Has anyone seen/used the new T-Stik PLUS from Ultimarc???

[alank2]

Has anyone seen/used the new T-Stik PLUS from Ultimarc???

What about the "QUIET" microswitches that can be bought for it?

Thanks,

Alan

[wpcmame]

Has anyone seen/used the new T-Stik PLUS from Ultimarc???

Got two I am happy with them. They are difficult to wire so that the bracket doesn't interfere with the cabling but the 4/8 switching works fine. I think it is to easy to accidently hit a diagonal in 8-way mode but I'll probably get used to it.

What about the "QUIET" microswitches that can be bought for it?

The "standard" microswitches are rather clicky but it doesn't bother me during gameplay.

Earlier Ultimarc talked about a something called a "Mark2 unit" that would make the wiring easier. Don't know what happened to it.

[NoOne=NBA=]

All their currently shipping sticks are the MKII's.

If I remember correctly, the big difference on the MKII's was that the switch was going to be internal.

I'm planning to get 2 of them with ball tops and quiet switches really soon.

[slicer_d]

I have my MK2 version of the t-stik and while I dont have them installed yet they seem to look pretty good.

Unlike the older version of the t-stik the MK2 doesnt have the bracket at all but the shaft does stick out the bottom a little longer something like 1/4"-1/2" besides a little white nub everything is now very self contained and it shouldnt be a problem wiring it.

Also the switches are "clicky" I dont really know how much more clicky then a happs super or comp but I could test them later tonight.  Either way I dont really mind the clicks in fact I like them because that way I can hear what I'm doing and I'm just used to it some of the old school junkies like the leaf switches with no clicks so they always complain about the clicking and it being distracting or something.

[OSCAR]

I have a couple T-Stick Plus MKII sticks with the standard switches.

They are very nice, and I haven't had a chance to play test them yet.  I did pull off a m'switch to compare it against a Happ Super switch.  The standard T-Stick m'switch has a significantly higher activation force than the ones found on Happ joysticks and buttons.  In fact, I would speculate that the standard switches on the T-Sticks offer more motion resistance than the actual spring does.

Not supported by any quantitative measurement other than the 'finger test', but I would guess that the activation force of the T-Stick m'switches is about 3-4x that of the Happ/Cherry switches.

I believe that I would probably prefer a lighter switch than the standard T-Stick switches, but I'm sure that they are just fine.  I know that there are many happy owners of the original T-Sticks, so it probably just takes a little getting used to.

[MinerAl]

I've got a T-Stick Mk.II, both lengths of knob topped T-Stick stick, and the quiet switch kit winging their way across the Atlantic at the moment.  I'll post when I get everything and have a chance to do an apples and apples test against the original (Mk.I ?) T-Stick.

Now if I could just figure out how to get DHL to track the package for me...

[usedelectronics]

I just recieved my order including the new t-Stick Plus and
I think I see a potential weak point...
Mine came Pre-Broken.

Notice the tabs mashed over on the left side switch?
That resulted in the following:

Notice the gray spot where the tiny plastic switch holder "used" to be?
It's now a 3 way/5 way stick.

[slicer_d]

Dude usedelectronics that sucks have you e-mailed andy to see if you can get a replacement yet?  I actually dropped my stick from about 4-5 feet onto concrete while i was working on my cp it fell right on one of the switchs and bent the tabs to heck even left a dent in the plastic but the little nub is still holding strong so it appears to take some abuse.

Also the in reference to the force it takes to move the t-stik while I do agree it takes more to push in the switch there is also much less travel on the joystick so while it does take more preasure it doesnt need to be moved nearly as far.  I put a heavy spring in my happs comp and in my PS2 cp it was just to much work to move.  With the t-stik it is no where near the amount of effort becuase it doesnt have to travel as far.  Also it doesnt have the spring back that the comp has which was really my only complaint about it and thats why I tried the heavy spring.

[shmokes]

Used electronics,

  It is my opinion that you should, in a situation like this, first contact the seller for redress before making a public statement like this.  The reason being, the seller may be eager to correct problems like this to keep his customer happy.  Some amount of this sort of bad product is impossible to eliminate entirely, e.g., it could be due to a UPS employee dropping the package out of their truck and running it over).  But when you post something like this it makes people think, "hmmm....maybe I shouldn't do business with Ultimarc if their quality control sucks," when in reality this could be the first product that was "pre-broken" out of ten thousand shipments.

For all you know Ultimarc would be so wary of bad word-of-mouth that as soon as Andy saw the condition the joystick arrived in he would immediately make you happy enough that you would not want to spread the word about the damaged goods.  Sure he is still able to do that, but the atmosphere is no longer friendly.  Putting it out in the public eye without even giving him a chance to address the problem is kind of tastes like blackmail to me....like, "Now that everybody already knows you screwed me, you'd better fix the problem or it'll be a big public black eye."

But in all likelihood, he didn't screw you; it was an unavoidable and rare mistake and he would have redressed the problem if you posted that message to an email rather than a public forum.  But the black eye on Ultimarc is there now, to some degree, nomatter what he does.  

My apologies if you have, in fact, already contacted Andy and received poor customer service.  In that case (though it doesn't sound like Andy) your post would be entirely justified.

my 2 cents

[usedelectronics]

Everyone,
The intent of my post wasn't to put down Andy, or his customer service. As I have never had problems before, and I am certain that he will take care of this problem as well. However, I did feel that it was a good Idea to make this problem public so people would know of a weak point in this stick.
I personally like the feel of the stick, and the switchability, just have some slight concerns about it's long term durability.

[Tilzs]

Not supported by any quantitative measurement other than the 'finger test', but I would guess that the activation force of the T-Stick m'switches is about 3-4x that of the Happ/Cherry switches.

Is it possible to swap out the factory switches for cherry ones? Does that solve the problem?

[NoOne=NBA=]

Definitely try getting hold of Andy.
I've never HEARD of him treating ANYONE poorly, so I'm guessing he'll make it right for you.

I don't really see that as a weak point either.
I think you'd bust the stick off of the CP before you could do that to it USING the stick.
It looks to me like something hit the switch pretty hard from the outside of the stick in shipping.

BTW, if he doesn't want the stick back, I'd be more than happy to pay shipping to my place.
I'd give it a really good home.
No nasty abuse, like it sounds like it's going to get at your place.

[Grasshopper]

I'm interested in upgrading my T-Stik which I bought directly from Industrias Lorenzo.

Can anyone give some feedback on the MKII switching mechanism i.e. does it affect the joystick's feel, and is it possible to accidentally swith between 4 and 8 way accidentally during gameplay?

Thanks in advance.

[PaulG]

I'm finishing up construction and will be assembling everything tomorrow:)  But I received 2 of the new T-Stik Plus joysticks and have been playing around with them.  Does it affect the feel?  Not sure what's meant by that.  As has been noted, it has a really short throw (Which to me is a good thing.).  And there's no way you're gonna accidently switch modes while playing.  You have to physically pull up on the joystick and twist to switch modes.

[AndyWarne]

I just recieved my order including the new t-Stick Plus and
I think I see a potential weak point...
Mine came Pre-Broken.

As has been mentioned already, You only needed to have emailed me and a replacement would be on the way immediately.
There is no loading on this mounting lug as the shaft limits on the restrictor plate not the switch, so this obviously is shipping damage, also note bent switch terminals. No problem, we will replace it of course!
Can you drop me an email please.
Andy

[NoOne=NBA=]

Andy can correct me if I'm wrong, but it is my understanding that too much changed going to the MKII to make it cost effective to swap out parts with the MKI.

[eightbit]

Everyone,
The intent of my post wasn't to put down Andy, or his customer service. As I have never had problems before, and I am certain that he will take care of this problem as well. However, I did feel that it was a good Idea to make this problem public so people would know of a weak point in this stick.
I personally like the feel of the stick, and the switchability, just have some slight concerns about it's long term durability.

It being crushed in shipping says nothing about its long term durability.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

What's the status of the T-Stik Plus MKII with ball top??
Can they be ordered yet and if so, how? (I don't see them on ultimarc's site)

[NoOne=NBA=]

The balltops are a separate item at this point.
They are on the order page.
There are long ones, and short ones.
Right now it is only listing the RED ball/BLACK dustwasher ones.
I'm not sure if the other colors are in yet, or not.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

Are there plans to offer one "ball-top" unit, in order to avoid the additional cost
(ie: Joy $24 + Ball top $12 = $36)?

I may just wait since it seems crazy to pay extra.

[SpamMe]

Anybody know when the MKII adapter kits will be shipping?

[NoOne=NBA=]

Are there plans to offer one "ball-top" unit, in order to avoid the additional cost

I think there are "plans" to; but don't know when it would happen, if it does.
I'm guessing the balltops are going to be ALOT more popular than the batsticks.

[slicer_d]

Used electronics,

  It is my opinion that you should, in a situation like this, first contact the seller for redress before making a public statement like this.  The reason being, the seller may be eager to correct problems like this to keep his customer happy.  Some amount of this sort of bad product is impossible to eliminate entirely, e.g., it could be due to a UPS employee dropping the package out of their truck and running it over).  But when you post something like this it makes people think, "hmmm....maybe I shouldn't do business with Ultimarc if their quality control sucks," when in reality this could be the first product that was "pre-broken" out of ten thousand shipments.

For all you know Ultimarc would be so wary of bad word-of-mouth that as soon as Andy saw the condition the joystick arrived in he would immediately make you happy enough that you would not want to spread the word about the damaged goods.  Sure he is still able to do that, but the atmosphere is no longer friendly.  Putting it out in the public eye without even giving him a chance to address the problem is kind of tastes like blackmail to me....like, "Now that everybody already knows you screwed me, you'd better fix the problem or it'll be a big public black eye."

But in all likelihood, he didn't screw you; it was an unavoidable and rare mistake and he would have redressed the problem if you posted that message to an email rather than a public forum.  But the black eye on Ultimarc is there now, to some degree, nomatter what he does.  

My apologies if you have, in fact, already contacted Andy and received poor customer service.  In that case (though it doesn't sound like Andy) your post would be entirely justified.

my 2 cents

I totally agree with you shmokes thats why I posted the fact that I dropped mine from about 5 feet onto a concrete floor directally on a switch and it works fine I played with them for about an hour last night and as far as I can tell they are setup to NOT put a whole lot of preasure on that peg I dont think they will break any time soon.

I just hope nobody decides to not buy ultimarc becuase of this becuase they really do have very inovative and sound products.

[usedelectronics]

Sheesh...
You guys all read WAY too much into a simple post.
I do NOT think Andy Screwed me, or is going to. Additionally, I don't think the T-stick is a "fragile" or of low quality.
I DO think that the switch mounting design of this joystick puts a great deal of faith into a small molded pin, which can fail from shipping damage. Who's to say that this pin won't get partially damaged during shipping, and then fail after some time in a cabinet?

From looking over the other joys in my collection, I can't readily locate another stick that relies on a single molded pin to secure the switch. Most sticks employ 2 screws, or a screw and a pin with additional plastic bracing around the switch.

My goal here is only to offer my personal experience with the part itself. All of my other transactions (there have been MANY)

 with Andy have been 100% perfect, prompt, courteous, and helpful. And I expect that to continue..

As for my "motive", I review every feature of every available arcade/mame product I can get. The supplier of these parts don't know my intent to review the parts/services prior to my receipt of the order, ensuring a 100% unbiased and typically more accurate review of the entire buying/usage experience.. I don't accept "perks" or freebies of any kind, and don't do any advertising on my site.

I will be in touch with Andy soon, and hopefully this post hasn't created any hard feelings...

 

[shmokes]

Looking at that pic makes me think I may have had too much to drink tonight.

[usedelectronics]

hehe...Please excuse the "loud" coffee table...
It's not my normal backdrop.

[SuckerFish]

Has anyone reviewed these yet, I'd love too order two.
Or a link of soemone that did, the video roundup aren't ready yet

Thx

[APFelon]

I just ordered two today for two different cabinets. The projects should be finished by this weekend. I'll write a full review after I put them through their paces. I am building a cab for a "non-hobbiest" friend and I'll get his input as well (but I have a feeling that he is going to be remarkably easy to please).

APf

[SuckerFish]

Has anyone reviewed these yet, looking for a good review.
I currently have supers installed great joys...  but I really don't enjoy them for games like pac-man... and I find them so-so for fighters (a little too for my taste).

Am really looking forward to Kevin's joystick round-up... get well soon man.

If anyone has installed these and test drived them... let me know!

[Jakobud]

Has anyone reviewed these yet, looking for a good review.
I currently have supers installed great joys...  but I really don't enjoy them for games like pac-man... and I find them so-so for fighters (a little too for my taste).

Am really looking forward to Kevin's joystick round-up... get well soon man.

If anyone has installed these and test drived them... let me know!

Be patient for Retrogame's review.  Should be within a few weeks.  He's going to review upwards of 20 of the most popular joysticks around including all of Ultimarcs.

[Zathras]

I've got three of them in my cab - unfortunately it is my first project so I don't have much to compare them to.  That said - I really enjoy them so far- they are very short throw and even with the longer shafts you have to do some recessing to get them to a normal height on 3/4 inch panels.

I've got both balltops and bat handles and both the regular and soft microswitches.  I am still debating which switches I like better - you do have to do some tweaking on the soft ones as the holes are a tiny bit bigger (the instructions that come with them instruct you to push them to the outside when tightening them down).  It is one of those things that when you have it right you don't have to change it though.

The switch between 4 and 8 way is very easy to do and very secure - there is no way you would ever accidentally switch between the two.  

I would certainly buy them again.

[SuckerFish]

cool... I am being patient
I just know that a lot of people tried them and don't want to decided only on what retroblast says or just one source..
Thx for the input!

[mushmouth]

I've been waiting for more than 2 months for black balltops for this stick. None of my so-called "loved ones" had better ever tell me again that I am "not patient."

Apparently, Andy had to scour all of Japan to find them and "supposedly" they're now on their way to him. Do I sound skeptical? Really? Do I?? It's not Andy I have lost faith in, it's this apparent underground of secret balltop makers who *I KNOW* are part of a global scheme to cause me endless waiting, frustration, and yes, I'll say it, suffering.

It all started when I was first going to go with the Omni-Stik Prodigy about 3 months back when Randy announced sneak peak pics of his new Retro version. Same thing... The *&$^ #*&^$^ BALLTOP maker left him hanging, and as a result ME hanging.

Then I decided to go with the BallTop T-stick upon redesign of my CP overlay, but it has to be a black balltop to match the other balltop stick going onto that panel. HOWEVER, the T-Stick is only available right now in the small red balltop version. To find the black balltops of the correct size, Andy went through (I THINK) 3 different suppliers, the first two of which let him down after 2 weeks of waiting each, and now this newest one from which he's still waiting for a shipment (another 2 weeks of waiting).

Sorry to hijack the thread, but this is an open letter to the top-secret society of slow-moving balltop makers: What's it gonna take guys? I mean... It seems so simple... Shiny, painted balls. Not even big balls, just little ones. Little shiny painted balls that go on the end of a shiny straight steel stick. With a little groove for an E-clip. Ya know what I'm saying? I know they're probably like the mob or something, these makers of balltops, and I'm probably risking my very life by calling them out, but guys... please... could you send Andy my Ball(top)s now?



I will continue to wait. Because Andy's offerings are the bomb, and it's that simple.

[AndyWarne]

Now would I let you down...!!

Remember the Monty Python Cheeseshop sketch?
I had an exchange with an official Sega parts agent, who supplies Seimitsu joysticks as Sega parts:
   have you got any 35mm joystick ball-tops
   yes sir, plenty
   good. any in black
   no sir
   any in blue
   no sir
   What colours do you have?
   Any colour you want
   Except blue and black?
  Yes, there's not much call for black around these parts.
  OK, Green.
  No we don't have those.
  Now I'm going to ask you that question again, and if you say "any colour" I'm going to have to shoot you. What colours do you have?
    I'll have a look... red and pink
   errr. I have 100 red already and I'll give pink a miss.  How many red ones do you have in stock?
   I'll have a look sir...   None.
   Arrrgghh.
   No problem I'll order one for you from Sega. It'll take about 2 months.
   But I need 200.
   We can't get that many.
   Well how many can you get?
   A reasonable number
   What on earth is a reasonable number?
   Five
   That's not enough
   OK, Ten.
I was starting to feel this was going nowhere..

I tried every avenue. None of our normal Asian suppliers do black because this colour is not used in Asian cabinets.
I started to investigate tooling costs to have some specially made. Then another Asian contact suddenly came up with the goods.
They are on their way to me via DHL, in black, blue and green.
NOW we are out of stock of the actual joysticks until 15th owing to "the great world microswitch shortage of 2004"....terrific!
   

   
   
 

[SuckerFish]

lol I work in the PC industry and have the same problem with a lot of my asian suppliers. Always try to make us " very special offer" but deliver short

(Nothing against asians, just that 80% of mine are)

[mushmouth]

Andy, you're trying to kill me. So, what you're telling me... what you're trying to say... is... lol... oh man, this is too funny... 2 more weeks?

That converation was laugh out loud funny about having them in "any colour."

The only thing that's killing me in all this is that I need the serial/power cables to run my opti-pac in serial rather than USB because I have STILL not been able to correct the usb problems I'm having in XP. What happens is that out of the blue my spinner will just go unresponsive, then after 5-10 seconds it'll come back. I've rewired every connection between, so I have now narrowed it down to this. I had trouble running my i-pac USB as well, so it was consistent there too. I moved my i-pac to the ps2 port and it works dandy.

My cab is only partially functional until I get those cables, and I've been waiting to order my T-stick and get these cables I need at the same time. I can't order them separately and pay 15 bucks shipping for a $7 cable. If it weren't for that, waiting awhile for a joystick wouldn't be that frustrating.

So, you know what I'm gonna do Andy? Hmmm? Do you? I'll tell you. I'm gonna wait. Take that...

*grin*

Are you telling me that I'm waiting 2 more weeks for MICROSWITCHES? There have got to be a half dozen electronics stores in any give city that has those in stock, aren't there? I don't want the quiet ones. I'm fine with the normal ones. So if that makes a difference, please let me know...

[bigmoe]

Andy, is 35mm the same size as the current red balltop stick you're selling for the T-stick?

[hyiu]

although that plastic hold is broken....

but from what I see... if you put a screw there to hold the switch.... it'll become a perfectly playable stick again !!!!!...
 

it does seems like its broken by shipping....

so... you get 2 sticks for the price of one....
 

[NOP]

I've got 2 of the t-stick pluses and they're really nice; solid construction and the 4-8 way switcher is a breeze to operate.  Quite a clever design.

As as been mentioned before, the throw is extrememly short.  I found that playing games like donkey kong with it is difficult.  The resistance against the self centering springs is really high, and after playing a game that has you constantly moving the joystick wears my hand out pretty fast.  (ok, I'm also a wimp)

For playing games like frogger, it's absolutely perfect.

Mine is mounted in a cocktail cabinet.  Even with the short ball tops, there is very little clearance between the top of the stick and the bottom of the cocktail glass.  The low clearance makes it impossible to grab the ball by the top to use your entire hand in moving it.  In the future, I will probably mount the joystick a bit lower on the control panel, which will give a little extra room on top.  I might also try to screw the ball top down tighter into the base to take up some of the stick length.  

-jeff!