twisting joysticks...?

[Distortion]

I can't think of any specific machines that use them, but I know that I've seen twisting joysticks before.  So there's kind of a third axis on them.  Does anyone know where I can get these, or how they hook up?  (by microswitch or optically)  I would think they could hook up by microswitch since they don't spin indefinitely, but I could be wrong.

[Minwah]

I think you are refering to 'rotary joysticks'.

Head over to www.happcontrols.com, click on amusement>joysticks>rotary & optical joystick.

You are right in both of your suggestions, there is an optical one and a mechanical one.  You can hook the optical one up using Happ USB interface, mouse hack etc. and for the mechanical type you need Druins Interface (sorry don't have the url).

Ikari Warriors, Heavy Barrel & some other SNK games use the mechanical type - I'm not sure which games use the optical type (maybe Caliber 50).  I believe you can use either of these joystick types to control all of these games in MAME tho.  They are usually classed as 'dial' games by MAME I believe.

Hope this helps

[eightbit]

The advantage to the rotary one is it can also be used as a spinner making it more universal. The mechanical one gives you the authentic arcade feel of Ikari warriors and Heavy barrel and games like those.

The origanels used in Ikari warrior can be gotten at http://www.videoconnect.com/index.html or Happs has a mechanical one. Druins interface for the mechanicals is located at- http://members.rogers.com/druins22/ls30/

I don't know much about the optical rotary but I think it can be hooked to a optipac from ultimarc or you can get a interface from Oscar or hack a mouse. But I have no experience with those.

[Distortion]

ooh, I just had a thought....If there were a rotary joystick with a trigger, it would be a great substitute for a spinner and trigger stick for Tron.

[SirPoonga]

xybots used a different twisting joystick
when you twisted left it hit a microswitch to turn the screen left, same with right.  It wasn;t 360 rotory though.

[SirPoonga]

ooh, I just had a thought....If there were a rotary joystick with a trigger, it would be a great substitute for a spinner and trigger stick for Tron.

Ummm, that would be really hard to use:)

[brandon]

yeah.. it would have to have a button on the top.. and then the wire would get tangled up as you turned the stick... it would be cool though...

[Distortion]

Notice I said substitute...obviously it's nothing like the original, but it sure beats the spinner i don't have.

[eightbit]

yeah.. it would have to have a button on the top.. and then the wire would get tangled up as you turned the stick... it would be cool though...

It wouldn't have to be a wire. There is ways to activate a switch without a wire. Though I can't imagine twisting, moving, and fireing with a stick such as this.

[Distortion]

I was thinking more along the lines of the microswitch twisting version.  It would be much less hassle than a fully rotating joystick.

[eightbit]

I was thinking more along the lines of the microswitch twisting version.  It would be much less hassle than a fully rotating joystick.

That would be a twist joystick but not a rotary. I guess it depends on what your going for. Me I wanted mechanical rotarys like Ikari warriors. I really loved that game.