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| RandyT:
Am I reading this correctly that he is stating that the OEM (Midway) revised their joystick design to use a centering grommet with these properties on purpose? Is rapid and accurate centering an undesirable and/or unimportant trait for a joystick used on NFL Blitz, Gauntlet Legends, etc. Or for that matter, on any joystick? BTW, don't let this response deter you from writing. If you paid your money for the things and you feel they don't behave like a good joystick should, it's your right to let them know about it. The main excuse thus far has been "lack of supporting data", so it's important to give them some, regardless of the response. If you are happy with them the way they are, you should let them know that as well. This apparent reluctance to address such an obvious issue puzzles me, especially when fixing it would only boost their sales of the item. It's not as though we are asking for a "ball-top", we are only asking that they function at the level of the original Midway units, whose name they bear. As stated previously, I have a solution through modification. It has been tested and works well, but it will place these otherwise excellent controls even further out of reach of the average builder due to the extra cost. RandyT |
| RandyT:
Ok, it looks like I was given some questionable info in an attempt at appeasement. The full story, as it was finally told to me, is as follows: A company placed a large order for 49-way units based on their own specifications. These specifications apparently had little, if anything, to do with reproducing the feel of the original Midway 49-way joystick. The units were re-designed by HAPP for that company, using the original Midway design as a foundation, but due to manufacturing restrictions much was changed outside of physical footprint and electrical operation. The modified design was accepted by the company, and put into use. As anyone who has dealt with a situation like this knows, the politics involved with something like this can be more than a little restrictive. Large orders often come at the expense of agreements to provide replacement parts over a period of time, as well as designs that are set in stone for that period. This situation appears to be no exception. So it looks like the final word on this one is that the HAPP-49 is exactly that. For our uses, it will never live up to the Midway original without a $12,000 - $25,000 investment in a "special version" engineered to our specifications (pre-orders anyone? :laugh2:) Fortunately, there are some options I will be exploring, that will make way for an improved 49-way which will rival the original Midway in both operation and appearance. It will come at a cost, but what doesn't in this hobby? ;) In the meantime, I'll make replacement grommets available for $9.95 to those who have purchased their stick from GGG, and $12.95 each to those who purchased elsewhere. The parts aren't cheap and there is a fair amount of labor involved in modifying them to work with the HAPP units. I hate to do it this way, but I can't take responsibility for the design decisions of another company, or the sales from other vendors. . There's probably not much point in continuing to express your opinions to Chris. Those of you who did have my thanks even though, unbeknownst to me, it was a doomed effort. Sorry to have wasted your time with this. RandyT |
| MYX:
You could sell 25 at 1k a piece. :P |
| KenToad:
I don't think you need to apologize, Randy. You've done an excellent job addressing this issue, imo. Will the replacement grommets go up on the site for sale or should we just PM you? I want two. Cheers, KenToad |
| rfryar:
I would also like to take two as well. I am experiencing the issue with slow centering and it effects 8 ways game play. In Rolling Thunder I can almost never get him to stop moving which makes it tedious to get into those doors. Thanks for your efforts on this Randy! Rick |
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