2421

ok, i did some minor revisions, still not the greatest thing ever, but let me know if its a good start.

2422

^^ Still a little choppy but ALOT better.

2423

I forgot to ask, how can I know if the joystick really is a 8-way joystick? I mean, I don’t wanna finish all the work and discover it’s a 4-way. Thx

2424

the fastest way IMO, is to just rotate the stick. the older sticks that were only 4 way were basically tracked into 4 directions. you will be able to feel it hit each point or at least hear each click.

2425

You can connect directly to the buttons and joystick but using a barrier strip just makes the whole installation a lot neater and safer. Safety is the best thing using a barrier strip has to offer. You won’t get any shorts using the barrier strips. Also using barrier strips makes it easier to change the pcb out for a different system if you need to. Get this kind at Radio Shack. Make sure you get at least 2.

2426

Alright, thx. I’ll probably use barriers than. Anything else I should or should not do?

2427

Where the controller wire is going to stick out of the back of your box, tie a tight knot in the wire so when you pull on the cord it won’t rip the pcb out of place. The best way to do this is to leave a tiny bit of slack on the inside just in case. I’ll post a pic of what I mean a bit later.

2428

Yeah, you should never use a crimp connector on a thin solid wire. Solder your shit when possible.

2429

im glad someone started asking a few of these questions. im starting my xbox reflex hack tomorrow. is there a certain barrier strip i should use, or is the one that was shown a few posts ago good enough for that. also, is there anything i need to pay attention to when i do this hack, the page linked earlier seems pretty self explnaitory.

2430

Definitely use the one from the above post. The benefit of that one is that you can insert the bare wire into the strip and screw it down to lock it in. Very tight connection. And just make sure all your wire connections are tight and won’t come apart. And make sure they’re covered with electrical tape or butt connectors.

2431

thanks nitewalker, and everyone else who gave me feedback and helped me with whatever questions i had (including Paradox/Tha Darkside aka Byrdo). im gonna start on it this week and hopefully be done by early next week or this weekend. ill post pics as soon as i can.

2432

Xbox Reflex Hack Help

Ok, im still in the box cutting stages, almost finished with that. I gotta go print out my art tomorrow. I had a few questions about the Reflex hack:

(Link here)

  1. I got 22 gauge wire, is that a suitable size? ive heard that 24 works well also.

  2. Do I use male or female quick disconnects? I tested the male ones out and they fit right over the microswitches. I guess this sounds like a newbish question, but exactly how do I use the quick disconnects? Do i just put the wires that i want to connect to the switches through them or what?

  3. How do I mout the happ stick exactly? Similar to how byrdo has his without carraige bolts or screws showing. Similar to this and this . does either way really matter other than aesthetically.

Those are all the questions i can think of right now, thanks in advance to those who help.

EDIT: just thought of another question. What size carraige bolts or screws do i need to use to mount the happ stick.

2433

I’m going to be making an arcade cabinet, and want to go with Sanwa parts, but I know jack about them. I know it can’t be as simple as hooking up a comp can it? But then, what would be so different? I’m using a PS pad hack, so all I need to do is connect it to the point? I’m sorry if I sound stupid.

(and after looking at the price for Sanwa stuff I might be REALLY stupid)

2434

As far as wireing is conserned it is just as simple as hooking up a happ comp stick. The tricky part is if you are mounting them in a wood controll panel. You then will need to top mount them. But if your putting them in a jap candycab with a metal control panel then you shouldn’t have any problem mounting them.

2435

Well, I would be making a wood CP, so I guess I better get to reseaching.

2436

There is a tutorial on how to mount the joysticks on www.Modeverything.com. For the buttons if you get the screwin type you can mount them on 1/4" wood so if you have a router then just rout the wood thinner in that area. Most of the information for mounting them can be found in the Sanwa Mod thread.

2437

i just i figured out the answer to a couple of my questions except for the one about quick disconnects. Exactly how do i use these things? What size screws can i use to mount my comp stick? i read in the thread earlier about a way to mount the stick without the bolts or scews being visible and im gonna go that route. i just pretty much buy the screws and some bolts to go on the bottom of the screws? Another problem im running into is when i cut out my wood, it gets cut like maybe a third or half inch short and its too hard to cut with my regular saw. what type of saw could i use to cut the rest off, a keyhole saw possibly? also, could i just sand it down, if so, what grit sandpaper is good at getting rid of excessive wood. maybe if im lucky someone will answers these questions pretty quickly, i gotta go christmas shopping in the next few hours and was gonna run out to home depot before i got done.

2438

To get the best cut you should use a table saw. If your cut is just a little off the table saw is good about cutting just 1/4" if needed. If you had to you could just use some sand paper to sand it down but for 1/4" or more that would be allot of sanding. If your going to home depot ask one of the sales people for a recomendation. They are all very knowledgable about how to do things like this and can easily instruct you on many different ways of solving your problem.

2439

thanks spiffy, i sent you a PM.

2440

Here’s me sanding regime.
Build the box, making sure all dimenions are just about right. Once the box is glued together, I start with 60 grit sandpaper to get the edges off. Then move up to 150 grit to smooth it out to the point that you no longer can feel any edges. The box should feel like 6 smooth sides, sometimes 5 if the bottom is weird. Then a light sanding with some 300 grit, and finally 1000 grit to prep the surface for painting. Between the first 3 coats of paint, use 1000(or 1500, 2000) grit to get rid of any grittiness in the paint. When using 1000 grit on paint, make sure the paint is dry(at least 6-12 hours), and sand very lightly.