Analog Joystick

[Zinfari]

Hi all,  I'm working on a little project and am in need of an analog joystick that I can replace the pots on.  Anyone have or know of where I can find an analog joystick (other than from Happ?)  Theirs are pretty expensive and I'm trying to keep the costs down.  Any ideas would be appreciated.

-Zinfari

[Lilwolf]

If your not in a rush...

search ebay...

I got a nice one for 10 bucks shipped... and I see them go for less then 20 most of the time.

But if your doing it just to replace the pots... why not go for a controller you actually want?

[Zinfari]

Here's the quick story.

I'm helping out creating a PS2 controller for someone who has some physical limitations (which is why we aren't just using a normal PS2 joystick).  This needs to be completely custom at this piont as we are going to use a joystick for buttons as well (down=X, etc).  This will actually port very well as you aren't every asked to hit more than 2 adjacent buttons in any game that I know of with the 8-way can emulate perfectly (although getting access to the shoulder buttons is proving challenging, but that's another story).  

I know I could just use an 8-way joystick and symulate analog, but I would like to keep the left analog (we aren't planning on even bothering with the right analog stick) as it definately provides better control and we already have enough limitations that I don't want to introduce one unnecessarily.

From what I've been able to tell the PS2 controllers use 10k pots... anyway I go I'm replacing the pots since PCs use 100k and Arcade favor 5k.  I toyed around with buying an arcade style PS2 analog stick and trying to get that to work in a new housing, but I'm affraid that will end up just as costly as the Happ controller by the time I find one that I could get to mount correctly and durability may be a issue at that point.  The pots on the Happ controllers are replaceable and standard size so I think I can just switch them out with 10k ones from Radio Shack (that's the theory anyway).

I've been watching ebay, but so far no luck.  If anyone has one they are looking at offloading let me know, but I was mainly trying to figure out if anyone else made one that I could replace the pots on for less money.  The cost of a new Happ analog ($122) is more than the cost of the rest of the build which includes a new PS2 controller, 2 digital joysticks and a bunch of oversized buttons and other stuff to make the controller housing.   I'm trying to keep the cost reasonable as apparently there are a number of people who could benefit from this type of controller and the plan is to put out a little how to when we are done in case anyone else what's to try it.  I'm concerned that the cost of the analog controller will put it out of reach for some folks.

-Zinfari

[Kremmit]

Ebay tip:  Search for "control panel".  Control panel auctions often have analog sticks in them without the analog stick price.  I picked up a pair of sticks, plus 2 shielded speakers in a Cybersled panel for $9 + shipping that way.