4-Way Stick to 8-Way

[Tempest]

I have a DECO cabinet that came with a 4-way joystick (for Burgertime). However I want to convert the joystick to an 8-way so I can play Bump N Jump. There is a 'Limiter Disc' that limits the movement to 4-ways. Does anyone sell a similar disc that goes 8-ways? I could notch this one out, but I'd hate to ruin the original part.

 

Here's a picture of the disc:

 

http://www.atariprotos.com/temp/4waydisc.jpg

 

Tempest

[Cassidy Nolen]

Now I see what you are talking about. If you take that out, the stick will 'almost' reach two switches at the same time. If you made the end of the stick thicker, you could get it to hit two at once. I would slip a piece of tubing (maybe gas line tubing or thin heater hose from the auto parts store) over the end of the stick and see if it reaches two at once. It should. Notching that limiter out will still not give you the reach you need to hit two at once. I figured that out the hard way (took it out and tried to use it without it, still no dice).

 

Tempest, disregard my PM. Now I know what you are talking about

 

Cassidy

[Tempest]

It may be my imagination, but I swear it was working without it being "thicker" (boy does that sound like one of those spam e-mails I get). However the stick doesn't feel "right". I think the problem is now without the limiter it's moving too far and there's a delay in the time it takes to get back to center.

 

Would a thicker stick (snicker) and putting the "limiter disc" back in fix the problem?

 

Tempest

[Zaxxon]

I know they(happ?) sell joysticks that have a collar you can easily just rotate to switch between 4 way and 8 way.

[Cassidy Nolen]

Trouble is, its a custom stick. I had never seen one quite like it, although it is similar to some Nintendo VS or DK sticks I had seen.

 

Tempest: try it with the limiter in and with the thicker piece. May just do the trick. I know what you are saying about that centering issue. If you just try the thicker piece at the bottom, it may work without that piece being in. The one in my Burgertime is a 4 way stick, but is not gated, and it works fine.

 

Cassidy

[Tempest]

Trouble is, its a custom stick. I had never seen one quite like it, although it is similar to some Nintendo VS or DK sticks I had seen.

 

I thought it looked a bit odd. Is everything in this cab custom? I went to go look for a replacement screw (I did end up finding the original BTW), and discovered the screw threads were different than the standard as well.

 

I'll try making the stick thicker and see if that helps. What would you recommend? Can I just wrap tape around it or something?

 

Tempest

[Cassidy Nolen]

Custom does not begin to define that cabinet. Ironic that the power supply is the standard switching power supply. Back in the day, they were the parts that were not interchangeable and buttons usually were. That cabinet is so out there, its backwards on that too!

 

Tape should work. I would use something that you can take back off easily if you do not like the results...

 

Cassidy

[video game addict]

Sorry for the OT, but damn that's the spiting image Cassidy! That's classic love the new avatar!

[Cassidy Nolen]

Sorry for the OT, but damn that's the spiting image Cassidy!  That's classic love the new avatar!

 

Thanks man. My friend Dave Dixon did it for me. He was at PC5 this year too. He did all of us as Simpsons characters for our wedding gift. Now Curt cant make fun of my ugly puppet or Teletubbies avatar!

 

Cassidy

[ToddUGA]

Ultimarc sells the T-Stick+ joystick that can be switched from 4 to 8 way and vice versa by simply pulling the stick up and turning it. The website is http://www.ultimarc.com/. Don't know if this helps or not as I'm not familiar with the control panel of your machine.

[Tempest]

Success! Kinda...

 

I put some tape around the shaft to make it wider (hehe... ) and it works when I push diagonally, but since that plastic disc is actually notched in the four main directions, it feels really weird. When you press up, down, left, or right it falls in that notch and moves a fair distance, but when you move in the four diagonals it you only can move a little way before the disc stops the stick. While it will still move in the diagonal direction, it still feels odd. Also since the four main directions are notched and the diagonals are not, it makes it really hard to slide the stick from a main direction to a diagonal since it has to come out of the notch first.

 

It's really hard to describe, but it isn't working. I'm going to try it without the limiter disc tomorrow.

 

Tempest

[Tempest]

Well I've decided that a 4-way game can't be played with an 8-way stick. Looks like I'll have to keep switching out control panels...

 

Tempest

[Cassidy Nolen]

Unfortunately, that is the same result I found, too. Sorry man, at least you have both panels.

 

Cassidy

[Tempest]

Yeah I figured as much. I mean if there wasn't any difference they wouldn't make two different types of joysticks. I guess if you were REALLY percise in your movements you could use and 8-way in a 4-way game, but it's really tough.

 

I wonder what the ratio of 4-way to 8-way games are for the DECO? I'm guessing most are 4-way and Bump n Jump is an oddball.

 

Tempest