HAPP Competition Joystick question

[brihyn]

I built a cabinet with the HAPP Competition Joysticks from GGG for the office. They're going to do a PacMan tournament and asked if there's a way to switch these to 4-way. I'm not seeing it off hand, but am i missing something? is there a way to switch these over?

[JDFan]

I believe the true competition joysticks are 8-way only -- some of the Happ competition "Style" joysticks sold do come with a bottom piece that can be flipped over to make it a 4-way. So depends on which model you have IF it is like the one pictured below then notice the black bottom piece that is at the bottom of the shaft and you'll see it is larger on one side and smaller if flipped over - by placing the smaller end to the micro switches it will become a 4-way since the smaller diameter no longer lets it hit 2 switches. (the pic shows it in 8-way setup )

[brihyn]

thanks. that's basically what i was finding...looks like mine are 8-way only.

[RandyT]

I believe the true competition joysticks are 8-way only -- some of the Happ competition "Style" joysticks sold do come with a bottom piece that can be flipped over to make it a 4-way.

Whomever is selling those sticks, seems not to have clue about these units.  They are, if anything, "Super" style, and even though they claim, as HAPP does, that they are "4-way" when the restrictor is flipped, it does nothing more than make the actuator so small that it can't reach more than one switch at a time.  IIRC, the same can effectively be done in the MAME, with certain configuration settings.  Still a very poor choice when good 4-way control is required.

I think anything other than a good, dedicated 4-way is going to solicit wails of discontent from players in a Pac-Man tournament .

[JDFan]

Whomever is selling those sticks, seems not to have clue about these units.  They are, if anything, "Super" style, and even though they claim, as HAPP does, that they are "4-way" when the restrictor is flipped, it does nothing more than make the actuator so small that it can't reach more than one switch at a time. 

Agreed but wasn't sure which ones he ordered and I've seen many listings of these supposed "competition style" sticks. Also agree that the best way to go would be a real 4 way stick that could be either built nto the CP or swapped out for the tourney night.

[brihyn]

I'm not sure there will be enough time for a swap...but maybe...
I have an extra Zippy stick from GGG in my stock.  are all of the mounting screwholes in the same place on both of these sticks?
Unfortunatley i soldered everything, so it'll require replacing some solder joints with connectors, but i might be able to accomplish that....

[JDFan]

I'm not sure there will be enough time for a swap...but maybe...
I have an extra Zippy stick from GGG in my stock.  are all of the mounting screwholes in the same place on both of these sticks?
Unfortunatley i soldered everything, so it'll require replacing some solder joints with connectors, but i might be able to accomplish that....

Did you solder the ends going into the encoder ?? might be easier to run a new set of wires to the 4 way straight from the encoder  rather than remove the soldered connections on the competition stick - Just wire both sets of wires to the same connectors and swap as needed leaving both hooked up but one hidden inside the machine where it can't be moved accidentally. (unless you add a dedicated 4 way along with the others.

OR if both joysticks use the same micro switches just swap out the micro switches without disconnecting the soldered connection.