Joysticks

[Kostas O]

I know...
It is coming...

[Kostas O]

Well, Dagh scored 12 against the most ruthless man in KOA so i wouldn't dare messing with him!
I should better write that report then.

After i received the order which was this
1 x Sanwa Restrictor GT-Y (427) = 4,50Euro
1 x JLF-TP-8YT (Sanwa) (413) = 19,75Euro
Color darkblue
1 x Sanwa Bat Top LB-30N, red (603) = 3,50Euro
1 x Seimitsu PS-14-GN-CP, red (454) = 2,75Euro
1 x Seimitsu PS-14-DN, black (509) = 2,10Euro
1 x Seimitsu PS-14-D-BK, red (491) = 2,00Euro
1 x Sanwa OBSF-24, red (374) = 1,90Euro
1 x LS-32-01 (Seimitsu) (524) = 19,50Euro
Color red
1 x Seimitsu Balltop LB-30, red (485) = 2,20Euro
i went down into business to make smth out of it.
I won't bother you with the housing (case) since you probably don't care. Moreover i wasn't pleased with the result so it is smth to look into more in the future.

First i should say that http://www.arcadeshop.de were great with everything.
Both sticks are well built and will probably last a lifetime with Sanwa being slightly better in my opinion for 2 reasons. It can be more versatile since you can do all these improvements you can find in youtube and it has much better restrictor plates (the octagonal one is the way to go, definitely).
They are both pretty soft and will serve you well and it is more a matter of choice. The Seimitsu has a thicker shaft which i like more but the Sanwa feels more delicate. However i still use my trusty Tomahawk for KO since they both have long travel distance from where the μswitch is activated and where you hit the restrictor. I have changed the springs and did all the hacks with tape and shit but this is extremely difficult to change. I will have to make a new restrictor or patch this one with smth steady that will close this gap and will be aligned perfectly. It sounds pretty tough.

The buttons are a different story. Seimitsu is the way to go imo and they are great. Sanwa feel a little loose and not as fast.
I even drilled a hole in an old Tomahawk case, put a Seimitsu button, the PS-14-DN black, my Tomahawk stick on and this is what i use at the moment to destroy Alkis at Sensible Soccer.

A friend will probably help me make an iron or plastic case on which i will put my old Tomahawk stick and a Seimitsu button to finally have my own custom made control.

[dnielsen]

Thanks man.

The turbo has a rubber ring instead of a spring. It seems like it adds extre resistance once you reach the throw distance, so I am not sure I actually use the full throw distance very often in the turbo. It has some kind of star-shaped octagonal restrictor gate anyway.

I have been curious about these Japanese sticks since they are probably designed in a higher quality than the sticks of the 80es, but it seems like some modding would be required to make them suitable for KO2 perhaps.

[j^aws]

It depends on what you mean by "quality". For example, the Seimitsu LS-32 is not really a new design. Its main guide (squarish gate) isn't made from the toughest plastic, and wears with time. However, you can get a replacement circular gate for it, made from tougher plastic, for example.

On a sidenote (since I last posted): I've hacked a CMS stick/ PCB; an old Hori Tekken 5 case (and PS2 PCB, but will change to D-Sub 15/25 soon); microswitches from an old Suzo (The Arcade Turbo - V4 Saia brand, but will try something else soon); and a bunch of Seimitsu buttons, and built a Frankenstein Stick (works great!)... All you need are some simple tools!

Also, when I was hacking a bunch of CMS sticks, I noticed some sticks used branded/ unbranded microswitches of varying quality (the unbranded ones weren't very good)...

[r.cross]

Moreover i wasn't pleased with the result so it is smth to look into more in the future.

I've ordered myself a Sanwa shortly ago because one of the CMS Sticks I used in the last time already broke (I seem to have the low quality µswitch versions ). Even worse that the two sticks feel rather different which proves that they aren't built very precisely...

Would you say that the Sanwa LF-TP-8YT with the octagonal restrictor is overall suitable for KO2? (Even if you prefer your old Tomahawk).

[Kostas O]

I have this stick and although it feels great it has a too long travel for KO. It says it has short travel but i think it is relatively to other sticks they make today. You can do the mod you will find at youtube and make it shorter but you will most probably lose the other attributes it has. CMS is fucking awful in terms of quality build but has great short travel (perhaps even shorter than the usual Tomahawk/Pacman most of us use here) and it is very light.
I have taken the stick of my old Tomahawk and combine it with a great Seimitsu button and have what i would describe a few months ago as perfect. However i had a small service on my old 25 year old CMS (imagine the one you know but metallic frame and stick with great built quality and an awful button) and using it i remembered what is great with the CMS. Very light and much more easy to do fast turns and stuff without fighting with the stick. Putting the button in the equation i have even thought of using a new CMS!!!

The octagon restrictor is the best, no doubt about it.

Fuck! The best Frankie would be my old CMS stick with new perfectly aligned microswitches, an octagonal restrictor like the one with the Sanwa and a button by Seimitsu (don't remember which but i can find out if anyone's interested). Fuck!
I promise to myself i will build one of these when i have the time.

[Kostas O]

I have seen some pictures with Thorsten's new toy and he probably uses a stick like these. Has anyone seen it or used to say what he thought about it?

[r.cross]

Fuck! The best Frankie would be my old CMS stick with new perfectly aligned microswitches, an octagonal restrictor like the one with the Sanwa and a button by Seimitsu (don't remember which but i can find out if anyone's interested). Fuck!
I promise to myself i will build one of these when i have the time.

Good luck with that! I think the alignment might be though for at least in my cms sticks the µswitches are soldered to their positions, theres no additional help for that. In fact that makes it nearly impossible to change a switch without affecting the feeling of the joytick. (Tried that allready...)

Im really looking forward to that Sanwa stick, hope I'll get it soon. Probably the travel distance is fine with me, at least thats what i hope. I've seen Thorstens new toy in Vienna but unfortunately I haven't tried it. The idea of a self built stick came a little to late...

[Kostas O]

I built a case for something like Thorsten's but the sweat on the wood is a no no! Moreover i wasn't very good with the plastic/fiberglass. But if one is much better with wood and building stuff it is the best idea for a project like the one i mentioned before.

[r.cross]

I asked a carpenter to built me an oiled wooden case, would be a quite pretty solution I think. Would cost me about 40€. In case of problems with sweaty hands gloss paint could do the job. However I am not sure whether I wouldn't prefer a case made of something else. Aluminium could work, some forms of plastic too, I remember building a CD storage 15 years ago in school by bending/glueing plastics. Not the healthiest but a quite effective way to build boxes.

[r.cross]

Just found that on the web - the 'tupper ware arcade stick'

[Steve Camber]

My effort a few years ago!

[r.cross]

90% biodegradable
For you don't use it anymore I suppose you haven't been satisfied with the performance? What kind of stick did you use?