Questions about the Oscarcontrols joystick restrictor plates...

[Sasquatch!]

I could've emailed Oscar about this, but I figured I'd post it here in case somebody else has the same questions.

The big one: How do you switch in between 8-way and 4-way?  I've read the site and it says "convert your joystick from 8-way to 4-way operation and back without opening your control panel or changing joystick actuators", but how does one actually do it?

And I guess as a follow-up: To anyone who's using them, what do you think?

[JustMichael]

The restrictor plates make the 8-way joystick act like a 4-way joystick.  To make the 8-way joystick act like an 8-way again, just remove the plates.

[Sasquatch!]

To make the 8-way joystick act like an 8-way again, just remove the plates.

Huh, okay.  So according to Oscar's site I can get 'em with screw connectors or pin connectors.  The screw connectors seem like a bit of a pain in the neck, but how exactly do the pin connectors connect and disconnect?  Do I need to get to the bottom of the control panel?  Sorry, but again, I'm just not seeing it in the pictures.

[gtjoe]

go to the website and look at the "Competition w/ 4-way's" picture. at http://www.oscarcontrols.com/index_joystick.htm

See the 2 screws, 1 above and below the joystick, those can be replaced with simple pins as mentioned.

Pull the pins or unscrew the screws, then remove the top half of the restrictor plate by lifting up on the right side and sliding it out from under the joystick cover disk.  repeat with the bottom half by lifting up on the left side.   (there are stubby pins that are welded under the right and left side of the plates that sit in a hole in the mounting plate).

Take you ten seconds to remove them when using the pins

[Sasquatch!]

Pull the pins or unscrew the screws, then remove the top half of the restrictor plate by lifting up on the right side and sliding it out from under the joystick cover disk.  repeat with the bottom half by lifting up on the left side.   (there are stubby pins that are welded under the right and left side of the plates that sit in a hole in the mounting plate).

Take you ten seconds to remove them when using the pins

Thanks for the info, gtjoe.  My question was about the pins themselves though: Are they clipped somehow from underneath the control panel, or do you just somehow "pop" them straight up and out?  That's what I can't seem to figure out from the pictures.

Thanks!