Joust Joysticks and Buttons?

[melarky]

I am making a new scaled down joust arcade for the coming arrival of our second baby (I made a scaled down donkey kong for our first, and this is pretty much the only way my wife will let me build any more cabs is if it's "for the baby").

Any ways, I was wondering what the best solution for the blue and yellow ball tops and buttons is.  I have always just used happ supers in the past (black bat top), so I am not really sure what would be some good solutions for the joysticks (looks like a pretty light blue and yellow, don't know if that's hard to find).

Does anyone have some suggestions on the contols?  I am going to stick with the same ammount of buttons etc... (but the joysticks can be 4 or 8 way).  I added all the extra buttons to the donkey kong and a trackball, and I sorta regret not just leaving it looking stock.  I have a big mame arcade with all the controls already, I think it will be funner to have these arcades only play the games with the controls they are supposed to have.

[fatfingers]

Well, here's a good spot for the buttons.

And here's a decent restoration link.

[melarky]

Thanks for the links, I checked them both out, the restoration was fun to read about.  I have never used buttons like that before, I have always just used the happs micro switch buttons, wonder if I can find some ball tops to match those button colors.

[CheffoJeffo]

I have never used buttons like that before, I have always just used the happs micro switch buttons, wonder if I can find some ball tops to match those button colors.

Specialty Plastics has them and is apparently back in business ...

http://members.aol.com/specialtyplastic/Joysticks.htm

Dunno what sticks other than Joust they will fit.

[fatfingers]

Sweet!

[melarky]

I have never used buttons like that before, I have always just used the happs micro switch buttons, wonder if I can find some ball tops to match those button colors.

Specialty Plastics has them and is apparently back in business ...

http://members.aol.com/specialtyplastic/Joysticks.htm

Dunno what sticks other than Joust they will fit.

So what sort of joystick base can I use those joust sticks with?  Will they only work on the original joust joystick bases?  I don't have one to restore, I am building my cab from scratch.  I have only ever really used happ supers in past projects, am not that familiar with other kinds of joysticks.  Thanks for the links.

[fatfingers]

Sounds like some good questions to ask they guys selling them.

Good luck!

[CheffoJeffo]

Yeah, what fatfingers said -- my Joust is a cocktail and uses different sticks that the upright, so I can't comment on what bases it will fit into.

[melarky]

Sounds like some good questions to ask they guys selling them.

Good luck!

Hmmm, they aren't answering e-mails, it has only been a few days, so I'll still hope for a response, if they don't answer though I may just go with a non joust blue and yellow ball top, seems like those are fairly common (would be fun to get the joust colors, but can't seem to find any other place than the one listed above that has them).

We spent this weekend working on the cabinets (the number we're making seems to keep rising).  We are now making 6 total (1 for my brother-in-law, one for my broghter, one for my cousins kid, one for a kid in my church's youth group, and 2 for me, I am finishing one joust, and will probably finish the other one as a robotron later on, figured I ought to make another one while we're doing this assembly line style since it's just as easy).

Most of the other cabinets are getting a custom control panel on them (cut the sides to allow for a bigger control panel to be bolted on, like lusids design), but my 2 and the kid in my church's youth group are sticking with the standard control panel (I think it looks way better, and I already have a big mame arcade that plays all the games).  We have go almost all of the cabinets assembled to their base, top marquee, and kick panel installed.  The rest of it should go pretty quick now.  I'm sure I'll post about them in the project announcements once I actually remember to take my camera with me when we work on them.

Thanks again for any help you can give on tracking down the right controls.