Common Questions on How to make cost effective Joystick from Pad

[noobofthecentury]

I am looking to make a joystick.

1. What is the best gamepad to hack? (I heard its PS1 dualshock due to the compatibility)
2. Does madcatz's PS controller, which I heard this brand is ease  to hack, have problems?
3. What type of paint do u guys recommend for the joystick base?
4. The artwork under the plexiglass, do u guys print it urself or.. whats a good printing company for it? hows the good ole kinko?
5. How to apply artwork on the side? just glue and the artwork?
6. Whats the cheapest place to buy PCB board/controllers to hack?

I want to make a joystick that good, yet cost effective. Thx YOu!!

[Ginsu Victim]

If you're looking to buy something for a hack, why not go with a cheap encoder? The KeyWiz Eco-2 is a great budget encoder for someone looking to get started without spending too much
http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76_80&products_id=200

Also, there's the Mini-Pac at www.ultimarc.com which I use myself. Twice the price, but a great encoder.

[noobofthecentury]

the keywhiz, do the PC always have to have a certain software in order for it to work?

I think a gamepad is still cheaper, I saw a $14 gamepads.
just need to know which one is good for hacking, and compatibility (with other systems such as PS1/2/3, XBOX through converter)

[Ginsu Victim]

KeyWiz and Mini-Pac/Ipac show up as a keyboard, so there's no software needed. However, the software can help you set it up to better suit your needs.
The Mini/Ipac store your changes on-chip, so you don't need to load the software with each use. I'm not sure about the keywiz (maybe RandyT will pop in and settle that).
As for controller hacking, click the search function at the top of this page and you can find all kinds of information. This site is FULL of useful info without the need to make many topics. You can find a LOT of answers here without having to ask a single question.

[Krohboy]

The Gamepad I hacked was $5 shipped.

[Ginsu Victim]

4. The artwork under the plexiglass, do u guys print it urself or.. whats a good printing company for it? hows the good ole kinko?

Some people print their own, others use a site like www.mamemarquees.com which has premade and custom marquees, control panel overlays, sideart, kickplate art, etc. A great site for marquees as well is www.emdkay.net, which is where I bought my marquee. Great prices on customs, plus lexan for a reasonable amount.

5. How to apply artwork on the side? just glue and the artwork?

Mamemarquees has great peel and stick adhesive-backed vinyl art. Pricey, but the cost is worth it. Be sure to check the bargain bin, which is how I got my side-art for half price.

[noobofthecentury]

how do u get $5 shipped gamepad?
is that for PC? and does it function good?

[M.Lanza]

I used a very cheap performance brand ps1 controller for my first hack.
I would reccomend one of those over the madcatz pad since the performance
has larger solder points.
The ones I used didn't have analog sticks or vibration motors and usually go for
less than $3.00 each if you can find them.

I also used psx to usb adapters from radio shack to connect them to the pc.

[noobofthecentury]

psx controls are good, tho the one without dualshock wont play certain games that requires analog.
its like they dont detect ur controller.
plus no matter what, with psx u cant comvert it to play with ur ps3.

u need at least a ps1 dualshock.

im looking for an ideal PC controller  to hack into
and a PS