49 way with illuminated balltop, possible product offering, gauging interest

[Popcorrin]

Recently I put together a 49way joystick that features an illuminated balltop and I have been tossing around the idea of offering the same thing to the community.  What I am trying to find out is how much interest there would be in something like that.  A ballpark estimate on price would be in the $50-$60 price range.

I'll try to get some pictures taken and posted this week.  Currently I am using the Seimitsu LB-39 "bubbletops".  They look pretty good and they do a good job of dispersing the light, I just wish they were a little bigger.  I thought about using the transluscent versaballs, but I don't know how well they would disperse the light and I also haven't been able to get an answer from RandyT on whether he would sell just the ball or not.  I didn't see it as option on the website either.  Another option was to get my own made but I am hesitant to do that for right now.

As far as the feel of the joystick, I personally like it better than the original but that is something that is going to be personal preference. 
As far as durability, the joystick is made from 90% happ parts and seems to be rock solid.  I have had 2 installed on a cabinet for 3 months and there hasn't been any problems.

I'll do my best to answer any questions that anybody has and I'll try to get some pictures posted asap.

   

[Timoe]

Seimitsu actually makes two sizes of ball top the regular LB-39 which is 35mm in diameter

and the much larger LB-49

You can get them both at www.akihabarashop.jp

[Popcorrin]

Thanks for the link.   Do you know if the thread size on the LB-49 is larger?

[Franco B]

They are both M6x1mm pitch

[Popcorrin]

It took ahwile, but below are some pictures and a real short video of the  49 ways with the illuminated balltops.   They utilize the transluscent versaballs.  The 1st picture could have been better, it looks little washed out.  The center of the ball isn't that bright.  The balls light up real nice in person.
There are other options for balls that disperse the light more evenly,  but I do like the way these look lit and unlit.   Let me know what you think.






[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xum1gwigVCc[/youtube]

[Franco B]

Now they do look nice

Does the ball screw onto the shaft or is it bonded etc?

[Popcorrin]

Now they do look nice

Does the ball screw onto the shaft or is it bonded etc?

Thanks.

They screw on.

[Franco B]

Thanks. Is Randy selling them separately?  If so do you know how much?

[Popcorrin]

Last I checked, he would not sell the ball separately.

[cmoses]

Can we see a picture with the light off?

Would it be possible to get a good picture of this control panel.  I really like the way that there is information on the panel as far as button layouts, button configs, etc.  I would like to see it all if possible.

[Popcorrin]

The control panel artwork is based off of motorfish's artwork that he offered up to the community a few years ago.  I'll see if I can dig up the old thread.   
Here is a pic with the led off.

[cmoses]

Thanks, please let me know if you find it.

Also, are those GGG Electric Ice Buttons?

[deepblue]

Damn - where were you 2 months ago when I bought my gear!! These look amazing.

[Numbski]

Heh - if I could get rolling on making my glass balltops again, this would look sweet.

[hms666]

The control panel artwork is based off of motorfish's artwork that he offered up to the community a few years ago.  I'll see if I can dig up the old thread.   
Here is a pic with the led off.

Do u still have the Hi-Res version of MotorFishs panel ? I can't find it anymore, maybe i've deleted it. Could u upload it to rapidshare ?

[Popcorrin]

Thanks, please let me know if you find it.

Also, are those GGG Electric Ice Buttons?

Yes they are Electric Ice buttons.

I haven't found the thread with the download but I'll see if I can get my copy uploaded to rapidshare.

[Popcorrin]

Heh - if I could get rolling on making my glass balltops again, this would look sweet.

I never seen your glass balltops.  Do you have any pics?

[Popcorrin]

The control panel artwork is based off of motorfish's artwork that he offered up to the community a few years ago.  I'll see if I can dig up the old thread.   
Here is a pic with the led off.

Do u still have the Hi-Res version of MotorFishs panel ? I can't find it anymore, maybe i've deleted it. Could u upload it to rapidshare ?

Yes, I still have it.  I'll see if I can get it uploaded.

[Numbski]

It's moments like this that I hate the way Flickr cycles out photos.  I had all kinds of pictures up, but I can't post them anymore....grr.

I'll see if I can take some new ones.  They all had an irridescent finish - the colors of glass were:

Clear
Black
Baby Blue
Ruby
Emerald
Purple
Pink
Orange

[Popcorrin]

Please post some pics if you get some taken.

Cmoses and hms66, I uploaded motorfish's panel to Rapidshare.

http://rapidshare.com/files/149160908/MotorFish_Control_Panel_Final.psd.html

[hms666]

Thanks!   

[Numbski]

Have a look here:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=68377.msg705687#msg705687

[Popcorrin]

Very nice!   It's hard to tell from the pictures, are they transluscent?

[Numbski]

Yeah, they're glass.  I hand-drill each one, which is VERY tricky.  I spent months working up a rig to do it, but I still crack 3/4 of the ones I make. :\

[Skipernicus]

I really like what you did with the art. I'm going to build a 4 player pedestal and want to do something similar, but it seems I showed up a few years too late to find those art files - every link I run down is dead. Do you still have 'em, and are you willing to share them?

The illuminated sticks and buttons are beautiful, but it seems a bit outside of my building abilities...





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