Comp happ stick feels sloppy. Easy fix?

[equlizer]

I find that there is too much play on the sticks on my cab.  Is there a way to fix this so i hit the switch faster?

[TopJimmyCooks]

wrap some electrical tape around the actuator (round or square thing underneath that touches the switches) to make it bigger/closer to the switches. 

[leapinlew]

Use a Nintendo joystick for a while, that'll make the comp feel better by comparison

[boardjunkie]

Put in better sticks. That'll fix it....

[equlizer]

Put in better sticks. That'll fix it....

That would require lots and lots of extra work and not very helpfull, but thx

As for the wrapping of electical tape, will try that tomorrow

[TopJimmyCooks]

pull out the spring and give it a little stretch too.  that will reduce the play, the tape will reduce the throw.  the tape won't last long, but if it works you can do something like get a bigger actuator. 

[jrivelli]

I just put in 2 new sticks for the first time ever and it took me about an hour and I had to unsolder each connection on the old sticks and put on clips. Not that bad, definitely worth it!

[mgb]

if you do find you wanna change the stick out at some point, changing to a leaf switch stick or something like the happ super will give you a little more tweaking ability for the feel and response you want, otherwise like topjimmy says; go with the tape and spring stretch plan.

[equlizer]

they are square actuators in there.  Should i put in a round one instead?  i have 2 other happ sticks with round ones in there that have levers on the switches.

[TopJimmyCooks]

typically square actuators press the microswitch tab directly with no metal arm.  round actuators are paired with the long microswitch arms.  If you substitute round for square you'll likely have problems hitting the diagonals.  the happ comp is not a well liked stick.  if you've got some supers (round actuators) then I would (and do) use those.  $8.39 from divemaster (arcadeemulator.net, happ dealer)

[DillonFoulds]

My 4p upright is comps, and for beat'em ups they're great! Exactly the joystick feeling i remember from the beat'em up days. They do still feel pretty solid even after about 2000 credits in.

My understanding is it's the Happ ultimates that get the bad rap usually, not the competitions?

[mgb]

Dillon, I agree the Comps really feel great, though the Happs in general seem to get a bad rap now

[boardjunkie]

I generally can't stand any microswitch sticks (and buttons as well), but the Super always felt more solid to me. They definitely lasted longer where the comps would tear themselves up under heavy beat-em-up use. Fighting game kids never liked them all that well for whatever reason...

A good trick is to use silicone grease on the centering parts and switch actuator. That makes 'em last longer instead of chewing themselves up and leaving a pile of plastic dust below it......

[equlizer]

Maybe ill just switch them out for my comps.  comps do feel better in my opinion but it was built with ultimates

Going from ultimate to comp, are they the same bolt pattern for mounting?

Also the bolts are mounted and recessed under plexiglass so your hand doesnt run over them.  So to take the stick out just hold the bolt from underneath with a pair of vice grips then take the nut off?

[mgb]

I thought you already had comps in there.
If the current sticks are Ultimate, that explains the sloppiness.
the ultimates, comps and supers are all the same bolt pattern, as are many other sticks such as the Sanwa JLWs.

If you're going to change to other Happ sticks, you may wanna look at changing to Supers. they have more adjustability and as Boardjunkie says, they are said to be more durable (I have never used them, so I can't say from experience)

[Cynicaster]

I have two Competitions and a single 4-way Ultimate on my panel.  Admittedly, I haven't tried that many different brands, but I love the Comps.  I'd buy them again in a heartbeat.   

As for the Ultimate, I can understand why lots of people don't like it, because it is a bit on the sloppy side.  I think if I could start over, I'd go with something else for the 4-way, but it doesn't bother me enough to do anything about it.  I think it's decent for most 4-way games that I like to play.  The only game that I've found to be problematic with the Ultimate is Frogger (admittedly, a bit of a bummer because I really like Frogger).  The reason it doesn't work with Frogger is because the game requires rapid/repeated taps of the stick to move around, rather than just holding it in one direction or another (like Burgertime, for instance).  The long throw of the Ultimate makes it difficult to do this with any kind of precision, so you're pretty much toast after a few levels--especially if you try to hop side to side between cars after they start to speed up. 

[mgb]

@Cynicaster
  If you really want to enjoy those 4 way games, swap out that ultimate with a Sanwa Jlw, set for 4-way mode. You won't regret it. its the same bolt pattern too

[equlizer]

@Cynicaster
  If you really want to enjoy those 4 way games, swap out that ultimate with a Sanwa Jlw, set for 4-way mode. You won't regret it. its the same bolt pattern too

Are you sure about this? if so ill change em out tomorrow!  i got 2 of those as well!!  But there is 1/8 plexi and 3/4 mdf its gotta go through.  All that will be sticking out is the ball

if the sanwas dont fit ill put my comps in instead when my micro leafs come in.  Can i keep the yellow stick part from the ultimate and put it in the comp?

[Gray_Area]

Comps are made that way. Loosey-goosey. Don't fancy them, myself.

[mgb]

@Cynicaster
  If you really want to enjoy those 4 way games, swap out that ultimate with a Sanwa Jlw, set for 4-way mode. You won't regret it. its the same bolt pattern too

Are you sure about this? if so ill change em out tomorrow!  i got 2 of those as well!!  But there is 1/8 plexi and 3/4 mdf its gotta go through.  All that will be sticking out is the ball

if the sanwas dont fit ill put my comps in instead when my micro leafs come in.  Can i keep the yellow stick part from the ultimate and put it in the comp?

Personally, I love the JLWs. They work great in 4-way mode and 8-way mode. Some don't like the square restrictor for 8-way though. The Ultimates stick may fit the comp, I'm not sure. Pull the stick out by removing the eclip and compare them.

[Xiaou2]

MGB is full of crap.

 Ultimates = Crap
 Comps     = One of the Top sticks for fighters
 Supers     = Suckage, but better than Ultimates.

  Supers feel like the stick has is loaded with clay, as they are very hard to move. They also have very poor diagonals... which means for fighters, you end up either not jumping when you want to jump... or jumping when you didnt intend it.

 Supers also use those microswitches which have a thin metal leaf on them. These micros are notorious for problems. The leaf gets bent too easily, and if you try to bend it back, it warps and can ruin the internal mechanism in such a way that it never operates correctly again.  The leafs metal is too thin, and gets out of whack too easily, too often.

 Ultimates are a bit too sloppy, with a very long throw and is built in such a way that it wears itself down very quickly.  The comps last much longer, are tighter in throw, have an improved system of durability and control. The only thing that wears is the spacer, which can be flipped over once, then eventually needs replacing. This could take many many years in a normal home use situation.. as in a non-stop arcade environment, they take like 1.5 yrs to +2yrs to kill off.

 As for 4ways, any stick can play a 4way game.  However, if there is no 4way diamond restrictor, its NOT a true 4way. It wont act, feel, or respond like a real 4way stick.

 And of course, unless its a convertible stick... a 4way restricted stick wont play 8way games.

 Personally, I recommend the Comps installed... and then add a separate dedicated 4way next to it (diagonally up to the left).

[leapinlew]

 Supers     = Suckage, but better than Ultimates.

  Supers feel like the stick has is loaded with clay, as they are very hard to move. They also have very poor diagonals... which means for fighters, you end up either not jumping when you want to jump... or jumping when you didnt intend it.

I use mostly supers and they feel most like the joysticks I played MK and SF on. Are you sure you're thinking of supers?

[Xiaou2]

I use mostly supers and they feel most like the joysticks I played MK and SF on. Are you sure you're thinking of supers?

 Depends on the arcade, and what version of a game.
Also, Many new games were shipped as PCB kits.

 Ops could have swapped the originals out with supers, if that was what they had on hand at the time.

 Comps, while having a square actuator, still have a round feel, due to the mechanical construction.   The feel is much like the super (round path)... but the super is much more mushy and resistive.  Where as the comp is light, springy, quick and easy to move.

 The supers are more durable (if the leafs dont get bent), but they are not very good sticks for a player, IMOP.

[mgb]

These are forums where people are allowed to have oppinions.
chill out dude

[mgb]

MGB is full of crap.

 Ultimates = Crap
 Comps     = One of the Top sticks for fighters
 Supers     = Suckage, but better than Ultimates.

  Supers feel like the stick has is loaded with clay, as they are very hard to move. They also have very poor diagonals... which means for fighters, you end up either not jumping when you want to jump... or jumping when you didnt intend it.

 Supers also use those microswitches which have a thin metal leaf on them. These micros are notorious for problems. The leaf gets bent too easily, and if you try to bend it back, it warps and can ruin the internal mechanism in such a way that it never operates correctly again.  The leafs metal is too thin, and gets out of whack too easily, too often.

 Ultimates are a bit too sloppy, with a very long throw and is built in such a way that it wears itself down very quickly.  The comps last much longer, are tighter in throw, have an improved system of durability and control. The only thing that wears is the spacer, which can be flipped over once, then eventually needs replacing. This could take many many years in a normal home use situation.. as in a non-stop arcade environment, they take like 1.5 yrs to +2yrs to kill off.

 As for 4ways, any stick can play a 4way game.  However, if there is no 4way diamond restrictor, its NOT a true 4way. It wont act, feel, or respond like a real 4way stick.

 And of course, unless its a convertible stick... a 4way restricted stick wont play 8way games.

 Personally, I recommend the Comps installed... and then add a separate dedicated 4way next to it (diagonally up to the left).

Where exactly am I full of crap? In one post I said that I like Comps but I have heard from many that the super is better. But I've never tried them. I also said that I like JLWs for 4-way. How does that contridict your wisdom. I understand you ran an arcade for a whole 3 years but am I still allowed to have an oppinion.

[Xiaou2]

Apologies MGB, I misread a post of yours.  >.<


 

[mgb]

no problem, it happens

[postmortem]

I have comps in all my MK and KI cabs and I love em. I have a pair of ultimates that I tried to put into an x-arcade and it felt awful.. Idk if its because the x-arcade is designed to only work with the sticks that came in it, or if ultimates just suck that bad. Either way you cant go wrong with competitions if you plan on playing any kind of fighting game. hope this helps

[equlizer]

was thinking about throwing in a U360 on player 1.  Are the mounting holes the same?

[mgb]

Yeah they're a standard bolt pattern.

[equlizer]

would the sanwa JLW fit in there?  Just saw that its over $100 to have a nice 360 

[DillonFoulds]

The u360s are nice for all the remapping, but the actual mechanical side of things... well... you'll have to change springs around a lot to get the feel you want, and then you'll get them broken in and everything will feel MUCH looser than when you thought you had them right. That and because they're analogue, they take a bit to get used to, since there's no distinct activation.

[equlizer]

how are these for like street fighter games?  Would a sanwa JLW fit in there?  I know the JLF wont cause i tried 

[mgb]

Yeah the JLW will fit. its the same standard bolt pattern.
Like you said the JLFs won't fit, they are a smaller base. I think that some of the seimitsus also have the smaller non standard base like th Jlfs.
Personally, I much prefer the JLWs to the JLFs.

[equlizer]

Awesome! im ordering 2 JLW's!  Prob better than Happ comps too

[mgb]

Yeah they're a great stick. Some don't care for the squareish pattern in 8-way, but if you find you don't like it, you can get round gates for a more fluid 8-way feel.

[equlizer]

will i need a shaft extension or will i be ok going through 3/4 wood and 1/8 plexi?

[mgb]

No, you would probably have to top mount them. I'm not sure if there is a longer shaft available for them. I mounted a JLF from underneith once but I had to route out a recess in order to bring it up more, and I also didn't have plexi on it. 1/8" sounds thick for cp plexi. You sure its not 1/16", although either way, bottom mounting won't fly.

[equlizer]

Just ordered 2 of them from lizardlick and he said that it will work but will only have about 1/2 + ball outside.  Im fine with that

[jrivelli]

Just ordered 2 of them from lizardlick and he said that it will work but will only have about 1/2 + ball outside.  Im fine with that

Gah, I don't mean to go off topic here, but does it take anyone else 3 weeks(ish) to get their orders from lizard lick?