Best Button Controls

[Xiaou2]

Steve, the only reason you even have one (two actually), is because I sent them to you for free (my error.)  You immediately started criticizing it, most likely because you had no idea how to properly adjust it to do what you wanted

 You cant make me feel guilty over something you wanted positive feedback on, but failed to impress.

 Saying I didnt know how to adjust this very simple device is too funny to take as an insult..  and so I will consider it an insult to yourself, to believe and say such a thing.

, and/or can't seem to get past the fact that they are not the same button as those made 35 years ago.  You have some very "set in stone" ideas, based almost entirely on your personal preference, and it's clear that absolutely nothing will ever change them. 

 Its impossible to adjust how I would want it...  and how I wanted it,  was a true Wico leaf-switch replacement...   to feel and react as such.

 They dont, and they cant.

 My ideas on Leafs are not unique.   You are just too used to many being a bit clueless about what is under the hood...  as well as those whom are not familiar with floating a leaf.

 Most collectors I know, would turn their noses up at them, even if they were free.

It really not worth trying anymore, so there's nothing left to do but direct folks to explore what you have done, so that they might accurately consider the source.

 lol.  Pathetic.

 You have a massive leg up on what you can financially do and get away with... and thats not enough for you.

 But I find it funny really...  because if someone thinks that a guy whom can build a fully functional Super-Hangon and Starwars yoke,  with a very limited tool set and funds...   ... is somehow incapable of rational thought, and mechanical knowledge...   then they deserve the ignorance of using a poopy controller.

[RandyT]

I rest my case.

[Ginsu Victim]

Cheffo....thank you for switching to that avatar

[CheffoJeffo]

Cheffo....thank you for switching to that avatar

What is clear here... is that you are a mindless fool.   

[harveybirdman]

Dude if your making an X2 quoteboard, you gotta get "word salad" in there somewhere and "narcissist"

[Token]

 But no...  that place was hell.   One of the worst jobs Ive held...  and I have to actually put "Dishwasher"  above it.

  If your store isnt a super  high population dense area...  then your sales figures do not compete with the larger and busier locations...
As such... they dont like to send you too many new games.   They give them to the higher earning stores.   You end up getting their old crap.. that is barely partially working, beat up, filthy, and hack-butchered to hell internally.

 <<SNIP>>

...  getting zapped by a board or monitor,  fighting a major storm to get in... then being told to go back home (if your not stuck by the time they announce it)  .. and eating wretched mall food regularly.

 These are just a few of the daily fun events, of a mall arcade manager,  of 42 games.

This is why I keep reading your posts, X2. This one was interesting and compelling. I read the whole thing twice.

Can I have more of these and less of the other ones where you accuse people of personality disorders?

[bluelight]

I don't wanna get involved in this argument that is going on here    but...

I just wanted to ask.. isn't it true that pretty much all american games from around 1990 forward used microswitches instead of leafs? Maybe even 1989 or so...

I ask cause I too am trying to finalize my decision for my mame and am planning to go with IL concave buttons but ultimarc has some goldleaf switches that I was slightly interested in. If they are pretty much the same except for the lack of clicking, then I may consider going with the gold leafs but I also heard leafs wear out faster and also I believe the gold leafs are sealed so you can't get in there to adjust anything.

[BadMouth]

FIXT spelling

[Xiaou2]

Hello Bluelight,

 Apologies for the mess.

 If you are playing fighters, and modern games.. you may never really know or care about the difference in switches.   Usually the game is up in volume,  pc fans going..  and the cabinet itself absorbs a lot of the noise.

 Generally speaking, Leaf buttons are for particular kinds of older classic games...  especially rapid-fire games  (where shooting in very fast succession matters a Lot) ,   and or games that had no Auto-Fire,  and required a lot of constant firing.

 Halleys Comet is a good example of needing a lot of fire presses...  I believe it has auto-fire...but you could never do well with using it.  The game allows you to fire much faster,  when using manual firing.   (as was the case in many older shumps / classics...  but not so much in the later games)

 Asteroids Deluxe is a good example of a game that allows machine-gun like ultra-fast repeat fire ability.   Meaning... you can squeeze like 5 bullets into a mere inch of space.  (more bullets are added as the others hit something... and the close the rocks are too you... the faster you are able to repeatedly blast them)

 If you are using Mircos for A.D.  you may have a lot of trouble destroying asteroids when they get really close... as micros have a much longer set depth of travel... before they can re-set.   Leafs that do not snap... can be vibrated lightly (a technique called "floating").. and open/close the contacts from a distance as thin as a piece of tracing paper.

 Another good example is on Galaga.    While the fire rate is not that fast...  if you are good,  and last many stages in... you can easily and quickly fatigue,  due to microswitches heavier spring resistance... as well as the actual impact that happens when you bottom out a microswitch.   

 With a real leaf,  you dont have to bottom it out... as you can stay suspended in air.. much like a trampoline.   The energy you push down, will be stored and immediately returned to help you back upwards a bit..  and you never have to hit the bottom of the button in a hard momentum-stopping clash.
 
 Leafs are not that difficult to take care of.   Clean them like once every 6 months, to a year.. depending on use.   Place a business card between them... squeeze the leafs against the card tightly as you pull the card outwards.   Repeat a few times, until you see there is no more black-ish markings.


 Part of the difference that real leaf buttons offer..  is a much longer button travel.. that no microswitch based leaf button hack can provide.
This allows you to comfortably rest on the buttons without accidental activation...  and allows for floating the leaf without losing momentum and bottoming out.

 Some of the new micros are quieter,  and offer less resistance.   This can make it so that you have to be careful on how you rest your fingers over the button,  least they accidentally go off.


 My advice is to at least get One old-school leaf button assembly, used or NOS.   And place it as the 7th button, diagonally to the left bottom corner.   This will allow you to use standard micros for typical games.... and the real leaf,  for the elder classics  (or other games that may help with rapid and or constant manual fire).

[Malenko]

Even though skinzz will probably never come back or make it through all that.......

You should figure out the kinds of games you're going to play, mock up a CP out of cardboard, and try a few different buttons out. Getting a wide variety of cherry style switches is sound advice. I got micro leafs from Randy @ GGG and I think they were fantastic replacements for my Galaga, but I wouldnt make a MAME cab filled with them (or leafs). Not really sure how that got started.

If youre playing the games for fun and dont care about button travel or throw or anything else and just wanna let the kids wail on the the panel and have fun, it doesnt really matter what button you pick. 


PS, I love you Cheffo :* <3

[saint]

Thread cleaned up and unlocked.

[yotsuya]

You don't know how long I've been waiting for this...

[BadMouth]

crap, just noticed the misspelling.......
EDIT: fixed

Ok, back on topic.....buttons!

[skinzz]

I did make it back. There was quite a bit of argumentative noise there which almost scared me off 

I plan on going the route of testing out a few switches to see what I like best, likely choosing a combination.

Thanks everyone. This was informative and....uh, entertaining.

[Slippyblade]

I did make it back. There was quite a bit of argumentative noise there which almost scared me off 

I plan on going the route of testing out a few switches to see what I like best, likely choosing a combination.

Thanks everyone. This was informative and....uh, entertaining.

Yeah.  Button types is kind of a Holy War around here.  Glad you were able to get something useful from this.