U360-R Is it happening?

[mimic]

Someone added that R in another thread about modding U360 and adding a rotary function. I could've ask this question there, but I'm afraid it might not get noticed.
Question is, what are the chances of seeing something like U360-R (top fire would be nice, but not necessary, especially if it would extend the time to make it happen) I would love to be able to play rotary games, without adding another joystick to the panel. Actually I've never had a chance to play any rotary games, as they've never reached my country in original cabs. Me and everyone else that played games like Gondomania, Ikari Warriors or Bermuda Triangle had no idea, that's not how the games were designed to be played (as an 8-way + fire forward only!)
I would love to build a new cab and be able to make a franken panel, without frankiness added to it!

[Turnarcades]

First I'd heard. Maybe you mistook someone's comments who had modified their own sticks in some way?

Andy, you around?

[bkenobi]

Nope, Bender and Andy were definitely talking in a thread about some modifications that were under way.  I don't remember who else was in on it, but as I recall, Andy was making some custom shafts for testing in the effort.  I don't know if there was anything confirmed about a released version of the U360 or if it was just as a modification option, but there was definitely some interesting discussion.

[Franco B]

 

[Turnarcades]

I know bender modified a stick for top-fire on his benderama bar-top, but must have missed that discussion.

[bkenobi]

Maybe mimic can post the other thread since he was just looking at it.  I don't remember the exact discussion, but I thought Andy was entertaining the idea of doing some kind of production for these.

[Bender]

Here is the thread

I was able to get the top fire mod to work
I was able to get the rotary mod to work
but not on the same stick, I'll be working on that next month, thanks in large part to some help from FrancoB  

I was planning on sending one to Andy when I'm done. We'll have to see if he can produce them for a reasonable cost (either version or both together and it would be easy to replace the top fire with a light up, since there would be a pair of wires there already, if that was a preference)

[Ummon]

Ah - but what about a rotary, top-fire, AND lit stick!

[Bender]

Shhhh....

that's a secret

[Franco B]

Ding, ding, ding 

Should be doable with the 4-pole set up you/we were thinking of shouldn't it?

[bkenobi]

Ah - but what about a rotary, top-fire, AND lit stick!

And how much would that cost?!  Sounds like at some point you might be better with either swappable panels or even multiple cabs.  My LS-30s work great, but I would love to have something that played 4-way games better.  Heck, I wouldn't mind being able to play fighters a bit better too.  BUT...I'm not going to pay a mint to make it happen.   

[mimic]

Ah - but what about a rotary, top-fire, AND lit stick!

And how much would that cost?!  Sounds like at some point you might be better with either swappable panels or even multiple cabs.  My LS-30s work great, but I would love to have something that played 4-way games better.  Heck, I wouldn't mind being able to play fighters a bit better too.  BUT...I'm not going to pay a mint to make it happen.   

I'd be willing to pay around $80.00 for something like that. It's not as much cost as the clean panel that such setup would provide. Just want to know "if" & "when".

[Bender]

I don't think that the "All in one" Stick would be producible for a reasonable cost.
I think It will just be a mod....
IF and that's a big IF, I can get it working.
The light up top fire is going to be really tricky though I have some ideas for it
and this isn't going to happen until at Dec. at the earliest as I'm really busy with other stuff right now

[mimic]

Bender, what's reasonable cost? It's already $60 as it is. If it would be a mod you think it would be made by Andy or someone else, like yourself?
I personally don't care about illuminated handle, so if that was a mod, even better, more choices for others.

[bkenobi]

One-off custom machined joystick handles and support brackets are not going to cost $20.  Machine time alone would make something like this VERY expensive unless it could be done in a bigger run.  Just look at what the replica Star Wars yokes cost (~$250).  I understand there's a lot going on in there, but if you are talking a rotary, trigger, lit U-360...

I like the idea (really!) and don't mean to sound discouraging.  I'm just saying I don't see how something like this could come in at a price very many people would consider "reasonable".  The U-360s are already expensive as is (granted you don't need to buy an encoder, but looking at the stick as a stick), so adding another large chunk for mods could be painful for people not truly dedicated financially!

[Bender]

I'm not planning on selling anything
For whatever part I get working, I'll post a tutorial so people can mod the U360 themselves

I think it would be hard to produce the combo, not to mention the light up "all in one"
And my hope is that some day for under $100 Andy could make a U360 rotary OR a U360 topfire
I really have no idea what is involved with manufacturing, so that is just a guess as to what people might be willing to pay
I realize that is expensive but a regular rotary joystick alone is at least $50, and that won't do 4-way, Analog, 49 way, 4-way diagonal, etc. that the U360 will, so it seems like it would be a good deal if you only want one stick on your panel
Again though this is all just conjecture