Jess Ragan Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 Got all my arcade joystick parts in today and I put one together for less than $25.00 US. I decided to make just an atari extension cable and use a male 9 pin on the joystick too so I can if I want move it and use it on my Raspberry Pi Emulation station too.. Cost of the Joystick and 2 buttons (I only used one) was $17.00 US Had some 9 conductor wire already (only need 6) Had the connectors on hand bought a small box enclosure for $3.00 US that's Hinged and has a magnet to keep it closed. Took about an hour. Hardest thing was lining the joystick shaft in the center of the 1/2 hole I drilled. The joystick is from Adafruit and so is the button. Here some pics. I am going to paint it and put some rubber feet on it. But it works great. You get that box from Jo-Ann Fabrics? That's what I did when I made a spinner several years ago. The nice thing is that the wood (presumably balsa or compressed sawdust) is soft enough that you can cut into it without needing a drill. More recently, I made a spinner using a Sterilite container and the drive head from an old VCR. Works a lot better, although I had to load the bottom down with coins to give it weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuTomato Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 I prefer my home grown sticks but if you're handy and can build an adapter I really like the pistol grip joysticks from the Bally Astrocade. I'm a big fan of home-rolled sticks as well. I just finished doing a retrofit on a third party Sega Genesis gamepad that I'm pretty happy with. This version is just an experiment, the next step is going to be a perfboard+3D printed enclosure with tactile switches. This round was mainly to see if TI99 games felt "wrong" with a gamepad instead of a joystick. I hate to say it, but I actually kinda like the gamepad better and my stick is a custom-build with an arcade machine stick and button. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shift838 Posted February 15, 2017 Author Share Posted February 15, 2017 You get that box from Jo-Ann Fabrics? That's what I did when I made a spinner several years ago. The nice thing is that the wood (presumably balsa or compressed sawdust) is soft enough that you can cut into it without needing a drill. More recently, I made a spinner using a Sterilite container and the drive head from an old VCR. Works a lot better, although I had to load the bottom down with coins to give it weight. I actually got the box from HobbyLobby. Cheap and easy to work with. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LASooner Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Honestly, I just use the standard TI joysticks. Apparently I don't hate my hands as much as you hate yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 No kidding! Those things are tremendously horrendous! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Apparently I don't hate my hands as much as you hate yours. No kidding! Those things are tremendously horrendous! This image has been floating around for awhile now... but it still applies! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuTomato Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 I actually got the box from HobbyLobby. Cheap and easy to work with. The two stores are approximately the same. Joann's has much more in the way of fabrics, and Hobby Lobby has much more in the way of basically everything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shift838 Posted March 1, 2017 Author Share Posted March 1, 2017 I finally finished painting and getting the graphics on the Arcade Joystick. What do all of you think for a first attempt.. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opry99er Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 Ooohhh yeah!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 I finally finished painting and getting the graphics on the Arcade Joystick. What do all of you think for a first attempt.. FIRE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globeron Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 Hi Chris, Definitely I love: "Suzo The Arcade Joystick" (I learned from a person in NL that they have a nickname "Rotterdammertjes" (a city in Netherlands)) See Min. 2.46 (for the Black and Beige version pictured): Here is a video about TI joysticks I made some time ago: (channel TI99 Videos on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jwHlQfNTAKQ9WdKORAnpA) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airshack Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 I prefer my home grown sticks but if you're handy and can build an adapter I really like the pistol grip joysticks from the Bally Astrocade. I'm going to make you an adapter for the Intellivision controller to TI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airshack Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 I finally finished painting and getting the graphics on the Arcade Joystick. What do all of you think for a first attempt.. That's PIMP! Love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airshack Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Probably the best is: http://www.edladdin.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shift838 Posted March 10, 2017 Author Share Posted March 10, 2017 That's PIMP! Love it! it has the true arcade feel too.. going to make one more for the TI then I am going to make a 4 or 6 button USB version for my PC and Retro Pie... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkdrummer Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 I'm going to make you an adapter for the Intellivision controller to TI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkdrummer Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Hater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airshack Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 That spinning gold disk controller helps ya catch the MoJo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digdugnate Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 this is a super cool thread- those TI sticks are 'less than ideal', lol. Thanks for all the ideas! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 this is a super cool thread- those TI sticks are 'less than ideal', lol. Thanks for all the ideas! There is another thread on AtariAge about building your own joystick that has lots of examples & ideas. If you think that might interest you... << CLICK HERE >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 I also vote for the Slik Stik. I had 2 of these for my Commodore 128 (after the TI was put back in its box) and they were my favorite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fimbulvetr Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 I have a pile of different sticks, but for some reason I keep coming back to the ti hand manglers. After so many years of using those, my scores always drop when I switch to another one even if it is technically superior, like my competition pro, wico bat, or silk stik. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Steve Jones Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 I just tried using a sega genesis gamepad with the wico atari-ti99 adapter and it doesn't seem to work, the adaptor works fine with the Wico Command Control stick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digdugnate Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 "wise from your gwave...." The folks that have Slik Stiks- do you like them? I'm getting ready to get a joystick adapter and want something for longer than 5-minute game sessions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shift838 Posted June 23, 2017 Author Share Posted June 23, 2017 "wise from your gwave...." The folks that have Slik Stiks- do you like them? I'm getting ready to get a joystick adapter and want something for longer than 5-minute game sessions. i like the slick stick, but the last 2 sets new in box that I bought, neither worked. So I said screw it and made my own joystick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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