Help Identifying Joysticks

[XyloSesame]

I need some help identifying some joystick that I've purchased in lots either here or on eBay. It looks like the four Happs are all Ultimates, but one set of them differs slightly from the other, which makes me wonder. Also, they all have a slightly different "feel" which I assume to be associated with their age and general condition - is that correct, or could they have different springs/tensions? How can I determine which would be best to use in my CP?

The red and blue set are from a Prisoners of War cabinet; according to KLOV, they should be 8-Ways, but I can't tell manufacturer or any other info regarding them.

Any help would be appreciated.

And if anyone wants to purchase any of these, PM me; I only need two for my CP, and the others will find their way to the BST forum eventually...

[Kremmit]

The top set are Wico microswitch sticks.  The rest are Happ Ultimates.  The ones on the bottom are an earlier variety of Ultimate- I dunno if they were actually sold under the name "Ultimate", but they're pretty much the same thing.  I just pulled a set of those out of a machine last night, they were 4-way.  I've seen them in 8-way as well, so you'll want to check on that and make sure.

[XyloSesame]

The top set are Wico microswitch sticks.  The rest are Happ Ultimates.  The ones on the bottom are an earlier variety of Ultimate- I dunno if they were actually sold under the name "Ultimate", but they're pretty much the same thing.  I just pulled a set of those out of a machine last night, they were 4-way.  I've seen them in 8-way as well, so you'll want to check on that and make sure.

Ahhh a response!

Thanks, Kremmit, I've had trouble IDing these from previous posts on the forum. So the red/blue sticks might be either 4s or 8s? Do I just need to see if the actuator makes contact with two switches on a diagonal to determine which they are?

Also, can someone offer opinions or point me to Wico microswitch vs. Happ comparisons? I've seen many an opinion that Ultimates aren't very good, and I see quite a bit RE leaf, but not much RE Wico micros.

Right now, these are what I have, and it looks like I'll need to make due with that. I know quite a bit will come down to preference, but I'd like to find as much info as I can so I can make an educated judgment...

Thanks...

[shardian]

I prefer the wico microswitch joys to happ joys. They have a more sturdy feel, plus they are directly compatible with WICO ball top shafts.

[Kremmit]

So the red/blue sticks might be either 4s or 8s? Do I just need to see if the actuator makes contact with two switches on a diagonal to determine which they are?

That'll do it.  But it should feel pretty obvious; the 4's have a very pronounced feel to the restriction.  You can definitely feel that it'll only move in the 4 cardinal directions.  I should point out that the other ultimates could be 4-ways as well, they are sold in both flavors.  The possibility just stood out in my head last night because I had literally just had my hands on an identical set a couple hours before.

As for the Wico vs. Happ- I kind of like the Wicos better.  They just feel beefier, maybe due to the larger handle diameter and the differently shaped top.  And, like Shardian pointed out, you can do a handle swap to Wico balltops if you want.  It's harder to come up with a balltop handle for a Happ stick.

[XyloSesame]

So, the two in the top photo, IDed as Wicos, feel completely different from one another. One is soft (I mean super soft) and the other is incredibly stiff. Should I assume they have different springs, and just replace the springs like in this thread to get the same action from both?

And where do I find hahndles for these? I'm having trouble finding any in BST...

[Kremmit]

Pop 'em apart and look at the springs.  You might have one one with a grommet instead of a spring.  If that's the case, the easiest thing to do will be to trade one stick to somebody for one that matches your other stick.  You might find that one stick is missing it's pivot cone or is assembled wrong.  In that case you'll have to replace the missing part or re-assemble correctly.  Or, you might just have a broken, incorrect, or worn-out spring, in which case a pair of new, matching springs would be your best bet.

re: Handles- look on Ebay for Wico handles.  You'll find balltops galore.  For replacement bat-tops, Happ Perfect 360 handles might well fit.  I don't have a set of those handles, so I've never tried it, but the P360 is the successor to the stick you've got, and many of the parts are interchangeable.  Might be a source for springs, too.