New controller plan require some advice from pro

[daok]

Hello,

I am new here but I've been reading the last 3 months posts since the last weeks I start to be addicted to all your posts!

So I decided to start my own machine. But before posting a thread about my project, I still need few advices from you guys.

Here is my questions:

1) I plan to buy two ultrastik 360, 1 I-Pac2, and 24 pushbuttons (7 for each player, 1 for power the PC, 1 for menu, 1 for escape, 1 for enter, 1 for pause, 2 for players (Player 1/2), 2 for coins and 1 extra...) Here is the official list :
.
My question is concerning the pushbutton, are they OK? I plan to buy all controls for the panel at Ultimarc. Does the price is fine? I am from Montreal Canada, and I can't fine any store that sell stuff for arcade here, so I plan to buy at Ultimarc.

2) What do you think of the controls I choose? I plan to build a 2 players arcades, not a big one but that can be able to play all fighting game.

3)How many long wires do I need to wire all these things? I haven't see a lot of information about wiring control.

[severdhed]

well, welcome to your new addiction!!!   as for ultimarc, they are a great company..highly respected within our community.  I recently purchased two u360 sticks and while i havent finished my panel yet, i mounted one in a temp panel and i have to say it rocks.  as for the buttons, i believe they are IL buttons, which are pretty much the same as happ buttons, which are what you will find in most arcades in north america. 

the wiring depends alot on your button layout and the size of your panel, but you will need more wire than you think...and dont forget the crimp on connectors.

good luck and keep us posted on your progress

[CheffoJeffo]

Welcome.

The Playdium Store has a sales office in Montreal -- I'm not sure if they have a parts counter or not.

You also might want to check out Montreal Arcade & Amusement Collectors Association.

And, yep, Ultimarc rocks.

[daok]

well, welcome to your new addiction!!!   as for ultimarc, they are a great company..highly respected within our community.  I recently purchased two u360 sticks and while i havent finished my panel yet, i mounted one in a temp panel and i have to say it rocks.  as for the buttons, i believe they are IL buttons, which are pretty much the same as happ buttons, which are what you will find in most arcades in north america. 

the wiring depends alot on your button layout and the size of your panel, but you will need more wire than you think...and dont forget the crimp on connectors.

good luck and keep us posted on your progress

Crimp is the piece of metal to connect to the pushbutton that let connect the wire without solding right?

Welcome.

The Playdium Store has a sales office in Montreal -- I'm not sure if they have a parts counter or not.

You also might want to check out Montreal Arcade & Amusement Collectors Association.

And, yep, Ultimarc rocks.

Price is about the same at Ultimarc, I will order from Ultimarc I think. Thx for you input and for the links!!!

[ghettodish]

If you are using the I-Pac you can skip buttons for ESC, Pause, Enter, and TAB. Pushing the Player 1 Start button and Player 1 Joystick simulates those buttons.

[daok]

If you are using the I-Pac you can skip buttons for ESC, Pause, Enter, and TAB. Pushing the Player 1 Start button and Player 1 Joystick simulates those buttons.

I think I'll keep them because if I took them off I will still need the I-Pac because the U-360 buttons port is limited to 8 and with 7 buttons for action I still require 2 more for "Number of player" and for "Coin". Am I wrong?

[Blanka]

And with the iPac you have the ability to use the buttons as keyboard. Not everything in Mame is handled easy from gamepads (The U360 act as gamepads).
2 things to consider:
Include the player 1 and 2 start buttons. They are good from Ultimarc.
You can consider the Minipac instead if the iPac. 29 dollars only, or 46 with harness. The harness is really nice for quick installation. 3 dollars extra compared to the iPac saves you the day.

[daok]

And with the iPac you have the ability to use the buttons as keyboard. Not everything in Mame is handled easy from gamepads (The U360 act as gamepads).
2 things to consider:
Include the player 1 and 2 start buttons. They are good from Ultimarc.
You can consider the Minipac instead if the iPac. 29 dollars only, or 46 with harness. The harness is really nice for quick installation. 3 dollars extra compared to the iPac saves you the day.

The problem is the Minipac wire is 12 inches long. It's impossible to build a cabinet with something clean with just 12 inches long of wire. If I have a button at one extremity top and the MiniPac in the middle, it might be too short. They should have done it with 20 inches. I'll take some measure and see if it's possible to use it with my dimension. Thanks for the hint!

[cmoses]

I thought I had seen at one time a easy solution to extend the length of any wires on the Mini-Pac that needed to be.  I think it might have just been a pack of wire extensions with a female end and a male end.  I think the wires were about 8" - 10" long, so that would give you about 20" -22" which would be long enough for most control panels if the Mini-Pac was mounted in the middle.  I just took a quick look at the web site and didn't see it, but maybe I am just missing it.

Anyone aware of this?

[Ginsu Victim]

I have my minipac mounted in the middle of my CP and it reaches all of my main buttons. For the admin buttons that it can't reach, I just made an extension, like you said, with a female and male end.