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New Product: 49-Way USB Interface - The GP-Wiz49 with DRS Technology (TM)

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Kremmit:

Randy-

Got my GP49s, thanks!  Hooking them up now, using Williams49 sticks.  (am I the first one to test with these?)  Is the pinout the same as on the Happ/Midway/Atari sticks, other than that there's only 1 ground? 

RandyT:


--- Quote from: Kremmit on March 28, 2005, 11:25:49 pm ---Got my GP49s, thanks!  Hooking them up now, using Williams49 sticks.  (am I the first one to test with these?)

--- End quote ---

Define "test" :) 

You'll be the first outside test with the Williams, AFAIK.  Let me know your results when you get that far....


--- Quote --- Is the pinout the same as on the Happ/Midway/Atari sticks, other than that there's only 1 ground? 

--- End quote ---

The pinouts are exactly the same, grounds and all.  There are two pins dedicated to ground on each of the sticks, but only one is necessary as they are tied together.


RandyT

Kremmit:

Working fine, first try!  :D 

Well, almost- I hooked up an already-populated Arch Rivals control panel, and didn't pay attention to the orientation of the joysticks.  Apparently, the folks at Williams like their sticks mounted with the connectors facing "up" when viewed from above, while the GP49 prefers them facing "left".  :'(   To Randy's credit, there was a warning note in the package with the GP49 telling me to mount them that way- I just got in a hurry and didn't look to confirm the orientation on the already-mounted sticks.

Other than that, it was easy.  The board labeling would confuse the heck out of me if I had to work without the connection diagram that was in the package, but with the instructions, it went easy.  Quick reccomendation:  if you're thinking about ordering the Eco or No-Solder version, cough up the extra few bucks for the screw terminals!  :police:  They made hooking it up a breeze, and even though I got the wires in the right place the first time, it's nice knowing that if I HAD screwed it up, it would have been easy to fix.

One thing I will say right off about the Williams 49- there's a HUGE difference between one that's seen a lot of use and one that's in good shape.  The Player 1 stick on that Arch Rivals panel has obviously been played a lot, and it feels like crap.  The Player 2 stick, on the other hand, feels really, really good to me- plenty of resistance, and smooth in all directions, once you get out of the center dead-zone.  There is a bit of a "pop" when you push the stick out of center, or through center.  I imagaine this is the necessary evil to a spider centering system.  Still, it doesn't really bother me- at first I didn't even notice it, and I'm sure that after I get used to it, I won't notice it again.  Anybody who digs the Wico or P360 (heavy spring) feel will like these.

I checked out the GP49 properties in the Windows control panel, and watched the way the little calibration cursor moved with the different DRS modes- and everything seemed about the way I'd want it if I was setting it up myself.  The only one I couldn't tell about is the Scaled49 mode- that one will need play testing to see if it feels right.

Play testing:  Not much yet, as I have to rotate my sticks 90 degrees before I can really play.  I did run some quick Pac-Man (while standing sideways to the control panel to compensate for the stick mounting :P ).  I've always sucked at Pac-Man, and I still do, but I could definately see the difference the DRS made in my gameplay.  Of course, you still can't FEEL the restricton, but it played much better than using an 8-way.  In 4-way DRS mode, I was just as good as I ever am. (Which is to say, embarrasingly bad.) 

I had a go at 720 with the 16 way DRS mode, and had absolutely no luck.  At first, I thought it was a complete bust, but then I realized that MAME recently changed it's handling of analog sticks in 720, and I'm using an older version, so I guess it's time to download a more current version.  Stay tuned!  I'm gonna pull the spider and clean up the bad stick and have another go at 720 with the appropriate MAME version.  Later on, I'll have to get one of those repro spiders and see how much that brings a beat-up stick back to life.

It's after midnight, and I'm going to bed, but I'll get back to this tomorrow evening, if my wife lets me.  ;)





Troz:

After reading through all 11 pages here I've decided to take the plunge and just ordered a GP-Wiz49 and a 49-way joystick as a test for myself.  If all goes well, which it sounds like it will from the reviews, I'll be replacing a total of 4 J-Stiks with these.  Hopefully I'll be able to cram everything into my cocktail...

Flinkly:

just realize the joystick has a tall base...if you get my meaning.  i was thinking of using this for a cocktail too, but you'd have to make some tall control panel pods, which wouldn't be so bad, but i was going to go for a midway look.

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