Help finding a 4/8 way that will fit in this custom bartop and more questions

[ryansz33]

Hi all.  I'm a first time poster but I have been trying to absorb a bunch of information for a while now.  I bought a very large stripped bartop on Craigslist last weekend.  My goal is to do a first build with Hyperspin I have setup on an old Core2 duo laying around (mostly done), a 23" Acer LCD I have, and set everything up with the very little tools and lack of woodworking knowledge.  I figure I will learn a bunch on this build and be able to really step up my game on a future build.

The person who made it modeled it exactly after the X-Arcade Tankstick.  Following the pictures, I few questions:







1)  The joystick cutouts are made for the X-Arcade joysticks.  I'd rather not use them if I don't have to.  From what I can tell, that really limits me on what I can use.  My wife is not a fan of this project but I can score some points if she can play a good game of Pac-Man on it.  That means I really need to find a 4/8 way solution.  As you can tell from the pics, this is an under-mount that is routed into a 3 x 3.5 inch cutout.  This makes the joystick about a 3/8" mount.  So far, here are the solutions I have come up with:

• Bite the bullet and buy two joysticks from X-Arcade.
• Buy a Happ Super Joystick
• Buy a IL Euro Joystick and just deal with the fact that I won't have 4 way.
• Figure out how and where to mount a small 4 way in my control panel. I don't think I have room.   
• Find out a brilliant idea from on of you!   

2)  I have a button hole dilemma.  I like the six button layout and really can't stand the two lower buttons underneath the six.  Here are some random thoughts and questions on that.

• I think I will use the button closest to P1 joystick as a spinner from Ultimarc.  I believe it will fit.
• I plant to eventually vinyl wrap this with graphics.  How do I fill in the other three lower holes?  I have seen button covers but I would prefer not to have them there once I wrap it.
• I'm probably going to add at least two more (admin) buttons above the mouse.  Once I drill those out, can I stuff the wood in the old buttons, add some putty, and sand?
• Do you have any other recommendations?

3)  Obviously I need to get a 3" mouse.  I am planning on buying the Trackball Mounting kit from GGG.  I am going to use LED buttons along with LEDBlinky for my 12 P1 & P2 buttons.  I think a lighted trackball would look nice with the setup.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with an iPac2 type controller for my setup (P1, P2, trackball, spinner, and 18 buttons.

• The neatest and most expensive option is ICE-T from GGG.  That would also require the LED-Wiz.
• The cheaper choice is the Blue Groovy-TB and it would be one color.  I'm really leaning towards this option.  I believe if I go with this option, I am also forced into using the LED-Wiz, right?  I'm confused about the mouse button harness as I don't understand what that does.  I do plan on programming the iPac2 to use two of my buttons as a left and right click.
• The last option is to go with a Happ 3" trackball.  They seem pricey even without LED choices!

I appreciate any feedback you have for this first timer.  I'm sure I will have more questions along the way.  In the meantime, I'm itching to get some orders placed once I figure out my product choices.

Thanks again guys!

[mgb]

Sorry, I didn't read your whole post but from a quick look those joystick mounting holes look like they're for the smaller Japanese mounting pattern (seimitsu, Sanwa jlf), not the American mounting pattern like the ones from X gaming or Happ

[ryansz33]

Hi mgb:

I wish I could mount one of those joysticks in this control panel!  I've spent quite a bit of time and the measurements seem to fit exactly what the builder said he did.  He put the X-Arcade (Happ competition knockoff) joysticks in there.

[mgb]

I'd make sure, because in those pics it certainly looks more like the smaller rectangular mounting pattern of a stick like the JLF than it does the square pattern of the comps and supers.

If it is the same pattern as a comp or super, just make one your sticks the Servo stick and then you'll 4 way, 8 way.
That is, provided you have bottom clearance.

[dashingw]

I think the Mag Stick plus might fit in there nicely. Its rectangular plate looks like it would fit in the routed out part pretty good. And you can pull up on the joystick and twist to go from 4 way to 8 way and back .

[bfauska]

Is the panel permanently mounted in the cabinet? Could it be carefully pried out? Cutting a new panel would relieve several of you woes and wouldn't be hard. If you didn't want to deal with it there are people here who could help. I'd CNC cut a bartop CP for pretty cheap if you're interested.

[harveybirdman]

You can buy adapter plates that will let you mount IL/Happ sticks in Japanese style holes and vice versa.

Paradise sells them, as does Focus Attack.

[bfauska]

I replied the fist time from my phone where I didn't see all the pics. Clearly the panel is removable you've shown the bottom of it. Make a new one, just the work to cleanly fill button holes is going to be more trouble than starting over with a panel that size, then you can do whatever joysticks you want and have the right button layout and flush mount the trackball plate.

[ryansz33]

I appreciate the feedback by everyone so far.  I'm strongly leaning towards getting a universal plate so I can install an Ultimarc or Japanese joystick.

I need to point out that this is likely not a bartop I will hang on to for a long time.  With a width of almost 30", the wife is saying it is way too big for our bar downstairs.  I tend to agree with her.  For that reason, I don't think I will do a new control panel but just deal with what I have.

Any thoughts on my button or trackball questions?

Thanks so much everyone!

[harveybirdman]

Now that I saw the pics, I think the recess for the sticks isn't big enough to accommodate an adapter plate, seems like you might be forced to do some modifications if you can't find a stick that fits.

Also you should do some research about making mouse buttons on your panel, depending on what front end/software you are using.  accidental mouse clicks can range from a minor annoyance to an absolute show stopper.

As far as the trackball if you need are going to put mouse buttons on the panel then I'm pretty sure you need the harness.  If you want to light the trackball you need a compatible LED controller to send the correct voltage, it is compatible with LED wiz.  If you have specific questions, ask Randy at GroovyGameGear he will answer your questions much better than I can.

[bfauska]

Now that I saw the pics, I don't the recess for the sticks isn't big enough to accommodate an adapter plate, seems like you might be forced to do some modifications if you can't find a stick that fits.

Also you should do some research about making mouse buttons on your panel, depending on what front end/software you are using.  accidental mouse clicks can range from a minor annoyance to an absolute show stopper.

As far as the trackball if you need are going to put mouse buttons on the panel then I'm pretty sure you need the harness.  If you want to light the trackball you need a compatible LED controller to send the correct voltage, it is compatible with LED wiz.  If you have specific questions, ask Randy at GroovyGameGear he will answer your questions much better than I can.

Quick clarification... you don't actually need an LED controller if you are just having the trackball on or off, then you just need power from either the PC or a power supply and correctly wired (resistered) LEDs.

[mgb]

I wouldn't put the spinner in one of the holes below the buttons.

[ryansz33]

I did a little more research and it sounds as if the Omni2 would fit in the old X-Arcade joystick holes.  I believe that means the J-Stik (JLW) would fit as well.

If that is the case, I think I found a winner for the Joysticks.

Thanks again for all of your comments and feedback.

[Mamezilla]

I did a little more research and it sounds as if the Omni2 would fit in the old X-Arcade joystick holes.  I believe that means the J-Stik (JLW) would fit as well.

If that is the case, I think I found a winner for the Joysticks.

Thanks again for all of your comments and feedback.

I have X-Arcade Tankstick and have changed both sticks with a couple of Omni-2.  The plates of these did not fit exactly the recessed part under the control panel, so I had to use a wood chisel to remove a little of the wood in there. I also had to use a file in the holes of the stick's plates so that the screws could go thru it.  These mods were not hard to make and everything fits perfectly.  Just make sure you have enough space between the control panel and the bottom plate, since the Omni-2 takes more space because of the metal peg we use to switch the restrictor between 4 and 8 ways.  I drilled 2 big holes on the bottom plate under the sticks, so that I can reach them and switch modes when I need it.

I also installed a TurboTwist2 spinner in it, and have drilled a hole over the player 1 buttons to put it.