any interest in switchable ikari/Xybots rotary joysticks?

[Major Rock Hardy]

I happened to get a hold of one REAL xybots joystick, which I plan to duplicate so I can have 2 players, each with the original controls.  I most likely will modify a Happs joystick to accept a kit.  I am open to ideas on this, of course.

Are there any other closet xybots junkies out there - feeming for a fix?

Major Rock Hardy

EDIT: I changed the title of this thread due to the new ideas

[shawnzilla]

I may be interested. Depends on final price.

[whammoed]

Can you post a pic of the joystick?  The cp pic on klov is crappy.  I would like to see what makes it different from a normal stick.

[Major Rock Hardy]

Can you post a pic of the joystick?  The cp pic on klov is crappy.  I would like to see what makes it different from a normal stick.

Below is a slightly blurry picture of a xybots CP.  The joystick itself is an 8 way, with microswitches, but it has a twist feature, clockwise and counter clockwise to rotate the view on the screen in the game.  The rotation is spring-loaded though, so the stick only turns maybe 15 degrees and springs back to center.

[Q*Bert_OP]

I might take 1 0r 2 depending on price

[whammoed]

Can you post a pic of the joystick?  The cp pic on klov is crappy.  I would like to see what makes it different from a normal stick.

Below is a slightly blurry picture of a xybots CP.  The joystick itself is an 8 way, with microswitches, but it has a twist feature, clockwise and counter clockwise to rotate the view on the screen in the game.  The rotation is spring-loaded though, so the stick only turns maybe 15 degrees and springs back to center.

Oh, I thought it was just a rotary joystick with a different kind of knob/handle.
So is it pot based?

[Major Rock Hardy]

Oh, I thought it was just a rotary joystick with a different kind of knob/handle.
So is it pot based?

nope, just rotates and there is a lever attached to the rotatable shaft and 2 more microswitches, mounted so that when the joystick is rotated, the lever can strike either the left one or the right one, triggering a 'rotate'.  You'd just wire them up like additional button inputs.

cheers,
Rock

[Kremmit]

There's some pretty good pics of a Xybots stick here:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=44585.msg420108#msg420108

[XtraSmiley]

I'd have to say no.  It would seem to be better to just add rotaries to a cab b/c then you can play those games as well as Xybots.  I mean, the game isn't good enought to get it's own stick on a panel.  Like Qbert and the tilted 4-way.  Not worth it.

Unless of course, you have to have it...

[Major Rock Hardy]

I'd have to say no.  It would seem to be better to just add rotaries to a cab b/c then you can play those games as well as Xybots.  I mean, the game isn't good enought to get it's own stick on a panel.  Like Qbert and the tilted 4-way.  Not worth it.

Unless of course, you have to have it...

That was very constructive, thank you.     For the rest of you, just let me know if you ARE interested.

Thanks,
Rock

[XtraSmiley]

Sorry!  I didn't mean you shouldn't do it, just that I don't think you can sell a lot of them b/c most people would rather do the rotary thing and play more games....

I actually like Xybots!

[ahofle]

What would REALLY be cool is some kind of mechanical switch that would allow the spring and restrictor mechanism like in xybots to be deactivated so the joystick could rotate all the way around for games like ikari warriors.  Would probably take some pretty ingenius engineering though.

[Flinkly]

you could.  instead of two buttons, just make it so that it can only switch between 3 mechanical rotary positions.  hang a post off the end horizontaly and have two vertical bars engage to limit it to these three positions.

of course, you'd have to adjust the button stuff in mame for xybots, but all in all, you'd have functionality for most rotary games.  sounds like it would cost too much for most people though.  i mean, most people don't even have rotaries.

[Major Rock Hardy]

you could.  instead of two buttons, just make it so that it can only switch between 3 mechanical rotary positions.  hang a post off the end horizontaly and have two vertical bars engage to limit it to these three positions.

of course, you'd have to adjust the button stuff in mame for xybots, but all in all, you'd have functionality for most rotary games.  sounds like it would cost too much for most people though.  i mean, most people don't even have rotaries.

What would REALLY be cool is some kind of mechanical switch that would allow the spring and restrictor mechanism like in xybots to be deactivated so the joystick could rotate all the way around for games like ikari warriors.  Would probably take some pretty ingenius engineering though.

I have thought about coming up with a multi-rotary concept, but you would have to start with SNK rotaries to get the right feel, correct?  The only prices I've seen on those are > $70... which I would think would be an expensive place to start.  I suppose the question should be - what handle would people want?  The xybots, teardrop shape or the SNK octagonal, or something else?

I don't think this would be too incredibly hard to design - although it will take some thinking.

If I were to make a kit to retrofit a Happs joystick - which one should it be?  Super, Comp, Ultimate?  P360?

Are there other types of twisty joysticks other than the 12-position rotary (SNK) and the spring loaded, dual microswitch (xybots) type?

[RobotronNut]

If I were to make a kit to retrofit a Happs joystick - which one should it be?  Super, Comp, Ultimate?  P360?

maybe i'm missing something, but why not make a retrofit kit for a happs rotary?

[Major Rock Hardy]

maybe i'm missing something, but why not make a retrofit kit for a happs rotary?

It's possible, I suppose, but I bet that if I made a kit that would do both xybots type and rotary switch type (i.e. switchable between the two - perhaps optical as well for .50 cal, etc. as a third selection) then basically you would be spending $45 on a happs rotary when all you're going to salvage from it is effectively a basic 8 way joystick and the $2 rotary switch, i.e. you wouldn't use any of the happs mechanical linkage, you'd use the one from the kit.  Instead, the kit could be made to fit the much cheaper Super/Comp/Ult joystick (not to mention ponyboy has these), and come with the $2 rotary switch.

This idea is very much in its infancy and I welcome anyone's constructive input - thanks to those of you who have contributed thus far!

Can anyone comment on how much rotational resistance there should be in an optical rotary - anyone have an original Heavy Barrel or .50 caliber game?

Rock

[subpacket]

I would love to get my hands on a couple of Xybots Sticks.  Would only ever use the twist not the full rotation (like ikari).

[Tiger-Heli]

For ideas, Flinkly Fl0yd sells a kit to convert a Happ 49-way joystick to a rotary for $20 plus $5 shipping - http://www.markoates.com/rotary/order.htm

Sounds like you would be doing something similar but with a Super or Comp stick (you can buy all the pieces/parts from Happ individually).

[Kremmit]

For ideas, Flinkly sells a kit to convert a Happ 49-way joystick to a rotary for $20 plus $5 shipping - http://www.markoates.com/rotary/order.htm

Sounds like you would be doing something similar but with a Super or Comp stick (you can buy all the pieces/parts from Happ individually).

I thought that was fl0yd, not Flinkly?

[Tiger-Heli]

I thought that was fl0yd, not Flinkly?

fl0yd, Flinkly, one of those FL people . . .

[Major Rock Hardy]

floyd, flinkly - either way...

I suppose a 49 way is not out of the question either - it's just a matter of changing the shaft diameter and/or the length vs. the super vs. the comp vs. the ultimate vs. the P360, right?

I am getting pretty stoked on the idea of having a little transmission inside the rotary mechanism that will switch between the different methods.  I just need to decide which of the above joysticks to start with as a development platform and order one and take it apart.  All I have is some old 49 ways and a couple wico leaf joys - both of which would be terrible to base my design on.

I am still open for inputs on which of the happ joys would be the most desired starting point...

Rock

[ahofle]

Well my vote is for the Super since I have them on my CP currently.