To anyone who has made or modified a arcade stick....

Thread in 'Hardware' started by DumbledorsArmy, 7 Aug 2008.

  1. Hey everyone. I've decided that at some point soon (hopefully), I want to construct a arcade stick of my own. I want to do this for several reasons.

    1. I've been having a ball with Texmaster, and I want to have a better way for input. Right now I'm using a wonderfull DragonBall PS controller.
    2. I like making things. [​IMG] Back in the day, when I lost the rumble on my PS2, I tracked the problem down to a blown fuse. Instead of ordering a new fuse, I modded my PS2 with a in-line fuse holder that I ran into the hard drive bay. Problem solved, and if it ever happens again I am able to fix it in about 5 seconds.
    3. I found a arcade supply company very close to where I live that carry Sanwa and Seimitsu parts. Shipping for a stick and buttons will run me about $7.
    4. It seems like the best option for me. I was checking out some pre-made sticks and it seems like making my own would be more cost effective to do. That, and I like a challenge and the satisfaction of making something kick-ass.
    5. I have a wired MadCatz Xbox 360 wired controller laying around doing nothing. What else am I gonna do with it? It would be nice to have a arcade stick for the Xbox Live arcade games as well.

    The questions I have:

    1. What model stick do you all use? There are several listed on the website for each company.
    2. Buttons? Is there much of a difference between either manufacturer?
    3. Are there any company's that sell blank controller boxes? Although I'm still not sure about this, I may want to make it myself. That way I can make it to my specifications.
    4. Am I insane for wanting to do this? Probably not, as I know I've seen other people do this.

    Arcade parts: Lizard Lick Amusements
    Webpage with info on how to mod a 360 controller: How to make a Xbox 360 arcade stick

    My current POS controller. It makes all kinds of horrible noises when I play...
    [​IMG]

    If and when I do this, I am going to document to whole process. Maybe get a 'how to' on the TC boards.
    Comments, thoughts, suggestions....
     
  2. Most of us use Sanwa's JLF-TP-8Y stick.
     
  3. That said, I primarily use the Seimitsu LS-32.
     
  4. Muf

    Muf

    1. Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT
    2. Sanwa OBSF-30
    3. Just get an old secondhand cheap ass arcade stick, like a Virtua Stick Saturn, Namco PSX Stick, Hori Fighting Stick or something, remove the insides and put in your arcade parts & MadCatz PCB. You can do a custom print on the faceplate and/or give the shell a custom paint job.
    4. I did it, and it saved me quite a few pennies over getting a VSHG or an HRAP.
     
  5. heh, i was planning on ordering a custom soon.

    g'luck (b^^)b
     
  6. cdsboy

    cdsboy Unregistered

    I have VSHG, but before i got that i rewired a Hori Tekken 5 special edition stick to a 360 controller. DO NOT go with the official controllers, the contacts are super tiny so you have to be a beast to solder them. If you can try to get one of the slick controllers that have universal ground for the d-pad.

    EDIT:
    grr i need to learn not to skim... i see you already have a madcat one >.>
     
  7. Of course these are to two models that are temporarily sold out.

    Another thing I noticed. Some of the sticks have a 5 wire wiring harness. Will I be able to adapt this for what I want to do? If I can't, then I will be limited to the Sanwa JLW-TM-8 (don't know what the difference between this one and the JLF other than the 5 wires versus 8 ), the Sanwa JLW-UM-8 (bat handle, don't want it) and the Seimitsu LS-32 (out of stock, of course it doesn't really matter at this point, not building it right now).

    I'm still torn on what way to go with the enclosre... I haven't found any pre-made sticks with a case that I like. I'm just too damn picky...

    Thanks, this will definately be an adventure, especially if I build the enclosure myself. [​IMG]
     
  8. Muf

    Muf

    Of course, why wouldn't you be able to? Just get the harness for it:
    [​IMG]
    And solder the wires to your PCB. That's how I did it; well, sort of. the wires are soldered onto a piece of veroboard which has a pin header on it, to which I connect my gamepad PCB which has a flatcable soldered to it for ease of maintenance. Here's how it all looks:


    That's funny, I haven't seen any handmade boxes that I'd want for myself, so I went with factory ones [​IMG].
     
  9. I forgot that I had this at one point.
    [​IMG]

    This controller SUCKED ASS. The 2 main reasons I bought it:

    1.The spinner control. You would figure that it would be great for AstroPop from the XBL Arcade. Nope, absolutely horrible.
    2. Picked it up at GameStop for $12.00 new. It came with 3 free arcade games, so I figured why not.

    Anywho, this is the current state of that controlller now.
    [​IMG]

    It got stepped on and the stick was snapped off. But due to my inability to throw anything electronic out, I still have it. Opened it up and I'm liking what I see. Of all the solder points that I need to make (26 of them), 22 of them have open holes so I can just run the wire through the board and solder it. Only four of them will have to be soldered to the leads on the flat surface of the board. The other thing I like about it is the headset hookup. It's not part of the board. I could extend it if I want to. I'll probably just run a extension cable though since Microsoft has done away with the wierd looking hookup for the headset. I don't think I'll find myself ever wanting to hook up the chatpad to this. The only think that sucks about this board right now is the cord. It got shredded at some point as you can see in the bottom left corner of the pic.

    How would this hook up with one ground? Have you done this before? I might not be too worried about it though if I use the board from the MadCatz arcade stick. The d-pad point all have holes through the board where I can make the hookup's pretty easily.
     
  10. cdsboy

    cdsboy Unregistered

    You get the version of the joystick with universal ground. [​IMG]
     
  11. Thanks for all the responses! I might be able to do this sooner rather than later. My friend needs me to install her car stereo in her new car and she usually buys me something for payment. So I'm thinking about getting her to pick me up what I need to build this.

    Another thing. I met this guy that does some pretty amazing woodcarving. So I might possibly be getting some custom artwork engraved in the box if I make it!
     
  12. Phydeaux

    Phydeaux Unregistered

    Good to know. I almost paid $40 for it. Used.

    Instead I got one of these. I don't even play fighting games.

    What's funny is that there was a total of three stickers on it. The first one was $59.99, it'd been plastered over by a $39.99 one and then it had a $59.99 plastered back on.

    There's one of these for the Wii out there, too. I'm considering getting it for the $39.99 before it gets jacked up, too.
     
  13. the only people that make boxes that are readily available is xarcade but they make it for american style layouts.
    here's a site with joystick pictures that is mostly from members at shoryuken.com
    http://www.joystickvault.com/showgallery.php/cat/506 pretty much every button layout is on there.
    also additional links are SRK tech talk and SRK trading forum. Most people would advise not to try to make your own box unless you are an experienced carpenter and have the tools. If you want to make your own stick then you have to buy all the tools and then what usually happens is that when you make it it doesn't come out quite like you wanted and so you make another and that continues until you finally can make a respectable stick but by that happens you spend more than what you would have if you bought it from a stickmaker. I would just browse SRK's trading forum and get a case from there. Ask the stickmakers if they have a slot open and can make you a case. I'd recommend hahano, he made my stick. he makes good, inexpensive cases, tell him I sent you maybe he'll give you a discount haha.

    EDIT: forgot to mention arcade in a box. They recently started doing sanwa sticks and the owner frequents SRK and is very easy to contact. Of all the stick builders he'll probably be the quickest since the other stick makers do it as a hobby where as he does it for a living and is used to working on many projects at once.
     
  14. FYI Hahano no longer does customs atm...though I guess if you just wanted a case it wouldn't hurt to ask.

     
  15. I guess I must have forgotten to take my brain pills this morning. I thought he recently opened back up for orders and I posted in his thread to vouch for him but I checked the post date and it was back in april. my how time flies! [​IMG]
     
  16. i -wish- he was still taking orders. Pabs of the TA.net forum was going to hook be up with a pretty sweet deal.
     
  17. Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I have decided that I am going to fabricate my own box. I found some button layouts online and I enjoy a challenge. On a scale of 1 - 10, I would rate my carpentry skills at about a 5. I have a decent selection of tools, and my friend that I'm installing the car stereo for has the rest. She is going to chip in for the parts I need as payment for me installing her stereo. All I need now if the sticks to stop being "temporarily sold out".....
     
  18. hey guys, i like building my own sticks and have done so. But if you'd like to have someone else build it, I recommend the custom sticks over at ShoRyuKen forums. http://forums.shoryuken.com/forumdisplay.php?f=226
    The guys there have made hundreds of sticks and have lots of pictures and feedback. You can also look at the pictures for ideas for your own.
     
  19. Hey everyone. Well, I should be ordering my parts in the next several days. Car audio installation is going well. Should have that done tomorow. So when I got home tonight I did a little bit of work to the controllet pcb. Removed two small unright pcb extentions that were used for the LB and RB buttons. Soldered on a new USB cable. Plugged it into the 360 and everything is great. Hopefully in the next week or so I'll be able to start to seriously build this thing. How big of a footprint does the average stick have? I'm going a little large, somewhere around 10" deep and 16" wide. I do my playing from my bed so I want something large to rest on my lap.
     
  20. it's really up to you and depends on your uses. I think i've seen quite a few sticks around 8.5"x11" size but if you want something more substantial well, -you're- the one making it so that won't be a problem.
     

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