Want to buy Control Panel- will send parts if needed

[Jawadali]

Note: This is now also posted in the Main section to get more feedback. Mods, if this is against forum rules, please leave it in the section you feel is most appropriate (feel free to delete the other one).


Hello everyone,

I figured this would be the best place to put this; Mods, please feel free to move it if it's not.

I had a couple of questions regarding making a control panel for an arcade, and was wondering if you guys could help me out.

I currently have 4 of these game pads:

http://www.questtechnology.com/ebay/tremon%20usb%20joypad1.jpg

They are laid out like playstation game pads (they have 4 shoulder buttons), and they are USB.

Since they are auto-detected by Windows  (HID-compliant), I was wondering if they could be used as the control panel interface, and if arcade buttons + joysticks could just be added to them (of course, they'd have to be hacked apart).

The idea behind this is that it seems it'd be much easier and cheaper than messing with an IPAC/encoder etc. I'll be using Windows (porbably XP), not DOS, as my OS. I'll primarily be using MAME32 and various console emulators (SNES/Genesis) for this "arcade". However, I'm still open to offers for control panels built with an encoder.

I know that there are many different styles of Joysticks and buttons, but cost is my main factor here. I'm mainly aiming for plain 8-way oval-top joysticks (is that the correct word for them) and regular concave buttons.


1) How much would you charge (or, what's a fair price) to build a 4-player control panel, each player having 1 joystick (non-balltop) and ample action/player/coin buttons? No spinners, trackball, or anything else; just joysticks and concave buttons.


2) What would be the approximate cost of building a 4-player control panel myself, each player having 1 joystick (non-balltop) and ample action/player/coin buttons. No spinners, trackball, or anything else; just joysticks and concave buttons.

3) How much would you charge (or, what's a fair price) to build a 2-player control panel, each player having 1 joystick (non-balltop) and ample action/player/coin buttons? No spinners, trackball, or anything else; just joysticks and concave buttons. See the layout of the controller posted below for an idea.

4) What would be the approximate cost of building a 2-player control panel myself, each player having 1 joystick (non-balltop) and ample action/plyer/coin buttons. No spinners, trackball, or anything else; just joysticks and concave  buttons.


Now, on a side note:

I currently have this dual-arcade controller:

http://img360.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img02004yd.jpg

It's for Playstation, but it works fine in Windows (98 and XP) using a Dual PS2 > USB adapter. It's Ok, but I don't really like the feel of the buttons and especially the joysticks. I thought I'd like the balltop joysticks, but I'd rather have the oval types. Also, the shafts of  the current joysticks are a little too shart for my liking. The buttons aren't as bad, but they are convex, wheras I prefer concave buttons.

5) About how much would it cost for me to replace the joysticks and/maybe the buttons too? Would it be very difficult?

Sorry for all of the questions and the long post. Any info is appreciated. If more info is needed on my part, please feel free to inform me via this thread.

I hope to build my very fist arcade "setup" this summer (If I have the time + skill + $$$, hopefully it can become a full-fledged cabinet).  I've been wanting to do this for the past two years, but something or another has always prevented it.

Thank you in advance,

Jawadali

[leapinlew]

My first question to you would be -

How do you say your name?

[Jawadali]

My first question to you would be -

How do you say your name?

Lol, although I've been asked that many times in person, I believe this si the first time someone is asking online.

Phonetically, it'd be: Juh-waddle-"E"

I hope that helps .

[Jawadali]

Now also posted in the main section.

[hypernova]

Bad idea.  The powers that be probably won't like the same topic in two different forums.  There're certain reasons I won't go into, but they're listed somewhere...I think.

[Jawadali]

Bad idea.  The powers that be probably won't like the same topic in two different forums.  There're certain reasons I won't go into, but they're listed somewhere...I think.

Thanks for the heads-up; I hoped that any mods who saw this would keep the one i nthe section they felt was most appropirate, but I have now included a note in the original post of each thread just for good measure.

[Jawadali]

Bump.

Does anyone else have any ideas or quotes? I figured that I'd save some money using USB controllers instead of using a keyboard encoder. This will most likely end up being a "showcase" cabinet (I think that's the right term).  I will be using a 32" TV with lightguns, so I don't think the whole project will be enclosed in a cabinet like a conventional arcade.

Anyway, I'm aiming for something similar to this when everything is done (although this one is done extremely well):

http://www.carobinson.com/games/DYNAMO%20-%20SHOWCASE%20CABINET.jpg

[NIVO]

ok , have you compared numbers here? cost of encoder vs. your pads. Believe it or not, an encoder is still by far the most straight forward way of hooking up controls.

[Jawadali]

I did some cost comparison (seems like an encoder runs $20-30+ shipped), but I got my controllers for $3 each.

Also, I was unsure of the configurability of the encoders in Apps other then MAME (like ZSNES, Gens, etc.).


Either way, I open to offers. I can buy the parts (including an encoder if needed) and send them (still have not purcahsed buttons, joysticks, etc.), or I can purchase from someone who has built one.

Open to offers on 2-player or 4-player panels.

[shardian]

Hacking up those gamepads would be ALOT of work, and troubleshooting the highly likely bad solders would be an extra nightmare. An I-PAC costs $40, but takes minutes to connect all of your controls. Odds are, it would cost you an arm and a leg to have someone else make a cp using gamepads.

[Jawadali]

Hacking up those gamepads would be ALOT of work, and troubleshooting the highly likely bad solders would be an extra nightmare. An I-PAC costs $40, but takes minutes to connect all of your controls. Odds are, it would cost you an arm and a leg to have someone else make a cp using gamepads.

Thanks for the input. The USB controllers are looking more and more like an impractical idea.

However, would an IPAC-wired CP work for console emulators and other non-MAME games?

I'll be using this under Windows XP (most probably using MAME32 + other emulators).

I may start a new WTB topic soon.

[versapak]

Hacking up those gamepads would be ALOT of work, and troubleshooting the highly likely bad solders would be an extra nightmare. An I-PAC costs $40, but takes minutes to connect all of your controls. Odds are, it would cost you an arm and a leg to have someone else make a cp using gamepads.

OK...


I can certainly understand the ease of an encoder, especially when hiring someone else to do the work for you, but seriously...


Hacking gamepads is far from difficult. A nightmare? Damn man... If that is your idea of a nightmare, why don't you swap dreams with me.

[shardian]

Hacking up those gamepads would be ALOT of work, and troubleshooting the highly likely bad solders would be an extra nightmare. An I-PAC costs $40, but takes minutes to connect all of your controls. Odds are, it would cost you an arm and a leg to have someone else make a cp using gamepads.

OK...


I can certainly understand the ease of an encoder, especially when hiring someone else to do the work for you, but seriously...


Hacking gamepads is far from difficult. A nightmare? Damn man... If that is your idea of a nightmare, why don't you swap dreams with me.

...looks like you have a volunteer to do your 4p control panel with gamepads!
Seriously though, to an experienced electronics person, it would be no sweat... but still alot of work. The question here is would someone hack 4 gamepads into workable mame controllers for less than an encoder?
I was just trying to emphasise what jawadali was really asking for. Pardone e moi for my overemphasis on difficulty over time consumption.

[SNAAKE]

Hacking gamepads is far from difficult. A nightmare?

can be if are new to all this...

either way I'd still recomend ipac because EVEN if the pad is cheaper you end up paying more if you want someone else to do the work for you. if I were to build a 4 player panel for someone I want atleast $200 and you send me all the parts.

[versapak]

Hacking gamepads is far from difficult. A nightmare?

can be if are new to all this...

either way I'd still recomend ipac because EVEN if the pad is cheaper you end up paying more if you want someone else to do the work for you. if I were to build a 4 player panel for someone I want atleast $200 and you send me all the parts.

Yeah, if you are new to this stuff it could be a nightmare, but then so is every other step of this hobby.


I personally haven't ever given any thought to buying an encoder for my own projects, because gamepads are so much cheaper, and they are easy as heck to hack.

I do agree though...

When hiring someone else to do the work, then hacking the gamepads is just more work they will have to do, and will thus charge you for.