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Want to build (or buy) a Tron stick...

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MinerAl:

It's really 1cm isn't it?

1cm = .39"

.39" x 64(ths) = 24.96

so yeah, 1cm = 25/64ths give or take .04 of a 64th of an inch.

It would be great if we could use a 1cm rod.

froggerman:

I just checked my handy-dandy 'plastic' hole guage and it says that 25/64" = 9.92mm. That is about as close to 1cm as you can get.

1UP:


--- Quote from: Xiaou2 on March 22, 2004, 12:24:17 am ---haha, : )    lol
well, it wasnt quite that.  The argument was to do with 3 panels not having enough depth for large controlls... which was true.   You did overcome this with an ingenious shape mod... and to that i highly praise you for.    I can surely apprecaite a great design... and im first in line to applaud it.  (its not like me -vs- you in the worlds greatist design competition! :P )
--- End quote ---

Was that it?  I'd have to search the old boards to refresh, but I'll take your word for it.  All I remember is that I was kind of looking to you for some guidance, and I might have said something like your setup was too bulky (I do stuff like that sometimes) and maybe got on your bad side.  Anyway, water under the bridge, eh?


--- Quote ---I really do not need the attention nor have the ego that bruises so easily.  i know im a good designer, but im willing to accept that some others are superior, or at least have thier shining moments.  im open minded - open to change my opinions at the drop of a pin based on truthfull evidences... as im a seeker of highest truths.
--- End quote ---

Hey, no argument with you there.  I've always been impressed with some of the things you've done (the SiniStick for starters).


--- Quote ---as for the rest of the commentary... imop it is evassive at best.  nice try though.  though... i still think that you are grasping for some sorta ego boost rather than seeking a true answer at times.  like defending a known defect just to look good...
--- End quote ---

Not at all.  In fact, I know that there are a lot of things in my cab and controls that are not ideal, not necessarily because of a design flaw, but due to a lack of proper tools to execute my plans properly.  This is why I am currently looking to people with experience in metalworking and such.  FYI, I am busy redesigning the hell out of my cab right now, redesigning rather than giving up because I know I have good ideas, they just need to be improved on.  I'm done hacking, and I'm trying to move on to a more professional approach to things.  This smells like just another jab at me, but I'm going to just let it slide.


--- Quote ---the tron/competition stick is possible... tho imop may not be the best solution.  some may disagee... but i do think those people are the younger crowd that didnt grow up playing the real thing - and dont appreciate the lengths of exacting details to duplicate the correct controls propperly.
--- End quote ---

That's fine.  I'll sell to the other 90% who just want something that works without breaking the bank.  As someone pointed out above, unless you're making a dedicated Tron machine, it may not be worth it to have 100% authenticity, especially if you want to play other games where you need true 8-way mobility.  Personally, my main concern is being able to offer an arcade-like trigger stick on my cabinets.  For that purpose, I need something compact and cheap that approximates a Tron stick, while being functional in a variety of other games.  If others find this kind of compromise acceptable, I'll be happy to sell to them.


--- Quote ---you did mention the trackball...  well, its not that i was against other non arcade trackballs... rather, just against PC bases ones.  The one you specified.. sounded like an arcade one... but then again, i havnt researched it to know for sure.  i had thought your ball was a kidsball.. but i guess  i was wrong on that... sorry.
--- End quote ---

Actually, you were right.  I am using a Crayola PC Trackball, which is identical to a KYE Kidsball.  It is surprisingly accurate, rugged and smooth.  The ball spins for a couple seconds after a good roll.  I wouldn't trust it to last a long time in a sports bar, but it does well as a home arcade controller.  I also have an Imperial trackball, which I am saving for my first production cab, which will be coming home with me!


--- Quote ---anyway... think it over.  the more thought that goes into a design... the more flawless it becomes.  good luck.
--- End quote ---

Absolutely.  That's the purpose of all the posts I've been doing lately--to get input from potential customers.  My kits will be made without a major redesign, but for the full cabs, I need a lot of stuff custom made just to support the controls I want to offer.  Trust me, I'm thinking about this stuff day and night.

1UP:


--- Quote from: froggerman on March 22, 2004, 01:10:17 am ---I just checked my handy-dandy 'plastic' hole guage and it says that 25/64" = 9.92mm. That is about as close to 1cm as you can get.

--- End quote ---

Cool.  Where can I get 1cm steel tube in the US?  Never mind, I'm sure whatever machine shop I use can get it.

1UP:


--- Quote from: MinerAl on March 15, 2004, 12:53:36 am ---The old posts are in here somewhere, but I seem to recall that his molds degraded after a few castings and he had to make new ones, or he quit after the one set he made degraded, or something to that effect.

Brand new Happs handles could be used for making new casts, but I'm guessing there might be legal stuff...

I'd like to see someone make new casts that are modified at the casting level for 3/8" or 1cm hollow shafts suitable for immediate use in a super, or one of the switchable 4/8 ways that are popular here.  That way there's be no weird plastic reducers a'la 1UP's hack.  Just a nice solid connection to a super shaft.

That kind of better mousetrap would have arcade hobbyists beating a path to somebody's door.

Oh, and TRON COCKTAIL TRIGGER STICKS too.  :)

--- End quote ---

Just reading back thru the earlier posts...

The main reasons I think it would be better to make a replacement shaft that fits the existing Happ or repro blue grips:

1) A shaft could be available much sooner than a new mold.  If someone is not already working on this new mold, it will probably be months of experimentation before it is available.

2) Different shafts could be easily made for different types of sticks (Super, Comp, T-stick, E-stick, Omnistick etc) by just substituting a different size tube for the bottom part, and keeping the same size tube for the top which fits to the already available grips.

3) The metal work for custom shafts is much cheaper than the molding involved with making special handles.

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