bob roberts joystick mounting plate and wiring

[hypernova]

i'm looking to get two of the mounting plates from bob roberts for the reunion sticks that ponyboy is selling.  though i'm a bit wary, because of the design of it.

based on the picture, apparently the plate has a slight concavity to it.  if that is the case, what about a CP overlay?  doesn't that slight indentation show up when laying down your artwork?  am i missing something?  is it negligible?

i'll be getting the rest of my controls within a month.  i have a 4 player panel with a happ trackball & tornado spinner.  i plan on buying an ipac4 and an optipac.  exactly what harnesses do i need?  the spinner has a ps2 port, and the trackball only has a 6 pin molex connector.  i assume i'll need something for the trackball.
plus, how many different color wires should i get?  and how long should i get them?
(don't want to buy stuff, then realize i forgot stuff, and keep paying shipping fees.)

[markrvp]

Do you have a pic of the plate?  I was under the impression they mounted under the panel.  If they are under the panel, that concavity should allow space for the dust washer to move freely under the panel.

This is all conjecture, though.  I don't have one of the plates.

[RayB]

If it's anything like the Galaga adaptor plate I had, it's mean to go UNDER the panel, on a metal control panel.

[hypernova]

perhaps i'm looking at the wrong plate then?  in the buy/sell/trade forum, it's been discussed that if you have a wood panel, you can use a mounting plate from bob roberts for the happ ms pacman reunion sticks to make it work on a wood panel.

[markrvp]

perhaps i'm looking at the wrong plate then?  in the buy/sell/trade forum, it's been discussed that if you have a wood panel, you can use a mounting plate from bob roberts for the happ ms pacman reunion sticks to make it work on a wood panel.

Now I'm with you.  I thought you were talking about the adapter plates that let you use the reunion sticks in an original metal cp that used either a Nintendo or Galaga type joystick.  Been working with original games too long now and forget about MAME solutions.

What I would suggest is that once you mount the plate in the wood, use a filler to even out the surface with the rest of the panel.  You can also just recess the top of the plastic joystick into the wood without using a plate.  You use the screws that are flat on top and tapered underneath.  When you tighten the nut from underneath it will actually pull the screw head into the plastic and be even with the top of the joystick base.

There are two projects in Project Announcements where you can see this.  The first one where you can actually see the recessed joystick is c64rulez Pamcan Profile Cabinet and the other where you can see the finished CP with artwork over this type of mounting is Pixehugger's MissionControl project.  Look in the last 3 pages of his thread.

[Silverwind]

I bought a reunion joystick from ponyboy and had the same idea.  Bob Roberts carrys two joystick mounting plates.  One has a curve to it, and one is a flat plate.  I'm not sure which one would work better for a wood panel, but I was thinking on getting the flat plate.  I already have a happ trackball mounting plate and it is flat so I was wanting to go with the same look.

[hypernova]

i like the double routing technique.  c64 used screws though, instead of bolts.  i assume i'm not obligated to do the same?  though i will if i have to.

[markrvp]

i like the double routing technique.  c64 used screws though, instead of bolts.  i assume i'm not obligated to do the same?  though i will if i have to.

No, you can use whatever works for you.

[c64rulez]

i like the double routing technique.  c64 used screws though, instead of bolts.  i assume I'm not obligated to do the same?  though i will if i have to.

I used screws because that what seemed proper for that task, but now I think it really doesn't matter. With my cp configuration I think that it would have hold even without the screws. All those buttons around simply tightens the covering plexi to the mdf that nothing is going anywhere...
The screws are for peace of mind...

And regarding an issue that evolves from this kind of mounting - the artwork over that gap:

I've also given that issue some amount of consideration, but eventually the "depth" is just there. (Although at first I thought to leave the dustwasher in that gap, which I didn't)

I think that the factors that should be considered are:

- The distance from the 4way joystick to the nearest button cluster (in any direction). This is due to the fact that the buttons function as "tighteners", they simply clutch the artwork so it cant move (even in the Z-axis)

- The material that the artwork is made of. Unless it's made of some fluffy toilet paper, you'll be fine