Happ Rotary Joystick (Mechanical)

[Zinfari]

I just received my rotary joysticks from Happ (Mechanical).  My question is that they have a stop in the rotary mechanism.  So you can't keep spinning the top endlessly.  I see there are 2 set screws in the base.  Will one of these allow my to remove the stop?  I didn't get a chance to play with it last night so I just thought I'd ask.

I'm not crazy am I?  The top didn't have stops that I remember back in the day... did it?

-Zinfari

[oic989]

The quick answer is; no, it should not have a stop. The original sticks do not stop. There is no reason the new Happ sticks should.

Having said that ... I just got my 2 mechanical rotary sticks a few days ago from Happ as well. And they too were built with switches that have stops in them.

I don't know who has their brain on backwards at Happ, but this is pretty messed up.

I called Happ to complain and ask for replacements. They transferred me to the tech department. That guy asked what I had ordered, so I read him the part number. He then reads OUT LOUD the description of the stick which includes "12 position shorting switch", he then tells me "that's got a potentiometer in it, you can't avoid the stop" and told me I'd have to just return them if I wasn't happy with them. NOTE: A circular shorting switch is NOTHING like a potentiometer. Period.

A quick trip to Digikey or some similar web site will give you plenty of options for 'continously' rotating 12 position switches in all types of sizes and voltages. Happ is just talking out of their ass and using the wrong part.

If I were you, I would call them and demand replacements. Keep asking for a supervisor until you get satisfaction. There is no reason they can't use a continuous switch like they should have and get it right.

Since I'm me, I carefully opened the switches and 'removed' the stop so that they're continuous switches without having to wait for replacements. The switches aren't really designed to be taken apart though (at least, the cheap crap Happ uses are not) so I wouldn't recommend that YOU do this; I'm just impatient and a little crazy (as evident by my rambling).

Anyway. Happ messed up. Make them admit it. Get new parts.

Good luck.

[Zinfari]

Thanks for the reply.  I'm glad to see that I'm not COMPLETELY crazy yet or at least this isn't evidence that I am.

I called Happ and they are sending out new rotary switches.  I asked the person I talked to to make sure that I wasn't just getting the exact same part.  We'll see.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

-Zinfari

[Zinfari]

Well I may have made some progress.  Talked to Customer Support and this is what they said.  I'll update as I find out more.

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From Happ Customer Support
"It's seems as though our purchasing dept. has found a problem with our stock their are looking in to this and I will get back to you soon.
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My Response
Thanks for checking on this. This was what I was afraid of. I need the mechanical ones , but they should not have stops. They should perform exactly the same as the optical ones (i.e. no stops). The only difference between the 2 is the interface not how they operate for the player.

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From Happ Customer Support

Hello,
Please check this information from purchasing and let me know wich one is the one you need so I can put your order thru the system.

1.- Looked at these in stock and they seem to be fine. They are a 12 position rotary switch with stops at the end of rotation in each direction. Since there is no description in the system can you please confirm that this is what these should be or are they maybe supposed to be continuous rotation.

There is no reference number on the switches nor on the bag they come in.

2.- Maybe the customer wanted the encoder version that has 360 degree rotation? 50-5618-00 is a 12 position joystick with this switch. 50-5619-00 is the encoder version. Please get more information about what "not rotating how it should be" means in this case. "

-Zinfari

[Zinfari]

Here is the response I just got from Happ regarding the issue:


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We have been alerted of a potential problem with his assembly & are notifying all customers who have purchased this joystick. It uses a 12 position switch (95-1287-00) that is supposed to rotate all the way around without stops. By mistake we ordered and used the wrong switch. The one we used has a stop at the end of the 12 positions. What happens is you go from pos. 1 to 12 and cannot continue, you have to go back again.


Some customers may do what we did on one sample - rotate the stick hard
and break through the stop. We are not sure if this will cause a problem
with a piece of plastic inside the switch floating around and causing
contact failures, but suspect that it might.


Please let me know if you would like to return this joystick for rework and an RMA# will be issued.

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Just thought everyone would like to know....

-Zinfari