Spinner recommendations in 2021?

[stigzler]

Looking to buy a spinner for my cab. Mounting on 1/2 inch mdf. Mainly to play Tempest. I'm thinking the SpinTrack looks better then the TurboTwist2, but does anyone have any comparisons?

Also, with the spintrack, which flywheel (if any) and which knob for the best experience (again, Tempest as the benchmark). The two knobs:



Ta very muchly...

[javeryh]

I am very happy with my SpinTrak and small flywheel.  Installs in like 10 minutes and works great after you change MAME settings.

[jimmer]

This knob is more Tempest in looks and size.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32812854067.html?

[stigzler]

Nice find, Jimmer. Yes - that does look very Tempest! I'll revisit it once I have decider on which spinner to buy.

[rackoon]

Turbotwist with the Tokentop and dont look back   the rubber grip on the token top rules for tempest and you can spruce it up with any coin ya want. Super lagit

[D_Harris]

I've been sitting on a Tornado spinner for about a decade because after I got it I learned that Mame can't accurately emulate analog controls.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

[Warborg]

I've been sitting on a Tornado spinner for about a decade because after I got it I learned that Mame can't accurately emulate analog controls.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

Sounds painful...  Maybe just try just spinning it?

[bobbyb13]

I have both a Spintrak and TurboTwist High-Lo and both work very well.

TT if you also want to play (with the addition of a proper joystick of course)  Discs of Tron, Forgotten Worlds, Kozmik Kruzr, maybe a few others...

Otherwise the Spintrak is quite adequate for all other spinner games from my experience.

And if you haven't found this thread yet it is absolutely awesome.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,164017.0.html

[KenToad]

I highly recommend the Turbo Twist 2 with with the accu-twist system (basically just a piece of felt that adds friction when you tighten the knob down tighter to the base) because most spinners back in the day didn't spin freely. Spinners were frequently geared and didn't spin freely much, if at all.

The TT2 from Groovy Game Gear with accu-twist allows you to vary the friction from free spinning to not free spinning. Using a piece of felt to control friction sounds unimpressive, but works very well. As far as I know, it's the only spinner with that functionality.

I find myself keeping the spinners in non-free spinning mode nearly all the time. Besides driving games, Tempest is really the only game that is more fun with a free spinning spinner, IMO.

[RandyT]

Using a piece of felt to control friction sounds unimpressive, but works very well.

Just to clarify why it works so well is that it's not ordinary department store felt.  It's a special, very durable material manufactured for very similar industrial applications.  The other part of the system is a special brass tipped grub-screw which protects the shaft from being damaged over the course of many repeated adjustments, which would otherwise cause the knob to bind on the shaft.

Glad to hear that you like the Accu-twist feature! 

[bollwerk]

I've been very happy with my TurboTwist 2 spinners. I even managed to wire them into an Ultimarc U-HID. That was an adventure. =)

[Mozalbete]

I'm going to buy a spinner in one month, and while I read many compliments about the turbotwist 2, there is barely anything about the sci-winder, which seems to be a more modern and compact, less versatile option when it comes to free-spinning (wheels can always be added around the know in some way, I guess).

Anyh opinions about it?

[PL1]

The main selling point for the Sci-Winder is that it only needs 1.8" of space below the top surface of your panel.

Possible deal-breakers are that you can't change the knob, you can't use the same steering wheel as the TT2 (you might be able to fabricate or 3d print a wheel that secures to the knob), and the price is also a bit higher than the TT2.

If you're looking for an inexpensive shallow version for the DIY-inclined, you can use a rotary encoder and Arduino like Marsupial did here.


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Has anyone tried the GRS Push & Pull Arcade Spinner?
  Good news: It's a lot less expensive and easier to install than the GGG version.
  Not-so-good news: The push/pull switches are tied to mouse button clicks.   

Haven't found any reviews/videos/documentation, but the bottom has a 4-pin and a 3-pin connector, same as their Button Hole Spinner.
- I'm guessing that the 4-pin is for a USB cable and the 3-pin is for a mouse button harness so you can also have mouse buttons on the panel -- same as their Button Hole version.

Push & Pull version


Button Hole version



Scott

[RandyT]

The main selling point for the Sci-Winder is that it only needs 1.8" of space below the top surface of your panel.

The Sci-Winder was developed to be a compact, high-end spinner with a super-clean look on the knob (no set screw holes).  The included large, solid stainless steel, anti-theft knob is also one of the main selling points.  The knob will (or can be made to) look the same as it did when purchased, after 30 years in a commercial environment with 24/7 use.  The weight of the knob was tuned to give it the same solid feel and play dynamic as a standard TT2 with both the "Premium Aluminum" knob and ESC options.  But it is intended for those who are more interested in simply having the best spinner possible, than those who are looking for the versatility of different knobs, steering wheels, etc.



The main selling point of the Turbo-Twist line is true (costly) industrial optical encoders, better than even those used in the arcades.  Inexpensive Hall effect sensors can introduce lag and accuracy issues and aren't really the correct technology for the job. But for something like an A1UP, where the control settings for a given game may not even be correct, few of those users would probably notice.   It all depends on user expectations and their budget.

On a side note: Glenn and his Chinese buddies are pretty brazen copying my original spinner body and High-Low knob designs nearly verbatim! But again, looking the same and playing the same are two different things 

[PL1]

looking the same and playing the same are two different things 

QFT.   


Scott

[Vocalitus]

The GRS spinner deserves a look.

Small in size takes up less room on the control panel.  Adds two buttons.

Cheap at last look.

[tommyinajar]

Anybody try the Cyclone? It's more Atari type, not the Turbo Twist freewheel spin. Like a Turbotwist Ferrari vs a VW...but for Arcade feel...IDK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBYrX0MXcac&feature=youtu.be