GGG Turbo Twist 2 Spinner Questions

[cmoses]

I originally was planning on putting (2) of these on my control panel for multiple player racing games.  I have now decided that I will probably only be going with (1) spinner.  My issues now is that I am not sure where to put it on my control panel.  I have converted a (4) player Blitz '99 control panel into a (2) player control panel.  It has (2) U360's each with 7 buttons.  There is a GGG Electric Ice Trackball mounted in the middle.  I want to be able to use the spinner for games like Tempest, Arknoid, Cameltry etc.  I also want to be able to mount a 5" Mini Racing Wheel on there as well.

When I was doing (2) spinners I planned on having one on each side so I wasn't as worried about positioning because I would have one on the left and one on the right.  Now that I am going with only (1) spinner I am torn about where to mount it.  I know Tempest had the spinner on the right, Tron had it on the left and most spinner games in the middle.  I prefer to use my right hand for spinner games so I am leaning towards the right side.  Just not sure if I should mount it above, below, to the left or right of the right side joystick and buttons.  Looking in the Control Panel Database, they seem to be all over the place.  So I was curious to what thoughts people had.

Also I am torn between which spinner know to go with.  I like both the dome style and inset style that GGG offers.  So if you have purchased a Turbo Twist 2 and a know please tell me which one and what you thought about it.

[cmoses]

Anyone with a spinner willing to comment?

[Lewis Black]

The reason no one jumped on this that it is a subjective issue, everyone will have a different preference.  There is no 'wrong way,' whatever looks good and works for you will probably be just fine. 

Personally I always out it on the right as most people are rightys.  It is uncomfortable to use player 1 controls on the left with a spinner on the left also IMHO.

[DashRendar]

Hmm, you have a similar setup as I do.  Blitz 99 cab, U360s, 7 buttons each, trackball, but mine is converted to a 4P control panel.

I have the GGG Hi-Lo Turbo Twist Spinner.  It's awesome.  But expensive.  I love the Tron spinner knob that comes with it.  It's a very well-balanced spinner.  The optional steering wheel you can get with it makes it a nice choice.

My only gripe is the mounting plate.  The mounting plate is small and designed for top-mounting (which is fine), but the screws are pretty close to the hole that the spinner sinks into.  This seems a little structurally weak, but so far so good I guess.

And in my case, I have a plexi cover for my control panel.  Unfortunately, drilling the holes for the screws cracked my plexi (partially because they were too near the sink hole for the spinner).

Regardless, I do recommend that spinner.   

And I have mine mounted on the left- but I have a Tron trigger stick to the right of it, so I went for the classic Tron layout.

[cmoses]

DashRendar,

Thanks for your input, it is exactly the type of information I am looking for.  I know that control panels are very subjective when you are talking MAME because you can pretty much do anything.  Case in point I have really not found anything in looking through some projects that would qualify as a standard placement when it comes to a spinner. 

I have really only looked at the Turbo Twist 2.  I like the fact that it can mount in a button hole, which seems pretty easy.  What is the pros and cons of going with Hi-Lo Turbo Twist over the Turbo Twist 2? 

Thanks

[DashRendar]

The most obvious difference is the push-pull is almost double the cost of the standard Turbo Twist 2.  The other difference is the list of games that can only be played with a push-pull spinner.

Here are a couple of discussions that should answer your questions:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=99468.0

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=98042.0

In the first thread, you'll see that isucamper flush-mounted the mounting plate for his GGG push-pull spinner.  This (of course) would be the best way to do it if you have a plexi cover.  Great results! 

[cmoses]

I did a quick mock up to show what I am thinking.  I currently have my trackball in the center with a joystick and buttons on each side.  My plans are to move the joystick and buttons out, move the trackball to the right and put the spinner between the player one and trackball.  This would keep the trackball and spinner in the center of the control panel, allowing them to be close to where they are on most dedicated control panels, allowing people to use the buttons on the left or right depending on which hand they wanted to use the spinner or trackball.  I think this will allow the most versatility and usability.  I am representing the spinner using the button icon, because that is how the Turbo Twist 2 mounts.  The round circle surrounding it represents the 5" Mini Racing Wheel.  The rectangles above them in the diagram where just used for spacing, please ignore them.

Please let me know what you think of this layout.

[cmoses]

Sorry, error editing previous post