Ram Controls?

[Havok]

Anybody heard anything about Ram Controls recently?

I have been anxiously awaiting a repro Star Wars Yoke, and it looks like the last update they did to their website was in July of last year. I hope they are still going strong, and plan to bring the yoke to market...

[Donkey_Kong]

Anybody heard anything about Ram Controls recently?

I have been anxiously awaiting a repro Star Wars Yoke, and it looks like the last update they did to their website was in July of last year. I hope they are still going strong, and plan to bring the yoke to market...

That would be sweet as my 11 year old keeps insisting on playing spy hunter with like a joy stick or something. Myself, I can't take my eyes off of that 720 stick they got brewing. 

[Hoopz]

Maybe Charlie (Gamecab) went over there to help. . . .   

[Sizzler]

Maybe Charlie (Gamecab) went over there to help. . . .   

 

[Daviea]

Hey guys,

This is David, the owner of RAM Controls.  I decided it was about time I chime in on Arcade Controls.

First of all, I want to thank everyone for taking such an interest in what I'm doing.  I appreciate the attention very much.

Here's the short of it.  I took a contract job in Texas a few months ago because it was just too good to pass up.  Anyhow, all of the open projects at RAM Controls were put on hold at that time.  I recently finished up my contract job and returned home.  I've already picked up where I left off with regard to the ongoing controller projects. Namely, the Star Wars flight controller/yoke is at the very top of my to-do list.  While I have most of the parts completed, there are a few minor issues I'm dealing with. 

Gears - While I was out of state, I missed the delivery of the gears (whoops) so I'm just waiting on the redelivery attempt now. 

Handles - I was originally going to machine these from solid chunks of aluminum.  After finishing up my fifth revision of the prototype handles, I've decided to go with a casting process.  The machined parts just aren't coming out the way I want them to.  I believe that going with a casting process will be the best choice which will provide a superior part in a more timely fashion.  Casting technology has advanced quite a bit since the days of Atari and I know that the alloy choice, the process itself and the ultimate finish of the handles will surpass that of the original parts.

Wire - Believe it or not, an exact match for the control wire used in these yokes is impossible to find.  I tried using many different types of commercially available wire, sampling pretty much everything I could get my hands on.  None of them were acceptable, so I passed time and time again.  It's too thick, it's too thin, it's too stiff, it's the wrong color, it's shielded and shouldn't be, etc.  It was never perfect.  Finally, I decided to bite the bullet and contract with a local wire manufacturer to produce the wire.  This single item may hold up the project more than the above items combined.

I know what you're all thinking, too.  Why so picky about everything?  Why not just bring the yoke to market NOW?!  Well, if you know me, you already know the answer.  I'm incredibly meticulous and pay attention to the details.  If it's not perfect, I won't accept it nor will I release it.  Hey, I really appreciate the small amount of praise I receive for what I do.  In return, I plan to offer nothing but the best in reproduction parts.

So, standby everyone, the SW yoke project is very alive and about to break free.  I believe everyone will be pleased with the final product.  If you have any specific questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

David Adams
RAM Controls

[Xiaou2]

 Daviea,

 Really man.. I seriously doubt anyone would care about what wire is in thier yoke.

 When I worked in the arcades,  the Atari game  "Road Riot"  was always breaking
its internal wires.   They were too thin and snapped after all the constant
abuses.   Finally, I ripped them all out, and rewired with some thick gauge
wire.  Never had to fix it again.

 I think durrability is much more important than an exact replica.   If there
is a feature that is known to wear and break..  people would be much
happier knowing that thier New controller had been equipped with a
better longer lasting part.

 The gears for example, were known to break.  People would rahter have
gears made of materials that were stronger.. less prone to crackage.


 Thanks for your efforts

[tranq]

Yeah, the whole replica thing turns me off - especially as it generally means higher cost:  for example, a certain online company that charges $600 dollars for a yoke...a valid market price, perhaps, but sheesh.  I just want something that's decent looking and durable.

[Daviea]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the input.  I agree that durability is a very important factor.  This is why many of the components are upgraded to tougher materials and/or manufacturing processes.

The wire is 50/50 a matter of keeping the project "pure" and a matter of functionality.  The larger OD cable was simply too large to fit through the steering shaft without binding up, particularly with three cables being required.  The smaller OD wire was too weak, IMHO, to withstand normal use.  The original OD wire really is perfect from all standpoints.  It fits quite well without binding and it's strong enough to withstand normal (and abusive) use.  So, aside from being a purist at heart, I do have a legitimate reason for wanting to stick with the original size cabling.  The custom wire I'm having manufactured is far superior to the original wiring, anyhow.  Being picky about the color of the cable was an attempt at humor, btw.  I am not aware of there being any issues specifically with the original wiring in the SW yoke, with regard to durability.  I worked on the repair end of the arcade industry for a very long time and I had dozens, if not several hundred SW machines pass through the shop.  I never once found a yoke problem that consisted of wire failure.  It was almost always the gears, pots or the cherry switches.  If you have information to the contrary, please advise.

As for the gears, the 14-tooth is notorious for failure.  No argument there.  This is one area where my purist beliefs were set aside.  I opted for an "upgraded" 14 tooth gear which should not suffer the same design flaw.  I believe that my version will last much longer than the original.

Speaking on the subject of price, I have seen used SW yokes sell for as little at $50, as much as $400.  I don't know who's selling a yoke for $600, but that seems rather extreme.  My original price point was anticipated to be at or near $200.  Maybe this price is a little steep, but I'm producing a quality replica for arcade collectors who want to outfit their machines with a superior, though nearly identical in appearance/function, controller.  I agree that "replica" generally means higher cost, but I believe my anticipated price is fair with all things considered.  Although many of the design changes I've made have increased the production cost, there's no indication that I will need to raise my original price estimate.

Thanks for all the constructive criticism.  I'm going to further consider everything you guys brought up.

David Adams
RAM Controls

[Donkey_Kong]

Baaahhh 

You didn't even mention the 720 stick. Not that it compares to the priority compared to the SW yoke...I just want to hear ya say "720" Thats all 

[CheffoJeffo]

David ... thanks for taking the time to post and, more importantly, for taking the time with your projects for RAM Controls.

Man do I wish I had a Major Havoc project, if only to justify the purchase of one of your gorgeous controllers!

And thanks for not straying too far from the purer path.

 

Cheers.

[Daviea]

DK,  regarding the 720 controller.  The project is alive, albeit slow-going. I have two minor concerns and one major concern with the project which is holding me up for the time being.

The two minor concerns:

- I'm having trouble locating a source for the chain used in the controller.  This is only a matter of continued searching.

- I don't have the lower mechanical half of a 720 controller to size up for reproducing (encoder wheel, centering disc, centering disc spacer, encoder disc shield and the pcb bracket).  I have a possible source for these components, however.  I just need to take the time to find out if I can get them from this possible source.  If not, I need to either purchase a complete controller or find someone willing to share their spare long enough for me to draw up the parts.

The Major concern:

- I absolutely cannot find the opto devices used in the encoder board.  This means I would have to completely redesign the entire board.  This means that I need a 720 machine to randomly test prototypes on.  Reproducing this part isn't impossible.  Not even close, just going to be a lot of work.  If anyone wants to team up with me on this project to create a new encoder board, I can source the parts and provide the funding for PCB manf. and final assembly.

As for the remainder of the 720 controller, I've got almost all of the components manufactured.  So, yeah, this project is still alive and close to completion.  Just a matter of getting over the above listed hurdles.  No biggie, it just pushes back the completion date.


Cheffo, regarding the MH topic.  I'm going to produce a SpaceDuel/Gravitar/Blackwidow and a Tempest conversion control panel which will accept the MH roller on the conversion games.  I'm only waiting for word on the artwork for the CPO.  Once I have a commitment, it's only a matter of days to crank out these panels.  This will make the MH Roller look more appealing to a larger group of people, I think.

Thanks for all the input, guys.

David Adams
RAM Controls

[Donkey_Kong]

Daviea,

Tell me you need some parts off of a 720 machine so I finally get off my but and go check on something...just up the road a ways.

I think I got that out of your post, that you ARE CURRENTLY in need of parts?

EDIT: never mind, you are...Road trip for me Monday.

[tranq]

Okay, I admit I had a little piss an vinegar in me, earlier.  The aforementioned company that does yokes refabs original equipment.  $200 is VERY reasonable.

720: I'm curious to see how it was connected inside an all; anyone know of an pictures of this?  Still, a crank - similar to a hand-cranked drill - would be optimal.  I don't know why they came up with that funky tilted stick, cos it's weird on the wrist.

Wait.  After .69, Mame doesn't recognise an optical device properly; it flips one way or the other, instantly, and stops; it has to be an AD stick, or mapped accordingly for digital sticks.  There was something nagging at me at first mention of this control in the thread.

[Havok]

Thanks for the response David, I'm VERY glad to see that you will be offering this sometime soon, and $200 is a very reasonable price. I will definitely be on the lookout for when you release the final product, I need a yoke to complete the arcade experience on my cab, and I feel much better about not taking an original yoke away from a Star Wars machine.

Any chance of you offering the buttons/switches to compliment the button cones you are selling?

[Daviea]

I'm glad we're all good with the $200 pricetag for the SW yokes.  This is a part I've needed time and time again for many several years.  I've come across stripped out SW cabs and couldn't find the parts to restore them.  What a sad situation.  More recently, I started up a few cabinet reproduction projects, all of which will require my repro controllers.  To be more specific, they'll require MH rollers and SW yokes.  I've got no set timeframe, but I intend to release reproduction SW upright, SW cockpit and MH dedicated cabinets.  Wordworking isn't my specialty, but being in the business of manufacturing, I have many friendly contacts with wordworking shops.  It's only a matter of time before I have these completed.  Some of the repro projects I've got under lid will blow you away.  2007 is going to be a good year for reproduction parts.

Since my earlier posting today, several people have offered to help with the 720 controller project.  Namely, offering parts for me to sample.  Thank you, everyone.  I'll be taking up someone on the offer if my other solution doesn't pan out. Thank you.  Also, I decided to do a little Saturday afternoon research on the controller.  I was able to source the chain and possibly the opto device.  I won't know for sure on the opto coupler until early in the week.  If this source works out, the 720 project is back in full swing immediately.

As for the buttons, are you talking about the buttons that mate up with the cones?  I have these available and they're currently listed on my website.  Here:  http://www.ram-controls.com/order-cones.html  way down at the bottom of the page.  I have the LED and the non-LED versions available.

As you can imagine, I've got a pile of repro projects on my plate.  Are there any other Atari or non-Atari repros I should start considering?

David Adams
RAM Controls

[Havok]

I've got no set timeframe, but I intend to release reproduction SW upright, SW cockpit and MH dedicated cabinets.

That is great news - I would love to see a reasonably priced kit that I could assemble, and wouldn't cost a fortune for shipping. I'm interested in the SW cockpit!

As for the buttons, are you talking about the buttons that mate up with the cones?  I have these available and they're currently listed on my website.  Here:  http://www.ram-controls.com/order-cones.html  way down at the bottom of the page.  I have the LED and the non-LED versions available.

Yes - those were what I was referring to. I didn't realise you sold them as well. Thanks for the response, and I'll be checking in at the website to see your progress!

 

[Xiaou2]

 Thanks for the replies,  Sounds good.   

 As for other replicas..

 Maybe something that  part replica & part mod...

 The Best shifter Ive ever used was in the Hard Driven sit-down games.

 It would be great to have these for use in many driving games
in mame, and even PC. 

 However, since Hard Driven only has 4 gears and reverse..  It would
be better to modify them to a 6 gear + reverse setup.   This would be
great for Ridge Racer!     And many other racing games.

 Of course, some convincing would have to be done to get the
mame team to allow propper gear functionality.

 And for non mame, it may be good to have a multifunction
board which you can select how it outputs the data.  So,
if in 6th gear.. it might send 6 keystrokes (or joystick buttons) in a row to
switch the gears in games that do not support direct gears.

 And a dual mode..  so that it can support games that allow digiital
input, and an analog mode, for those games (like hard drivin) that
allow true analog gearing.

 Hard Drivin also had the best pedals and Force feedback wheels...
however, that may be pushing the extremes.  As mame doesnt
support force feedback yet    And the atari wheel unit would be
way too costly I believe. 

 The best thing about Driving controls, is that the PC sim people
might jump all over them...  as I do not believe there are
too many high quality, extrememly durrable, and realistic
feeling sim controls...
 
 

[Daviea]

The repro cabinet projects are coming along very slowly.  It took awhile to get all the dimensional drawings ready.  The toughest one was the SW cockpit as it uses quite a bit of wood.  I finally found a cabinet which had been completely torn apart and I had it shipped to me ($450 for shipping. Ouch!)  I received a pallet with a pile of wood pieces stacked about 3ft tall.  I used the bits and pieces to create my drawings.  The wood was severely damaged, but it was good enough to get exact dimensions.  The artwork was another story.  It was destroyed and impossible to use as an original sample.

The artwork for the cockpit is going to be a bear.  I'm still not sure I'll be able to offer the artwork at a reasonable price, but I'm trying.  First, I need to find intact (ideally NOS) artwork to start with.  This will be the most difficult task.  From that point, I need to create new vector drawings, using the original art as a template.  Then I can determine the cost to produce maybe 200-300 sets.  I know that the cabinet will use a lot of material for the artwork, so I can see that cost going up and up every time I think about it. 

The MH dedicated cabinet was tough, too.  I didn't want to disassemble a perfectly intact cabinet to get my drawings, so it held me up a bit.  The artwork for this game is already available, though somewhat on the expensive side. 

I never thought about repro'ing the shifters or wheels.  I have a few wheels for Hard Drivin' packed away in storage.  I'll take a look at them when I have the time to dig 'em out.  If they're complete, it shouldn't take me long to figure out if I can repro them.  From memory, I don't recall anything too special about their construction so I could probably repro them.  The only concern I could imagine is construction of the actual steering wheel.  That may be an issue, but I won't know for sure until I have a sample in hand and research the subject.  As for the shifters, I'm fairly certain that I don't have any of them in my possession, so I'll need to pick up a couple before I can comment.  You think there would really be a market for these?  Honestly, I've never been much for the driving games, so I never bothered looking into them.

Thanks, more to think about now.  If anyone has spare NOS artwork for SW (upright and/or cockpit) or MH I can borrow for awhile, I'd be very grateful.

David Adams
RAM Controls

[MaximRecoil]

Are there any other Atari or non-Atari repros I should start considering?

I know you are primarily concerned with Atari stuff, but I'd like to see the 5-way Super Punch-Out!! joystick reproduced; or even a set of parts reproduced to convert a normal Nintendo joystick to an SPO joystick (longer shaft, the brass "bell", and an L-shaped stamped sheet metal bracket for holding the 5th microswitch). The "conversion kit" would probably be pretty easy for someone with your abilities and resources to do, but I don't know how much of a market there is for it. The SPO joystick is probably one of the hardest Nintendo parts to find.

Be nice to see a reproduction of the "Big Blue Button" used as the KO punch button on Nintendo PO/SPO machines too.

[Kremmit]

There's still no solution for the Frontiline/Tin Star/Wild Western controller, either.

In all fairness, though, I don't know how much market there is for any of the suggestions in this thread, mine included.  Probably not as big as the market for the parts you've already announced. 

[tranq]

And whilst it's good to continually think of new stuff, it's good to keep effort in a few things at a time.  (I just get spent thinking about new stuff, and don't get a whole lot done.  Good thing no one's paying me, etc.)

[Xiaou2]

I never thought about repro'ing the shifters or wheels.  I have a few wheels for Hard Drivin' packed away in storage.  I'll take a look at them when I have the time to dig 'em out.  If they're complete, it shouldn't take me long to figure out if I can repro them.  From memory, I don't recall anything too special about their construction so I could probably repro them.  The only concern I could imagine is construction of the actual steering wheel.  That may be an issue, but I won't know for sure until I have a sample in hand and research the subject.  As for the shifters, I'm fairly certain that I don't have any of them in my possession, so I'll need to pick up a couple before I can comment.  You think there would really be a market for these?  Honestly, I've never been much for the driving games, so I never bothered looking into them.

David Adams
RAM Controls

 Heya David,

 I did a small it of research on wheels and shifters...

 There seems to be only one comparable product that looks "decent" for Racing games:



From a Japanese source..  which doesnt seem to be very friendly to
order from.. as well as most likely high shipping cost.  The prices are
a high too..  But worse than that..  Its uncertain how durrable
they are.  (oh, and I prefer a balltop )

 
 There is also a cheaper Shifter solution from ActLabs..  however, thier
products are known for high failure rates, and poor characteristics
of feel and control.  Thier customer support is also Awefull.


 Seems that there are only 4 choices for Racing equipment:

1) Cheap flimbsy poor control/feel Mass manufactured PC stuff.
2) Expensive, unknown quality, unknown seller reputation, etc...
3) Build Your Own (May be tricky, unknown lastability, need tools..etc.)
4) Pre-Existing Arcade hardware from Happs
  (All pre-existing arcade equipment is junk.  Poor lastability, high
costs, poor feel and control)
 
 I Believe its a good untapped market if prices can be brought to
reasonable levels.  The current arcade stuff is just pure garbage.
The PC stuff in unacceptable, and wont hold up to hard and fast
play.

 Atari Really nailed the perfect driving controls.  Great feel, control,
feedback, and durrability.    The biggest problems with these,
is thier weight, and probably costs.  The shifter housing is a heavy,
thick metal beast.  Maybe it could be made of alternate materials
(hardened aluminum?)  or in a different form.

 

 

[KonkeyKong]

Love what you're doing for the hobby, awesome stuff!

Wondering if you'll be selling the Star Wars yoke gears separately, and if so any thoughts on what a full set of 4 would cost?

[Havok]

I see you updated your site - thanks for keeping us in the loop.

[Daviea]

Well, I've been one busy guy today.  I've managed to get quite a bit done, though I've been stuck on the phone for the better part of the day.

First thing, I was able to source the optical device needed for the 720 controller.  What's that mean?  The project is going from a holding pattern and being put right back into production mode.  Now, I'm going to need at least one complete NOS controller and, hopefully, a selection of NOS parts as well.  This isn't too critical since I've got a bunch of offers of help, so I'm good.

Next, the SW yoke.  I just got off the horn with the casting company I'm utilizing for the handles and it looks lke I'll have a prototype (first article) set on Friday, possibly next Monday.  If all is well, this will put me near 90-95% complete for this project.  This one is very close to being complete.  I'm pretty excited about this project.  It's been my pet project for some time now and I'm glad to see it coming to a close.  As for the gears, yes I will make them available separately.  I don't have any pricing structure setup for the individual components just yet, but I'll have one ready sometime soon. 

SPO joystick - I need to SEE one of these up close before I can comment.

Frontline/Tin Star/ Wild Western controller - This one too.  I need to see one of these before I can really say anything about it.

Atari Hard Drivin' Shifter and Steering wheel.  I dug up my paperwork on the parts in question.  The shifter would be an easy repro project, overall.  The steering wheel may be somewhat difficult due to the large MOTOR used in the controller.  However, I think I can come up with something close if not dead-on.  I'll put these controllers on the backburner while I finish up all the current controller projects.  I'm going to seriously look into reproducing both of these items.

Thanks everyone.

Ok, back to work.

David Adams
RAM Controls

[edge]

(David)

A 720 controller would be incredible.  Thanks for all your work on these repros.

[Kremmit]

That's awesome news on the 720.  If it's possible, you might make the pivot balls, especially the upper one, the first part you produce on that.  I believe the upper ball is used on most (all?) other Atari logo-top joys, including Gauntlet, Xybots (twist-to-turn), and the Road Runner and I, Robot Hall-Effect sticks. 

They also are made of a soft nylon compound, and they wear out.  Most Atari logo-top joys out there play like crap these cays, because they are desperately in need of new pivot balls.  Last time I saw NOS Ataro logo-tops on ebay, they went for serious bank, and the premium price was because of this.  You could probably sell quite a few of those, and help restore a lot of Atari games in the process.

If you haven't got a line on an NOS pivot ball already, I have ONE.  Holler if you want to borrow it for casting.

[MaximRecoil]

SPO joystick - I need to SEE one of these up close before I can comment.

An SPO joystick is a standard Nintendo joystick with a few modifications, which is why I think it would be more practical to make a "conversion kit" for a regular Nintendo joystick, rather than reproduce the whole thing (standard Nintendo joysticks are common as dirt).



The main 3 parts of such a kit would be (1) a new shaft which is longer than a standard Nintendo joystick shaft and has a threaded part on the bottom which is smaller in diameter than the rest of the shaft, to accept the brass "bell", (2) the brass "bell" itself, (3) and the stamped steel L-shaped bracket which holds the 5th microswitch, and is secured to the side of the joystick base with 2 screws. Anyone converting a regular Nintendo joystick would of course have to drill the holes themselves in the side of the base to screw on the L-bracket. The only other part is a small allen-type set screw that keeps the brass "bell" screwed on tight to the bottom of the joystick shaft.

I realize you'd need an actual SPO joystick to look at before even thinking about such a project, but I figured the picture would at least give you a better idea of what I am talking about.

 

[u_rebelscum]

That's awesome news on the 720.  If it's possible, you might make the pivot balls, especially the upper one, the first part you produce on that.  I believe the upper ball is used on most (all?) other Atari logo-top joys, including Gauntlet, Xybots (twist-to-turn), and the Road Runner and I, Robot Hall-Effect sticks. 

They also are made of a soft nylon compound, and they wear out.  Most Atari logo-top joys out there play like crap these cays, because they are desperately in need of new pivot balls.  Last time I saw NOS Ataro logo-tops on ebay, they went for serious bank, and the premium price was because of this.  You could probably sell quite a few of those, and help restore a lot of Atari games in the process.

I totally agree.  Seems to me the pivot ball was designed to wear down (vs the black joystick case wearing down).  With all five of my atari sticks I have that use it (shifter (hi/low), cyberball (2, 8way), roadrunner (hall effect), 720), I have exactly one pivot ball not in bad shape.  It's still NOS, actually, since I don't want it used until I have more backups.    Until now, it's been

To paraphrase kemmit, "If [you need] I have ONE [NOS pivot ball].  Holler if you want to borrow it for casting."   (If you need any other parts except for a working 720 sensor board , I can help, too.)

Another issue caused by all the worn pivot balls is the shape of the joystick cases out there.  If the pivot ball gets badly worn (rough), the case also wears down.  Especially after the ball get so worn the metal pin holding the ball sticks out.   Two of my five joystick case tops are like this, and I'll need to replace them when I replace the pivot balls, or I won't be able to tell that there's a new ball in there.  Luckily, the case top part is also common between all these joysticks, so if you make a few extras of this part too, you might find a nice niche market for them (although not nearly as big as the pivot ball).

Good luck!

[Daviea]

Maxim, thanks for the pic of the SPO joystick.  I can tell from that pic alone that the repro would not only be possible, but it would also be very easy to do.  It would super easy to release as a retrofit kit, as well.

As for the 720 controller, I'm going to run off a few hundred spares of both the pivot ball and the upper/lower housings.  These parts (well, the upper housing and pivot ball anyway) are used across many different joystick types that Atari made, so I planned on stocking up not only to sell as individual parts but to also supply the additional reproduction projects I've got brewing.  Additionally, I plan to run off spare lower balls, pivot arms, encoder discs and centering discs.  Once I'm done with a few more of these projects, there won't be a lack of parts available any longer.

I'm probably going to go with delrin for the pivot ball, as opposed to nylon 6/12.  I believe the wear properties of delrin exceed those of nylon in a situation like this.  The only concern I have is that the delrin may be too hard which could potentially cause some binding.  Then again, my first impression is that this would be a definite upgrade to the original.  I'll think it over some more before I make my final decision on the subject.  Either way, I *need* a NOS pivot ball as well as NOS upper/lower housing components before I can move any further on those parts.  Speaking of which, I'm tossing around the idea of reproducing the upper and lower housing components out of aluminum and then hard black anodizing them.  I know this will bring up production cost somewhat, but the parts sure would look sweet!  Not to mention the obvious durability gains.  Any comments on the subject?

Unless I hear otherwise sometime soon, I'm going to take you guys up on the NOS parts as well as the complete (or mostly complete) 720 controller.  I'll reciprocate by handing over a few spare repro parts in return.

Thanks guys.

David Adams
RAM Controls

[Daviea]

Ok, I've had some more time to go over the 720 controller today while I've got SW parts taking up the machine time. 

I was just thinking about the optical board and realized that I could use two or three *dead* boards for my purposes.  One to strip clean to create new negatives, one for parts placement and a third for backup.  If anyone has one or more dead 720 optical boards they'd like to hand over, I would be willing to send a working replacement as soon as I get them fabricated.  However, it could take days, weeks or months (read: no completion date set yet) before I send out the repro optical boards.

Also, I'm ready to accept a whole controller (to use as a build model) and any NOS components that can be spared due to the fact that my samples are either missing or too worn.  I'll return any parts that are loaned to me.  I'll swap out a brand new repro unit if I can *keep* a complete NOS or near-NOS unit in return.

Lastly, does anyone have a whole 720 machine (local to Huntington Beach, CA) that they'd like to sell to me?  While I'm sure I'll get this right the first time, I would prefer having a machine to fully test form, fit and function before releasing anything.  I'd like to get a nice minty machine, but anything will do as long as it's functional.

That's about it for the 720 controller for right now.  Contact me directly on Arcade controls or at the email address listed in my profile.

Thanks everyone.

David Adams
RAM Controls

[Kremmit]

Looks like that SPO joy has a 4-way restrictor plate on it.  If you do a repro on those, you ought to make the 4-way restrictors as well.  Most of the Nintendo sticks out there on the used market have an 8-way restrictor, or no restrictor plate at all.  4-ways are hard to find.  And the 2-way plates for Mario Bros.?  Forget about it. 

PM sent re:  Pivot Ball

[usedelectronics]

My offer still stands on the loan of my NOS 720 controller.
I also have a bunch of NOS pivot balls, and other parts as well.
Let me know.

[MaximRecoil]

Maxim, thanks for the pic of the SPO joystick.  I can tell from that pic alone that the repro would not only be possible, but it would also be very easy to do.  It would super easy to release as a retrofit kit, as well.

No problem. I had a feeling it would be easy for you to do, considering it is just a couple of machined parts + a stamped part. Let me know if you ever want to reproduce one and I might be able to lend you my SPO joystick to go by, depending on how long you would need to keep it for. I can't go very long without it because SPO is my favorite game. Another option, if you decide to to go with this, would be to put out a call on RGVAC for one. There may be someone who has one that isn't as attached to it as I am that could lend it out for a longer time.

Looks like that SPO joy has a 4-way restrictor plate on it.  If you do a repro on those, you ought to make the 4-way restrictors as well.  Most of the Nintendo sticks out there on the used market have an 8-way restrictor, or no restrictor plate at all.  4-ways are hard to find.  And the 2-way plates for Mario Bros.?  Forget about it. 

Yeah, no restrictor plate at all seems to be the most common. But yeah, PO/SPO joysticks use a 4-way restrictor that should be as easy as the other parts to reproduce (a while back someone on RGVAC said they ran off a bunch of them on a CAD machine). Speaking of the 2-way restrictors, the Nintendo game "Arm Wrestling" also used an SPO joystick (SPO and Arm Wrestling being the only two games to use that joystick), but the Arm Wrestling version used a 2-way restrictor.

The SPO joystick still works fine as a regular Nintendo 4-way joystick for any Nintendo 4-way game, so some people might want to convert an extra Nintendo joystick they have kicking around even if they don't have an SPO machine, just in case they ever come across one, or want to have an authentic way of playing SPO in MAME.

[Xiaou2]

 Hmm, another Repo Idea...

  Wico balltop  8-way leaf joysticks.

  These are really desired for many classics. 

 Id love a few sets of these...   and Im sure  Tons of people would too.

[pointdablame]

 Hmm, another Repo Idea...

  Wico balltop  8-way leaf joysticks.

  These are really desired for many classics. 

 Id love a few sets of these...   and Im sure  Tons of people would too.

I think a more pressing need would be a good source for replacement Wico leafswitches.  I know I could use quite a few switches, but my joysticks are holding up alright.

Repro joys would be great too though.

[Hoopz]

Since Oscar stopped making restrictor plates, would that be something that you can do?

[Daviea]

Anyone have any of these restrictor plates in NOS condition?  If it's what I think it is, it wouldn't take much time or $$ to make up a batch.  I could easily squeeze these into the middle of everything else I've got going on.  Whatever the material was that they originally used for these parts, if they're prone to wearing out, I can probably upgrade the material to make it a longer lasting part.

Maxim, when I get to the point where I'm ready to work on the SPO joystick, I'll contact you.  Thanks for the offer.  I would need the joystick for a week or two at most.

I've already got the Wico 8-way leaf joystick on my list of to-do's.  I could use quite a few, myself. :-)  I'll need a NOS part to work with, but I've got some time before I start work on this project, so no hurry. 

Anyone on the board know of a person or a company that can produce a quality ball top for the shafts?  This is one issue I'm coming across for several projects, but I have some options.  The only problem is that while the companies I have found are capable of molding the ball top right onto the shaft, it's not what they "do" so it will be inherently more expensive than it should be.  I was hoping I could find someone/someplace that already does this, so I can avoid the step of explaining (in detail) what exactly it is that I need and save a few bucks while I'm at it.

The leaf switches are another story.  I've looked high and low for replacements and I've yet to find a reliable source of good/high quality leaf switches.  I have metal stamping capabilities as well as laser metal cutting equipment, so I can probably make the leafs, I just need a good sample to start with.  Every single Wico joystick I have is missing it's entire set of leaf switches. Yeah, nice. Are the original leaf switches serviceable?  Can the leafs and leafswitch base be disassembled to replace the leafs?   If not, I feel that an update is about due.

David

[RayB]

I'm pretty sure the leaf switch casing is molded....

Regarding 720 parts, this guys sells some:
https://www.videogameparts.com/categoryNavigationDocument.hg?categoryId=15

But they are pricey!

[quarterback]

Anyone on the board know of a person or a company that can produce a quality ball top for the shafts?  This is one issue I'm coming across for several projects, but I have some options.  The only problem is that while the companies I have found are capable of molding the ball top right onto the shaft

I believe that RandyT's Versa joystick balls can be removed from his shafts (insert joke here) so he would know somebody who can make them. 

Every single Wico joystick I have is missing it's entire set of leaf switches. Yeah, nice. Are the original leaf switches serviceable?  Can the leafs and leafswitch base be disassembled to replace the leafs?

I don't have any NOS Wicos, but I have a number of Wico 8-ways and the leaf switches all appear to be molded with the metal leafs securely inside the plastic.