Noob Question - Help - Joysticks

[EwJ]

Greets all,
Read many posts and did some searches, but still have a few questions re: joysticks.
Any help appreciated.
1) sanwa jlf-tp-8yt - what's the throw like?  shorter than a happ supers and 49-way?, longer than omni-stick and j-stick?
                               - any reviews or feedback?
2) 49-way - do the wico shafts ponyboy sells fit the happ 49-ways? or others (besides wico)?
                  - groovygamegear 49-way centering spider - is it only useful for sinistar?
3) Rollie - any feedback/review on the rollie joysticks
4) wico - 8-way leafs - how hard would it be to find a pair?  or the parts required to assemble a couple.
5)psx hack - would it be recommended to hook joys/buttons to an encoder (gp-wiz49/ipac/other) and to a hacked playstation pad at the same time....or is it a bad idea?

tia,
EwJ

[Kremmit]

#2:  Nope, theonly aftermarket shafts for 49-ways at the momemt are the Versa-Ball sticks from GroovyGameGear.  Ponyboy's Wico shafts can be made to fit a Perfect 360, though.

#4:  A set of used ones isn't too hard to pick up on Ebay.  New ones are getting to be very scarce indeed.  It'll be easier to find complete used sticks than to find all the parts separately.

[destructor]

#1 (in Polish language) http://www.kowal.itcom.pl/Side/ArcadeStick/index_pliki/Page350.htm

[kowal]

1) sanwa jlf-tp-8yt - what's the throw like?  shorter than a happ supers and 49-way?, longer than omni-stick and j-stick?
                               - any reviews or feedback?

shorter than Super&49way
J-stick is Sanwa JLW. JLW & JLF throw is the same: angle of inclination 8 degres, on this stick this 7mm road on left/right/up/down
longer than omni-stick-he has angle of inclination 5 degrees on this stick this 5mm road on left/right/up/down

[EwJ]

Thanks for the replies guys!
If i'm understanding kowal right, the Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT has the same throw as a j-stick, which is slightly more than an Omni-stick.
This would still be considerably shorter throw than a Happ Super or 49-Way.

I like short throw for 4-way games, but not for 8-way/others.
I'm trying to get by without the added space required for a dedicated 4-way.
All the 'Switchable-from-top' 8-way/4-way joysticks seem to be short throw.
The only other option i see (other than opening the panel each time, or finding room for a dedicated 4-way) is the Happ 49-way.
And for a second joystick was thinking of trying a Sanwa, but seeing as it has relatively short throw too, maybe i'll go for a Super.
Ultimately, a pair of wico 8way leafs would be great for that authentic feel.

anyone try the rollie's?
any comments on hooking a joystick and buttons to an encoder and playstation pad at the same time?

[kowal]

The JLF on rezystor octagonal angle of inclination of 10 degrees. It on octagonal was played very comfortably. Sanwa has not short throw, then the joysticks of average throw. On octagonalu he has already large throw.
I would not buy 49wy joystick to games 4 way and 8 way, he has huge throw and creak.

[pmc]

any comments on hooking a joystick and buttons to an encoder and playstation pad at the same time?

I don't think you want to do that. It ties the ground from the PSX/PS2 to your PC's ground. Most people build a switch into the circuit so that you can switch between the two. You need to switch audio and video too so you have to come up with something more than the controls anyway.

Someone can correct me if this is a bum steer, but I don't think so. You want to electrically isolate the PS2 from the PC.

I have a DreamCast and an IPAC in my cab and I isolated the circuits.

-pmc

[EwJ]

thanks kowal!
think i'll try out a sanwa after all - with an octagonal restrictor.
as for the 49-way, maybe i'll wait to see what Randy at GGG comes up with-sounds like he'll have some new parts soon.

pmc,
thanks for the info,   
dont really use playstation much, was thinkin to kill as many birds with one stone,but this
gives me reason enough to just build a separate playstation controller in the future - something small - maybe similar
to byrdo's stuff.

any tips to find wico's? other than keep searching ebay?