Looking for analogue joystick for my cabinet?

[LeedsFan]

I want to add an analogue joystick to my cabinet to play games like Star Wars, Roadrunner, Paper Boy etc.

[shadowdrak]

No, the happs P360 is an 8-way.  It just uses optical sensors instead of switches.  From what I have seen, arcade style analog sticks are pretty expensive.  Happ makes trigger stick analogs like the flight stick type you mentioned; they also make one with the "super" handle.
http://www.happcontrols.com/joysticks/50287600.htm

Anyway, you have to make some sort of gameport hack to interface it to your computer.  I will see if I can dig up the link.  You could also hack up a USB gamepad/stick for this purpose as long as it is a true analog (not hall effect).  Which sticks are hall effect and which use pots? I don't really know.  I have a couple USB pads and both of em are hall effect.

rotary joysticks are the kind that can tell if you are spinning the handle.

[Doc-]

You might want to take a look at this one - it is off the shelf, but it can be integrated almost seamlessly into your cabinet by carefully mounting it on a wood panel.  The USB interface is also quite nice.  I'm pretty happy with mine:

   http://www.beersmith.com/mame/panels.htm#analog

Cheers!
Doc-

[NoOne=NBA=]

You can pick up Happ analog sticks pretty cheap on ebay, if you keep an eye out.

I think I paid like $20 for mine.
It's the same stick currently going in the Star Wars Trilogy machines.
Another just like it sold for $51 recently.

That said, you probably aren't going to be too happy playing Road Runner with this huge trigger stick coming up out of the panel.

I am planning to use a 49-way for most of the games like that.
The 49-way is basically a low-res analog stick.
It has 3 settings in each direction, as opposed to the 255 that are used by a REAL analog stick.
For games like Road Runner, this gives you slow/med/fast in each direction.

The 49-way won't work for games like Star Wars however.
They need the higher resolution, or you end up with a really jumpy aiming system.

[markb]

As one of the previous posts I am going to use a Saitek ST90, I took the whole thing apart and sprayed the buttons blue to match my cab.
It's a USB joystick so therefore it interfaces well with a PC and although it's a flight joystick it has buttons instead of a dial to control speed etc.

It can be picked up in the UK for about

[NoOne=NBA=]

I've had two Saiteks as a temporary measure before getting a Happ analog.
I had an ST220, and a Cyborg 3D.
What I found was that, while functional, they felt CHEAP, as compared to an arcade quality stick.
They did work, but I was never happy with the way they felt.

That feeling is the same one I got using a Logitech Formula wheel, vs. using a Happ 270.
There is a definite difference in feel between PC quality parts, and arcade quality parts.
That difference may not be enough for most people to warrant the extra expense/trouble of the arcade quality parts, but for me it was never really a choice.
I HAD to have the arcade ones to be satisfied.

[LeedsFan]

Thanks for the advice guys.... I feared this question was a bit too nOObish but you came up trumps as per usual. 

My cabinet is finished really (well, we all "say" that don't we!) and I don't have any room to add further controls on my panel. But what I can do is make a seperate modular box which can be sat on top of the panel. My panel is a standard 2 player panel with a trackball and spinner in the middle, but the t/ball can be lifted out with a suction pad because I didn't use a mounting plate. (I wanted a 100% flush finish on my panel so as not to spoil the artwork).

This leaves me with a flat area of 7" wide by 6" tall (absolute maximum) on which to mount a seperate modular panel. It could sit on there using little suction feet to stop it from moving around, and would also be small enough to put away inside one of the coin doors when not in use. It's not totally ideal but I certainly have no room for any other controls without it. (I'll post a pic soon of my current panel so you get a better idea).

I was thinking of adding maybe a 360 degree stick and an arcade analogue stick in this panel, with maybe a couple of buttons (if they'll fit). Apart from a steering wheel/pedals and a yoke I think I'd be pretty much covered for everything then.

[NoOne=NBA=]

Sounds like you're about a half-step away from deciding that your cabinet is suddenly "UNfinished", tearing half of it apart, and developing a swappable, or modular, control panel system for it.

That's what happened to me.
I USED to have a "finished" cab too.

[Kremmit]

NoOne, I'm always hearing about your modular set-up, but I've never seen pics.  Got a link?

[NoOne=NBA=]

No.
I haven't had time or inclination to put up a full site.
I've got some scattered pictures, that I've put up in answer to questions and such though.

Here's some links.
I didn't want to put up all the pics themselves.

Trackball Panels
Single Trackball
Two Trackballs

Single Stick Panels
Two-Button Setup
Three-Button Setup

Two Player Panel
Two-Stick Setup

Game Specific Panels
Asteroids
Defender
Smash TV
Star Trek
Tron

Inside of Modular CP
Modular CP

I haven't painted any modules yet, and haven't done any overlay art, because I'm in the design phase on at least one more cabinet--possibly two or three.
I'm thinking I may make those modular as well, and want to make sure that the modules are interchangable between the cabinets before going to all the trouble/expense of finishing the current ones.

Here's a shot of my old Swappable system, just so you know where this will all end up--EVENTUALLY.

Swappable Space Duel

[Kremmit]

Groovy, man!