pick up a thin piece of plexi(barely 1/8"). Plexis come cover in a blue tape so you dont have to worry about scratching it. If you leave it on while drilling, it can prevent cracks as well.

WHen drilling plexi use 2 clamps(1 if you are bold) and clamp each clamp on each side of a corner of the board. Then, drill the hole. Then do the same for the other 3 corners.

WHen you are done with that. Mount the screws. At this time your board should have the button holes already drilled and everything. So lay the board w/plexi on top of another wood and drill away. It helps alot to clamp the 2 board together. Since the plexi is sandwiched between the 2 board it won't break. Just remember to take it easy when drilling. Drill fast but push lightly.That's all. ANd kinkos is the shit!

Btw rotendo, Can i use a flat head screwdriver? I just looked thru my dad's toolbox and no chisel. Everybody should use mdf there is no absolute reason to use any other type of wood.

[J-ride]

^ I have used plexi, its easy if you have a drill press, but I push too hard when I use a hand drill and I break that shit. Its good that you have no trouble with it, but I wont bother with it.

[Rei]

Originally posted by Dreaded Fist
Everybody should use mdf there is no absolute reason to use any other type of wood.
This is what I got from a professional carpenter.

MDF and Particle board will deteriorate over time. They will both absorb moisture in the air over time. MDF takes about 5 years to swell up and become pliable and less able to support weight. Particle takes about 10 or 20 years. Laminated particle board has less problems than straight up particle board and will deteriorate over 30 - 40 years as long as the edges are finished properly.

Plywood and Natural wood will do the exact opposite of MDF and Particle board. As they age, they dry out and become harder and stronger. Eventually, if it is cared for correctly, it will become petrified. If it is not cared for correctly, it will be suseptible to rot and termites. Rot and termites can set in within the first 20 years, and properly cared for natural wood could have the same load bearing capabilities (or more) for at least 200 years.

Obviously, MDF is a good choice, since a 5 year life-span is good enough.

Also, for those of you that are having a hard time finding .187 quick disconnects, Autozone carries them.

[Shin-RoTeNdO]

[i]

Btw rotendo, Can i use a flat head screwdriver? I just looked thru my dad's toolbox and no chisel. Everybody should use mdf there is no absolute reason to use any other type of wood. [/B]

I guess you can, but it'll be hard to cut into the wood even though MDF is easy to chip into. Try borrowing a neighbors or go to Lowe's a buy a nice cheap chisel. The one I have you can chisel, and has teeth on the flat side to saw-sand wood edges and teeth on the opposite side (round top) to sand-saw holes i.e. button holes or whatnot.

[firemonkey]

i just recently modded an xbox reflex arcade stick to an dc agetech. not till about a week ago its stopped working for some reason. the joystick and the start button only work, but the buttons dont. if this has happened to anyone else please let me know whats wrong with my stick

[Dreaded Fist]

where do i get the disconnects for the jap buttons? the really small ones.

[Ton]

Originally posted by Dreaded Fist
For those of you who cannot get to a table saw, i found an alternative. After making my full size setup i found that it was a little bit too high. So I went and took it apart to be trimmed down. The thing is I can't get ahold of anyone with a table saw so I cut it myself with a $5 saw. Thats right.

If you were to cut the wood with a hand saw, there is no way to get a perfect straight cut, but using the below method you can make any cuts you want, as long as the blade of the saw is long enough.

1.First mark a straight line with a pencil or whatever.

2.Next, position the saw at a 45° angle(or whatever) to the board. It helps to clamp the board down.

3.then saw a little bit, decreasing the angle as you saw until you have about a 2 inches groove on top of the wood. When you are done with one side, do the same for the other side.

4.Heres the good part. Instead of saw through the board at an angle, you're gonna saw thru it sideway. That is, hold the saw with 2 hand(one at the handle and one to secure the top of the blade). The slowly saw down the wood using the 2 grooves made in step 3 as a guide. Saw slowly until you have a groove as a guide.

5. Squat down, (make sure you wear gloves because you might get blisters) then saw the shit out of the wood. Since you are cutting throught the wood using this method the line will be straight. It won't be as straight as using a table saw but it will work.

TIP!!!! To make the guiding grooves easier and more precise, use a metal cutting saw(they have smaller teeths). And put some K2Jelly on your saw blade to make cutting smoother.


For me it was just easier to place a guide board along the lines that was drawn to cut along of. Just use clamps or nail both boards together. Got pretty much straight lines.

[magnus]

Originally posted by firemonkey
i just recently modded an xbox reflex arcade stick to an dc agetech. not till about a week ago its stopped working for some reason. the joystick and the start button only work, but the buttons dont. if this has happened to anyone else please let me know whats wrong with my stick



maybe somewhere along the line between the start button and the next button, the ground disconnected. that assuming that your ground ran from each button the the next.

[shiningsoul]

I was just wondering if using .250" Female Quick Disconnects will work on Competition buttons. I'm trying to go solderless on a InterAct Shadowblade and I couldn't find .187" Quick Disconnects at Fry's. Speaking of which, if anyone has worked on a Shadowblade: what did you do for the start and select buttons?

[Rei]

Originally posted by shiningsoul
I was just wondering if using .250" Female Quick Disconnects will work on Competition buttons. I'm trying to go solderless on a InterAct Shadowblade and I couldn't find .187" Quick Disconnects at Fry's. Speaking of which, if anyone has worked on a Shadowblade: what did you do for the start and select buttons?
Originally posted by Rei

Also, for those of you that are having a hard time finding .187 quick disconnects, Autozone carries them.

[Gnam]

I haven't worked on a Shadowblade, but I owned one for about a week before I sent it back, and I do know it didn't work withmy Dreamcast through a converter, so if you want to use it on DC you may want to think twice. I don't know what modifications you're making, so it may be you're taking out the part that caused the conflict (i'm assuming it was the programeable/relocateable buttons feature) and it also may be not all controllers work with all controllers, but my instinct would be to avoid the shadowblade if possible.

[sevenD_eight]

doesnt sanding and painting then clearcoating protect the wood good enough? i mean, the joysticks are in the house not exposed to the elements.did you tell that carpenter exactly what you were doing w/ the wood..because its not exposed to the elements..unless you have termites in your house. but by then, i'd worry about your roof falling on your head before hitting fp too hard breaking your stick..

also..most sticks are made w/ plexi on top further protecting it..i just dont see a problem using different types of wood..i know that particle is more dense compared other types of wood..and it is whats used in arcades, right?

[Orochi_Shoto]

Originally posted by Rei

Obviously, MDF is a good choice, since a 5 year life-span is good enough.


5 years a good life span? Yeah right! I think Particle board takes the cake here.

Also, I have to thank RANDoM_MAI for pointing out
www.levelsix.com (http://www.levelsix.com) because that not only has the PS/2 - USB adapter, but it also has the PS/2 - USB and PS/2 - NGC adapters, which also interest us.

I still gotta say I feel lucky to have gotten my P360 for a mere $25 or so.

[Rei]

Originally posted by sevenD_eight
doesnt sanding and painting then clearcoating protect the wood good enough? i mean, the joysticks are in the house not exposed to the elements.did you tell that carpenter exactly what you were doing w/ the wood..because its not exposed to the elements..unless you have termites in your house. but by then, i'd worry about your roof falling on your head before hitting fp too hard breaking your stick..

also..most sticks are made w/ plexi on top further protecting it..i just dont see a problem using different types of wood..i know that particle is more dense compared other types of wood..and it is whats used in arcades, right?
I'm not about to get into a debate on the subject, because honestly, I don't care enough about it, but I will give some thoughts on the subject because I'm bored.

If you live in a coastal area, the wood doesn't have to be exposed to the elements for it to start absorbing ambient moisture.

Sanding and painting then clearcoating to protect the wood is not good enough if the wood is particle board. Particle board is not really a board, it is wood chips and cellulose pressed and glued together using formaldehyde. Because the wood is compressed, over time it will eventually expand. Moisture will speed up this process, but even particle board that is cared for in a dry environment will expand and lose the strength over time.

Real wood is not compressed, or processed using formaldehyde. It will not expand over time.

This is why you can find a 10 year old pressboard acoustic guitar in a pawnshop that has the bridge pulling from the body. The pressboard loses strength over time. Acoustic guitars made from solid sheets of real wood gain value over time because the wood dries out, and becomes stronger if they were taken care of properly.

[Dreaded Fist]

yes thats true because I have a particle board table and the edges are starting to expand after 7-8 years. Particle boards are really nasty, its hard to get a clean surface sanded on them. Go with real wood or mdf. I think my next stick i will use real wood.

How do you cut plexi glass????

[sevenD_eight]

i'm not trying to turn this into a debate.. read my post, it was full of questions..i'm just trying to figure this out..

isnt particle the stuff they use in the arcades?or somthing very similar...i've seen some destroyed cabinets but are mostly due to the fact that there are way to many idiots playing games messing w/ cabinets..i've seen my share of busted cabinets and cracked plexi..blame it on those dumbasses...

but particle is more dense than lets day regular wood, right? corerct me if i'm wrong here.does this affect performance?..has anyone used real wood in a stick, because i've always used particle..i buy the $5 sheet and can make about 2 sticks..let me know..i might try using something different my next time around...

[ashurax]

Originally posted by Dreaded Fist
How do you cut plexi glass????

I scored it wid a utility knife and snapped it. Worked for me without breaking it. This was really thin plexiglass though (0.09 inches). Lexan is a lot easier to work with since its almost as durable as wood.

[Dreaded Fist]

THe guy at home depot told me lexan is harder to drill though since its pretty much like bullet proof glass.

[Hellfromabove]

Hey guys I just finished my Custom Arcade Stick a couple of months ago and use it all the time. I will up some pictures of it as soon as I can. I would right now but the artwork on the thing isn't done. It works on DC, PS2, PC (USB), and X-Box. The great thing is the button layout for it is the standard SF format but then has 2 more buttons on the left hand side for NG use. The buttons are all horizontal microswitch and the sticks are Ultimate 8-way arcadesticks. Oh yeah and the bitch is HUGE!!! I mean this thing has a lot of elbow room so no more bumping into your friend. Thanx.

-See Ya!!!

[yoshi2k2]

When working on a SONY brand psx stick (no analog) is it neccessary to cut away any kind of connection when soldering unto the buttons or the controller??? Also do I have to cut away the black plastic material on the ground?? thnx in advance


_Jay

[Pryde]

for all you Stick fans out there. Check this thread out.

Custon Stick Contest. (http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=29717)

[Hellfromabove]

Hey Yoshi2k2, just to tell you, it isn't good to use Sony brand controllers to make your sticks. Hard to hack them because I heard they have multiple grounds and also they cover all their copper wiring points with plastic or rubber to prevent ripping and wearing down of copper. If you want a good controller to hack go to your local EB and get a hold of some PSX 1000s they are only like $3-$5 each and easy as hell to hack. That is what is in my stick and they work great. Also if you need some extra controllers I have some pre-hacked controllers that I would be willing to sell for PS2, just PM me. Thanx.

-See Ya!!!

[ComboMasher]

Yes!!!! I finally got my buttons soldered to the crappy DC enforcer circuit board and it works!!!!! But all i need now is a joystick. Is anyone selling a competition joysti