So I just got one of these joysticks from Chad at LizardLick…
Damn… this joystick is precise as hell (credited to the extremely short throw)…
However… I have questions about exactly how this joystick is supposed to be mounted into a case? From the way its constructed, it seems like it would have to be mounted directly underneath the lexan and the screws would have to go through the lexan to keep it in place.
As well… since it doesnt have a disc shaft cover, a large hole will need to be cut to fit the ball and the circular base through… does anyone have the measurements for this? Also… I cant seem to figure out how to take this joystick apart…
I bought them from GroovyGameGear branded as “Omni Stick Basic”. You can see the larger hole needed (from memory I used a 40mm hole saw, which cuts a hole a little bigger - about 42mm or so).
Personally speaking, I don’t like them. The throw is VERY short (I vaguely remember reading 2-3mm on a site a year back that measured these things). I originally have them a go for shooters (the cabinet above has a vertical monitor in it for shmups), and while certainly being precise, using them for fighters with any hadou/shoryu style movements isn’t crash hot. Rotating style movements are annoying (Gief/Huge players beware). Also if you rely on the dead space between motions for cancels (whether you play command or charge characters), this stick reduces that window.
I’ve got Sanwa JLW sticks in another cab, which I find better for shooters. JLWs are annoying for fighters (corners are difficult to hit for me, for some reason). I’m still hooked on JLFs for fighters.
With all that said, I don’t play newschool games (GG, HNK, Arcana, etc). Perhaps with the short throw these sticks would appeal to those players. I could see them being useful to anyone who needs to double-tap a hell of a lot. Dunno.
You do not need to cut a 38mm hole to get the joystick through. Just take the joystick apart. Also, because of this, you dont really need a dust washer, it has its own built in that will sit below the panel.
You’ll need a pair of snapring pliers ($10 at sears) to get the stick out of the base. Should be pretty clear how to disassemble / reassemble it once you’ve got the snap ring off; if not, ask me.
As for mounting, the base has lots of different mounting holes, including a set that match sanwa mounting plates. Only issue is finding hardware to space it away from the mounting plate.