Questions about spinners, and suppliers in the UK

[jimmy2x2x]

What to look for in a spinner? are the all similar or worlds apart?

What is the Seimitsu LS-29 like, can it be wired up to a PC?

Are there any UK based suppliers?

Besides spinner based games like arkanoid and tempest, what other games can make use of them - driving games maybe?

Thanks

[surface tension]

I can vouch for the Spintrak from Ultimarc. You can hook it up to your minipac or buy it with a USB adaptor.

What to look for... it depends on personal preference (and the game itself) but a flyweight gives a good feel and plenty of spin.

I personally couldn't get on with it for driving games, but again that's personal preference.

Either way it's a great addition to a panel.

http://www.ultimarc.com/SpinTrak.html

[SammyWI]

+1 for Ultimarc.  I have two Spintracs.  Great product and service.  

You can set up a spinner for left/right in games like Asteroids / Ripoff.  Not traditional, but fun for a change of pace.

[jimmy2x2x]

They do look very well made and very compact - not much bigger than a happ button really

So I would need the spinner body, flyweight (which one?) and knob (again not sure which!)

Would you recommend the USB interface?

[SammyWI]

Mine are both USB with the small flywheel and work well.  Knob is kind of personal preference but I kind of prefer the small one with the rubber grips slightly over the large knob on my other one.

[Franco B]

I may be selling my new in bag Turbo Twist 2 spinner, mini racer wheel and custom made Space Invaders spinner top if you are interested.

I'll dig it out later and get some pics etc.

[Blanka]

+1 for the Spintrack, I like it with the big weight, but for the knobs, I cross the atlantic. I love GGG's knobs better than Andy's.

[jimmy2x2x]

I may be selling my new in bag Turbo Twist 2 spinner, mini racer wheel and custom made Space Invaders spinner top if you are interested.

I'll dig it out later and get some pics etc.

Sure thing franco, let me have a look when you are ready

[Franco B]

Pics as promised:



Everything is new and not never installed/used. I bought it for my cocktail project but it went the way of the dinosaurs.

Consists of spinner, USB interface, USB cable, 5" mini racer wheel and custom Space Invaders spinner top.

The spinner top is CNC made from stainless steel with a genuine carbon fibre insert and a stainless steel laser turret. There are grooves around the outside to hold two rubber o-rings. The grub screw to attatch the spinner top to the shaft is hidden under one of the o-rings.





Price is £70 + shipping.

[jimmy2x2x]

That looks like a neat setup Franco, but I don't think its right for me.

I wouldn't use the steering wheel and I think I would prefer a flyweight from the comments I've read.

Thanks for the kind offer Franco, I'm sure you won't have any problem selling that setup

[Franco B]

The spinner top in its self is a flyweight

No worries though, thanks for letting me know. I may as well stick it in BST now I have it all together.

[RandyT]

The spinner top in its self is a flyweight

Heh.  I was going to say that too.  The ultimate in compact spinner arrangements include a heavy knob that acts as a flywheel.  Big, below the panel weights are unnecessary, and can actually hinder control in a number of games.  Too much momentum equals easy positional overshoot and slower initial movement due to the greater moment of inertia.

RandyT

[jimmy2x2x]

My mistake, I thought the 'Energy Storage Cylinder' was the counter weight flyweight for these spinners

[Ginsu Victim]

My mistake, I thought the 'Energy Storage Cylinder' was the counter weight flyweight for these spinners

Same here.

Hey Randy, what does it do?

[RandyT]

My mistake, I thought the 'Energy Storage Cylinder' was the counter weight flyweight for these spinners

If you have a heavy enough knob, the ESC becomes extraneous.  Some who like a heavy feel to their spinner may opt for both, but there are disadvantages to too much flywheel weight on a spinner.  The one Franco made looks like it is plenty heavy enough to negate the need for a flywheel.

Also keep in mind that the ESC is very intentionally not overly large or heavy.  It has been tuned to provide a balanced feel for all games, and designed to fit through a button hole so it doesn't need to be removed to install the spinner.

RandyT

[SammyWI]

My mistake, I thought the 'Energy Storage Cylinder' was the counter weight flyweight for these spinners

A spinner's feel would be a combination of the knob and any weight added on the shaft below the panel.  It depends on the feel you want and what the knob you prefer is like.  A larger knob of a heavier material will give a long spin all by itself with no extra flywheel.  But longer spin is not necessarily the best thing.  Different games had different feeling spinners.  So there is a lot of personal preference there.  I like a medium feel because I tend to play a wide range of spinner games.

I gotta say: that SI spinner looks very sweet.

[Blanka]

It also depends on knob material. With an aluminium knob, I like a fly weight, but with stainless, you have 3 times as much mass on the knob already.

[EwJ]

That's what she said.