Joystick with Shortest and Softest Throw?

[captainobvious]

Hello everybody,


Some years ago, I got myself a Suzo Universal Inductive joystick (one of those magnetic ones).

I forgot if I pulled out the spring all together - or if I rigged it with a new/modified spring to make it a lot softer.
It still centers automatically, but is VERY soft.

I really like the short throw/travel of this stick [although I'd prefer it to be even shorter]. And obviously its softness (after I modified/removed the spring).

Unfortunately, it has developed what I only can describe as a 'bump'.
When I shift the stick/knob to one axis, its like it goes over a small bump.  Then I have to use extra force to get over this bump. Firth then will the joystick's axis be triggered.
It seems to be the stick itself. Because when I turn the stick/knob, the little bump shifts axis as well, depending on which direction I turn the stick.

OK, so I want to replace the joystick.
My wish-list for a replacement unit would look something like this:

- Must have really, really short throw/travel.
- Must be very soft (or spring must be able to be modified/replaced with softer spring).
- Must be compatible with the old Ultimarc I-PAC.


I use the joystick to play Quake on the PC. I move the player with the joystick - to replace arrow keys.
Its absolutely crucial that the stick has short travel/throw, and can be modified to be very soft.

Any suggestions?

Thank you.

PS: the replacement joystick does not necessarily have to be a magnetic one.

[AndyWarne]

The Ultrastik 360 with octagonal restrictor and standard spring might fit the bill. You can fine-tune the 4 or 8-way map to your preference.
This can be used in USB mode or connected to the I-PAC.
Andy

[butteroj]

I have a brand new suzo inductive I would be willing to sell!

[captainobvious]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the replies.

Actually I'm regretting having named the thread as I did.

Now that I think of it, I actually would like to try a new stick all together.
I should just have named the thread "Joystick with Shortest and Softest Throw Wanted". [*edit* changed subject line now]

I heard that Seimitsu's have short throw.
Anybody own a Seimitsu?

[emphatic]

Why not go with a SUZO 500? The Seimitsu's are of high quality, but they just can't compare to the Inductive in terms of throw and engage. If you want to try Seimitsu, I'd go with an LS-56 with an octagonal gate.

[captainobvious]

Why not go with a SUZO 500? The Seimitsu's are of high quality, but they just can't compare to the Inductive in terms of throw and engage. If you want to try Seimitsu, I'd go with an LS-56 with an octagonal gate.

I have a Suzo 500. The throw seems longer than the of the inductive?
I forgot why I settled on the inductive instead of the Suzo 500 (many years ago).

@ Seimutsu: I had read that they have super short throw and highly responsive. So I was thinking its shorter than the Suzo 500.
But maybe I read a biased review?

[captainobvious]

Btw, I'm using white/red Cherry microswitches in this Suzo 500.
At the time I got these, they went for being the softest around.

But this is 5-6 years ago.
Would there be any newer ones today that would be even softer?

[apfelanni]

seimitsu ls 33 is the softest stick i have encountered so far. with its short handle its excellent for use in table arcades .

[emphatic]

The SUZO sticks (both the 500 and the Inductive) have the shortest throw I've encountered in a stick. I love the Seimitsu LS-32 myself, but it all depends on the type of game you want to play. I've heard good things about the LS-33 and LS-56, but haven't yet tried them.

I have a SUZO 500 with OMRON switches (same as used in SANWA JLF) in use now (I mainly play modern bullet hell shmups where accuracy and quick response is important) and it's in my opinion better than the Seimitsu LS-32 as the latter does have a bigger dead zone and the shaft is allowed to move around in a way that I can't describe.

The SUZO Inductive gives a higher quality feeling than the 500, as the 500's seating of the microswitches is pretty bad (i.e. they aren't "locked" down but needs some calibration). The Seimitsu's are much easier to install than the clunky SUZO sticks though.

[captainobvious]

Does anyone reading this happen to own both one of the Suzo's and the LS-56, and can tell me which one has the shortest throw?

Thanks for the replies so far, guys. 

[kowal]

http://www.kowal.itcom.pl/ArcadeParts_pliki/artZESen.htm

and spring burn for soft move
http://www.kowal.itcom.pl/ArcadeParts_pliki/artSP.htm

[Gray_Area]

What is this 'soft-ness' you speak of?

[emphatic]

What is this 'soft-ness' you speak of?

Lack of stiffness, of course.  As kowal wrote, you can remove some of the tension of the spring by compressing it then applying heat to it (while have the spring standing vertically so the heat is distributed evenly). Best is to find a softer spring though, but tracking a fitting one down can be hard. Most sticks have perfect spring from the start (I prefer to stretch my LS-32 springs to twice the length though as they are too loose for my taste) but the SUZO sticks have very stiff springs that's not for everyone.

[Corylegend]

I have a brand new suzo inductive I would be willing to sell!

I would be interested in buying actually.

Also captainobvious if it's still working aside from the "Bump" i'd be willing to buy your old one once you replace it also.

I have some customs i want to build and i need some of these to toy with to get used to then and if not to damaged one to play Frankenstein with.