I'm not sure that this is the right place for this, but i don't feel important enough to start my own thread on the subject.
You would have gotten more coverage with your own thread - like Markrvp said, don't be shy - but I think we can get you going here.
I like the Slikstick Quad and was thinking of ordering their blank control panel and then doing all the wiring myself.
The un-drilled, or the pre-drilled panel? IMNSHO, the pre-drilled is an okay option if you are sure you want their layout and you don't trust your own woodworking. The un-drilled is a bit pricey in that you still have to layout and cut the holes yourself. I think you could probably find a local BYOACer to help you out for a few
beers pizzas and come out better in the end.
The thing is, i don't have any experience with wiring (the most i've done is for my surround sound system and entertainment center at home, and that's a different animal).
The wiring is actually one of the more straightforward parts of the project, but post again when you have more specific questions.
I figured i'd get the Happ mouse, two 360 optical joysticks for fighting games and two of the rotating 8 way sticks to play Ikari Warriors, a spinner, and some sort of 4 way joystick.
You mean Happ Trackball. I agree with Markrvp - I would ditch the 360's for the 49-ways (which eliminates the 4-way as well). For the Ikari sticks - You have four options -
Fl0yd's rotary adapter for the Happ 49-way - nice in that it keeps everything on the same panel - recommend Druin's interface, but see below.
Happ Mechanical Rotaries - Same as above, but with a Happ Super as the base stick instead of the 49-way. Interface same as above. These could be used as Player 3 and 4 sticks.
Happ Optical Rotaries - Similar to Caliber .50 sticks. Use an optical spinner on the base of a Super joystick and interface to a mouse hack or Opti-pac. Could be used as Player 3 and 4 sticks.
SNK LS-30's - These are the original yellow-handled Ikari sticks. Interface same as the first three above. Recommend using these on a separate swappable panel as they won't play nearly as well as the other joysticks in non-rotary games.
I'm assuming that i'll need both an IPAC and the Optipak or a Keywhiz.
This is the first thing you've gotten slightly incorrect, or I might have just mis-read your comment - And you thought you couldn't start a new thread - j/k.
First off - the I-PAC or KeyWiz are keyboard encoders - think keyboard hack - for the joysticks and buttons. The opti-pac is an optical interface - think dual mouse hack - for the trackballs, spinners, and optical rotary joysticks. Main point is you don't need BOTH a I-PAC and KeyWiz.
If you take our advice and use the GP-Wiz49's, you have 46 inputs (separate from the joysticks) so you really don't need a KeyWiz or I-PAC. Otherwise, you will want one of these.
Basically, I covered the Opti-pac pretty well above. It's pricey if you are only going to have a single trackball and a single spinner. OTOH, it's about the only way to have both permanently connected and available without both being active (without designing your own circuitry).
Does that sound too ambitious for a first timer? I really don't want to order everything and not be able to finish it or get it to work.
Nah, the bigger danger is you'll get it into "test mode" and have so much fun playing games that it never gets completed.
