Leafswitches - Check this out!!!!!!!!

[ponyboy]

What you are looking at is a leafswitch that fits in a bracket that takes the same space as a micro switch in any Horizontal Button.

AVAILABLE NOW!!!!

Ponyboy

[mahuti]

THAT is freaking SWEET.

I'm down for some.

[RandyT]

Heh, sombody stole my idea

I actually gave a drawing of something almost identical to this to a machine shop about 2 years ago.  But didn't think anyone would pay $3 to mount a $2 switch to 79 cent button.

Plastic changes the equation a bit.

RandyT

[Knievel]

As I said PB, you've got a WINNER here!

Match these with any of the translucent microswitch buttons available and you've got the best of both worlds.

[Santoro]

I hafta say I'd be in for those too.  Depending on the price I'd be in for 12 or 24. I'd pay two bucks or so for them if they maintain the leaf 'feel.'

[Santoro]

Oh, will they be compatible with Randys RGBDrive?

[Knievel]

He's told me they will. The portion under the button is the same size as the microswitch it replaces...maybe you should get on these Randy?

[fatfingers]

OK, now that is cool.  I wonder how I can return the buttons I just bought??? I assume there is no clicky clicky, since there are no microswitches...I was thinking of finding a way to do something similar for my joysticks...are you one up on me for that as well?

[SOAPboy]

Thats really cool..

[skippy]

Ponyboy, I think you got a weiner here.  I'd be in for a few.

[Goz]

Ponyboy once again redeems himself as a true asset to this community and the hobby.

[Knievel]

Was just thinking that with a little modification these could be used on the the Happ Ultimate/Comp joysticks. They would likely take up a fair amount of real estate under there but..

Could this be the end of all CP 'clicky-ness' as we know it??

[Fuzi]

Very cool, but how do they "feel" compared to real leafswitches?

[thebrownshow]

Sign me up, that rocks.

[Zakk]

This is definitely "outside the box" thinking.  Awesome!

[telengard]

Wow, this is really cool.  To be honest, the size doesn't matter.   

I'm just psyched that there is a source for leafs.   
I won't use anything but.  Stupid question, do they feel or behave any differently because they are smaller?

~telengard

[DrewKaree]

Was just thinking that with a little modification these could be used on the the Happ Ultimate/Comp joysticks. They would likely take up a fair amount of real estate under there but..

Could this be the end of all CP 'clicky-ness' as we know it??

Exactly what I was wondering mahsef!  It'd take up a bunch of room, but perhaps we'd start seeing more ideas on the swappable control panel front.

[quarterback]

Oh sure, the day after I bought a bunch of translucent leafs that won't even fit into the holes of my metal CP and NOW you mention these!!

These are awesome, ponyboy!!  It's not a completely new idea (activating leafs using micro buttons), but the first easy implementation of it that I've ever seen.  I know that somebody has rigged leafs to be triggered in the same manner, but it involved little wooden blocks attached to the underside of the CP (I think) or some other way to put the ends of the leafs into the right place.

I was going to rig something along those lines but with the metal CP in my cocktail, it seemed like WAY too much trouble to even try to attach little risers to hold a leaf switch in the correct placement.

Put me down for some of these puppies!    YEAH!!!!!

[markrvp]

I'm in.

[Zakk]

And we have the first Mamey of the day.  These things are killer.   Thank the lovely and talented judges, these got one of the few 5/5 votes!  I'll add a link to the page tomorrow. 

I'm seriously blown away by the brilliant simplicity for these.  Man, if only I was not so not smart I could have thunk up something like this!

[Pixelhugger]

I know you're not taking orders but definitely I'd be in for 17. Possibly 30.

 YEEEEHAAAAAH!!!!! Such great news!! Bless you Ponyboy.

[quarterback]

I'm seriously blown away by the brilliant simplicity for these.

I am so excited about these that I've probably clicked on this thread (and the picture in the first post) about 15 times!   This is really a great item that will make the cool new microswitch-only-buttons useable for an anti-microswitch/pro-leaf-button guy like me.   It's like Christmas! 

YEAH!!!!!!!    Can I order yet? 

[Pixelhugger]

QB- HAHAHAHA I was just thinking the same thing. You beat me to the post!

ARGH! It's just this type of anticipation I love to hate.

[whammoed]

Wow, that is cool!
So whats the story on these?  Something you are having manufactured or is it some old stock item you came across that nobody has heard of?  I would assume the first option, but you seem to come across big lots of stuff that isn't made anymore... 

[Fozzy The Bear]

WOHHHH!!! Those are just ultra cool!!!  I think I'd be in for a set if the shipping cost doesn't kill it for me.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[mahuti]

So many cool things coming out lately.

[muffin man]

thats awesome.... might have to order some for me super joys

[DrewKaree]

ARGH! It's just this type of anticipation I love to hate.

No kidding, hey?  It's like he was building a cab everyone is supremely interested in and wants to see finished, and is....taking...forev....hey, what're you doing Pixel?  It was a joke, put the frying pan down and....RUUUUUUUUUUUUN!

[DrewKaree]

Oh, and shouldn't a mod move this to the cheesecake thread? 

[markrvp]

Oh, and shouldn't a mod move this to the cheesecake thread? 

I tried, but my "mod-fu" doesn't work in this universe.

[DrewKaree]

Tell Bozxc98 to pee on it.  That oughta solve things

[Hurray Banana]

I'd definately want some.

Any ordering details

BTW got the Out Run gear yesterday, thanks for the service PonyBoy

[ponyboy]

I am glad everyone is Excited.  I can pull some good stuff out of my back pocket every once in a while.  This is an old idea.  I remember fumbling around with this idea back in the late 80's.  That was the time all the manufacturers were throwing leafswich devices in the trash by the tons.

I will keep you posted.

Ponyboy

[Timoe]

I'm in for some of these as well.

Does this mean that we might see Wico Joystick replacement leafswitches sometime in the future?

[MYX]

Awsome!!!!

Ponyboy, What will the cost be?

Randy, can you buy like a billion of these and then sell them as an option with the all inclusive button.

I think that  Ineed to hold off on the CP untill last. I keep wanting to start it but everytime I am about to throw down some $$$ something comes along and I gotta rethink the while thing.

Get some ICE with LED Drive with a leaf....SWEEEEEEEEET!

[GGKoul]

For people that don't understand the difference between the 2 switches, I thought I'll dig up an old thread on the topic.

--------------------------------------------------------
* Leaf switch vs. Microswitch:

Leaf switch = two thin parallel pieces of metal that are usually not in contact, but when one piece  is pressed against the other (by a button, or joystick) an electrical circuit is completed.  Older games (pre-90s) used leaf switches for most everything, but most modern arcade controls, for better or worse, use microswitches.

Microswitch = one piece of metal that is bent to spring into contact with a pole when pressure is applied to the middle.  If you want to see how one works, you'll have to take it apart, because these kinds of switches tend to be encased in plastic.  They are smaller and easier to maintain than leaf switches, but have a distinct click when engaged (unlike nearly-silent leaf switches).
-----------------------------------

[Santoro]

Plastic changes the equation a bit.

Plastic is a new development since 2 years ago? 

[JoyMonkey]

I'm not too familiar with the ins and outs of leaf switches, but couldn't you use shorter blades to keep everything a little more compact? Or does the blade length directly affect the swithces response time?

[Level42]

Ahh, forget it Ponyboy......they'll never sale......

We hard-core BYOAC-ers either want clickerty-clack Cherry's OR those space consuming, never-the-right-size-for-your-CP-thicknes leafholders.

 

WHOHAAAHAHAHA what a great idea ! I love it !
This may be the rescue for us leaf-lovers !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Recently had a nice and long chat with a long-time employee at Suzo's head office here in Holland, and he told me things are running thin on the leaf and button parts ! I actualy only could still get the expensive Tungsten holder assembly's and they even had to back-order those. No blue translucent buttons anymore too....

Anyway. I like what I see. Only question: will the smaller size of the leafs have an influence on the "feel". My guess is not too much....My only hope is that the leafs will be of Suzo/Happ quality, not the Chinese rubbish found elsewhere, but I guess Ponyboy wouldn't even think about it.

This once again prooves: the best ideas are the simplest

Also nice to be able to eliminate the last microswitches on my CP: 1P and 2P buttons

[RandyT]

Plastic changes the equation a bit.

Plastic is a new development since 2 years ago? 

No, but the low-cost availability of such an item from a company who has already spent the thousands in mold costs changes the price dynamic.
There also weren't too many companies out there offering short production runs on expendable, low-cost tooling then either.

It would have cost me $3 each to have them made from metal.  A plastic part this size would cost about 3 cents each in large quantities, excluding the actual switch, once the tooling was paid for.  That means a re-seller should be able to purchase them for less than a dollar.

I would have needed to sell a ton more than I could sell to this community in order to cover setup costs.  Makes it a lot easier to offer them at a reasonable cost if a manufacturer did all that already (assuming they did )

RandyT

BTW, here is the post where I mentioned such an adapter.  It was at that time when I investigated this.  Just so nobody thinks I'm pulling a "sour grapes "