joystick trouble: doesn't go to neutral

[Qwintin]

Hi there,

few time ago i got a working arcade cabinet. Today i'm trying to make a mame cab of it and i'm facing one issue with one of the joystick: from time to time, this joystick doesn't go back to the neutral position , resulting of hazardous moves within the game. In other words, it may happens that the joystick still send signals as if i was using it even if i i don't touch it anymore.

I wonder if i'm responsible of this, because i don't remember it was already happening before i manipulated the joysticks and moved them on a new custom control panel...

So my question is simple: do i need to buy another joystick? Is there anything else i could try?

Thanks for you inputs

[shponglefan]

What joystick?  Does the joystick itself not physically return to neutral (i.e. is it a spring issue)?  Or does the joystick return to center, but signals are still being sent (so maybe a switch is stuck?)

[Cynicaster]

Maybe a switch is stuck or maybe you have an intermittent short between the ground and the "NC" terminal of one of the microswitches (assuming it even uses the latter).  In any case, doesn't sound like it would be a difficult or expensive problem to isolate and fix.     

[secret80sman]

Could always increase the joystick deadline on affected games from the MAME control panel too. Poor man's fix so to speak.

[Qwintin]

here are some pics of the joystick. I think it is a Seimitsu



The joystick seems to go to neutral, physically, but i don't heard the second 'click' saying that the microswitch is released. Yeah i guess the microswitch is to blame, probably too tired.... Is it possible to just change the microswitches? is it a good idea or the effort doesn't worth the few bucks i'd pay for a new joystick?

Thanks

[PL1]

Looks like an LS-56.

The switches are soldered to the board, so it's not just a drop-in replacement.

Not sure who carries replacement parts.   


Scott

[Qwintin]

Thanks for the link Scott, it definitively looks like what-you-said.

I'll have a look at its inside to see what can be done to the microswitches for them to push back the joystick stronger...