Hi, just got my Q4raf and it’s acting weird out of the box:
-When i move the stick to the right it also pushes the AX button.
-It also happens in the opposite way, when i push the AX button the stick also marks the right.
http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/9334/qanba.png
It doesn’t matter if i use the xbox360 or the PC mode (i was only able to test on my PC, i’ll try tomorrow on a PS3)
It’s a really known problem with a easy fix or should i be returning it?
Thanks!
Ok so the metal plate on my Q4RAF has peeled up a couple times now. This last time I used epoxy and it worked for a long time, but after a while began to peel up again. Even if I purchse the thinnest 2 sided tape it won’t stay very long. Any suggestions?
Hey guys, just wanted to say I’ve had my Qanba Q4RAF for a while now, and it’s really a great stick!
I’ve recently encountered a pretty big problem though: the stick no longer works on XBOX360 for me, and I’m not sure why. I’m personally a PS3 player, so I don’t have an X360 to test on constantly, but I tried it on my friend’s X360 today and it didn’t work. All 4 lights turned on and stayed on (did not flash), and none of the buttons work (none of the face buttons, nor the Home/Select/Mode/Turbo buttons up top).
I’m not sure what’s wrong, can anyone give me any help?
So far the only other thing that’s wrong with it is that the blue LEDs for controller 1 and 4 always light up on it (even when connected to PS3, where the LEDs should be red, the blue 1 and 4 stay on; when plugged in as controller 1 for PS3, the light is a little bit purple suggesting both the blue and red LED are on). This was kind of strange at first, but I was able to play on X360 after this phenomenon started occuring. Again I’m not sure when I stopped being able to play on X360, but it was sometime after this LED problem emerged.
Any help would be much appreciated!
Hi All,
Quick feedback post for some of the Qanba guys in this thread, as well as my general oveall impressions, re the Qanba Q4 RAF 3-in-1 fightstick.
First of all, this is a great stick, well done. I would encourage anybody thinking of buying one to go for it. I just bought mine a couple of weeks ago, and i’m really liking it. I’ve made some changes to the stock configuration to sort out a couple of niggly problems (more on that later) but overall it’s a really nice stick with great build quality and a host of nods to serious players and modders. It easily rivals the Madcatz TE which i’ve also owned in the past, and the tri-mod functionality out of the box is fantastic value. I also really like a couple of standout design features like the handle (which could have been a little bigger, but is still great to have) and the felt underside (so simple, but REALLY handy, this should be the de-facto standard for every stick, regardless of manufacturer).
So, on to the areas for improvement.The only really serious criticism i have is the start button placement, so I’ll start with that. To the Qanba guys-I think this is a design flaw, and in my opinion it should be changed on any sticks you make in future. I know your panel layout is staying faithful to the design of the VLX cabinet panels etc, but in a tourney setting, a feather touch, zero deadzone sanwa button on the face of a stick is asking for trouble. It’s basically a "disqualify button, right there on the face, and anybody with big hands such as myself has to learn to stay away from it. This is not ideal from a $200 stick, and not a problem that the leading stick on the market has. I’m sorry to say it, but the madcatz TE had this one right all along. Don’t worry about making your layout 100% faithful to the VLX, keep the start button OFF the front of the panel. On the top of the stick or at the side is a better option.
Anyway, although this is a flaw, it’s not a dealbreaking problem. There’s an easy fix. I solved this issue by putting a semitsu LS-55 joystick spring i bought for about $2 inside a Semitsu PS-14-DN white screw-in button. I removed the plunger, inserted the spring over the microswitch, replaced the plunger, and closed back up. I then replaced the stock Sanwa pop-in 24mm white button with the modified semitsu one. The LS-55 spring has a very stiff action and fits inside a sanwa or semitsu button perfectly without affecting the engage distance, but it makes the button much much stiffer. The semitsu button is more or less identical to the sanwa start button that comes with the stick, except it’s screw-in, and it was the only white screw in 24mm i could get (not wanting to change the look of the stick). I could have just as easily put the spring inside the stock sanwa 24mm button that came with the stick, but i was changing over the pop-in buttons for screw in ones anyway (more on that later). Now i can brush off the start button all day without it engaging during play. The only way it gets pressed is if i press it intentionally, and with some force.
Other (much more minor) areas for improvement on the Q4 RAF would be the following. The stock plexi that comes with the stick is a tiny bit loose, and bends with pressure as if the sanwa OBSF-30 snap in buttons don’t hold it down enough. This is not an issue in itself if you’re keeping the stock plexi that ships with the stick, as the default artwork is printed on the plexi itself, but if you intend to change your artwork (as many people do when they buy this stick, myself included) a tighter fit would be needed to prevent ripples and movement in any non-adhesive custom printed artwork sandwiched between the panel and the replacement clear plexi.
This minor niggle can be fixed by replacing the stock OBSF-30 buttons for OBSN-30 screw in versions, or for semitsu versions of the same button (which come in more colours). The screw on fixing rings hold the panel in place more firmly than the snap in ones, sandwich everything together, and prevent any bending or movement.
One other thing, and again this is only a minor, mod related suggestion for improvement and probably wouldn’t affect the majority of users who wouldn’t open their stick. The spade connectors connecting the wires from the wiring loom to the switches on the buttons don’t seem to be the quick disconnect type, they are the “snap on, lock in, don’t want to come back off” type. This is only an issue if you need to change a button in a hurry, such as in a tourney situation if one fails, but it makes the difference between a 2 minute job that needs a single screwdriver and a thumb and forefinger, and a longer job involving a bit of fiddling with other small screwdrivers and tools to get the locked connections broken.
It would be nice if the connectors were proper slide on/slide off quick-disconnect ones, but in terms of the internals and layout of the stick and buttons you’ll see when you take the bottom off, everything is nicely marked and well coloured, and all the components are genuine and top quality sanwa stuff as advertised.
Overall, the Q4 RAF is a very nice stick, and is well up there in terms of value and build quality. It feels good and weighty (even if much of this is from the heavy steel base plate), sits well on a desktop or on a lap thanks to the felt underside, and it has a lot of great design features throughout. The stick’s start button placement is poor but can be easily rectified with the mod i mentioned to be less of a concern, and perhaps the supplied carry handle could be a little bigger for people with large hands like mine, but overall I’d have no hesitation in recommending it as an alternative to any of the competing sticks around the same price point. It’s build quality, response, and overall “feel” rivals the best on the market, there’s little more than a few niggles to speak of against it (mostly things which many players may not even notice), and the triple-mod functionality out of the box is the icing on the cake, and represents great value for any tourney playing road-warrior, or just anyone who likes to visit their friend’s houses to play games on different systems. I would have liked the warranty to be a little more understanding of the fact that many people intend to open the stick up (it is marketed as a mod-friendly stick after all) but i suppose that’s par for the course with these sticks generally.
Well done Qanba!
I’ve still yet to ever hit the start button accidentally.
I plugged up the last two buttons so that might be a help, I dunno.
I did it a couple of times while getting used to the stick, mainly when going for the macro buttons in a hurry. The button is just so light that any touch of it at all will activate it. Since i stopped using the 3p/3k buttons entirely, it’s not really been an issue, but the spring mod completely sorts it out. There’s pretty much no way i could hit it by accident now.
niggles… really? goes off to giggle like a schoolgirl
what?..it’s a perfectly cromulent word…??..
Yeah, I kind of wished they never switch to Sanwa for the start button.
I might try that spring mod just cause.
I’m planning on getting an Elive Pro edition because I want the carrying handle, but don’t want the start button on the face. Does anyone know if the top template is the same as the Q4? Tek-Innovations even has an option to remove the start button from the face template. Will this be compatable with the Elive sticks?
with no pricing and specific date on the q2pro still im about to just spend my money else where and say forget it…
could someone please send me a custom template?
All the sticks use the same template. The Fusion is the Q4 without the start button as is mentioned on Art’s website. The eLive sticks are the same as the Q4 and the Fusion.
Here ya go http://www.tek-innovations.com/arthobbies/downloads/Art%20Hobbies%20Qanba%20Template.psd
Is it possible to buy a q3 plexi? The original art seems like a pain to get off.
Okay, this may sound stupid but here goes. Has anyone tried to remove the artwork from the stock plexi itself on a White qanba Q4 or any qanba? On the white qanba q4, the picture seems to be painted on or something, I’d have to open it up again to check. I’m just trying to save myself some money
bush: i suppose it is. please look at the online shops available and if they do not offer them, contact mr. zhong from qanba at zhongxianglong@hotmail.com about it.
yeaynot: i yet have to see someone get the art off of the original plexi in order to use it for custom artwork.
Just to let everyone know:
My problem with the stick magically “dissapeared” on the third day and haven’t got any problem since.
Would I be able to get a hold of a replacement door compartment? I’ve had a Qanba Q4 3-in-1 for almost a year now, works great to this day and no complaints. Just today, maybe through wear and tear I guess, the thing that holds the door together suddenly came off. Can’t find the missing piece that broke off, otherwise I’d try to super glue it back on.
http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/233/img011iuc.jpg
any help advice here, i have a qanba q4 raf, when i play mvc3 for example, i cannot hard tag because the button would seem to drop the input even if im firmly hold pressing the button, an assist attack would come out by accident . i tried remapping the command to other buttons, and it seems ok…
same goes for the stick too, im having a hard time doing charge moves because the command drops like if im charging down, even if i have it firmly held down, the character would suddenly stand up for awile then sit down again… i hope i was able to describe my issues well… i could use the help. hoping its just something loose maybe.
Maybe your turbo is on, or its an issue with the turbo panel itself. Don’t take my word for it though, I’m not a tech guy