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Author Topic: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun  (Read 137749 times)

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TapeWormInYourGut

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #240 on: April 04, 2015, 10:14:14 am »
You won't need the solenoids, so if Andy is willing to sell at a cheaper price without them, then go for it. I would keep the wires and everything else that is in the kit though.

I doubt that there will be room for both the aimtrak and guncon 3 sensor.

TimeCrisis

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #241 on: April 04, 2015, 10:51:01 am »
looks like I will end up having to buy 2 real arcade light guns then, its only for time crisis 4 at the moment, but maybe time crisis 5 will be out on ps4 one day and that will likely use guncon 3 technology.

if anyone has time crisis 4 could you set it to run in 480p mode, so that the original aspect ratio is maintained and it shows in 4:3, I want to check that it fills the frame of a 4:3 monitor, even if you can check that it sends 640x480 to the monitor that would be great.

it's just that it may do some wonky 4:3 in a 16:9 frame type thing which would ruin the experince on a true 4:3 monitor.

gamer83

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #242 on: April 04, 2015, 08:37:49 pm »
Nice find hotwire! Welcome to camo club  :cheers:.you wont be disappointed with these guns.timecrisis I made a video of the ultimarc solenoid in action inside a pelican gun,I left one half of the shell off to show you the solenoid inside.that little solenoid is quite impressive.Im feeding it 30v in the vid.if you look closely you can see the little nut fall off for the screw holding the shell half on,Lol,what was it again,righty tighty lefty loosey? :tool:
I also show in the video the camo gun using the circuit from the ultimarc recoil kit.that gun has the original pelican solenoid in it and is using 24v.After a few days of tinkering about,I managed to get the circuit working using the original pcb that comes with the pelican gun eliminating the need for a 2nd pcb inside the gun.I like using the switch on the pelican pcb to cut power to the solenoid if I wish,and it fills the gaps on the shell if you dont use it.Hotwire, please send me the board layout your designing,when your done, I might be interested in using it as i could see it cleaning things up significantly.Ill have a look at that website also,see what I can cook up.

Also,timecrisis for the pedal,if you do end up going the pelican route,there is a small attachment underneath the shell you could easily hook up to any pedal you want.ideally would be if you got the pedal that comes with the pelican like inside hotwires kits.that way,you only have to wire the connection inside the gun to the aimtrak,and just plug the pedal in.ive attached some pics and a vid,let me know what you guys think.   
« Last Edit: April 04, 2015, 08:43:50 pm by gamer83 »

TimeCrisis

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #243 on: April 05, 2015, 06:43:38 am »
seems like a company called innovation released a gun identical to the real arcade light gun expect....its in black!

here are some links, seems to be even rarer than the pelican/joytech one.

http://www.goldenshop.com.hk/AI-trad/psx/p_joltgun.htm

that's a cool idea using the ultimarc solenoid, do you find it closely resembles the pelican when fed 30v.

you are using the original PCB, does that mean you are not even using the ultimarc recoil pcb, or are you using that as well, does the pelican offer some sort of autofire recoil, if so what is it like, is it fast enough to make you feel like it's a machine gun, I would guess not.

yes I did notice about the pedal, if you attach it it's basically a duplicatation of one of the buttons on the gun, but I'd prefer the wire coming from the pc to pedal, instead of the wire coming from the gun to the pedal, but this may be necessary for time crisis 4, but I belive my guitar hero drumkit thing will work,as I hear pressing any button on the 2nd controller port acts like a duck button.

remember I plan to replace innards and put in official time crisis pedal, we would need to look inside the pelican foot switch and the guitar hero one to see how easy it would be to do that, and also look see if I can actually open up the time crisis pedal.

on USB pedals the INFINITY USB FOOT PEDAL has been the only one that seems large and heavy duty, I think using the smaller ones is less than ideal, but then again the time crisis 5 pedals are quite small so maybe I'm wrong in that regard

the absolute best pedal would likely be the redoctane pedal which isn't made anymore and imposible to find so we can scratch that off the list.

'This incredibly heavy-duty pedal is made of thick metal and is topped with a sheet of industrial diamond plate, just like the pedal in the arcade. The RedOctane Reload Pedal weighs in at over 4 pounds, and has the exact dimensions of the arcade pedal'


I would focus on trying to get the official time crisis pedal, only £50, however the main thing I worry about is condition, most appear to be in not very good condition, I don't think there is anything that can be done to clean it up, I will call up a few places and ask if they stock new time crisis pedals, would really like time crisis 4 pedal as its in silver, i have called up http://leisureservices.biz/namco.html and they said they would sell the time crisis pedal new, but I will have to wait until tuesday to find out the price.

does anyone know what Time crisis 2-4 did in the arcade for it's machine gun recoil, was there a recoil system at all, or was it just a rotating motor, any advise would be appreciated, I thought maybe it used the same recoil in crisis zones gun, but after seeing you can only fit one recoil in a gun, im not sure now, im sure crisis zone actually used a recoil based on thir review quote.

'The arcade gun shakes with incredibly cool internal recoil that neatly simulates a real automatic action'

Interestingly, I saw a video of time crisis 5 and there appears to be no blow-back effect on the new guns, apparently this is to save on cost and increase accuracy, according to one video.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2015, 09:46:23 pm by TimeCrisis »

h0tw1r3

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #244 on: April 05, 2015, 04:25:27 pm »
okay I will measure the gun socket to make sure it will fit before purchasing.

I'll be sure to purchase the ultimarc recoil board as well then, I may contact him and ask him to not include the solenoid as I will not need it, would you agree?

do you think it would be possible to fit the aimtrak and guncon 3 sensor in the one gun, along with trigger and an assigneable button that works for both aimtrak and guncon 3, so in that case when you shoot the gun its like it is using both aimtrak and guncon 3 at the same time, that way whichever I use it (aimtrak or ps3 ) it will always work with the one I am using.
I don't think you'll need an aimtrak recoil kit at all. If it's like mine, all the necessary circuitry is included.

I am going to put together a vlog of my progress, but for now I'll just post the uncut video I have so far.  Stay tuned...


TimeCrisis

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #245 on: April 05, 2015, 04:35:45 pm »
really...wow that's great news, this makes this the best gun option out there, better than even namco/named.

and yeah they are all the same, whether its pelican, joytech or innovation, it's all the same gun, they all say 'real arcade light gun' on the side of the gun, regardless if the product states 'super jolt gun' or not, i think pelican is US, and joytech is UK, not sure on innovation 's origins.

there is one other pedal option by innovations, it MAY be larger than the typical pedals you get with these guns, it may be a decent plug and play solution for the real arcade light gun, in this case you would plug it into the gun.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Innovations-Playstation-1-Guncon-Foot-Pedal-738012202098-/301545781110?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4635877776

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PS1-One-PS2-Guncon-Namco-Foot-Pedal-Sony-Playstation-Time-Crisis-2-/181404210438?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a3c889506

if it isn't any larger then it's a waste of time, can't figure it out by looking at pictures, my main option is to buy the real namco arcade pedal, however that will need some heavy mod work to work with the gun, will let you know on tuesday how much it will cost new, I can get it in silver, red or black.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2015, 04:55:43 pm by TimeCrisis »

h0tw1r3

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #246 on: April 05, 2015, 04:56:43 pm »
Please keep in mind this is all "uncut" video.  Mostly just babbling :blah: and thinking outloud :dizzy:

FYI, when I say mosfet you say ...  bipolar junction transistor (NPN).







TimeCrisis

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #247 on: April 05, 2015, 05:46:38 pm »
amazing stuff, and all with the original board as well, this is a fantastic discovery, it makes me wonder why this wasn't mentioned much earlier when this thread was started.

have you thought on making a guncon 3 one, surely you want to play time crisis 4 with recoil, and time crisis 5 when it comes out on ps4 (this is very likely).

but yes I very much look forward to your more detailed guide.

was there any room below the trigger for a button to be placed, at the same area where your ring finger rests? I was a bit worried as I saw a PCB board in that same area where I like my reload button (for use in games like HOTD), I don't like to shoot outside the screen, I prefer button press.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2015, 05:52:36 pm by TimeCrisis »

h0tw1r3

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #248 on: April 05, 2015, 05:54:12 pm »
Haven't considered doing any other guns as I will only be doing PC games/emulation.

Not sure what you mean by "underneath the trigger", but you're right... There's not much room.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2015, 05:55:43 pm by h0tw1r3 »

TimeCrisis

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #249 on: April 05, 2015, 06:07:01 pm »
here is a screenshot of the inside of the guns, hopefully you can tell by looking at them if you can fit it in, dosen't seem too big.



I love that button, works wonders for reloading in Hotd 1, ghost squad kinda needs an 'action' button as well for rescuing people and disabling bombs, its pretty much the only button placement that works while holding the gun with one hand.

hey check this other gun with blowback, it's for the dreamcast, it's called

cybergun Desert Eagle .50AE



uses 6v, has button below trigger, AND it's in black, looks pretty awesome kinda like the time crisis 5 guns.

it's incredibly rare though, looks like i will be searching 'dreamcast light gun' on ebay every week and waiting for it to show up.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2015, 06:40:59 pm by TimeCrisis »

h0tw1r3

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #250 on: April 05, 2015, 06:47:10 pm »
I see. Probably could make it work, but would be tight.

I actually prefer the one on the side.

TimeCrisis

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #251 on: April 05, 2015, 06:54:32 pm »
yeah i noticed that one, but honestly imagine just squessing your hand to reload instead, with the button below the trigger there is absolutely no accidenal presses and you don't have to move your fingers at all.

I will try that other button though, maybe it is a comfortable place for your thumb to rest permanently, I don't know yet my gun arrives in about 7 days.

what do you think of that dreamcast gun, I didn't even know it existed I just found it by accident today, even though it does only 6v, do you think you could feed it something like 24v, is it overall safe to do this?

managed to find one here

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009BY3WXI/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=

looks like they made one for ps1

another gun i found, the hais

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251902448769?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I am currently researching other guns with blowback capabilities, I take it ones that are battery or USB powered are not strong enough in comparison to mains powered, when I say usb powered I mean it is designed to use the usb port in the ps2, i think that is what a lot of these other blow back guns have.

I think the reason why namco asks for soo much money on there arcade parts is because its like a licenese they have, and they know you are going to make money out of them, so they need to charge 3x the price to make up for that, proof of concept sega charge £250 for their HOTD 2 light gun, which is a very basic gun with no recoil.

oh wait, how cool that sega light gun is actually based of an airsoft gun.



have to say the recoil looks pretty awesome there, is there anyway to add an aimtrak to that, after reading a review it said you only get 2 magazines worth per cylindar, maybe we can find some other gun that lets you play a full time crisis game without having to change mags.
« Last Edit: April 06, 2015, 02:07:15 am by TimeCrisis »

TapeWormInYourGut

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #252 on: April 06, 2015, 10:53:06 am »
That HongKong link you had for the "black Real Arcade Gun" doesn't have a power socket. I am guessing that it just moves the slide with a spring hooked to the trigger. I think that you need to do more research or pay closer attention to the guns you are posting. That HAIS GUNCON doesn't even look like it has moving parts, so it probably doesn't recoil at all. I don't see any mention of recoil on the page either.

Desert Eagles are real guns made by the US/Israel. The toy manufacturers just license the name and design. CO2 guns would be impractical for an aimtrak mod, because they would be very expensive to keep buying CO2 cartridges. There are electric Desert Eagles and other airsoft guns, but airsoft guns are just too small. I cracked open mine and the aimtrak is too big to fit inside the barrel. I would ignore airsoft guns for this reason. The only way you will find one that is big enough, is if you actually buy it and try, and the chances are slim.

I think your options are pretty clear if you want to be safe. Either stick with the real arcade gun, use a namco arcade gun (or generic), or use a gun without moving parts and no blow-back. Anything else, you are pretty much on your own to see what will or won't fit an aimtrak. Everything is a tight fit, so pictures alone might not help if the difference between fitting or not is just a few mm.

The official guns are more expensive due to being a brand item. That is true for nearly any product in every market. We don't know manufacturing costs either. If they were made in Taiwan over China, for example, it will cost more to manufacturer. They might offer different warranties as well. My named gun has a 30 day warranty, but I am guessing that OEMs offer a longer one. I voided it the moment that the gun was opened.

TimeCrisis

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #253 on: April 06, 2015, 11:29:35 am »
sorry wrong hais gun, this is the one i meant

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-PS-1-PLAY-STATION-ONE-Hais-V-Light-Gun-Pedal-Controller-shooting-SURVIVOR-/271617341250?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f3da7b742

It does say Ac powored recoil, but I am checking with the sellers buy asking them questions to see if the guns are mains powered.

is it me, or does that desert eagle recoil seem really weak when he preses the trigger in that video near the start, maybe this can be solved by using more voltage?

on airsoft guns, I take it each canister can only hold a small amount of kickback force, in other words you'd have to reload your catridge every 30 or so bullets, if that's so then that's very impractical.

yes I have chosen the real arcade gun, I just want to keep my options open in case it fails, so I have knowledge on what other ones could do the job.

i contacted the seller of this gun

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nu-Gen-Assassin-Light-Gun-and-Pedal-for-PlayStation-1-Complete-and-Working-/151640062830?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=eyPcRNuBrxycmDkvrrEDURZIYrc%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

he said the gun is mains powored for recoil, looks pretty small, its only £10 so I don't mind checking it out, maybe its simply a smaller solenoid.

On the Namco gun pricing, well, I'm not sure exactly why its that price, what you say may be partially true, but they charge almost £200 for a time crisis 3 disc drive, those prices are no where near normal.
http://leisureservices.biz/namco.html
« Last Edit: April 06, 2015, 11:31:39 am by TimeCrisis »

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #254 on: April 06, 2015, 02:57:58 pm »
Great posts hotwire!! I look forward to seeing the completed vids as I'd like to replicate what your doing with your pelican. Can't wait for the next batch! Keep up the great work :-)

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #255 on: April 06, 2015, 02:58:10 pm »
Great posts hotwire!! I look forward to seeing the completed vids as I'd like to replicate what your doing with your pelican. Can't wait for the next batch! Keep up the great work :-)

TimeCrisis

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #256 on: April 06, 2015, 03:52:59 pm »
just bought another real arcade light gun for £18, the auction title didn't even say real arcade light gun, just 'light gun for playstation', so when searching just try using 'light gun', you will have about 300 searches but its the only way to find this gun.

why buy two? for repairs and in case i screw up this mod somehow.

Overall, I'd say after all my searching, the only gun i see that is mains powered, that would likely hold the same type of solenoid size as the namco ones is the real arcade light gun, the other 5 or so that have recoil are mostly usb powered, or if they are mains it's likely to be a smaller recoil anyway (the desert eagle gun particually seems very weak).

the avenger pro looks to be the same though




yeah the time crisis pedals are £375 new from brent electronics, so i think we will be going down the second hand route of £50

another gun, looks good, has recoil and laser, currently resarching whether its mains powered or not, seems very powerful, he shows rapid fire with crisis zone using it, can only assume its on a real ps2 as crisis zone's rapid fire doesn't work on pcsx2 due to fog bug.

« Last Edit: April 07, 2015, 12:00:27 pm by TimeCrisis »

TimeCrisis

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #257 on: April 09, 2015, 11:58:47 am »
okay gun arrived, its very heavy, especially at the front, sad that I can't test the recoil without a playstation, i will most likely put the button that is behind the gun  (it appears unlabeled) and have it under the trigger instead, then wire the B button where the unlabeled  button was originally.

I will look into these guides and try and get an aimtrak installed into one of them, if someone can make a step-by-step bullet pointed post on the exact thigns to do that would help, will begin openening up the gun soon...

okay I have dismantled the gun, I think the next step would be testing the solenoid, so how exactly do I do that, in otherwosds how do I setup something like what you have in your 5th video, I don't have a separate power supply 5v 'grounded' like you do.

can I just proceed anyway, and what would you suggest is the safest way to remove the playstation av cables on the PCB, there is about 15 of them.

for the 8 pin connector you mentioned, am I to buy the '8 pin and plug' connector set from this auction.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-Pin-Plugs-Chassis-Sockets-Audio-CNC-Aviation-Ham-Radio-CB-A-/121496249774?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=420431396091&hash=item1c49bda5ae

I also take it that the pedal is useless, or could i somehow hook that up to the aimtrak?
« Last Edit: April 09, 2015, 05:59:54 pm by TimeCrisis »

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #258 on: April 09, 2015, 06:21:13 pm »
I also take it that the pedal is useless, or could i somehow hook that up to the aimtrak?
The pedal is actually very easy to hack/use if it's like the one I got with my real arcade gun. Mine has an RJ11 plug in the back (the same wire/plug that a telephone uses). It only uses the center two wires (again, same as a phone cord). So you should be able to plug a regular phone cord into it. On the other end you can solder the two wires to the Aim Trak pcb inside the gun (it has spots for extra buttons). Or you could even wire it directly your cabinet's control board (iPac, etc...).

I bought a couple of original Time Crisis pedals for my cab, but now I'm thinking the Real Arcade pedal isn't half bad. But it is plastic, so its durability is questionable.
« Last Edit: April 09, 2015, 06:26:58 pm by abkaz »

TimeCrisis

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #259 on: April 09, 2015, 06:34:16 pm »
yes my one uses the same cord, the biggest issue i had with the pedal is its travel distance is pretty poor, you have to press it down about 80% before it sends its click, and it does feel quite bad.

but what about the time crisis pedals, what are they like, I was maybe thinking on buying them, is the travel distance much shorter, have you opened it up and found it to be easily modable to work as a USB pc pedal.

but yeah the only case I can think of is time crisis 4 with guncon 3 in the case of the 2nd controller port 'trick' not working, as if i wanted to use aimtrak I would just have another pedal plugged in from PC to to the pedal.

also I'm still having trouble trying to figure out if this 24v PSU will fit into the plug or not.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321512550121?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I just don't know what parts to measure to make sure the jack will fit, to me it seems that the jack is 4mm in diameter, and 10mm tall, but looking at that listing it just doens't add up.
« Last Edit: April 09, 2015, 07:43:25 pm by TimeCrisis »

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #260 on: April 14, 2015, 04:33:12 pm »
Here's a picture of the Namco Time Crisis pedal next to the Pelican/Joytech pedal. As you can see, the Namco pedal's travel is very small - maybe a few degrees. It is also 100% metal, so it's far more durable and much less susceptible to sliding or movement. It has L-brackets for easy mounting to a cab if you want it to be totally secure.

It should be very easy to "hack" since I'm fairly certain that it contains a simple NC or NO switch. But I'm not 100% sure on that because the cable has three leads instead of the normal 2 that I was expecting. As you can see from the picture, this pedal needs some refurbishing (stripping, painting, etc...) and it's fairly low priority so I probably won't tear into it for another month or two.
« Last Edit: April 14, 2015, 04:36:10 pm by abkaz »

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #261 on: April 15, 2015, 11:54:48 am »
can you check to see if you can remove the L bracket and just have the pedal on its own, I think that would look smarter on the floor, that is the way the RedOctane reload pedal was as well.

also to re ask is this the correct connector, and am i meant to select 8 pin male and female plug set.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-Pin-Plugs-Chassis-Sockets-Audio-CNC-Aviation-Ham-Radio-CB-A-/121496249774?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=420431396091&hash=item1c49bda5ae

TimeCrisis

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #262 on: April 25, 2015, 04:43:13 pm »
I just bought yet another light gun with powered recoil.

http://www.blood-is-red.de/mw/index.php/Game_Source_Virtual_Pistol_PS-612

I haven't been able to try out the recoil as you need a playstation, but the gun is much lighter than the real arcade light gun and I much prefer the weight,size and the look of the gun, I hope the recoil is decent enough, it is mains powered after all, the pedal that came with it is way better than the real arcade light gun, as the travel distance is much smaller.


also if anyone has a more complete guide on how to mod my real arcade light guns to work with aimtrak, please post and also if you can answer my questions from before that would be much appreciated.
« Last Edit: April 25, 2015, 05:31:40 pm by TimeCrisis »

delt31

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #263 on: April 25, 2015, 07:11:39 pm »
PM me if anyone is interested in building a gun like the one in the first post for me and I will paypal.  thanks.

TimeCrisis

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #264 on: April 25, 2015, 07:27:56 pm »
there is no point in buying a real namco gun from an arcade machine, if you buy 'the real arcade gun' which was sold for Playstaion 1, you have a near identical gun and it also includes all the wiring you need to get it working with aimtrack, see the build videos above for more information.

In addition, it is in a much better, more color than blue/pink.

TapeWormInYourGut

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #265 on: April 25, 2015, 08:41:13 pm »
Some people want blue and pink, the steel cable and all that. Some people also want the Namco brand on their gun as well. I wouldn't say that there is no point just because there are alternatives that you prefer.

TimeCrisis

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #266 on: April 25, 2015, 09:00:26 pm »
well what i mean is they are both identical guns, only difference is that the shell is different.

i guess in that respect both are as good as each other, but given the price difference there isn't much comparison, in addition the real arcade gun has the wiring to allow a conversion, the namco one doens't, also the real arcade gun has some holes already in place for buttons, and the buttons are also in place, it also has the option for a pedal to come from the gun already in place.

trying to find a good condition namco gun used is also quite hard, most have been abused in arcades for years.

with that being said someone is selling 2 namco guns and 2 pedals on ebay UK for £120 to you can pick up a bargain there.

I got a real arcade gun for about £20 so i see no point, but i was also thinking on that auction as i wanted to check the differences between the namco and the real arcade for myself.

also keep in mind the original intended colour is black, they are black in japanese arcade mahines, they only changed the colours because they were forced to by law, holding a black gun feels cool, why would anyone want a blue one, it screams 'toy' when using it.


anyway here is a comparison in size of the real arcade gun and the new gun I just got, I really like the new guns size and weight, I also think it's the best looking light gun I have seen, mostly because its all black with no obvious 'gamey' buttons on it.

let's hope the recoil is decent.
« Last Edit: April 25, 2015, 09:16:39 pm by TimeCrisis »

abkaz

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #267 on: April 27, 2015, 01:17:52 pm »
Have you popped open the new gun yet? It doesn't look like there's very much room inside for the AimTrak board / sensor and a separate board for the solenoid.

TimeCrisis

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #268 on: April 27, 2015, 07:25:54 pm »
I havent yet, to be honest I'd prefer to find some way to test the solenoid in the gun first before taking it apart due to fear of breaking the gun somehow, since no one is advising me on how to test the solenoid of the real arcade lgiht gun I may be forced to buy a playstation just to see how well the solenoid works between these two guns so I can then make a judement call and continue from there, do you have to hook up a playstation to a CRT tv in order to test the recoil?

if the recoil on this gun is half way decent I will rather use this gun, its significantly lighter and smaller, I much prefer it to the namco gun design.

do you know if it is easy to mod a gun that uses USB power to then use mains power, to make the recoil a little better, there are a few more light guns I'd like to try, but they are all USB powered, but they may be the answer to the better gun for myself.

More importantly, I've ordered a wide angled lens for an iphone so I can move in closer.

Hopefully with this I can use a 15" instead of a 20" 4:3 screen, as they are my only 4:3 monitor size options.

Update: okay tried to open it, seems there are no screws to open it up at all, the screws on the side of the gun are just for a piece of plastic, seems there is no way to get into the gun, shame as it seems like a great gun.
« Last Edit: April 28, 2015, 01:35:38 am by TimeCrisis »

TimeCrisis

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #269 on: May 05, 2015, 09:17:26 am »
good news, seems that wide angle lens allowed me to calibrate much closer in, so should be able to stick with a 15" 4:3 monitor, this is big news as the 20" 4:3 monitors weigh a lot and are horribly large.

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #270 on: May 08, 2015, 09:30:53 am »
there is no point in buying a real namco gun from an arcade machine, if you buy 'the real arcade gun' which was sold for Playstaion 1, you have a near identical gun and it also includes all the wiring you need to get it working with aimtrack, see the build videos above for more information.

In addition, it is in a much better, more color than blue/pink.

Had to make an account just to reply to this, the "real arcade gun" is really shoddy. Mine makes a ton of noise whenever you move it around, I think it's either the ball bearings or some parts of the solonoid spring that shake for no reason. The plastic is of a far lower quality, the top sight doesn't even have a slot cut in it. The weighting is extremely top heavy because of the lack of mounting bracket, making it feel absolutely awful if you tilt it even a few degrees to either side.

The solonoid is poor quality, and rated for 12V, half of the real thing. Because they tried copying the design of the Namco gun, this means it's way too weak to move the slide fast enough for enjoyable recoil.

The trigger is a microswitch, which is a very nice addition in a home gun, but the Namco gun uses a roller to provide much smoother action. This leaves you with a very awkward detectable hump in the real arcade gun because it just uses a lever, and the switch is also much louder.

If you have the money, a Namco gun is head and shoulders over everything else. Mine was only 50 quid. If you don't have the money, I'd recommend the original GunCon. It feels stunning in the hand, has a couple of buttons, and I think there are ways to screw in an Aimtrak recoil kit. It's not going to be as fun as having the moving slide, but I'd take a more comfortable hand placement and far less shoddy build quality over that.

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #271 on: May 08, 2015, 04:40:31 pm »
there is no point in buying a real namco gun from an arcade machine, if you buy 'the real arcade gun' which was sold for Playstaion 1, you have a near identical gun and it also includes all the wiring you need to get it working with aimtrack, see the build videos above for more information.

In addition, it is in a much better, more color than blue/pink.

Had to make an account just to reply to this, the "real arcade gun" is really shoddy. Mine makes a ton of noise whenever you move it around, I think it's either the ball bearings or some parts of the solonoid spring that shake for no reason. The plastic is of a far lower quality, the top sight doesn't even have a slot cut in it. The weighting is extremely top heavy because of the lack of mounting bracket, making it feel absolutely awful if you tilt it even a few degrees to either side.

The solonoid is poor quality, and rated for 12V, half of the real thing. Because they tried copying the design of the Namco gun, this means it's way too weak to move the slide fast enough for enjoyable recoil.

The trigger is a microswitch, which is a very nice addition in a home gun, but the Namco gun uses a roller to provide much smoother action. This leaves you with a very awkward detectable hump in the real arcade gun because it just uses a lever, and the switch is also much louder.

If you have the money, a Namco gun is head and shoulders over everything else. Mine was only 50 quid. If you don't have the money, I'd recommend the original GunCon. It feels stunning in the hand, has a couple of buttons, and I think there are ways to screw in an Aimtrak recoil kit. It's not going to be as fun as having the moving slide, but I'd take a more comfortable hand placement and far less shoddy build quality over that.


Owning both, original Namco and "the real arcade gun" I can double what Toasty said. The difference is quite big in weight and quality. They DO NOT feel the same. The Namco feels like a tank in comparison. Same goes for the recoil, it's a joke on the "real arcade gun"... in comparison at least.

gamer83

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #272 on: May 08, 2015, 06:58:12 pm »
I have to disagree with the above comments about,the real arcade guns recoil,Ive used the namco and real arcade gun side by side,and when they are both being fed 24v,yes the kickback does feel the same.of course it will feel weaker with a 12v supply compared to the namco 24v.I feed the RAG 24v steady with no heat issues at all.not sure whats going in your gun with the solenoid mounting brackets toasty,but the real arcade guns do have the same mounting brackets as the namco guns for the solenoid.mine dont shake around inside the gun shell when you tilt it.As for the shells,the namco guns are made of a harder plastic,meant to be beat around a commercial environment,the real arcade guns plastic is a lighter less dense plastic,for home use,dont beat the sh*t out of them,and they will be fine.theres no doubt the namco guns are built like tanks,the RAG is still a well built gun also,better than EMS guns and alot of others.I opted for the real arcade gun for 2 reasons,one is the price.cant go wrong for a blowback gun,and two is the fact they already have 2 nice buttons integrated into the shell,making them perfect for a mame cab without pedals.The RAGs are a good choice if your running a mame setup,I wouldnt reccomend using them as replacement for dedicated cabs.

TimeCrisis

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #273 on: May 09, 2015, 09:48:11 am »
Is the weight between the two much different, the RAG for me weighs a lot and is out weighted at the front, but I was under the impression the namco gun was the same.

yeah the top sight has no cut, i thought that was weird, also my gun makes no noise when I move it.

I don't know about the microswitch thing, would that make a difference gamer83?

I can't even test the recoil since there has been no updated guide to help me build one.

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #274 on: May 09, 2015, 11:29:51 am »
Is the weight between the two much different, the RAG for me weighs a lot and is out weighted at the front, but I was under the impression the namco gun was the same.

yeah the top sight has no cut, i thought that was weird, also my gun makes no noise when I move it.

I don't know about the microswitch thing, would that make a difference gamer83?

I can't even test the recoil since there has been no updated guide to help me build one.

You have a better rebound for very fast shooting in games like Point Blank and much higher durability. 

TimeCrisis

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #275 on: May 09, 2015, 11:51:40 am »
but most of the weight is in the solenoid, so can I assume the Namco gun is heavier all round to balance out the weight.

tbh I don't like the weight and size of these guns, but I am yet to experience the recoil so I can't fully judge, I love the size/weight of the smaller black gun I got, but I can only assume the recoil will be bad given its size and weight.

arcadeguns.com are now selling their new gun which will support recoil with a module bought later.

http://www.arcadeguns.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=48_49&products_id=278&zenid=mata34n4vltglej64abvibu3r5

not sure what people think of that, but I love the weight/size of these guns.
« Last Edit: May 09, 2015, 11:53:39 am by TimeCrisis »

Endprodukt

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #276 on: May 09, 2015, 11:54:30 am »
but most of the weight is in the solenoid, so can I assume the Namco gun is heavier all round to balance out the weight.

tbh I don't like the weight and size of these guns, but I am yet to experience the recoil so I can't fully judge, I love the size/weight of the smaller black gun I got, but I can only assume the recoil will be bad given its size and weight.

Namco guns are heavy after a while. Not denying that. Especially because mine have the metal "cable" (sorry, forgot the correct term). You do feel like a badass though. :D

TimeCrisis

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #277 on: May 09, 2015, 12:07:39 pm »
yeah okay but do they weigh more than the RAG, you said the RAG was very different in weight, another poster said the RAG was top heavy on weight, but I don't see how the namco could be any different, because as i said most of the weight is at the top due to the solenoid.

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #278 on: May 09, 2015, 04:59:47 pm »
The Namco gun has metal parts like the hose - so it's not as top heavy... if I understand what you mean.

TimeCrisis

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Re: AimTrak-Converting a Namco Recoil Gun
« Reply #279 on: May 09, 2015, 10:02:47 pm »
Well, no, if you hold the gun without trying to balance it, does it not tilt forward due to weight.

that's what the RAG does, but that's due to solenoid.

I'd probably get the named gun anyway beccause I want black, I don't know if it ihas a roller or a microswitch.