Absolute Question and Answer Thread v.3 (ASK YOUR QUESTIONS HERE!)

[LastVerse]

What does a actuator do. I have no idea what the difference between a bigger or smaller one makes and what they do.
Also, is there a standard spring tension across the various sticks, or does it depend on the manufacturer?
I always hear Sanwa and Seimetsu buttons are better than X or Y… But never WHY they are better - More responsive?

Actuator is the part of the joystick that hits the microswitches that tell the PCB what direction you’re pressing in. Genuinely speaking, a bigger actuator means a shorter throw (total distance the joystick travels) and also a smaller dead zone. (distance the joystick can move without registering any motion.) The spring tension is different for every stick, with the “american” brands being noticeably stronger than the Japanese brands. Most people consider Sanwa/Seimetsu buttons best because of their increased sensitivity. Most people winning tourneys also tend to use Japanese parts, which has cemented the idea that in order to be the best you can be, you need parts from those manufacturers.

And lastly Question about the Qanba Q1, a simple starter stick. i got it, and I’m on my way to mod it, and as I was disassembling it i noticed something I haven’t seen in any of the youtube vids talking about it. And that is that i have these little black tubes where my screws should be… And I can’t remove them or do anything to do them. Which seems to mean I’m stuck with the art as I can’t remove the plexi to add my own art…

Am I missing something here?

Ahhh, my first project stick…

The newer Q1 models have those plugs. I forget the specifics, but I believe they’re glued together. I never attempted to remove them.

Thanks man.

[PlasmaWaffle]

Any recommendations for a good soldering iron for PCB work? Last one I bought doesn’t even heat at the tip enough to melt solder, had to use the side of the iron.

[DeeQue]

@LastVerse Good news. I found my old Q1 case, and I’m going to scrap it and use the parts for a new arcade stick (I replaced all the buttons, joystick and PCB on it previously.) If you still need to know exactly how that plexi separates, I can check for you.

[LastVerse]

@LastVerse Good news. I found my old Q1 case, and I’m going to scrap it and use the parts for a new arcade stick (I replaced all the buttons, joystick and PCB on it previously.) If you still need to know exactly how that plexi separates, I can check for you.

Yeah, I’d like that.

[DeeQue]

Good news! No drilling required.

Turns out the “black caps” on the top side are some sort of rubberized leveling compound. it’s kinda stuck in there, but I’d advise to use a pic or small screwdriver instead of a drill to clean it out.

After that, you just remove the screws hidden underneath.

The artwork is adhered to the plexi, so after you peel the backing away you’ll need some elbow grease to get it totally clean. The old image seems to come off easily enough with a razor, but I didn’t do more than 1 spot just to see if it would work. I suspect you’ll need to use some kind of plastic-safe solvent to fully remove the old artwork.

All in all, far easier to do than I thought it would be.

[LastVerse]

The artwork is adhered to the plexi, so after you peel the backing away you’ll need some elbow grease to get it totally clean. The old image seems to come off easily enough with a razor, but I didn’t do more than 1 spot just to see if it would work. I suspect you’ll need to use some kind of plastic-safe solvent to fully remove the old artwork.

You weren’t kidding about this. Any suggestions for a solvent. I’m not sure if acetone or isopropyl would damage the plexi.

[DeeQue]

Honestly, I always used a professional quality plastic cleaning agent when I wanted to do that sort of stuff, as I was in the automotive industry and that was easy to come by. I actually don’t do a lot of this type of stuff.

However, a quick google search told me “fuck no to acetone” and “isopropyl alcohol isn’t too corrosive, but some glues are resistant to it.” If you aren’t having any luck with a razor or the isopropyl, another option is to sand with fine paper on a block (Finish with 3000 grit, I wouldn’t go much heavier than 2000 grit, depending on how hard it is to remove) and then polish once it’s all off. I think @ed1371 mentioned in another topic that those magic erasers sometimes do the job. Might be worth a try.

[ed1371]

Any recommendations for a good soldering iron for PCB work? Last one I bought doesn’t even heat at the tip enough to melt solder, had to use the side of the iron.

I use a Weller 40 Watt Soldering Station (WLC100)
Its certainly not the best but reasonably priced and has been perfect for me.

I think @ed1371 mentioned in another topic that those magic erasers sometimes do the job. Might be worth a try.

They work very well, however they will put a haze on plexiglass. You would still need to use something like Meguiars clear coat safe polishing compound to get it clear.

[Dong_84]

hi guys, i have two madcatz fightpad sfxtk version , one is for ps3 and the other one is for xbox 360.

this is a great pad imho, but… i’ll try to explain.

both fightpads got a random glitch; sometimes if you press two or more buttons together , they remain pressed for 2-3 seconds then everything returns to normal state. i do not mean phisically pressed, i mean electronically pressed.

am i the only one who noticed this? how can i fix it? could some modders help me about this issue, please?

thanks.

[Darksakul]

hi guys, i have two madcatz fightpad sfxtk version , one is for ps3 and the other one is for xbox 360.

this is a great pad imho, but… i’ll try to explain.

both fightpads got a random glitch; sometimes if you press two or more buttons together , they remain pressed for 2-3 seconds then everything returns to normal state. i do not mean [physically] pressed, i mean electronically pressed.

am i the only one who noticed this? how can i fix it? could some modders help me about this issue, please?

thanks.

Could be still a mechanical problem, It could be that the button rubber domes got stuck, and you could try to take apart and clean them.
I bet there alot of dirt inside those pads.

[jd213]

Hi, I’m looking to mod my HRAP v3 SA so I can use it on my PCE, Saturn, SNES, NES, Genesis, [
edit: and PS1/PS2] and DC (pretty much in that order of importance). So after looking around a bit, it seems I need to:

Step 1: Buy MC Cthulu and install it

Step 2: Mod cables from extension cables or old controllers

Question 1: Am I on the right track?

Question 2: I lurked in the MC Cthulu thread a bit, and all the problems people were having scared me a bit. Is there a better option for multi-console compatibility?

Question 3: I think I can install the MC Cthulu itself, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to make all the cables myself. Are there people who sell modded cables?

Thanks in advance.

[Feel_The_Byrne]

What’s a good EU stockist that has Koren sticks (the rubber base ones) available

[rumble1212]

I’m trying to find the top panel dimensions to a Madcatz Chun Li TE 2. I’m on vacation in Mexico and a local metal worker can make me a stickless button panel if i give him the measurements. I bought several templates in PSD format to print but no public computer have the program, so i’m literally stuck with pen and paper. Length and width would be greatly appreciated. I tried to find measurements but had no luck. Thank you very much!

[coredump]

So would 1.65 mm of Aluminum (6061) be strong enough to hold a sanwa joystick + plate? I never used aluminum so I don’t know how strong that is. 5052 is also available

[Darksakul]

So would 1.65 mm of Aluminum (6061) be strong enough to hold a sanwa joystick + plate? I never used aluminum so I don’t know how strong that is. 5052 is also available

According to slag coin6061 Aluminum is a very weak material and I would not use it without definite reinforcement.
I also would not recommend 5052 Aluminum.

I would use 2024 (which is stronger than some steel) or 7075 which is tougher than 2024.

Otherwise I just use steel.

[coredump]

So would 1.65 mm of Aluminum (6061) be strong enough to hold a sanwa joystick + plate? I never used aluminum so I don’t know how strong that is. 5052 is also available

According to slag coin6061 Aluminum is a very weak material and I would not use it without definite reinforcement.
I also would not recommend 5052 Aluminum.

I would use 2024 (which is stronger than some steel) or 7075 which is tougher than 2024.

Otherwise I just use steel.

And when using steel (or one of the other aluminum) what thickness people usually go?

[Taiki]

So I refurbished an old HRAP 1, but somehow in the intervening years, the screw holes have been stripped in one way or another. Only three or four of the screw posts actually do anything.

I’ve seen online you can use things like various adhesives to fix the problem, but I really don’t want to fuck this up. Has anyone does this before? Is there anything to watch out for? Search is kind of useless for this.

[Vicko]

So I refurbished an old HRAP 1, but somehow in the intervening years, the screw holes have been stripped in one way or another. Only three or four of the screw posts actually do anything.

I’ve seen online you can use things like various adhesives to fix the problem, but I really don’t want to fuck this up. Has anyone does this before? Is there anything to watch out for? Search is kind of useless for this.

Can’t you just replace the nuts on the underside of the panel?

[Taiki]

So I refurbished an old HRAP 1, but somehow in the intervening years, the screw holes have been stripped in one way or another. Only three or four of the screw posts actually do anything.

I’ve seen online you can use things like various adhesives to fix the problem, but I really don’t want to fuck this up. Has anyone does this before? Is there anything to watch out for? Search is kind of useless for this.

Can’t you just replace the nuts on the underside of the panel?

This is the bottom base plate. The screw holes have been stripped and I have tape holding the screws in the holes until I have a solution.

I have no goddamn idea what happened either.

[Smashbro29]

Was thinking of getting a model 2 Saturn pad and a converter to use on my PC but I’m sort of stuck on which converter to get.

I’m just stuck. I don’t know what’s good because there’s practically no reviews online.

http://www.tmove.net/index.php/component/page,shop.product_details/category_id,57/flypage,shop.flypage/product_id,309/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,30/vmcchk,1/

http://www.raphnet-tech.com/products/saturn_usb_adapter/

Amazon.com: Mayflash SS Sega Saturn Controller Adapter Converter for PC: Computers & Accessories

Amazon.com: Mayflash Sega Saturn - N64 - PS2 Controller Adapter for PC USB: Computers & Accessories

Some of them seem like they have more utility for less money but maybe they don’t work as well? I honestly have no clue. Would appreciate any help on this.