Few SE Questions

Tech Talk
1

I’ve used quite a few of Fightsticks but I just haven’t found one for me yet. My first was a Hori Ex 2 which I still think is awesome despite the cheapness but it is breaking. Then I bought a HRAP for the Xbox 360 and it had flat buttons was overall just too big so I got rid of that.

Then I got a used TE, which is what I have now. I really liked it at first but it had some problems but I assumed that’s because it was used. It’s pretty rough now and I put Seimitsu buttons in it which I found out, the hard way, that I don’t like.

So I am thinking about picking up a SE stick here in the next few weeks. I plan to put Sanwa parts in it but I am just wondering if the other parts of the stick will last, like the PCB isn’t cheap and stuff like that.

I am thinking I will like the SE stick more because it is smaller and I am pretty small guy plus I like to set my stick on my lap which is hard for me with the TE.

So if anyone could just give me some general knowledge on the SE as well as price and price of the parts to put in it I would appreciate it. Or just direct me to somewhere I could find this info.

2

Maybe it is better to put new Sanwa parts in TE, if you consider it as a “rough”. TE is hardly destructible. Me, personally, would not recommend buying SE when you have TE already. TE has much better an comfortable design (space around joystick).

I can’t tell you about the PCB, but factory parts are pretty damn bad. You already said that you would replace them with Sanwa which is OK.

3

Well on my TE, most of the Top bolts are stripped out, only two on there at the moment to hold it on and I had to get those from a hardware store so they aren’t perfect. The mic port doesn’t work, which hasn’t been too much of a problem because I use a Wireless mic but sometimes that dies and I am SoL.

Also I find the TE too big to keep on my lap and almost too heavy. Like I said I am short, 5’4 on a good day.

4

I never play with joysticks in my lap… I always put them on a desk or (more often than not) a box when I sit on the floor. More comfortable to me that way.

As far as Seimitsu goes, I’ve had mixed experiences with their product.

I really, really like the LS-32-01 but want to try the LS-40-01 and LS-56-01 joysticks, too.

As far as their buttons, I don’t care for most Seimitsu buttons. The only ones I’ve bought that I like are the Pearls (PS-14-P) but I’m willing to try the ultra-thin PS-15s. These are the Seimitsus that are closest in feel to the Sanwa OBSF-30 series.

I had PS-14-G’s in my HRAP 3 SE but I gradually started to hate them over time and am going to replace these buttons (which I sold months ago) with PS-15’s when I can afford it.

The Sanwa OBSF-30’s really are among the most sensitive and comfortable buttons on the market. They really helped extend my gameplay time. Before, stock buttons (the crap Hori uses on its regular HRAP and licensed HRAP lines) hurt my fingers and I could play 10 minutes tops with stock buttons. Now, I’ve got no problems playing a half hour or more with the OBSF’s.

The one Sanwa product that I play with that I have mixed feelings on is the JLF. It’s a good joystick for modern 3-D fighters like SF IV but is horrible for the older 2-D fighters. It’s just too loose, IMHO, and even putting in another spring doesn’t help much in my case. I’m sort of expecting better results with tighter tension, short throw joysticks like the LS-40 and LS-56 series. I’ve gotten so-so results with the LS-32 but even that seems better for the older games than the JLF.

Not much you can do with stripped top bolts (they’re called cap socket screws) other than replace. The previous stick owner didn’t use the right tool or doesn’t understand how to use an Allen wrench. (A lot of people are cheapskates and just refuse to buy the right tools and they wonder why their screws get ruined!)

You could contact Mad Catz and see whether they’ll send you replacement cap sockets for the TE, or like you said, get replacement metric cap sockets from a hardware.

I’ve never seen cap sockets in a hardware store that match the OEM cap sockets, though. They always have smaller heads (accept 2.5 size metric hex/Allen keys) even when the length is correct. They still hold faceplates and plexis well on the TE, though.

5

[quoteI’ve never seen cap sockets in a hardware store that match the OEM cap sockets, though. They always have smaller heads (accept 2.5 size metric hex/Allen keys) even when the length is correct. They still hold faceplates and plexis well on the TE, though. ]

[/quote]

Yeah that’s exactly what I got, and I only bought two of them because I wasn’t sure if they would work. I have mixed feelings about Seimitsu as well. On my HRAP, I loved the Joystick on that thing but when I put a seimitsu in my TE it just felt…Wrong. And the buttons just too stiff, which was the reason I wanted them because I thought Sanwa were too sensitive.

Also I cannot replace all the caps because the inside threads are stripped as well, on a few of the holes at least.

6

SE uses same PCB as older model TEs. So, that will be okay. The shell is good, not as tough as TE, but good. The wires are good. the mounting plate is good. All of that stuff nearly identical, if not identical to the TE. The parts are just the big things to go. But you’ll be replacing those.

If you get new Sanwa buttons, they’re $3 a piece, you’re probably looking for OBSF-30. A new JLF joystick will be $23, best model for swapping is JLF-TP-8YT-SK (Or without SK, that just means it comes without shaft cover), without balltop, but the SE balltop fits that, so you can save yourself a couple bucks if you don’t want anything but the white one. You can try a lot of Seimitsu sticks, too. Just be sure that it ends in -01, or else, you won’t be able to plug it into the 5-pin connector.

You can get them from
lizardlick.com
focusattack.com
akihabarashop.jp
There are others. But those are the most commonly gone-to.

7

Thanks for all the advice guys. I am going to be ordering an SE for this weekend. 47$ shipped, not too bad but it is going to be kind of pricey when I have to put the new parts in it.

8

So I just checked every site I knew of to order parts and they are all sold out of Sanwa JLFs. Also how is shopping from AikhabaraShop? I plan to order my buttons from there because they are the only site that has the ones I want.

9

shipping from outside US will cost some money. I would suggest you to swap in the seimitsu you have or just fix the stock stick’s washier problem the waiting for the JLFs availabe online.

10

Amazingly enough 6 OBSF-30 Whiter rim/blue shipped from Akihabara was cheaper than Focusattack or Lizardlick. I am going to get the JLF from Focusattack probably though.

11

how much including shipping do 6 OBSF-30 cost you from Akihabara if you don’t mind sharing with me. I am interesting in some of them as well. Privage message will be great. Thanks.

12

PM Sent.