Joystick stuff I messed some things up!??!!?

[rdowdy95]

Hey guys I ordered the 4 way MS PacMan stick with the longer handle from Tornando Terry.  Here is my problem.  First I took it apart, and now I can't remember how it went back together.  First of course I have the ball top piece with the skinny silver shaft connected.  Then I have the longer metal spacer over that with the black dust cover.  Then I have a black piece.  This piece is going kind of like wider side on top and the bottom of that piece is narrower.  Then of course those are on the top part of the base of the stick.  Then I have the white piece that looks like the same as the black piece but on the bottom of the stick and base.  Then under that is the little C-Clip.  that fits in the groove.  Now the white piece on the bottom I don't remember which way this piece goes.  But I have it right now the narrower side down with the C-clipped snapped on the bottom of the metal rod.  Is this right???

Also was messing with one of my Supers and the E-Clip thing shot off somewhere on the carpet in my dirty ass computer office room>  Can't find it anywhere.  Anyone know where I can order one of those lil (#$*($s.  Or can anyone send me a free one.

[AlanS17]

You can find clips at most good hardware stores. Don't look in placces like Home Depot. Check the locally owned shops.

[johnm160]

Depending on the size you can find a pretty good assortment of E clips in some autoparts stores also.

[rdowdy95]

Also does anyone know if the eclip for the Super is the same as the 4-way Pac-Man stick???  Cause it was actually the eclip I lost for the Ms PacMan stick, but I put one of my super eclips on there and it holds it fine.

Still wondering if I set the MS Pacman stick back up correctly though.

[rdowdy95]

Like should the actuator go like this?  Like this pic when I move stick in a 360 circle it only hits one microswitch at a time.  Now if I flipped the actuator over it from the pic say the actuator was the other way with the wider part of the actuator it would sometimes hit two switches at a time.  So is the look in the picture right?

[AlanS17]

Well E clips are standard hardware. It's not unreasonable that they would fit onto more than one joystick.

I'm trying to find an exploded view of that joystick, but I can't find one online. I know it has to exist somewhere, though.

It's a 4way joystick so it should never hit more than one at a time. If it's hitting 2 at a time, something is wrong.

[rdowdy95]

Right now with the actuator set like I drew it in the picture.  I am hitting one at a time.  However, when I hit a perfect diagnol no switch gets hit?

[AlanS17]

Right now with the actuator set like I drew it in the picture.  I am hitting one at a time.  However, when I hit a perfect diagnol no switch gets hit?

Hmmm... how perfect is this diagonal? You should never be able to hit two switches at once, but the distance between one direction and the next should be practically non-existent. My only repro Pac joystick is in a machine over 500 miles awway so I can't check it out for you.

[rdowdy95]

I just checked both.  It doesn't hit both switches.  I flipped it to the other way where the skinnier part is facing the eclip.  Damn it is hard to get the eclip off with the skinnier actuator part facing the eclip.  I went and put it back like I have it in the picture.  I emailed Terry about it hopefully he can get me an answer.  Man my finger nails are hurting from that dang eclip.  Anyways here is a question say I press diagnol on this thing is it suppose to hit a microswitch?  Cause before when I changed it to the opposit of the pic I could hit a diagnol and it would hit a switch.

[rdowdy95]

I found a pic on Happ Controls, and it shows the actuator is not like my picture but the other way.  Hopefully Terry will tell me what the right answer maybe.

[rdowdy95]

Anyone else using the MS PacMan reunion stick?

[AlanS17]

In diagonal it should hit one switch, but never two. Hitting two switches will actually cancel each other out in a 4way game, and neither switch will register. I'm not the one to be giving advice, though. I don't have mine in front of me.

For future reference, loosen the clip by wedging a screw driver under it. You'll save your fingers a world of pain. (Just make sure it doesn't go flying. You can do that by putting a plastic bag over it while you take it off.)

[shardian]

Here is my thread from awhile back when I had a problem with my reunion stick.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=54918.0

Maybe it will help you a bit.

Also when taking out e clips, I use a small flat blade screw driver to slightly work off the e-clip, then get it off the rest of the way with a pair of needle-nose pliers. Works everytime with no flying parts.

[rdowdy95]

what part is a pivot cone.

[rdowdy95]

In diagonal it should hit one switch, but never two. Hitting two switches will actually cancel each other out in a 4way game, and neither switch will register. I'm not the one to be giving advice, though. I don't have mine in front of me.

For future reference, loosen the clip by wedging a screw driver under it. You'll save your fingers a world of pain. (Just make sure it doesn't go flying. You can do that by putting a plastic bag over it while you take it off.)

So if I hit diagnol now with actuator it doesn't hit anything.  When I flip it though it only hits one switch so I will go ahead and set it like that like the picture on happ.  On the reunion stick on Happ it shows just  a side shot.  That way actually hits one switch in a diagnol.

[rdowdy95]

Okay I talked to Tornado Terry.  He said I had it upside down in the pic.  That is why I wasn't hitting anything when I went diagnol.  Cause like the above poster said when I hit diagnol it should atleast hit one switch.  So in the pic I need to have the thicker part of the actuator close to the base and not close to the eclip. 

Now I just need to get some replacement eclips.

[Hoopz]

Lowes has e-clips.  You probably want to take your joystick in to make sure you get the right size.  And buy extras.

I use the same process that Shardian mentioned for removing them:  jeweler's screwdriver to move it partially off and needlenose pliers to take it off at that point.  Someone mentioned in a thread a while ago about a tool specifically designed to be used on e-clips.  That would be nice if you want, but not necessary.

[FunWithFire]

If you have a decent strength magnet you might be able to wave it around on the ground where you dropped the other eclip to try and find it.

[shardian]

If you happen to have a junk hard drive sitting around, bust that sucker open and you have to awesome magnets you can mount to sticks to have part picker-uppers. 

[ahofle]

Vacuum the room with a bagless vacuum (best invention ever for people who lose stuff in the carpet).

[rdowdy95]

All great ideas guys only problem is this thing fired off and hit the wall cause I saw it hit the wall then it like disappeared.  I do have a bagless vacumn.  The Dyson.  But I also have a ton of open boxes and such that it could of went into any of them.  I think I will just look at the hardware stores.  See I have three Supers.  One is an extra to have on hand.  So I will use the eclip from one of those.  The MS Pacman reunion stick looks exactly like the Happ Super Base just modified with a diamond style shape to blockl the diagnols.

I think my local Ace Hardware has them.  Lowes is far for me.  Anyone know if Home Depot has eclips?

[leapinlew]

Home Depot only has A,B,C,D,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z clips.

[quarterback]

Home Depot only has A,B,C,D,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z clips.

LOL   

[Kremmit]

A Super e-clip and a Reunion e-clip should be the same.  Just take one of them with you to any hardware store and match the size.  Thats the size of the hole in the middle, the outer diameter doesn't matter.  One clip should cost less than fifty cents.

re: hitting switches on diagonals

With your Super, you should hit two switches when you press diagonally.  With your Reunion, you should hit zero switches when you press diagonally- not one as posted above.  Your Reunion is a 4 way stick- Up, Right, Down, Left, those are your four directions.  No diagonals, so no switches when you try to move the handle in a diagonal direction.  The diamond-shaped restriction you mentioned on the bottom of the Reunion base is there specifically to keep you from managing to push the handle to the diagonals far enough to trip switches.

[rdowdy95]

Kremmit tell me this though.  On the activator what end would you face down the wider end or the narrow end.  Tornado Terry told me to put the narrow end down.  The wider end down is how I have it set in the picture/

[Hoopz]

Kremmit tell me this though.  On the activator what end would you face down the wider end or the narrow end.  Tornado Terry told me to put the narrow end down.  The wider end down is how I have it set in the picture/

The narrow end is "down" or closer to the e-clip on mine and I haven't had any problems with mine.  Trust Terry. 

If not, just try both and see which way gives you the best results. 

[quarterback]

Kremmit tell me this though.  On the activator what end would you face down the wider end or the narrow end.  Tornado Terry told me to put the narrow end down.  The wider end down is how I have it set in the picture/

The narrow end is "down" or closer to the e-clip on mine and I haven't had any problems with mine.  Trust Terry.

This is what the reunion joystick looks like without the big bothersome mechanical parts that make it work:

[rdowdy95]

Thanks guys.  My narrow end is closer to the eclip now.  Terry is a cool guy.  I need to order another replacement stick from him just to have on hand.  I have a very tiny dent in my ball close to the very middle where the line is on the ball.  Like something cut into the ball somehow.  Could be a manufacturing defect of this particular ball.  It is hardly noticeable, but I need to order another one anyways just to have on hand if it gets damamged.  I have an extra super for this purpose as well.  Just so if something screws up I don't have to wait for a replacement.