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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: quarterback on February 19, 2006, 01:12:10 am

Title: What can I do with this crazy old pot-based joystick
Post by: quarterback on February 19, 2006, 01:12:10 am
Anybody remember these?   

(http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/1285/14radioshackjoysticksmaller5lb.jpg)

This is a joystick from my old old TRS-80 days.  I dug it out a while back and I'm wondering if there's anything that can be done with it.

It has a free-floating (non-return-to-center) joystick, which really really SUCKED for playing Pac-Man way-back-when.   So I guess I wasn't surprised when I opened it up and realized there were pots inside instead of switches.

(http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/6250/13radioshackjoysticksmaller5tm.jpg)

So, is there any way to put this to good use?   Any way to interface it with my MAME setup?  Any reason to go to the trouble?   It's got this 5-pin DIN kind of connection. 

(http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/4025/15radioshackjoysticksmaller4bj.jpg)


Title: Re: What can I do with this crazy old pot-based joystick
Post by: Witchboard on February 19, 2006, 01:30:38 pm
Doesn't Randy make a product that interfaces with POTs?  Maybe it would be a good flight stick or something.
Title: Re: What can I do with this crazy old pot-based joystick
Post by: TheCaptain on February 19, 2006, 02:10:35 pm
Throw it at some kids. Those darn punks need some straightening out.
Title: Re: What can I do with this crazy old pot-based joystick
Post by: Crazy Cooter on February 19, 2006, 03:40:15 pm
Mini-motorcycle bars.
Title: Re: What can I do with this crazy old pot-based joystick
Post by: quarterback on February 19, 2006, 03:44:22 pm
Mini-motorcycle bars.

http://www.carolinamcevents.com/bbrest/bbrest.html ?
Title: Re: What can I do with this crazy old pot-based joystick
Post by: Tahnok on February 19, 2006, 04:22:23 pm
Isn't that the kind of joystick that is in the Quasicade panels? It may work well for running console games on your cabinet.
Title: Re: What can I do with this crazy old pot-based joystick
Post by: M3talhead on February 19, 2006, 04:40:58 pm
Auction it on eBay as a "rare, priceless collectable".
Title: Re: What can I do with this crazy old pot-based joystick
Post by: quarterback on February 19, 2006, 04:54:07 pm
Isn't that the kind of joystick that is in the Quasicade panels? It may work well for running console games on your cabinet.

That's what I was thinking.   I'm just not sure how to hook it up.   After Witchboard's post, I did some investigating.  I'm not sure if RandyT make's something for this, but I think the Ultimarc A-Pac would work, but I'm not really interested in dropping any significant money (more than $20 max) on this 'project'.

Auction it on eBay as a "rare, priceless collectable".

Now we're talkin!  :)
Title: Re: What can I do with this crazy old pot-based joystick
Post by: Tahnok on February 19, 2006, 05:39:08 pm
You could contact this guy and see if he could hack it for you:

www.retrousb.com

He would probably charge more than the cost of an encoder, but it would be easier.
Title: Re: What can I do with this crazy old pot-based joystick
Post by: quarterback on February 19, 2006, 05:42:31 pm
Wow, that's pretty cool.  Thanks for the link tahnok100!
Title: Re: What can I do with this crazy old pot-based joystick
Post by: divemaster127 on February 19, 2006, 05:43:07 pm
Boy that stick brings back memorys, I used to years those a long long time ago
Title: Re: What can I do with this crazy old pot-based joystick
Post by: NoOne=NBA= on February 19, 2006, 11:34:46 pm
First thing that came to mind for me is a Tailgunner CP.
Title: Re: What can I do with this crazy old pot-based joystick
Post by: ErikRuud on February 20, 2006, 10:02:25 am
Tailgunner! That was my thought as well.

Hack it with a cheap analog stick.  1Up's Star Wars yoke instructions would probably come in handy.

I might have to go and find one of those.  Tailgunner was one of my favorites.
Title: Re: What can I do with this crazy old pot-based joystick
Post by: dphirschler on February 21, 2006, 01:11:57 pm
I have a similar joystick that I have been planning to use specifically for Tailgunner.  Frankly, I don't know what else it's good for.


Darryl
Title: Re: What can I do with this crazy old pot-based joystick
Post by: USSEnterprise on February 21, 2006, 02:35:10 pm
The connector looks the same as that used on an old AT computer keyboard
Title: Re: What can I do with this crazy old pot-based joystick
Post by: Shifty on February 24, 2006, 11:45:43 pm
PC pots range from 0 to 150 kohm. According to this page ( http://users.erols.com/tiltonj/games/tech/cococont.html ) the pots are 60 kohm, not big enough for the PC. You'll have to do some serious mods to make it work, and make a new connector. Is it really worth it? Those sticks were pretty horrible.  :P

I've done some mods on joysticks, this page has some good info on joysticks.
http://www.epanorama.net/documents/joystick/pc_joystick.html .