Authentic feeling Tempest spinner

[2084]

I was looking to build an authentic feeling Tempest spinner and after looking at a few old posts on this site (many of which detail options which are no longer on the market) initially decided on a Turbo Twist 2 with an an extra weight attached.  This is a great quality spinner, but to me was missing some qualities of the original.  Specifically, when the originally was spun fast it creates characteristic noise due to the shaft being slightly too small for the bearings that were used.   As someone who frequently goes to the Strong Museum of Play here in Rochester where they have an original machine it was easy to compare my creation to an original, and when I did this I wasn't satisfied with what I had.  I eventually was able to buy an original Tempest control panel (complete with knob, spinner and Atari volcano buttons) on eBay.  Of course this spinner had a great original feel but didn't work (I think the infrared LEDs were burned out).  I might have been able to fix it but even extending the shaft a short distance to use it on my 3/4" wood control panel caused the vibration to be significantly attenuated and ruined the feel of spinner.  I tried a few options such as coupling the Turbo Twist 2 to the original using a shaft coupling from the bottom of the Turbo Twist 2 to the top of the original but this also damped out all of the vibration I was looking to preserve.  I even tried some shaft couplers such as spider couplers that should allow vibration but after spending about $70 at McMaster-Carr all of the options were either too heavy or didn't allow enough vibration.  I finally came up with this option where I mounted the original under the control panel and connected it using some nylon gears.  The gears have big enough teeth that they can be far enough apart so that the vibration and noise occur.  I went to the Strong Museum over the weekend and tested it against the original and mine seems to create the same feel.  I suppose my knob has slightly more inertia, and is a bit of a Rube Goldberg approach but I like it.  I'm curious if anyone else had any experience with a project like this.  I will have to post pictures of the project (a wall mounted Tempest than runs on a Raspberry Pi) when it is done.  But, now that the game is playable I have less incentive to work on it...

[yotsuya]

I hooked up the original Tempest spinner I had to one of rablack97's awesome trackball encoders, and it works like a dream.

[tron84]

I made a Plexi Controller for my Tempest spinner because of the short shaft.

I used the Opti-Wiz interface from GGG & one of Randy's spinner knobs.
I have the original optic board, which was still fine but I put on this reproduction optic board so I would have a new one on it.
http://www.twistywristarcade.com/atari/781-atari-steering-optic-pcb-.html

[RandyT]

Nice!  If you really want authenticity, I have a limited stock of black skirted knobs which are virtually identical to the originals.

[2084]

tron84-
  That is a nice CP, I hadn't considered the plexi option.  To be honest I would have used the real metal CP I bought on eBay, except when I started the project I couldn't find one in decent condition so I made one out of wood with a reproduction CPO.  I found it interesting you put the spinner on the left and buttons on the right.  Is this a left handed approach?  Thanks also for the info on the reproduction optic board.  If I had known about this board earlier I'm sure I would have bought one.

RandyT-
  I am currently using an original knob I took of the control panel I bought, otherwise I would be in the market.

[tron84]

Nice!  If you really want authenticity, I have a limited stock of black skirted knobs which are virtually identical to the originals.

Ohhh, that is good to know Randy. Thanks for the info
I wish I would have known when I had ordered the Opti-Wiz & knob.    no biggie, the knob on there is Great, luv it but yes having a repo one would be the icing on the cake. I will pick up one here soon.
thanks......

[tron84]

tron84-
  That is a nice CP, I hadn't considered the plexi option.  To be honest I would have used the real metal CP I bought on eBay, except when I started the project I couldn't find one in decent condition so I made one out of wood with a reproduction CPO.  I found it interesting you put the spinner on the left and buttons on the right.  Is this a left handed approach?  Thanks also for the info on the reproduction optic board.  If I had known about this board earlier I'm sure I would have bought one.

RandyT-
  I am currently using an original knob I took of the control panel I bought, otherwise I would be in the market.

Thanks 2084!!!
I went that route because at the time & still pretty much either the Tempest CP is beat up/rusty or they want a arm & a leg for it or both. I had got the spinner for $35, which was a steal for a tempest spinner in great shape
Yes I am left handed, so I did it that way but I have no problem playing it right handed like the arcade was.
His reproduction parts are great, he makes good stuff.
Cheers

[Xiaou2]

Interesting.  Never would have thought that the noise and vibration in that controller would be desirable.   Ill have to play the machine again to revive my foggy memory.

 As for mounting a spinner in a wood CP...  you can always grab a small square of metal at the home depot, or elsewhere...  Drill some holes in it for screws...   and use it like a Trackball Plate.   Spinner mounts the the plate, and plate is wide enough to overhand a lip into the Control panel.    The plate can be mounted above the surface...  or if your good with a router, you can carve & chisel the correct depth, allowing the plate to rest at or slightly below surface level.

 The Optos can be replaced.  I believe some of the vendors here sell them.   Then you just need to grab an encoder to hook them up.

 The gear contraption is nice however.  Ive though about something similar, for other purposes.

[RandyT]

Interesting.  Never would have thought that the noise and vibration in that controller would be desirable.

Usually, it's not.  It's the result of a worn bushing, from many hours of being played.  Any imbalance in the control, coupled with a loose bushing, would cause the shaft to move minutely off center when spun fast and knock into the wall of the bushing with a bit of force.  This created that "brrrrrrrr" noise, and also slowed the spin.

When I was a kid, I played on a factory fresh Tempest in my local arcade, and it didn't have this issue.  But it did a couple of years later.

[2084]

I guess I never got to play I new Tempest because I always remembered the brrr sound.  I probably would have forgotten about it, except there is a real machine near by that I can still play.  Since I used a gear, I guess I could make mine so one could pull a lever which would disengage the original encoder for a smoother feel.  One would probably have to have it connect to something else to give it the appropriate inertia though.

[yotsuya]

I rebuilt my Tempest spinner so there's no Brrrrrr, even though all the ones I played BITD had it. It really does make a difference.

[2084]

Here is a picture of the finished project:

[clok]

so hard to look at.. Tempest is the one game I am so close to just saying screw it and spending to much money on.. I passed on a local one at $800, told Him i would go $600.. he quoted one on ebay thats been there forever in parts for $1400.. now I know it worth it, but we are in ND, end of the world.. there is not much of a market, even for games with some following. I have been close to building a mini cab (this is the inspiration).. but a single game is so hard to justify. heck even the Cabs i buy do double duty (Gauntlet Dark legends- will play Legecy too) NEO Geo  has the 160 cart.. Lethal enforcers has the LE II board with it) etc...

just had to say how awesome that min cab looks.. and how much i want one    and a DOT environmental!

[2084]

so hard to look at.. Tempest is the one game I am so close to just saying screw it and spending to much money on.. I passed on a local one at $800, told Him i would go $600.. he quoted one on ebay thats been there forever in parts for $1400.. now I know it worth it, but we are in ND, end of the world.. there is not much of a market, even for games with some following. I have been close to building a mini cab (this is the inspiration).. but a single game is so hard to justify. heck even the Cabs i buy do double duty (Gauntlet Dark legends- will play Legecy too) NEO Geo  has the 160 cart.. Lethal enforcers has the LE II board with it) etc...

just had to say how awesome that min cab looks.. and how much i want one    and a DOT environmental!

Thanks for the complement.  I prefer cabs that focus on a single game rather than all-in-one designs.  I actually have this one set up to do both the Tempest and Tempest tubes roms (switchable by pushing a button on top during start up) although I would admit these aren't really different games.  It would also be easy to include Major Havoc, but I didn't because I never really got into that game.

[yotsuya]

You could also add Tac-Scan, Gee Bee and Bomb Bee. They play well with Tempest controls and a vertical monitor. But I hear you on single game focus.