Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Everything Else => Topic started by: RayB on September 28, 2012, 12:05:50 am

Title: Crowdfunded arcade button
Post by: RayB on September 28, 2012, 12:05:50 am
I haven't had time to dig into the details of this (and whether it actually exists and is for sale yet); It's a new arcade button project that was funded through indiegogo.com

http://www.indiegogo.com/HBFS30 (http://www.indiegogo.com/HBFS30)

Title: Re: Crowdfunded arcade button
Post by: Howard_Casto on September 28, 2012, 12:35:27 am
Man I hate to be a downer, but that doesn't look like a good button at all.  That hexagonal lip is just odd.  I'm not sold on the keyboard style switches either, I'm sure they are durable but I bet they'd feel funny.  The terminal connectors on the end and certainly too flimsy.  I've used that gauge on electronics before and generally you can break the posts off just by looking at them funny. 

I hope I'm wrong on it, but I don't think I am.
Title: Re: Crowdfunded arcade button
Post by: SavannahLion on September 28, 2012, 01:32:52 am
Man I hate to be a downer, but that doesn't look like a good button at all.  That hexagonal lip is just odd.  I'm not sold on the keyboard style switches either, I'm sure they are durable but I bet they'd feel funny.  The terminal connectors on the end and certainly too flimsy.  I've used that gauge on electronics before and generally you can break the posts off just by looking at them funny. 

I hope I'm wrong on it, but I don't think I am.

As usual I disagree with you on all points in varying degrees except one. Those terminals. Those keyboard switches look like they're meant to be soldered into a pcb, hence their flimsy nature. Did you read the most recent posting? Looks like they realized the same and discovered they ---fouled up beyond all recognition--- up. That kind of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- wouldve been discovered during prototyping instead 90% of their promotional crap are renders. If they had one protoype, they would've caught that design flaw from the getgo.

I think the buttons are different enough in appearance that it might warrant some particularly interesting design choices. I just can't place my faith in any product that doesn't go through some real world testing first.
Title: Re: Crowdfunded arcade button
Post by: amendonz on September 28, 2012, 05:44:09 am
They've been 'real world testing' for a couple months...

I'm somewhat interested to try them but hardly see the point, Sanwa buttons feel just right imo
Title: Re: Crowdfunded arcade button
Post by: pinballjim on September 28, 2012, 09:34:01 am
They're kinda neat looking.  Frankly I think all the interest in arcade fighting sticks has been a great thing for our hobby.  Buttons and joysticks have never been cheaper and I've gotten some rather decent off brand stuff that I've been quite happy with.

Title: Re: Crowdfunded arcade button
Post by: SavannahLion on September 28, 2012, 10:28:09 am
They've been 'real world testing' for a couple months...

I'm somewhat interested to try them but hardly see the point, Sanwa buttons feel just right imo

My point is is that a prototype is done to catch these kind of errors before a production run. Now they had to alter the offer slightly and eat the resulting costs. Heck, just getting their hands on the switches should have made them question the suitability of the pins.
Title: Re: Crowdfunded arcade button
Post by: HaRuMaN on September 28, 2012, 10:48:30 am
The OCD in me would go nuts trying to align all those hexagonal buttons on a panel.  Round is better for me  ;)
Title: Re: Crowdfunded arcade button
Post by: Vigo on September 28, 2012, 11:10:58 am
Frankly I think all the interest in arcade fighting sticks has been a great thing for our hobby.

Agreed.  :cheers:

With the hex shaped buttons, I think it would be eye popping on the right project. I'm thinking something heavy and industrial like Rick's Doom'd cabinet - (which i don't know if we will ever see finished).
Title: Re: Crowdfunded arcade button
Post by: wp34 on September 28, 2012, 04:03:56 pm
The OCD in me would go nuts trying to align all those hexagonal buttons on a panel.  Round is better for me  ;)

I was interested in trying them until I read your post.  Yeah that would be bad. 
Title: Re: Crowdfunded arcade button
Post by: pinballjim on September 28, 2012, 05:05:32 pm
Couldn't you just clamp a straight edge across the front of a row of them and then tighten them?  I don't see alignment being more than a 2 minute problem.

Title: Re: Crowdfunded arcade button
Post by: HaRuMaN on September 28, 2012, 05:20:46 pm
Couldn't you just clamp a straight edge across the front of a row of them and then tighten them?  I don't see alignment being more than a 2 minute problem.

That'd be fine, but I don't put my buttons in straight line. 
Title: Re: Crowdfunded arcade button
Post by: SavannahLion on September 28, 2012, 06:18:08 pm
Relax you two, there's nothing to tighten. They clip in.
Title: Re: Crowdfunded arcade button
Post by: flashiv on September 29, 2012, 05:12:30 am
Did no one else read this line and not snicker at least a little??

Your sweetheart will be more to love your Stick!   :laugh2:

Yes I know English is not this person's first language, no I do not care, it's still funny.

I also agree that the terminal connectors do seem a bit flimsy.

Title: Re: Crowdfunded arcade button
Post by: Gray_Area on September 30, 2012, 11:11:33 pm
Relax you two, there's nothing to tighten. They clip in.

Yeah, they're very much like metal CP Seimitsus. Which you do have to be careful with in placing and removing the connects.
Title: Re: Crowdfunded arcade button
Post by: Mysterioii on October 01, 2012, 08:57:20 am
Since they just clip in aren't they going to be prone to rotating once they're in the panel?  Even if they clip in fairly tight I'd expect them to get a bit "off" after a while...
Title: Re: Crowdfunded arcade button
Post by: Howard_Casto on October 01, 2012, 09:41:28 am
Yeah they are probably going to spin around fairly easily, thus why I said the hexagon lip was an odd choice, but nobody listens to me.  ;)

The whole reason button lips are generally round is so that their aren't any pesky alignment issues like this.  There are ways around it... you can sometimes cut notches in the hole where the clips would hit, but without a cnc-ed panel that is kind of hard to do. 


Like I said, it just isn't a very well-designed button.  I get the feeling that the people working on it don't have much experience with real (read suzo/wico/happ)  arcade parts. 
Title: Re: Crowdfunded arcade button
Post by: pinballjim on October 01, 2012, 09:47:21 am
One drop of hot glue is going to fix any spinning around problems (which are going to be non-existent unless you deliberately try to spin them)

Title: Re: Crowdfunded arcade button
Post by: Mysterioii on October 01, 2012, 10:01:30 am
Honestly I've never used the clip-in style that require a thinner panel, I've just got a 3/4" MDF panel so I use the threaded/nut style.  If these clip in nice and tight then I agree they'd probably be fine.  If they're at all loose I imagine they'd turn.  Like if you were ever wiping smudges off your CP or whatever.  But again, I've never used them so I don't know.

I guess I just don't like the aesthetics of the hex design there, but I have a box full of buttons already waiting for my eventual CP rebuild so it's a non issue for me.   :cheers:
Title: Re: Crowdfunded arcade button
Post by: SavannahLion on October 01, 2012, 01:15:45 pm
Yeah they are probably going to spin around fairly easily, thus why I said the hexagon lip was an odd choice, but nobody listens to me.  ;)

The whole reason button lips are generally round is so that their aren't any pesky alignment issues like this.  There are ways around it... you can sometimes cut notches in the hole where the clips would hit, but without a cnc-ed panel that is kind of hard to do. 


Like I said, it just isn't a very well-designed button.  I get the feeling that the people working on it don't have much experience with real (read suzo/wico/happ)  arcade parts.

I was trying facetious but I guess I needed a smilie for that.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing on that last part. I'm thinking it's a fan with no real experience or real world background. Interesting ideas but execution needs more work.