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Flight stick: 8-way or analog?

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RetroACTIVE:

I purchased the Happ analog flight stick (PC version) specifically for starwars and tailgunner...

A word of advice:

Don't buy the PC version, its not worth the extra cost... buy the arcade version and the ultimarc APAC... here is why:

The naitive joystick port on your pc uses only two pins of the potentiometer while the APAC interface uses all three and produces a more accurate stable joystick control.  It is very noticeable in the calibrate screen... when I first hooked up the analog stick (directly using 15 pin), the crosshair jittered all over the place... once I hooked it through the APAC... rock solid!

mccoy178:

Make sure you price the Happ's parts with Ponyboy in the Buy Sell Trade forum, as he sells the stuff at cost!  Not to mention he is one of the most stand up guys in this place. :)

erictrumpet:

Thanks RetroACTIVE for the suggestion of skipping Happ's PC version analog stick in favor of the arcade version because of the pots, and that the added cost is not worth it. However, in the case of Part#95-0393-00 (the Tron-style analog stick with trigger), the PC version is the same cost: $159 for PC version or not. To add an A-PAC to the equation actually makes the non-PC version $40 MORE expensive in the end.

Is the difference in pots really that important? I notice in the Windows calibration screen my Thrustmaster PC stick cursor appears "jumpy" as RetroACTIVE mentions, but in gameplay it seems fine (with hands off the stick, the ship/character doesn't jump around or wiggle or anything). I wish I knew more about pots and how they work. On the Happ site, the arcade version of the Tron-style stick has 5k pots, and the PC-version has "100k S Taper Pots" -- what does that mean exactly?

Thanks,
Eric.


RetroACTIVE:

Eric,

I purchased a different one... the delta for me was 30 bucks...

http://www.happcontrols.com/joysticks/95006500.htm

After reading my msg, I realized I probably made it sound like the difference in pots was important... I am sorry, I should have stated that the difference in the cost to add the 15 pin connector and change the pots out was not worth it... because Apac can handle any pot value.

It is not the value of the pot (5K,10K,100K etc...) that makes a difference it is the way in which it is processed/handled.  You see ultimarc actually does a little bit of smoothing within its a2d circuitry.  Connecting the joystick to the PC joystick port directly, is going to produce slight variations (because the values are raw and not pre-processed).  For some games it is not noticeable, for others it is... I found it to be no ticable in MAME... Granted you can calibrate it out somewhat because mame gives you the a2d_deadzone configuration setting to minimize this jumpiness....

As far as the value, 100K is the right load (resistance) for the PC joystick port (higher the resistance, less the current draw).  Arcades were around before PCs so for whatever reason they typically use 5-10K ohm pots.  The Apac is compatible with any value of pot.



Farmboy90:

Eric, PonyBoy sells the stick you want (it is the one I want too) for $140.95.

Just thought I'd let you know.  :)

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