Tuning a j-stick

[pmc]

I have a couple of Ultimarc J-sticks (Sanwas) and have some tuning questions.

1) Tension

General consensus is that these things have light springs (actuators) but they can be tightened. This is true. The light touch is a little irriating with certain games because you tend to over-compensate. So I recently tried to tune them. I removed the restrictor plate and then just bent the actuators with my fingers another 1/4" or so on the ends. They are now slightly tighter, but not much more. Bending the springs outward does not create tension against the stick but merely increases the distance to the microswitch and results in a simiar effect. Does anyone know how to better tune the actuators to get more of an effect? Where should I bend from and how? I don't want to trial and error them too much because I don't want them to end up snapped off!

2) Travel or throw

General consensus, if I recall, is that j-sticks should be bottom mounted into a 5/8" panel or a 3/4" panel that's been routed. Mine is bottom mounted into a 3/4" panel with no compensating routing. I think that the travel is too far but would expect that less CP between the top and bottom of the stick would worsen this situation rather than improve it. If I can reduce the travel and tighten the springs, I'll be much happier with the sticks.

I just re-read Andy's site and it indicates that I can get different travel by flipping the restrictor plate over. I'll try that next.

He says that the travel is similar to the Happ Super (which I don't have and cannot directly compare).

I'm building a new panel out of 5/8" and will add a 1/8" lexan overlay so the travel should match what I have now. What else can I do to reduce the travel?

Oh.... One thing I should mention is that I drilled a standard button hole for the j/s shaft to fit through. I removed the ball and dust cap and then bottom mounted the stick with the naked shaft protruding through the top of the CP. Has my choice of a big hole for the shaft contributed to the extensive travel? Did I install this thing "correctly"?

I'd love to hear your experience tuning these sticks. Thanks in advance!

- pmc

[1UP]

I think the site originally said to stretch the MAIN spring, not bend the switch levers, to increase spring tension.

I personally think the J-sticks are great the way they are, at least as a dedicated 4-way.  The light spring tension and crisp diamond restrictor are perfect for fast-paced maze games.  If you are using them for 8-way games, I think a competition or super would be a better stick for you, but that's just my opinion.

[pmc]

I'm using them for anything and everything and just switching the restrictor plate as needed.

And you are right. The site says to tune the switch sensitivity by bending the actuators but to tune tension by stretching the main spring. I don't know how I blended those two thoughts together but I did. I'll go an tweak the springs right now. The question is: "how much is enough?!".

I actually find these sticks a little tricky with maze games (e.g., PacMan). The extra travel and light "return to center pressure" allows me push too far in one direction and then I have farther than expected to come back to another position. But now I'm starting to think that's more due to the fact that I drilled such a big hole for the shaft than it is about springs and switches.

It's been a while since I played an original PacMan to compare.

- pmc

- pmc

[paigeoliver]

Um, the thickness of the control panel isn't going to have anything to do with the amount of travel the joystick has. The only thing it has an effect on is how much stick sticks up past the panel, it is still the exact same amount of travel.

[pmc]

Understood. I figured that if the shaft hits the edge of the hole that's bored through the CP, it cannot travel any further even if the stick allows it. The thicker the CP, more likely that's going to happen. I figured that since I used big holes, I increased the distance each stick can travel and perhaps unwittingly intensified the existing characteristics of the stick.

OK, so I have no idea what I'm talking about here.