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Newbie Question!
2slk:
I agree with everything Sasquatch! says except for the Happ super comments. IMHO, The T-stick or J-stick available at www.ultimarc.com is a better choice if you are going to be limited to two sticks and one panel.
The t/j-sticks are *easily* switched from 8 to 4 way. The 4 way actuator physically restricts movement in 4-way mode so it actually feels like a 4-way - no 'dead zones'. The super is a pain to fiddle with.
The t/j-stick has a square actuator so you can feel the diagonals in fighter games. I drive myself crazy trying to hit diagonals on a super. Some people find the round action of the super more suited to certain games but I would rather use a 'square' feeling stick in games more suited to 'round' feel stick than vice-versa.
If price is an issue and you want to save a few bucks on both the shipping and sticks by going with HAPP, I recommend getting the competition sticks. I find that they are superior to the super as well.
Speaking of price, go check out www.therealbobroberts.com before ordering directly from HAPP.
Once again, this is only based on personal opinion. I'm not trying to start a joystick war here.
Scott84:
Guys, i went to a local arcade today and i talked to the manager and asked him about old arcade games for sale and he gave me a #.... He said most cabinets are given away free! I called the # and the guy who deals with it is on vacation so i will call back and find out next week if i can get a free one. Im Happy! ;D
Tiger-Heli:
--- Quote from: Scott84 on April 06, 2003, 10:28:54 pm ---IM super new at this. Im hoping i can get my question answered in a way that i can be confident enough to do this! Im sorry if this is asked alot and you get annoyed by it but here she goes!
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I'm a veteran, I'll try to give you good advice but a lot of this is opinion . . .
--- Quote ---1. What is reccomended to use for a newbie? Hagstorm, IPAC? Im leaning towards the IPAC56.... is it good? USB IPAC good?
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Hagstrom, I-PAC, MK40, MK64 and KeyWiz are all excellent products. The I-PAC's and KeyWiz are a little easier to configure for a newbie. The KeyWiz has more inputs and is generally less expensive than the I-PAC, but lacks USB support. The I-PAC is limited to 14 simultaneous keypresses in USB mode, but that won't affect you.
--- Quote --->2. What kind of joystick would be good for most games? 8 >Way? 4 Way? Leaf? Micro? And what joystick is the best?
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www.oscarcontrols.com has reviews of the most popular ones. Perfect 360's are probably the best overall, but they're EXPENSIVE, and a little more difficult to hook up. The super is the best all around joystick for older games (timepilot) The Competitions are best if you play fighters and want to feel the diagonals. Use any of them in 8-way mode and use www.oscarcontrols.com restrictor plates for 4-way. Or put a dedicated restricted 4-way on the panel. Neither the Comps nor the supers are very good for 4-way games without oscar's restrictor plates.
--- Quote ---3. What kind of buttons should i purchase? I dont know alot on this subject but i could sure use some help!
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I would go with Happ Horizontal microswitches. 1Up recommends taking the springs out of them, which gives them a lighter (but different) feel. Experiment after you buy them. Some people like the Happ Competitions which are bowed instead of dished and have a lighter spring for fighting games. I would try to find these at a local arcade before I bought them.
--- Quote ---4. What kind of wiring do i need? And where can i buy it? Radio Shack?
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I prefer 22 gauge stranded for crimp connections (You will want 0.187 female quick disconnects also.) For solder connections, many people like solid wire. www.allelectronics.com is cheaper than radio-shack.
--- Quote ---5. How thick should the wood be for this type of project? And what kind of wood?
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I like 3/8-inch plywood for the CP, but I'm the exception here. Most people recommend 3/4 MDF for the entire cabinet.
--- Quote ---6. Once i have all the parts, how easy is it to learn how to wire it all together?
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Piece of cake, ask here when you have more questions, though.
--- Quote ---7. Is it worth it for me just to buy the XArcade or HotRodSE? Which is better of the two? Is it cheaper for me to get a Xarcade then to build one myself?
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Yes, it's cheaper to buy either one, but neither one has as good an encoder as the I-PAC (or KeyWiz), so you'll end up spending all the money again when you try to build your cab. Also, as a Dad myself, the "Hey I BOUGHT a HotRod and hooked it up, so now I'm ready to build a cabinet" wouldn't cut it with me. . .
Since you asked, between the two, the HotRod, is well made and goes for around $100 on E-bay. It's biggest drawback is it is not programmable. The X-Arcade is good if you plan to play console games (Nintendo, Playstation) with it as well, but is more limited in programmability than the keyboard encoders I mentioned above.
Good luck with your cab!
Brad Lee:
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--- Quote ---4. What kind of wiring do i need? And where can i buy it? Radio Shack?
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I prefer 22 gauge stranded for crimp connections (You will want 0.187 female quick disconnects also.) For solder connections, many people like solid wire. www.allelectronics.com is cheaper than radio-shack.
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Most of the switches and sticks Ive seen use .250 terminals.. If in doubt though wait until your parts start coming in to measure
Scott84:
I have a question, i look at the xarcade and stuff and it has white things under its buttons.....
what do i need for the buttons after i bought it?