AAARGH! Hori Real Pro Arcade joystick is broken! Please Help!

Tech Talk
21

good idea

22

Slagcoin is your friend!
http://slagcoin.com/joystick/pcb_wiring.html#SOLDERING
http://slagcoin.com/joystick/pcb_wiring.html#TERMINALS_AND_CRIMPING

23

jdm714, another question:

>>
Slide on Quick Disconnects to Microswitch Terminals.
Will go on COM and NO.

<<
what does “COM” and “NO” mean?

thanks, JT

24

COM is Common (Ground).
NO is Normally Open (Signal).

An SPDT Microswitch has three Terminals; NC, NO, COM.
For our Joystick use, we do NO and COM.

NC is Normally Closed; circuit will stay closed (action alway register) until press (action stop).
You would not want to use NC or you will always be moving.

25

ugh my head hurts from all of this. Gonna try and borrow a soldering iron off our building superintendent tomorrow . . . .

26

update

hi guys,

So I decided to test out the joystick one more time, and here are some clarifications.

  1. all the microswitches work, including Down. So I’m pretty sure I don’t need to replace any of the microswitches at all.
  2. the joystick DOES NOT WORK very well when either down back, or down forward, instead the character on the screen just starts walking backwards or forwards. I have a square gate, and even when I move the joystick perfectly in either corner, the character on the screen is moving. If I really push the joystick hard into the corner, then I can crouch, but only sometimes. If I push directly down then I am able to crouch (hence #1). It’s just the down/diaganols that are flaky.
  3. the microswitches are all snug in their proper places, and the restrictor gate is on snugly as well.

Do u think maybe the proportions of the square gate have been compromised, after the fall? or just maybe the entire assembly (gate, microswitches, everything) is somehow slightly displaced?

27

update - 2

Played around some more. Decided to rotate the restrictor gate 180 degrees. Still having same problem with down/diagonals, so quite sure it’s not the restrictor gate (unlikely to begin with)

Maybe the PCB thing is not reading the signals correctly? Really scratching my head now.

Let me know if I am on the right track here. I think I’ve established so far that it’s not a microswitch problem (unless I am totally missing something here.) All 4 microswitches work fine when I “click” directly on them. Seems to be an issue only when down/right and down/left microswitches are “clicked” at the same time, which leads me to think there may be a non-physical issue (e.g. PCB).

any help again is greatly appreciated.
thanks, JT

28

Try playing in some training mode and turn on button inputs, does all 8 directions register?

29

You can also plug your joystick into your PC and check the buttons in the Devices and Printers menu to check all the buttons and the directional inputs. It will show you a picture of your directionals as you press them down and will show you the button presses as well.

30

@ryu-bi: it was in the training mode that I’ve determined that the down/diagonals do not work. Again, if i really force it good, I can get a crouch, but normally I just move back and forth

@Digital: didn’t know I could do that. Will give that a shot and report back my findings.

thanks, JT

31

@Digital: Can I plug the joystick into an imac or does it work with PC only?

32

here is what I’m thinking

since I can’t seem to pinpoint the joystick issue, perhaps I should just purchase the

Sanwa JLF-TM-8

from Lizard Lick? and since I’m averse to soldering, just connect the joystick via Quick Disconnects? I was thinking of getting some Sanwa buttons as well, so it might make sense to order everything at once.

Would appreciate any feedback. . . . thanks, JT

33

I’m wondering if the notches that hold the microswitch in place could’ve broken. If you remove the restrictor gate and lift out the switches, there should be a couple of notches that each switch rests in. If any of them are snapped, bent, or something, this could result in the switch not being “clicked” when you push on it with the stick, I had a similar issue with a different stick of mine.

34

here is what I’m thinking

rather than rack my brains to pinpoint the problem, I think I’m going just to going to order the Sanwa stick part from Lizard Lick.

Chad, the owner, suggests I get this one:

Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT

which is the “drop-in replacement” for the Mad Catz TE stick. I guess that means it would work for the HRAP EX as well? Can someone confirm? (because in a previous post in this thread jdm714 suggested the Sanwa JLF-TM-8. Want to make sure I order the correct part, even though I’m sure Chad knows what he’s talking about)

I assume I can just connect the entire thing via quick disconnects.

Might as well order some Sanwa buttons while I’m at it (!)

thoughts on the above?

35

I know what I’m talking about.

You won’t find Sanwa JLF-TM-8 being sold.
The Sanwa JLF-TP-8 replaced it.

You’ll just find the JLF-TM-8 in an HRAP EX, HRAP EX SA.
Specifically it is JLF-TM-8T-SK with Black Ball Top, JLF-TM-8T-SK-K.

You cannot use Quick Disconnects with a JLF-TP-8.
There aren’t even compatible Terminals on the Microswitches to use them.

If you buy a Sanwa JLF-TP-8, you will have to do what I said in the First Post.

So with that, either cut the Traces of the TP-MA or replace the TP-MA with four individual Microswitches.
Replacing the Microswitch PCB Assembly with individual Microswitches is essentially converting JLF-TP-8 into JLF-TM-8.

NotANoob81 and I did tell you to get Sanwa MS-O-3R Microswitches if you want to use Quick Disconnects.

36

thanks

I am getting it now. Wish the solution was more straightforward but I guess that’s the way it is.

Chad from Lizard Lick also confirmed as well. He said they could modify the JLF-TP-8 and save me the trouble. I’m getting a price quote from him now.

Depending on the cost, I just might bail and get the Mad Catz TE stick. Loathe to drop $150 but SF is just too important to me. :slight_smile:

I’ve pinged both Hori and the ebay seller to see what they can do to help me, perhaps do an exchange or something. I’m not terribly optimistic; not even sure if I’ll hear back from them. Seems like a slow time a year.

37

If you really need to get a whole new stick, you could get the HRAP EX-SE for $90 on Amazon:

It’s all Seimitsu (still high quality) parts, and even if you didn’t like the Seimitsu parts, it’d still be less than a retail TE to replace them.

38

bushinfist, would you tell me what printing is on the Microswitches in your JLF?
The typing will be on the other side of the Microswitch when you remove the Restrictor Gate.

There should be some numbers and letters.

And the Company too.
Because I’ve seen more than one used in a JLF-TM-8.

39

V-10-1A5

looks like the company is OMRON.

Lizard Lick is saying:

"we just remove the pcb altogether, and replace it with Sanwa MS-0-3 switches… This is actually an item that I’ve been consdering adding to the site, here’s a side-by-side comparison for you:

If I were to sell these on the site, they would actually be cheaper than regular JLF’s, $19.95…"

do you think this is a good deal. . . seems pretty reasonable to me.

40

Very cool to see that Lizard Lick thinking of adding to the site.

Yes man, get the JLF-TM-8, and use Quick Disconnects.
But like rtdzign said, you should do test.

What if it is your Hori PCB?
Your HRAP EX did get dropped.

bushinfist, thank you for your confirmation.

From long ago, my JLF-TM-8 has micro Yamatake (azbil Yamatake) Microswitches.
They were the MS-Y-3 from Sanwa.

MS-Y-3 are no longer seen on Sanwa website.
And AkihabaraShop.jp does not have them anymore.

Like Lizard Lick, I have the MS-O-3 also.
Those are used in the LED Buttons.

But AkihabaraShop.jp now has MS-O-3R.
I do not know what the difference is.