Happ Super mod to a true 4-way

[ringram]

I've been reading up a lot on 4-way sticks, and I've decided that I will modify a Super into a dedicated true 4-way. This should be simple enough my replacing the base plate with a one that I will make that will restrict the diagonals.

I can get the dimensions and some pictures easily enough, but I was hoping that somebody could provide me with some more details. The pacman/galaga reunion stick already has a restrictor and the stick is essentially a super or competition stick. It would be great if I can get some pictures, etc of one of these sticks so that I can see what I need to do.

Why not just buy the reunion stick? I want the 4-way to assetically match the 8-way's. Plus, I like the challange of DIY.

[Knievel]

Shhh..Happ doesn't want you talking about this.

A couple of minutes with a round file and you've got a reunion base.

[ringram]

please elaborate. I don't have either a super or a reunion joystick to compare, yet.

[Kremmit]

Shhh..Happ doesn't want you talking about this.

A couple of minutes with a round file and you've got a reunion base.

Isn't that the other way around?  Filing the Super's circle out into a larger diamond would still allow you to hit diagonals. 

A couple minutes with a round file and you can turn a Reunion into a Super, but to go the other way, you'd have to add a plate with a diamond shaped hole to the bottom of the Super.

[paigeoliver]

You know you can just put a super handle on a reunion stick, right?

[Knievel]

Sorry I don't have one to take pics of at the moment. Basically you just remove the Super base and then file a half-round notch in each of the 4 directions.

This will cause the stick to naturally fall into the 4 directions you want. Yes you could hit a diagonal but really you don't. It worked very well when I did it.


In a side note I did something similar with an Omni-Stik recently. The guy I built for was a Robotron nut and it doesn't play well with those joys. What I did was cut V-shaped notches in the restrictor plate, in the each of the directions. The difference was huge.

He went from being unable to play it to breaking his all-time records.

[ringram]

Swapping handles is an option, however, I don't have either stick right now. I was just panning on modifiying the super, to make it duper duper 

I was hoping to get a picture/scan of the reunion restrictor and make one out of plexiglass to modify my super. I'm sure I can figure it out, I was just wanting to save a few steps.

[Kaytrim]

Swapping handles is an option, however, I don't have either stick right now. I was just panning on modifiying the super, to make it duper duper 

I was hoping to get a picture/scan of the reunion restrictor and make one out of plexiglass to modify my super. I'm sure I can figure it out, I was just wanting to save a few steps.

If you are going to BYO restrictor it is rather simple.  Once you get your stick measure the full travel of the end.  Then make a square hole in plexi with a diagonal measurement equal to the travel.  Mount the restrictor so the corners of the square hole are at the cardinal points of the stick and you are done.  I have an Ultimarc T-Stick and it uses that princeable to switch from 8-way to 4-way.

TTFN
Kaytrim

[ringram]

That's my plan. Ultimarc's website has a good picure of what I need to make it look like.

[Kremmit]

Sorry I don't have one to take pics of at the moment. Basically you just remove the Super base and then file a half-round notch in each of the 4 directions.

This will cause the stick to naturally fall into the 4 directions you want. Yes you could hit a diagonal but really you don't. It worked very well when I did it.

Not quite the same a a Reunion, then- although it sounds like it plays perfectly fine, so who cares?  It also sounds like, with a little tweaking, it could work similar to a Tron stick.  I've previously posted an idea for modifying a Reunion to give a Tron-like action, I never considered starting with a Super.  Neat!

[pointdablame]

You know you can just put a super handle on a reunion stick, right?

I'm all for the DIY mentality.. but this is really the only logical option.  The super handle is a direct replacement for the reunion.  Why on earth would you go through the time to engineer something that may or may not be as good when you can just buy a handle?

[ringram]

I'm a sucker for a DIY challange.

What's the cost for a super handle? Does ponyboy/divemaster supply them? I'll send them a message.

[pointdablame]

grab the part number from Happ and ask them.  It can't be much.. an entire Super is like $8 new.

And as for the DIY... like I said, go for it.  But in this instance I think it is silly and will end up with an inferior product.  You're looking to convert an 8way to a 4way... that is not the way to go in my opinion.  Knievel says it works fine, and I'm sure a file would overemphasize the cardinal directions, but the fact is you can still hit diagonals.  That's not a great 4way then is it?  And there's no way to "take out" the diagonals in a restrictor plate that is already an 8way... not without designing an entirely new plate (but again... why?  the whole thing is $8)

And.. if you wanted to take a 4 way and convert it to an 8way.. ok that makes more sense in my mind.  However, in that instance you'd have a reunion stick and still need to buy a Super handle to match... so again, why bother?

Don't let me talk you out of it.. I've ton tons of things "just to do it" but this seems very silly to me, considering time and cost.

[lettuce]

Would it be possible to make a mod that would be switchable between 4 & 8 Way via lifting and twisting the stick, like the Ultimarc T-stick??