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RAM Controls - Star Wars Yoke
Level42:
--- Quote from: Timstuff on June 25, 2008, 12:58:40 am ---....
It's a shame that there's so little market for a good Star Wars style yoke, but really, what can you expect for a peripheral who's claim to fame is a game that is slowly becoming extinct? To my knowledge, there hasn't been a single new vector monitor built in over 20 years, so it's kind of inevitable that once that finite supply is diminished, the existing Star Wars PCBs will be rendered useless. I don't even think there's a market for the Zektor ZVG anymore because of this fact. If you by some miracle own a Star Wars machine, cherish it while you can, because eventually that monitor is gonna burn out, and there will be nothing to replace it.
--- End quote ---
As a SW owner I find this all overly negative.
The only part that is unique for a vector monitor is the yoke. I've rebuilt my Amplifone 25" in my SW cockpit, and I'm telling you that it will live longer than me. The amplifone deflection and HV boards are very reliable once rebuilt. The CRT is going to last VERY long because of course now it's not running 24/7. True, the Amplifone uses a mid-res CRT that is not available anymore at all (25") or that is readily available NOS (!) from Canada (while supply lasts). Even so, the CRT itself can be replaced by a standard resolution CRT if nothing else will be available anymore.
Because of the popularity there is a vast number of SW (and other vector) machines in the hands of collectors, and they will be around for a long time. More and more people rebuild them or keep them in good running condition. The reason why the SW yoke is (close to) impossible to make profittable is that the whole construction is expensive to produce and the market is relatively small. I think Dave's market was much less replacing yokes on original machines (why would you, some new small parts (from David !), a fresh paint and off you go) then selling them to MAME users.
FrizzleFried:
I think everyone is waiting on a product that isn't going to ever happen... :dunno
This yoke has been promised for longer than I have been in the community.
ahofle:
Well other than the paint, all the parts are supposedly finished. Who here has ordered a kit to rebuild their existing yoke? Looks like you can order pretty much every part on his site.
shardian:
The guy has manufactured very high quality parts in the past (MH roller), so its not a scam. Hell, he has sent me a pair of Atari cone lights for free! I hope he chimes in here soon and updates everyone on the process. It really is a shame, because he gave away a ton of stuff shipped for free to the community as a sign of goodwill a few months ago.
FrizzleFried:
--- Quote from: shardian on June 25, 2008, 11:20:33 am ---The guy has manufactured very high quality parts in the past (MH roller), so its not a scam. Hell, he has sent me a pair of Atari cone lights for free! I hope he chimes in here soon and updates everyone on the process. It really is a shame, because he gave away a ton of stuff shipped for free to the community as a sign of goodwill a few months ago.
--- End quote ---
With all due respect...but SLIKSUCK also produced very high quality products in the past...so that's not really any kind of gauge as to what the guy will be doing (or not doing) in the future. If it was a year, or two years, but man, we're now going on what? A decade? ;D
This is the Duke Nukem of the arcade scene...
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