Author Topic: I-pac VS Key-Wiz (Read 5335 times)

wooowman93 · « **on:** January 04, 2009, 12:01:12 am »

Ok i need to know what to use and why i should go that why

right know im looking towards key-wiz as it is cheap and easy

csa3d · « **Reply #1 on:** January 04, 2009, 01:23:13 am »

I originally went with the KeyWiz, and am now looking to ditch it for an Ipac. I've had a lot of strange issues uploading custom keysets via the "virtuall eeprom" setting upon bootup. If I were you, I'd spend the extra 5-10$ and go with the Ipac2 or Ipac4 because it has a REAL eeprom, so no hacky uploading to RAM.

Proof here http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=81925.0

-csa

EDIT: More proof here http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=77724.msg929222#msg929222

notaburger · « **Reply #2 on:** January 04, 2009, 02:58:19 am »

i have an ipac but i've been having some strange issues with some connections not working anymore (granted, i've had the thing for about 5 years and it's been in at least 4 different machines, so i don't hold it against ultimarc)

honestly, both suppliers are top notch and there is nothing wrong with either option

there really isn't a wrong answer here
the last thing i would personally do is hack a gamepad though

although not exactly hard....to me, it's more of a pain with software configuration

some things use joysticks/gamepads.....all should use keyboards (i'm assuming that you're not going to put a console in your arcade since you're inquiring about ipacs and key wizes)

if you want cheap, hack your own keyboard

if you want quality, go with the ipac or the key wiz

in case it matters, i'm going to be buying myself another ipac here in a month or so...so that gets my vote....but again, it really doesn't matter...they are both great

Jack Burton · « **Reply #3 on:** January 04, 2009, 04:39:29 am »

Cthulu!

http://www.lizardlickamusements.com/pages/boards.shtml

protokatie · « **Reply #4 on:** January 04, 2009, 05:59:36 pm »

I voted Ipac, but that was only because you don't have an option for the minipac. I got the "buttons only" version of the minipac (the full version supports two analogue axis as well) and the wire harness for it. No crimping clips on the ends of wires for me! Other than its small size, the wire harness with clips already on the end and the option of having an analogue controller, it is identical to the ipac2.

CathalDublin · « **Reply #5 on:** January 04, 2009, 06:26:30 pm »

I voted I-Pac as I had problems with my Key-Wiz when they 1st came out and couldnt get it working right.
I-Pac took minutes to configure

Games001 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 04, 2009, 07:39:36 pm »

I voted -Wiz as I have had 5 GP-Wiz's in different builds and they never gave me any issues.

rockmes · « **Reply #7 on:** January 04, 2009, 09:03:35 pm »

l also voted for the i-pac cos there was no mention of the minipac. its the best encoder out there with the most options.

u_rebelscum · « **Reply #8 on:** January 05, 2009, 01:53:50 pm »

Why not gp-wiz or u-hid? What about i-pac4 as well as the aforementioned mini-pac?

All are high quality options (except the keyboard hack), filling very similar but slightly different niches, and a popular vote won't help you find what is best for you. (OT: Popular votes are only good if everyone voting tried all products, or one choice is head over shoulders above the rest, or you want to gauge each product's fan base not product quality.)

What do you want on your control panel? What emulators and games are you going to play?

Whatever you do, don't do the keyboard hack. They are designed for keyboard typing, not game playing, and might not have enough keys able to be pressed at the same time to be usable on a keyboard. Also the same model keyboard can have dozens of different encoders with different matrices and ghosting, so even if one person somehow got a specific model working doesn't mean you can.

Warborg · « **Reply #9 on:** January 05, 2009, 03:09:09 pm »

I personally use the KeyWiz and haven't had a single problem with it, and then more recently put a U360 stick in P1 just so I could have the digital restriction/programmability. I've bought a lot of various stuff from Randy/Groovygamegear over the years and never been dissapointed, but I can't speak on the I-Pac as I've never used one.

Also, I DID do a keyboard hack when I first started out and while I got it to work ok, I did it more as an experiment as to if I could or not and wouldn't recommend it either, not if you value your time at all...

wooowman93 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 05, 2009, 03:56:34 pm »

I have changed it to i-pac family so minipac and all "pac" fall under that cateogory
same thing with the key-wiz

wooowman93 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 15, 2009, 09:25:37 pm »

Visitor Q · « **Reply #12 on:** January 15, 2009, 09:51:17 pm »

IPAC4 HERE!

Havok · « **Reply #13 on:** January 16, 2009, 01:15:46 am »

KeyWiz and GPWiz and OptiWiz - all working great!

You really can't go wrong with either Ultimarc or GGG.

Blanka · « **Reply #14 on:** January 16, 2009, 04:55:52 am »

MiniPac opti w harness here, but it's also a matter of customs. UK is easier for Europeans.

Blanka · « **Reply #15 on:** January 16, 2009, 05:39:31 am »

Forgot 1 very important thing:
Key-Wiz has no USB keyboard mapping. For me that is essential. Must have been the true reason for the MiniPac.

wyzazz · « **Reply #16 on:** January 16, 2009, 02:12:39 pm »

Anyone care to weigh in on a Hagstrom Keyboard Encoder?

http://www.hagstromelectronics.com/products/ke_usb108.html

What about an option for a Wireless Arcade Control Panel?
(See how I just hijacked the thread for my own evil intentions.)

Blanka · « **Reply #17 on:** January 19, 2009, 01:49:10 am »

Wireless? With 4 keys handled simultaneously maximum? No way!

wyzazz · « **Reply #18 on:** January 19, 2009, 07:49:12 am »

What about the new Wireless USB Hubs? Any thoughts on that?

The only reason I want to go wireless is so I can use my HD projector to play video games instead of my current cabinet, Wireless would increase the WAF immensely!

richms · « **Reply #19 on:** January 19, 2009, 09:23:47 am »

I chose keyboard hack since they are essentially free since places chuck them out when they are dirty - no limit to the number that a PC can run that I have found yet.

Did try xbox controller hacks but had problems with them resetting mid game and swapping the order of players around.

Blanka · « **Reply #20 on:** January 19, 2009, 10:13:28 am »

Hacking a keyboard only works for PS2. USB keyboards only handle 6 keys at once. And with a keyboard you can never soft-mod the layout.
I still wonder why PS2 is around. Ancient crap. I never take a PC design serious when it has either a PS2, a Serial or a Parallel port. Parallel and no Firewire, how stupid. Hail Firewire

wyzazz · « **Reply #21 on:** January 19, 2009, 11:13:13 am »

I'll second that notion Blanka!

Namco · « **Reply #22 on:** January 19, 2009, 12:13:32 pm »

Quote from: Blanka on January 19, 2009, 10:13:28 am

Hacking a keyboard only works for PS2. USB keyboards only handle 6 keys at once. And with a keyboard you can never soft-mod the layout.
I still wonder why PS2 is around. Ancient crap. I never take a PC design serious when it has either a PS2, a Serial or a Parallel port. Parallel and no Firewire, how stupid. Hail Firewire

What is your opinion on gameports? How about Token Ring networking and BNC connectors?

But seriously, I have a steering wheel I spent $200 on back in 2004 that uses a gameport connector. Thinking of using a Ultimarc U-HID on it to convert it to USB.

DeLuSioNal29 · « **Reply #23 on:** January 19, 2009, 12:47:20 pm »

Quote from: wyzazz on January 16, 2009, 02:12:39 pm

Anyone care to weigh in on a Hagstrom Keyboard Encoder?

http://www.hagstromelectronics.com/products/ke_usb108.html

Not for $169.95 each! Ouch!

wyzazz · « **Reply #24 on:** January 19, 2009, 01:12:51 pm »

I can agree that $170.00 is a bit steep.

richms · « **Reply #25 on:** January 19, 2009, 06:10:18 pm »

Quote from: Blanka on January 19, 2009, 10:13:28 am

Hacking a keyboard only works for PS2. USB keyboards only handle 6 keys at once. And with a keyboard you can never soft-mod the layout.
I still wonder why PS2 is around. Ancient crap. I never take a PC design serious when it has either a PS2, a Serial or a Parallel port. Parallel and no Firewire, how stupid. Hail Firewire

Serial and parallel ports are easy to access from software without messing about with HID drivers and endpoints and crap like that.

Firewire was never going to be available at low cost on cheap hardware, it was so expensive to impliment that it never got anywhere other then drive enclosures and moving video around, USB is better for camera connection now, and esata has made it redundant for external drives.

The 6 keys at a time is a non issue if you have multiple keyboard boards in the cab - I have 4 - one each joystick, and one for the player buttons. The admin buttons are shared with the player buttons. At no cost to me other then having to go pick them up it was the simplist way to go about getting keypresses into the computer.

Ummon · « **Reply #26 on:** January 19, 2009, 06:57:48 pm »

Quote from: Namco on January 19, 2009, 12:13:32 pm

But seriously, I have a steering wheel I spent $200 on back in 2004 that uses a gameport connector. Thinking of using a Ultimarc U-HID on it to convert it to USB.

'04 and it wasn't USB??

protokatie · « **Reply #27 on:** January 19, 2009, 08:15:02 pm »

Quote from: Ummon on January 19, 2009, 06:57:48 pm

Quote from: Namco on January 19, 2009, 12:13:32 pm

But seriously, I have a steering wheel I spent $200 on back in 2004 that uses a gameport connector. Thinking of using a Ultimarc U-HID on it to convert it to USB.

'04 and it wasn't USB??

Not may devices in 2004 used "legacy" connectors, but the game port thrived for some time after the introduction of USB. To be quite frank, it may have been manufactured in 1998, for all we know. Regardless, in 2004 and surrounding years, I had seen some gameport based pads and joys. It is now 2009, and USB is the standard, but 2004 is a different story.

Namco · « **Reply #28 on:** January 20, 2009, 12:01:58 am »

Oh yeah, well that. It was a Thomas Super Wheel probably made around 2002. These things are hand made and built like a tank. It's a real small operation. USB was an extra $100 or so at the time, so the guy who bought it originally probably opted for gameport to save money I guess.

Looks kinda like this, but with the clutch option installed:

I think it'll make a fine driving cabinet wheel for 270 degree driving games like roadblasters and such.


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Author Topic: I-pac VS Key-Wiz (Read 5335 times)