Daytona VR button alternatives

[Howard_Casto]

So I haven't worked on my racing rig since I left for my medical issues.  I want to get it at least in a playable state before winter hits and it's too cold to work. 

I was looking at the control panel I made and I'm not sure if the standard 4 VR buttons and start button are going to fit (it's only 24 inches wide and about a foot tall).  So are there any alternatives out there that would do the job?  I'd very much like to light them and to have the 4 colors but other than that outside-box-thinking is fine. 

[Malenko]

John RT's camera circuit!

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,139895.msg1459699.html#msg1459699

[Howard_Casto]

That's an idea.... I could probably do that in software though. 

I kind of want 4 buttons though.  I was wondering maybe if there were any suitable buttons outside of the arcade industry.  I searched a little but what I found wasn't much smaller than standard buttons.  I've got these little miniature toggle buttons for a project I still need to finish..... They are certainly tiny.....about the size of a volcano minus the bezel, but they only come in black.

[baritonomarchetto]

Have you considered to place the buttons in a vertical layout?

[BadMouth]

VLT(video lottery terminal) buttons.  Crazy expensive from happ.  Every once in a while you can find them on ebay for a reasonable price.   You'd probably go for the square ones if trying to keep things compact.  I'm hoarding rectangular ones.  I had one set of square color ones, but think I may have parted with them already.  I'll see if I can dig them out this evening.

EDIT: 8linesupply has blue or white for $2.95 each, but they're special order.
http://www.8linesupply.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Session_ID=244559eb070daf0f20667ccb229ee2f3&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=26x26mm-pushbutton-vlt-type&Store_Code=8line&search=vlt+button&searchoffset=&filter_cat=&PowerSearch_Begin_Only=&sort=&range_low=&range_high=&filter_price=&priceranges=1;
There is another page where you can add custom text to a white one for $3 extra.

 I see some on ebay that say 1".  I don't think they're that big.  If so it's measured from the outside edge of the bezel.

[SailorSat]

My local electronics store has small rectangular pushbuttons (with leds). Don't know how "small" it should be.
http://www.reichelt.de/DTL-2-RT/3/index.html?&ACTION=3&LA=446&ARTICLE=7247&artnr=DTL+2+RT&SEARCH=dtl+2+rt

Other than that there is the APEM button series - they are smaller than the IDEC buttons used in the original panel.
http://www.reichelt.de/Druckschalter-System/apem/2/index.html?&ACTION=2&LA=103&MANUFACTURER=apem&GROUPID=3282

The APEMs are not cheap though.

[BadMouth]

I have added these to my custom steering setup. 
They don't light up, but they're small and have a good feel.

[BadMouth]

Looking back through my PM's, it looks like I parted with the color square ones.

As a thank you for all the work you put into Outrun FXT (although I haven't played it yet because my house is a construction zone),
I'll ship you a set of the rectangular ones I'm hoarding if they're not too big. 
They are illuminated and in Daytona colors.
These are smaller than the standard rectangular buttons, which are 33x50mm.

[Howard_Casto]

Thanks for the replies guys.  It looks like I've got real world crap to deal with again so I don't think there is a point in figuring it out right now.  If I can slip in and get the frame finished I'll come back to it and I'll actually have the panel cut so I know the exact space I'm working with (it's still fairly small). 

BadMouth: 

Only if you let me pay for them.  You are too good to me man.  Like I said though, unfortunately I'm in a holding pattern again so if you sent them now I'd just lose them.  My house isn't a construction zone, but I'm on the final stretch fixing up the Camaro and just when I had her ready for paint the electrical system goes haywire on me... so I now live in an auto parts store.    And I've got other stuff to deal with as well, so it's the least of my worries.  Thus the lack of updates on any of my projects the last couple of weeks.