Low-footprint, decent 4-way stick?

[burn_654]

Hi there!

In experimenting with my cab and the gates on my LS-32 sticks, I've definitely noticed a big difference switching the joystick to 4-way for games that work that way. So it's got me thinking about how I want to do 4-way games now.

I've been entertaining the thought of adding a 4-way stick to my panel for these games (while the servo-switching sticks are cool they are cost prohibitive for me - unless there's another option I could consider?)

Without some compromise, there isn't a huge amount of space for me to work with underneath the panel - I'm concerned about the square footprint another joystick entails. Depth is no problem though.

Are there any 4-way options you could suggest that have a smaller base footprint underneath? It doesn't have to be the 'best' 4-way out there but clearly something good/usable.

If needed I can take some photos - it is a 2-player six button cab with a trackball.

Thanks!

[paigeoliver]

Nothing really has a base that is significantly smaller than the standard American and Chinese sticks, and the few that do are Japanese cocktail sticks from the early 80s and those are terrible.

If it is super close then a Happ universal does have a SLIGHTLY smaller base than the usual sticks and is very good in 4-way mode.

You can save a lot of space however by making the 4-way share buttons with something else.

[mgb]

I agree, the Happ universal is actually very nice in 4 way.

There are other small footprint sticks that can be used in 4-way such as the
Zippyy or seimitsu.
And I think the Sanwa JLF is a decent choice. It fits in a tight area even more due to its cable connector.
My biggest complaint with the jlf is its clickiness.

[WakiMiko]

I have never used it, but according to Slagcoin,  the Seimitsu "LS-33 is the smallest quality joystick around. Since it does not have an S-plate, it needs either a metal panel or some creative installment to use. If you manage to find a way to install it, a very compact controller can be made. It has far engage and throw distances, so the engage zones are nicely spaced. The spring is very light. "

Dimensions:

[lilshawn]

Just bought a half dozen Seimitsu sticks for some cocktail cabinets I'm building. Never tried them before this point, sticking mainly with Happ/IL. They where like 15 bucks each so I gave them a try.

 They are definitely smaller than Happ/IL sticks, albeit a tiny bit wider on the mounting plate in the width direction, it's shorter in the other. you can rotate the stick to use this to your advantage if you'd like to get some buttons in close or whatnot.

for some reason the switches with the Seimitsu don't have a normally closed tab connection, only a normally open. So if you have a wiring scheme in mind that requires this, (LED lights or multifunction switching or something) it's something to be aware of and you'll need to swap them out with some others.

the plastic ball tops seem like they could be a tiny bit better quality (small pits where the injection moulding takes place and sometimes a small amount of seam flash) but they look okay. Both can be buffed out if that's your thing. The threading on one of the balls was a tiny bit galled and I had a tough time threading it on. I ran a tap through it and didn't have an issue with it.

otherwise, Seimitsu feels like a solid stick even with it's cheapness. Thumbs up from me.