Hey Bryan,
I just recently ordered a silent JLF with the D2RV-G’s. Once I finally got it working properly, this stick is amazing to use and im very happy with it. It feels great and I love how quiet it is compared to seimitsu. When I first installed it though, I was having big problems with the switches and actuator. Ive only got to try it on the original spring and square gate, but this stick was unusuable without further modification.
The bottom ring of the actuator isnt big enough to press 2 microswitches at once on some of the diagnols from all possible motions / directions. The best example is rotating the stick 360 degrees in both directions, it was impossible to register all 8 inputs.
I watched the Ultimate JLF mod video that uses electrical tape on the bottom ring of the actuator. I tried using the 55x5mm strip on the bottom ring. with these switches it was not enough. there was significant improvement, but the stick was still unusable. I used a second strip for 110x5mm total and its been working flawlessly so far. I really reccomend this little strip of tape added to the Silent JLF, or atleast a heads up to buyers. Its an extremely quick, easy, minimalistic fix, but it took me 2 whole days of messing with the joystick to pinpoint the problem.
We hadn’t noted these issues, but will do some testing before re-releasing. We have been working on a custom line of actuators that will be released in the next 2-3 weeks. Let us know and we’ll shoot one over to test!
I got the rest of the parts, and I wanted to say thanks for the amazing customer service. You guys are great! =]
I would love to try the new actuator, thank you so much!
Theres something else I was curious about. I used it as a reference to try and figure out what the problem was. Looking at pictures of the official Silent JLF by Sanwa I see a white actuator. In this video at :27-:37, someone shows the official Silent JLF with white actuator. He turns it upside down and rotates it 360 degrees with very little force, and with enough volume I can hear it click the microswitches as he reaches each corner. The actuator is unmodified and theres no problem at all getting each input. It took the 110x5mm tape for mine to properly work like this one. Im under the impression that this white one could be bigger than the black JLF P-5 actuator. Is that true or are they exactly the same?
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Wait, wrapping tape around the actuator is to decrease the throw range. That would actually make it harder to hit diagonals if you were having problems hitting them before.
Where did you wrap the tape around? The larger bell part, man that would be a huge pain in the ass and on top of that, it will wear off quickly from constantly slamming into the microswitches and having much less surface area to stick to. What do the microswitches look like compared to your old ones, are they they same size? Can you take pics?
Can you show us your mod? Something really doesn’t seem right here, especially since the D2RV casings that I saw look exactly like they share the same dimensions as the regular ones.
Sorry if im getting the terms mixed up. So the plastic piece that sits over the spring and joystick shaft… It has the long skinny part that comes in contact with the gate, controlling throw distance (no tape here. decreases throw, making the problem worse like you described), and that fatter circular part that sits above / below the gate, hitting the microswitches. The original ultimate JLF mod for the other clicky switches only puts tape around the part that touches the microswitches. (55x5mm). This made it hit the switches better but still did not get all 8 inputs rotating the stick. I added another strip for 110x5mm and its been hitting the switches without any problems. Yes, it was a pain in the ass to cut out the electrical tape into the right measurement… I was also worried about it wearing out and having to keep changing it. Its only been a few days, but its been holding up fine so far.
I dont have a JLF with the clicky switches to show and compare too. My other joystick is an LS-58. I messed with this thing for hours to really make sure what the problem was. move the stick to a left, right, down, up input, and it would hit the switch far enough to click. Move to a diaganol from neutral and it would click the two swtiches needed some of the time. Transition to a diaganol from an already pressed microswitch like you would for any motion like quarter circles, half circles, DP etc, 360, and it would press down the second switch required for the diaganol, but not enough to click it for the input. With the quiet switches I was extra careful to properly confirm it. The clear gate really helped.
To sum up what happens, the skinny part of the actuator would hit the gate before the fat circular part would fully press down 2 microswitches at once. Making this part of the actuator bigger around fixed the problem.
That’s weird. I have a LS-58 too, and the switches are the same size as the original Omron’s on the JLF. I just checked both my Matsushita (Seimitsu) and Omron (Sanwa) measurements vs the ones in the data sheet for the D2RV series and they match up with the standard size switch that goes on Sanwa and Seimitsu sticks. I really wonder why your case is so different.
So the ultimate mod wraps it around the wider part of the actuator that touches the microswitches? Aarrrggh, I can’t imagine playing on that, and when the tape starts to slip off (because eventually it will) and your controls get all messy. A better mod, though more expensive but much more permanent, would simply be to use levered switches, which will give you the necessary space for the actuator to hit. But, trying out levered switches on my own JLF make it feel pretty much like a LS-58, the actuator rests just along the lever giving you a very fast engagement, which is much more to my liking. However, you’d have to special order levered D2RV switches, since mouser only seems to have hinge roller levered D2RV in stock and no mention of regular hinged levers at all.
I wonder if you don’t maybe have your gate in 4 way mode accidentally?
I have the cherrys and can say that they are much quiter but not as silent as the Silent JLF seemed in a video I saw. However, I don’t have an actual model to compare with. For the feel, they are so soft that I can barily feel the switch activate.
Oh interesting, always thought the cherries were the same click sound, hmm maybe the zippy are just as silent as the ones on the sanwa jlf, but wonder how the zippy quality is.
Anyone compared the zippy to the silent sanwa jlf?
And as for cherries in a jlf to make it feel stock I should use a .2 or .3lb spring?
How does the silent LS-32 Zippy clone rate versus the “Quieted” JLF?<br><br>I ask since the microswitch systems are so different between the two major Japanese brands and their clones…<br><br>I’m still leaning towards a future purchase of an LS-32/clone for experiments. I don’t care about the buttons so much but a quiet stick handle might not be such a bad thing. I’ll probably never get an optical joystick because of the lack of gates on the microswitches…<br>
OMRON D2RVG Reed Microswitch are silent, and other than a actuator replacement, the switches feel the same as the stock Omron switches just they are quieter.
The Cherry switches are nice, they are quieter than the stock omron in the JLF but louder than the Reed switches.
I haven’t used the Ultralight Zippy.
I do notice alot of people compensate for the softer switches with a heavier spring
i have a regular SANWA JLF And and also some backup regular Omron switches. but now i need a silent Mood for night practice …i visit http://www.paradisearcadeshop.com for some MICRO SWITCHES …there is OMRON D2RVG, ULTRA LIGHT Zippy kit, and also charry … i here that charry is nicer then regular OMRON but its not silent…which one will be the best for silent mod? and which one will be the best for command Accuracy? is 1mm over size actuator needed ?
The Cherry switches are very quiet. They aren’t “silent” but they are damn close. I prefer for them to make at least some type of sound anyway. 1mm oversized actuators are too large for them IMO. I used a .5mm OS actuator on mine and it felt nice. These switches are pretty light, so if you go this route you may want to pick up a stiffer spring. I wouldn’t go over 3lb because, IME, it will make the pivot feel like it’s grinding. 2lb suited me just fine with Cherry switches.
