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Do you use a "Homebrew Joystick"? - Post your pics!


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Well if the all-button controller is fair game for this "joystick" topic, maybe paddles are too. Anybody ever make custom paddles?

 

I suppose there is not much choice or variety in new components for a paddle controller. But I've been looking at various Pong console controllers and wondering about repurposing one as a 2600 controller. I wonder if some of them would have compatable potentiometers?

 

.. For the simplest paddle hack, I immediately really want a single solitary paddle, just a standard one wired by itself, without having a second paddle tethered to it.

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The 2600 and Atari 8-bit computers use 1M linear pots. I'm not entirely sure, but it seems that most (?) Pongs based on the AY-3-8500 do too. Assuming this info is correct, the paddles should work.

 

(The VIC and C64 use 470k linear pots, for compairison)

And the Apple ][s use 150K Linear Pots...

 

MarkO

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The 2600 and Atari 8-bit computers use 1M linear pots. I'm not entirely sure, but it seems that most (?) Pongs based on the AY-3-8500 do too. Assuming this info is correct, the paddles should work.

 

(The VIC and C64 use 470k linear pots, for compairison)

I used 470kohm pots in my custom Atari joystick because the 1M pots seemed way too twitchy and no games really used more than half the travel anyway.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Black and pink goes very well! Question though, any reason to go with the 24mm button instead of the 30mm?

It's not 24mm. That's a standard 1+1/8 inch (28mm) IL button in hot pink (Paradise Arcade Shop Exclusive):

http://paradisearcadeshop.com/il-psl-l/720-paradise-pink-il-concave-pushbutton.html

paradise-pink-il-concave-pushbutton.jpg

 

The button only looks small because it's paired with an oversized 45mm bubble top by Simitsu:

http://paradisearcadeshop.com/seimitsu-lb-45/1067-seimitsu-45mm-pink-joystick-bubble-tops.html

seimitsu-45mm-pink-joystick-bubble-tops.

:grin:

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Given how horribly awful the Atari 7800 "Pro-Line" joysticks were I couldn't resist trying to redeem the Pro-Line name with my Atari 2600 creation. :D

 

7aVE2ql.jpg

 

 

More pictures and info: Here

Jin, your stick is nothing short of amazing. I'm so glad I was able to assist you with the wiring. :thumbsup:

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Jin, your stick is nothing short of amazing. I'm so glad I was able to assist you with the wiring. :thumbsup:

Thank you very much for the compliment, and thank you even more for the fantastic job that you did building the cord and wiring harness! It was as professionally done as anyone could ask for and I'm confident that it will last a lifetime. Plus it's nice to have a stick that looks as good on the inside as it does on the outside! :D

Edited by Jin
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Did it ever strike you as a possibility to add more buttons and some switch that makes the joystick selectable between Atari/Commodore, Sega Genesis, perhaps MSX, Master System, why not take the full course and make it compatible with TI-99/4A, Odyssey^2, Amstrad CPC and whatever other systems were using DE9 connectors? The Channel F of course but it has additional rotation and pull functions (which could be simulated by second button).

I suppose this would require a small PCB, perhaps with some custom programmed chip that would route inputs to DE9 pinouts but it would be very cool to at least support a few of those, since you're already putting a lot of labor into building the stick itself.

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Did it ever strike you as a possibility to add more buttons and some switch that makes the joystick selectable between Atari/Commodore, Sega Genesis, perhaps MSX, Master System, why not take the full course and make it compatible with TI-99/4A, Odyssey^2, Amstrad CPC and whatever other systems were using DE9 connectors? The Channel F of course but it has additional rotation and pull functions (which could be simulated by second button).

 

I suppose this would require a small PCB, perhaps with some custom programmed chip that would route inputs to DE9 pinouts but it would be very cool to at least support a few of those, since you're already putting a lot of labor into building the stick itself.

I created a schematic that swaps between Atari 7800 and Sega SMS pinouts with a simple DPDT toggle switch. I tested this schematic in a cigar box enclosure and it works.

post-33189-0-08069100-1474949168.jpg

 

The Sega buttons have pullups on the Atari paddle lines that allow them to work with 2600 homebrew. This setup does requires a third button due to the fact the 7800 Fire buttons do not share a common ground plane with the other button. See also:

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/241814-universal-joystick-schematic-for-2600-7800-sms-untested/

 

SMS mode behaves a bit strangely on a 7800 and visa-versa, but either switch setting should work with the majority of 2600 games. For Harmony cart usage, the Sega pinout needs to press the Fire button upon boot.

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Now THAT is one impressive stick!

 

Thank you Omega, that really means a lot to hear coming from the person who started this topic. I did try my best to give it a clean and professional factory produced look, and I think it came out really well. An interesting factoid that I forgot to mention earlier is that the bat top joystick is the exact same length (right down to the millimeter) as the original Atari CX-40 joystick, giving it a little extra authenticity.

 

Originally I had milled out a skinny aluminum bat top for it that was about the same diameter as the CX-40 stick, but when I finally got it all put together it ended up looking really odd having a skinny little joystick coming up out of the massively sized control panel; so I ended up swapping it for a regular old Sanwa bat top that was wider and looked more appropriate and didn't change the height of the stick.

Edited by Jin
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Originally I had milled out a skinny aluminum bat top for it that was about the same diameter as the CX-40 stick, but when I finally got it all put together it ended up looking really odd having a skinny little joystick coming up out of the massively sized control panel; so I ended up swapping it for a regular old Sanwa bat top that was wider and looked more appropriate and didn't change the height of the stick.

Will you use the aluminum bat top for something else? It sounds really cool. Could you post a photo of it?

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.. I'm trying to figure out which joystick to buy. I asked the owner at the arcade I go to which joystick is on the game he has that I really like the feel of and he said it's a standard Sanwa. Kosmic mentioned here using Sanwas also.

 

My question is how does a Samitsu compare?

 

The reason I'm looking at something other than what I already know I like is that I think a standard stick will be too long for what I'm trying to do. Samitsu has a standard product with a SHORTER SHAFT. I think I found a custom Sanwa short shaft for sale but it seems too expensive to me.

 

I'm definitely buying a generic Samitsu clone with a shorter shaft to experiment with. My project is pretty risky so I'm starting with cheaper components. But I am trying to buy everything I'll need for the final build now too.

 

Does Samitsu feel like Sanwa?

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.. I'm trying to figure out which joystick to buy. I asked the owner at the arcade I go to which joystick is on the game he has that I really like the feel of and he said it's a standard Sanwa. Kosmic mentioned here using Sanwas also.

 

My question is how does a Samitsu compare?

 

The reason I'm looking at something other than what I already know I like is that I think a standard stick will be too long for what I'm trying to do. Samitsu has a standard product with a SHORTER SHAFT. I think I found a custom Sanwa short shaft for sale but it seems too expensive to me.

 

I'm definitely buying a generic Samitsu clone with a shorter shaft to experiment with. My project is pretty risky so I'm starting with cheaper components. But I am trying to buy everything I'll need for the final build now too.

 

Does Samitsu feel like Sanwa?

IDK. I've got Paradise Arcade Sticks on my cigar box controllers I'm planning on selling eventually. They handle very nice but are a bit "clicky." Jin said the stock PCB harness the JLF comes with is also very clicky. Honestly I'm not convinced there is a good option for square gates without clicky switches.

 

The harder the switch, the more tactile feedback it gives, but it's also louder the audible click. Upgrading to soft switches on a Japan style square gate joystick results in desired silent operation but also allows the actuator to slide into the corner a bit too easily, accidentally actuating diagonals when you don't want to.

 

I did buy a Sanwa to upgrade my prototype cigar box because people say great things about them, but ordered the Cherry mod, not the standard PCB harness, and an octagon gate, stiffer spring, oversized actuator and shaft extension to accessorize it. I doubt it compares to a stock JLF anymore.

 

Most joysticks in the $10 range are either Happ/IL Comps or Simitsu clones. The Zippys are available in standard and slightly longer shaft sizes, and if you buy them from Groovy Game Gear, you can upgrade them with soft touch micros. The 20g "silent" Zippy micros also have longer travel before actuation, so if you want to mod it with a Simitsu LS-32 circular gate or a custom 3D printed octagon gate, you will have trouble actuating the diagonals. This can be fixed by wrapping the actuator with electrical tape to decrease the actuation distance.

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I don't mind hearing a click as long as it feels good to handle. The one at the arcade seems free and loose to me but the owner said it is standard Sanwa. You can hear some clicking but it is a light springy noise and doesn't seem to correspond with much resistance. .. I have heard of "tuning" switches by bending the springs?

 

.. I think Jin shows a JLF and I was looking at a JLW. Are they functionally different or is it more just about how you want it wired? .. JLW looked simpler and slightly smaller profile to me.

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Sure! It's a bit of a pain taking apart my Atari 2600 stick to change out the bat top but I did take a couple pictures of the skinny bat top on a un-attached Sanwa JLF stick. :)

 

pvj9w8m.jpg

 

7O3QeCt.jpg

II was gonna ask why you didn't simply twist the balltop, but I remembered you had a sleeve on it so you can't grip it at the base of the shaft. But it shouldn't be necessary to completely disassemble the stick. Just remove the bottom control panel and stick a flat screwdriver into the slot at the bottom of the shaft to immobilize it. Then you can simply twist off the balltop from the top of the stick.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Time for a bump. Introducing my latest creation, the "One Hit Wonder." The ultimate in simplistic controls: A single Fire button. That's it. No tilty sticks or other nonsense.

post-33189-0-93022800-1478834641_thumb.jpg

 

Compatible with these fine AtariAge homebrew games, and possibly more. If anyone knows of other vintage or homebrew games that utilize only the single FIRE button, please let me know... 8)

detail_1048_2600_WallJumpNinja_Cart_detadetail_1059_2600_JumpVCS_detail.jpgdetail_1038_2600_Flappy_detail.jpgdetail_329_2600_Swoops_detail.jpg

First I bought a 60mm red LED button from Adafruit.com

https://www.adafruit.com/product/1190

 

Then I got an unfinished wooden box from Michael's (4.25 x 4.25 x 2.875 inches), sanded it, finished it with Minmax ebony stain and wood finish. Turned out really nice. Both the spring and microswitch in the 60mm button were stiff as a rock so I harvested the spring and red LED from an old Spectralight LED push button. The LED that came with the 60mm button was white instead of red so I used the old red LED for purity.

 

The photos really do not do justice as it's nearly impossible to capture the light from an illuminated pushbutton. I think I took like over 20 photos (flash, no flash, in the dark, and open) before I got four shots that were acceptable. Overall it's gorgeous lit up and the button is very responsive with the upgraded spring and switch.

 

Just three wires used, GND (pin 8 ), VCC for the LED power (pin 7), and FIRE (pin 6).

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Awesome idea. I had something similar in mind when i recently really got into this game:

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/35026-cave-1k-new-homebrew-minigame/

 

I haven't been playing the last week or so and I don't remember which version it was that I was playing. But i found it shockingly fun and gratifying one button action. Great mechanics, great graphics and sound.

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Awesome idea. I had something similar in mind when i recently really got into this game:

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/35026-cave-1k-new-homebrew-minigame/

 

I haven't been playing the last week or so and I don't remember which version it was that I was playing. But i found it shockingly fun and gratifying one button action. Great mechanics, great graphics and sound.

Looks awesome. Post game suggestions here: :thumbsup:

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/258898-single-button-games/

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  • 4 weeks later...

My 2600 Proline just arrived from Jin. I decided to lay everything out for photo op and came to the realization that I am officially a joystick junkie. Well anyway the first step towards recovery is admitting you have a problem. I kid; I kid... :P

post-33189-0-38333700-1481075851_thumb.jpg

 

Front row (left to right): CX-40, Arcade Forge Black Retro Joystick**, "One Hit Wonder" single button*, Atari Quick Shot, NES Quick Shot, dual function 7800 / SMS cigar box*

 

2nd row: 10x6x4.5" MDF 7800*, 8x8x4" plywood 2600 w/ Paddles*, "Pink Panther" cigar box*, Starplex cigar box*,

 

3rd row: NES Advantage, Emio Edge Joystick (CC to NES conversion mod WIP), Super Advantage, 3-button Sega Arcade Stick

 

4th row: 20x8x4" plywood NES controller w/ turbo*, 20x8x4" plywood SNES controller*

 

5th row: Atari 2600 Proline Joystick (originally commissioned by Jin of AtariAge)**, "Eight Ball" Retro Built Games Fight Stick v3***, Retro Built Games Porta Pi MAME cabinet***

 

[no asterisk] Commercial product.

*Designed and assembled by myself.

**Designed and assembled by a third party.

***DIY kit designed by third party, assembled by myself.

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So you have built 8 joysticks by yourself, assembled 2 joysticks from DIY kits, bought 2 other homemade joysticks and on top of that, have 7 original manufacture joysticks, using a broad term that includes gamepads, paddles and alike?

 

Edit: I had to do a recount...

Edited by carlsson
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