PS3-Hacks.com / New Project

jinxmitchell · 2008-10-14 15:54:01

I saw a nice arcade style controller online and after looking into it more, I've been inspired to just make my own arcade controller instead. I've got to track down a few parts before I can plan much more as I'd like to have the buttons and stick in my possesion so I understand how they attatch etc etc. I'm going with Sanwa buttons for sure, but I can't make up my mind on the stick. I'm thinking I want the old SF2 feel with the sticks that felt like that had 8 "notches" in them when you rotated them around, but a lot of the reviews I've read are saying the smoother Sanwa sticks are more responsive.

Anyway, the reason I think this will be a cool project is I don't see why all of these sticks are wired. The original PS3 controllers are wireless and have great battery life, so I'm going to gut an original Sixaxis to make my controller work.

Edit: After doing some reading, I am ordering a used Street Fighter II 15th Anniversary Edition Arcade stick for my case. Then I'll be using red, white, blue and black Sanwa buttons and a Sanwa joystick. The Sanwa stick won't give me that old "notched" feeling, but from what I've read they are a lot more responsive. I'll need to find a good deal on a used Sixaxis to gut, and after that I should have all of the major parts I need. I'll just add one hole to fit a PS button and the thing will do everything I need it to do I think. I'll post as I acquire the parts.

Estimated costs:
SF Stick - $50 + $25 shipping
11 Sanwa buttons - about $30
Sanwa Stick - $20
Used Sixaxis - $25
Misc wires and such $20

For a total of about $170, which isn't bad considering a shipped HRAP 3 is about $140 and that wouldn't even be wireless and a lot of people switch the buttons out on those.

Oh, this is all assuming I can't work out a deal with this local guy for his new HRAP 3 stick.

Last edited by jinxmitchell (2008-10-15 20:26:27)

sc_bond · 2008-10-14 16:14:15

Why not just buy one?

Mick · 2008-10-14 16:25:44

sc_bond wrote:
Why not just buy one?

wheres the fun in that? good luck with the project jinx. make sure you take lots of pics during the process

jinxmitchell · 2008-10-15 02:02:50

sc_bond wrote:
Why not just buy one?

I worked at a Corvette shop for a time and a guy came in with a beater that he had just bought for cheap and said he wanted to pay us to restore it completely. The owner told him the car needed a lot of work and that it would cost roughly $10,000 more than the car would end up being worth, so it would make more sense to just buy one already restored. The guy's response was, "Would it be the color I asked you to paint this one?"

I want to paint my controller the color I want.

Edit: Thanks Mick, I'll take pics and post the process.

Last edited by jinxmitchell (2008-10-15 02:03:20)

sc_bond · 2008-10-20 07:20:54

Couldn't he have bought the car fully restored and just got it resprayed?! lol

Joss · 2008-10-20 14:42:12

jinxmitchell wrote:
sc_bond wrote:
Why not just buy one?
I worked at a Corvette shop for a time and a guy came in with a beater that he had just bought for cheap and said he wanted to pay us to restore it completely. The owner told him the car needed a lot of work and that it would cost roughly $10,000 more than the car would end up being worth, so it would make more sense to just buy one already restored. The guy's response was, "Would it be the color I asked you to paint this one?"

I want to paint my controller the color I want.

Edit: Thanks Mick, I'll take pics and post the process.

I know a guy who bought an E-Type Jag which we are currently restoring, he bought it for £10k and its a rot box, you can get a fully restored E-Type for roughly that, give or take £2k.

jinxmitchell · 2008-10-30 13:04:45

Here's a quick update:
I got a so-so quality arcade stick and did one quick mod to change the stick from a square range of motion to a octagonal range of motion, and that's 100x better. I bought an extra Sanwa octagonal retrictor plate as well as two sets of six Sanwa buttons. At some point I'll install one of the sets of buttons in my current controller (Hori Fighting Stick 3), and fill the two extra holes (the controller currently has 8 buttons, but none of the fighting games I play have more than 6). I'll be buying a Sanwa joystick soon and then I'll try to do some bartering for a used Sixaxis, which will only leave me needing a case to finish the real project.
I'm calling my local glass company to see if they are able to cut me a strong plate of glass with the holes for start, select, Playstation Button, the six button layout and a joystick, and if they can help me come up with a solution of attatching the joystick to the glass (I'm thinking epoxy, but it won't look very sexy). If they can't do this I'll move on to finding somebody who works with aluminum. So my end goal here is to have a wireless (I don't think they make any wireless arcade sticks yet) arcade stick with genuine Japanese arcade buttons/stick with a glass/wood case or aluminum case. If all else fails, it will just have to be a wooden case, but I'd rather not.

sc_bond wrote:
Couldn't he have bought the car fully restored and just got it resprayed?! lol

Yeah, but that wasn't really his point. He meant he could have anything made to his specifications that way.

Last edited by jinxmitchell (2009-01-04 23:47:23)

jinxmitchell · 2009-01-04 23:50:07

Here's my wireless arcade stick with sixaxis guts:

Bat Top

Bubble Top

I'll post more pics of the process later. I'm bored at work right now...

FamilyGuy1 · 2009-01-05 01:43:20

your missing a few buttons...

should be 11 not 9
L, L2, R, R2, sqr, trg, crl, crs, selet, start, home/PS

Mick · 2009-01-05 02:05:13

looks good. i like the Bubble Top. you should stick a low power led in it make it glow a little

jinxmitchell · 2009-01-05 13:20:51

FamilyGuy1 wrote:
your missing a few buttons...

should be 11 not 9
L, L2, R, R2, sqr, trg, crl, crs, selet, start, home/PS

I don't play any fighting games that have more than 6 buttons. Two of the most common complaints about store-bought arcade sticks are turbo functions and 8 button layouts. I grew up playing Street Fighter in the arcade and I want something similar.

Also, I don't know if I mentioned what parts were used. The case is aluminum, the PCB is a sixaxis, the buttons are all Sanwa OBSF-30 and the stick is a Sanwa JLF. I have another aluminum case I might do the same thing with but make Start, Select and Home with OBSF-24 buttons (24 mm) and move them to the sides of the case. Then again I might just get lazy and be happy with what I have. I still have to smooth out some of the imperfections in the metal that were created from the drilling of the holes.

FamilyGuy1 · 2009-01-05 20:46:25

"I might do the same thing with but make Start, Select and Home with OBSF-24 buttons (24 mm) and move them to the sides"

I was going to suggest that, start, select and Home on the side but make sure its out of the way from accidental pressing.

Announcement

#1 2008-10-14 15:54:01

New Project - Wireless Arcade Controller

#2 2008-10-14 16:14:15

Re: New Project - Wireless Arcade Controller

#3 2008-10-14 16:25:44

Re: New Project - Wireless Arcade Controller

sc_bond wrote:

#4 2008-10-15 02:02:50

Re: New Project - Wireless Arcade Controller

sc_bond wrote:

#5 2008-10-20 07:20:54

Re: New Project - Wireless Arcade Controller

#6 2008-10-20 14:42:12

Re: New Project - Wireless Arcade Controller

jinxmitchell wrote:

sc_bond wrote:

#7 2008-10-30 13:04:45

Re: New Project - Wireless Arcade Controller

sc_bond wrote:

#8 2009-01-04 23:50:07

Re: New Project - Wireless Arcade Controller

#9 2009-01-05 01:43:20

Re: New Project - Wireless Arcade Controller

#10 2009-01-05 02:05:13

Re: New Project - Wireless Arcade Controller

#11 2009-01-05 13:20:51

Re: New Project - Wireless Arcade Controller

FamilyGuy1 wrote:

#12 2009-01-05 20:46:25

Re: New Project - Wireless Arcade Controller

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