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Ideas on a homemade 4 way restictor
Cryofax:
If you want something permanent, just cut the hole in your panel to a diamond shape (or box shape for Q*Bert, heh). If you want go from 8-way, to 4-way (either kind) on the fly you'll have to cut a box in the panel and have a two piece insert (two pieces of wood which together form the diamond) to drop in the hole around the joystick shaft, then pop out again for 8-way.
You could cut your joystick hole in a "star" shape of two squares, one 45 degress to the other, then you could rotate your insert 45 degress for Q*Bert 4-way...
- Cryo
ArcadeFX:
These are some very good ideas. My problem with the Ocscar plates are that my control panel show how bolts at all. All mounting hardware is hidden for an ultra clean look. So I can not use the plates if I wanted to. Plus my kids cannot change the plates easily.
But the idea of a restrictor that would fit down into the cp hole cut is excellent. I am going to give this a try. I just need something to make it out of now. I will have to spend an hour in the hardware store looking this week.
Mike:
If you get it to work let me know. I'll create some for myself.
OSCAR:
Wow, who dreamed up that crazy, curved design to act as a restrictor? :)
Betacrash... your idea sounds absolutely feasible.
Here's some free quick pointers for you guys that want to try to make your own based on what I learned while developing mine:
1.) When mounting from the top of a wood control panel, you will have to be extremely accurate with your screw locations. I found that being as little as 1/16" off can make the difference between not blocking the diagonals and not being able to hit the four ways. The reason you need to be so accurate is because the diagonals are hard to block by restricting movement of the joystick so high up on the shaft.
2.) Physically locating the restrictors with respect to the joystick's base location was the only way I could get repeatable results. This is where the mounting plate came from for my design. Believe me, the mounting plate was not added on a whim.
3.) I did look into the "drop in" type restrictors. The problem I had with these is related to tip #1. The joystick hole you will drill in your control panel may not necessarily located with respect to the joystick base. As I said above, I found that as little as a 1/16" off with your joystick hole/restrictors (with this method), and the restrictors lost accuracy or the ability to move in a 4-way direction.
When you are homebrewing your own, you are expecting to do some trial and error to make them work. On the other hand, when you purchase something, you will expect it to work as-is (I do anyway). To ensure repeatable & reliable results, I chose to design mine with functionality as the primary concern, and the aesthetics as second. I can understand that many would rather not have a mounting plate at all, and I am looking into a solution for that.
FYI - I do have a survey currently going at www.oscarcontrols.com looking for input into the upcoming redesign of the spinners, mostly pertaining the to the Model 1's, but the Model 2's may be affected by the results as well. Curiously, the survey so far has been leaning towards keeping the mounting plate for the spinners!?! Go figure. :)
--OSCAR
bob:
I had been thinking of making a restrictor that worked on the *bottom* of the joystick. It would be on a lever of some sort, so I could raise it into position.
I hadn't gotten any further than thinking about it when I saw Oscar's design. I had decided to probably buy one of his, and then this nickel thing came up....
Bob
South Carolina