2 Quick Questions on Happ's Optical Rotary Joystick

[mark shaker]

Sigh ... When I unveiled my new 4 player control panel to my buddies, the first question was: Can we use it to play Warlords?!?

I don't want to make a entirely new panel design to squeeze in spinners, so I considering replacing the Happ Super Joysticks with their Optical Rotary Joysticks.

What is the mounting depth for a Happ Optical Rotary Joystick? (Their "mounting view" only gives the depth for their 12 position Switch Rotary Joystick.)

How do they feel? (Does it have the same "draggy" feel as when you rotate the shaft of a Super?)

Thanks!

   - Mark

[Tiger-Heli]

Just going by memory of what I have read previously, but mounting depth is about 5.5 inches below the top of the base, and yes, they feel the same as Supers.

[mark shaker]

Thank you for the info.

My CP can only handle controls with a depth of 4" or less, so that idea is officially nixed.

   - Mark

[JB]

If you don't want to make a new control panel, you could add a pair of DB-9s and use 2 pairs of 2600 paddles.


It'd pr'ly work better than rotating sticks anyways, IMO.

[NoOne=NBA=]

If you don't want to make a new control panel, you could add a pair of DB-9s and use 2 pairs of 2600 paddles.


It'd pr'ly work better than rotating sticks anyways, IMO.

Except that you wouldn't have any interface to the computer for them.

The best handheld workaround that i know of is to interface to an analog stick, and use similar pots (usually 100k) mounted in small Radio Shack project boxes with a single button on each, out the side.
They will show up as two analog joysticks with multiple buttons.
You can then map the buttons/axes to the appropriate controls within MAME.

You could also mount the pots directly into the CP somewhere, and get an arcade cabinet version of this.

[JB]

If you don't want to make a new control panel, you could add a pair of DB-9s and use 2 pairs of 2600 paddles.


It'd pr'ly work better than rotating sticks anyways, IMO.

Except that you wouldn't have any interface to the computer for them.

The best handheld workaround that i know of is to interface to an analog stick, and use similar pots (usually 100k) mounted in small Radio Shack project boxes with a single button on each, out the side.
They will show up as two analog joysticks with multiple buttons.
You can then map the buttons/axes to the appropriate controls within MAME.

You could also mount the pots directly into the CP somewhere, and get an arcade cabinet version of this.

Fudge. Forgot that.

I figured he was gonna be adding an interface either way, and DB9s required minimal alteration to the existing CP.
But didn't consider the wide variety of pots available, which makes them a pain in the ass.

[mark shaker]

Pots? Will that work? I thought that the arcade version of Warlords was optical.

I thought that I might try to hack my Supers by fixing a optic wheel to the end of the shaft.  And doing something similar to fl0yd's 49-way rotary hack to fix the sensor.

Are there any joystick shafts out there that will fit a super and have a screw hole on the bottom?

   - Mark

[Kremmit]

Are there any joystick shafts out there that will fit a super and have a screw hole on the bottom?

Any Super shaft, after you drill it. 

[mark shaker]

Any Super shaft, after you drill it.

[Kremmit]

Heck, a piece of inner tube wrapped around the shaft would keep it from getting scratched.

[mark shaker]

Heck, a piece of inner tube wrapped around the shaft would keep it from getting scratched.

I might give that a try. If so, I'll post my results.