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Defender joystick solution?

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Apollo:

Ok I know this is not going to be good info for most of you but if you are a true Defender fanatic you might be able to use this.
I have just made and drilled a metal control panel just for Defender. All it is is a 2mm mild steel CP approx 66cm wide approx 33cm deep with a 90 degree bend at the front with approx 12cm drop.
I spent a lot of time trying to find the perfect Defender joystick and spending $50US or more really seemed to be just too much.
I have installed a MsPac/Galag reunion joystick sort of side on i.e. the short side is left to right rather than up and down ( hope you understand ) and it turns out that the reverse button can be perfectly positioned and the slot cut for the joystick makes the perfect restrictor. I know this is only good for metal CP enthusiasts but hey any help is good help, yes?

Lilwolf:

Its good to know... but I didn't think it would fit

is the reverse button in the EXACT location it is suppost to be?

If so COOL!

of course... I have 3 now... and 2 are going up for same as soon as I get orginized.  I might want to sell them soon before this thread becomes sticky!  ;D

NoOne=NBA=:

I used a 4-way leaf-switch knockoff that I got in a bulk deal for mine.
It had the really small size (Defender/Joust/Moon Patrol) knob on it, but had a long stick.
I cut a corner off it, routed a slot into the CP intead of the usual hole for the stick and bottom mounted the stick so the knob stuck up the perfect height for me.

I don't know if the dimensions are "accurate" to a true Defender panel, but they are comfortable to me, and work well.
I think my Reverse button may be a little closer to the stick than the original, but I never liked the reach the original anyway.

Xiaou2:

 One possible problem...

 If your trying to restrict the up/down movment with just the thin metal control panel top...   Eventually, there will be times when you or someone else makes a slightly diagnol move - and the metal will saw bits of the stick off.   This will happpen a lot sooner than you might expect.

(I actually had to replace a busted 2way with an 8way micro on a galaga at an arcade i was at.   I removed the extra micros... and hoped the metal oval would suffice.    The people tore the poor stick to shreads as the up/down movement grinded it like a cheese grater... so I was forced to cut a larger circular hole into the metal panel... thus allowing all 8 directions, but only regiestering the 2.  They didnt have any 2ways availlable... but in retrospec, i feel kinda guilty.  Too bad that someone hasnt made a quaility 2 way stick)


  If you had a thicker restricter - like 1cm,   youd have less wear.  Or even make the restrictor (same 1cm thickness)  out of heavy duty plastic.  (this was done on the Race Drivin shifter plate)

  I got my hands on a real defender stick - and man it is poorly made.   Theres all kinds of metal wear from poor design.  

  To make a better design - Id follow the Spyhunter Shifter (and simular shifter designs)... where they put heavy duty rubber bumpers on either extreme positions.... so that when you slam the joy from left to right... it absorbs into the rubber, instead of grinding metal to bits.



patrickl:

If you don't think about the money, would the Defender repro stick be any good? I was thinking about buying the Williams repro stick from Arcadeshop ($49) Would the metal wear on it realy be an issue (In a home environment)?

I now have a "Ms Pac/Galaga reunion" stick restricted to 2-way in a wood panel. Works fine, but I don't like the stick very much.

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