Saturn VOOM Twin Stick Mod

[Catch22]

I bought the Hori EX VO4 stick, and man, is it much better than the Saturn or DC sticks, so I decided to upgrade a VOOM stick.

Added the submini leaf switch to the grips... much easier to press. No longer will have sore fingers pressing the triggers as the leaf switch is much easier to press, and much smoother.



Video here:
http://player.vimeo.com/video/49483422

Still need to think about ideas about the base switches... I have ideas, and will be updating regularly.

[MentholMoose]

Is the existing trigger switch actually damaged in your Saturn Twin Sticks? The same PCB is used in the DC and arcade VOOT Twin Sticks and seems durable. However, that switch is susceptible to dirt/oil/grime or whatever else gets in there. Chances are it is fine and just needs to be cleaned. The triggers on my arcade Twin Sticks occasionally stop working reliably but a quick blast with electronic-safe cleaner resolves it. I currently use MG Chemicals Safety Wash, bought from Frys. I've also used Chemtronics Electro-Wash.

Also, that switch is replaceable with a little soldering. I don't have the make/model handy but I've seen them online. The mod is a good idea since the lever switch will be more reliable. However, I want the "true arcade experience" and prefer using the original setup if at all possible. I really hope that a new VO makes it to arcades someday, with the same controller, so I can pick up some new parts. I've bought some spares but mostly used stuff. Finding new old-stock parts is not easy.

[Catch22]

I also want an arcade experience at home, so I did this mod.

I have the Hori EX sticks, and it was the basis for the mod I did for the grips. The EX sticks actually use different parts compared to your arcade sticks you used for your custom sticks. Looks like the dash buttons are more the size of the Saturn version.


You can see here, the EX sticks use different sized dash buttons- they are actually the inner plungers for for a Sanwa OBSF-24 pushbutton usually used for the Start Button on arcades- the same Start Button on your custom sticks, and the same buttons on the A, B, X, Y buttons on the EX stick. Feel-wise, the dash buttons are much easier to press on the Hori EX, than the rubbery spring feel of the Saturn sticks's dash buttons- the same feel you get on consumer line joypads. They all essentially use rubber springs for the buttons. I don't know what the EX sticks are using for the dash buttons internally, but it's no doubt NOT like that of the Saturn sticks.


UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE NOT PICS ON THE WEB FOR THE INTERNALS OF THE ARCADE VOOT OR VO4 STICKS. That's why I was asking for help to source an arcade twin stick panel and stick assembly like yours.

BUT I DID FIND THIS after I already modded the dash buttons on my sticks.
Here's the exploded view of the arcade grips that I found digging around for info, coming from a page of probably a VOOT manual.



TO MY SHOCK, THE ARCADE STICKS USE A RUBBER SPRING. These springs are prone to ripping, as I'm sure many of you may have experienced on your joypads with dead directional pads from doing too many "shoryukens" on Street Fighter. But there is no doubt that the exploded view shows a sub-mini micro switch.

In hindsight, I should have just left the dash buttons alone, but the feel is much better than the spongy feel of the Saturn sticks. But the trigger buttons are different.

Usually, surface mounted swtiches like that on the VOOM saturn grip pcb are consumer oriented- like that in old light guns, not usually found in arcade hardware. The trigger mechanism is designed so that the plastic pressing the button has some give so that the button is not pressed too hard- hence the long, flexible arm, but somtimes the plastic starts flexing too much, and that's when you get that mushy feeling.

[MentholMoose]

Are these pics helpful?
VOOT arcade stick pics

I own VOOT arcade, DC, and Saturn Twin Sticks. The plastic grip, trigger, button, and PCB are identical on all of them (aside from color). I always assumed VO4 was the same, but maybe not. Do you have any other manual scans? I have a page from a Ver.5.2 manual, uploaded by forum member Jumbo, mirrored here:
http://i.imgur.com/NLecE4a.png

I have arcade VOOT spare parts of varying age and the only difference I've noticed is the joystick shaft. The older shaft is shown in the Ver.5.2 manual page I linked, and is similar to DC Twin Sticks: a bolt goes through one half of the grip, through the shaft, and threads into a nut in the other grip half. This shaft is totally cylindrical, so the grip can rotate and feels slightly sloppy. The newer shaft, which can be seen in the pics in the linked thread, has threaded holes, and each half grip is attached by two screws (so four per stick). Most of the sloppiness is eliminated by square sections that fit snugly in the square part of the grips. The shaft and grips in the diagram you linked are not like any I've seen. The shaft appears to be completely square, so the grips from arcade VOOT and DC/SS Twin Sticks would not work without modification.

When I say I want the arcade experience I mean as close to the arcade controls as possible, flaws and all. Mods to improve on the arcade controls are impressive, but I personally prefer to use the actual arcade controls. That's not meant as a criticism of your mod, it's just my preference. My arcade stick mod is a VOOT Ver.5.2 Versus City panel, installed in an HSS-0130, modded for DC and Xbox 360, and using arcade VOOT sticks with the newer generation shaft. The Ver.5.2 Versus City panel conveniently fits in the HSS-0130 housing and is very usable, so I use this instead of the Ver.5.66 deluxe panel I have (at one point I had three, but I ended up selling two).

[Catch22]

Thanks Moose, man, maybe I just should have asked. Wasted alot of time looking for the info. Looks like alot of ideas I had already has been investigated to some degree.

Have you tried the EX sticks yet?

[MentholMoose]

Have you tried the EX sticks yet?

No, I haven't. I didn't buy them and I don't know anyone near me who did. The local players I know used modded Twin Sticks.

[Fredo]

Dude, that is AWESOME !

[Catch22]

I always assumed VO4 was the same, but maybe not. Do you have any other manual scans?

I actually found more scans from the same guy.

Looks like these pages are from VO4. The stick drawings for 5.2 that you posted here: http://www.oratan.com/images/page-87.png
only differences from the first attached file, which I believe to be from VO4, is the shaft- which you alluded to being totally sqaure.

Also note the assembly parts numbers: VOT-2100 for the one you posted (VO-Tangram???) and VOF-2100 (VO-Force???)

[Catch22]

Here's another interesting pic that he posted. I'm guessing that the 2 right-most grips are the 5.2 Grips. But the left-middle is definitely from a Hori Xbox TS, while the left-most grip is obviously from Sanwa's JLJ series sticks. From that pic, it just confirms what I was already guessing- the Xbox TS grips will fit the JLJ sticks without modification. I'd also go out on a limb to say that the Xbox TS sticks use JLJ sticks outfitted with Virtual-On grips. I apologize if this info is already known info.

[Catch22]

And lastly, I've mirrored a set of pics that show the pics of the grips, from what again, I'm guessing to be VO4. Funny, as my trigger mod turned out to be so similar.

Here's the dudes website:
http://happytown.orahoo.com/rp-07/
Click "TV-02" found on the side links, then click either of the two links that follow.

Here's the link ran through a Japanese to English translator-
http://translate.google.com/translate?u ... l=js&tl=en

His "Repair the shaft of the stick Seimitsu" link looks like (and I'm guessing here) he's showing where you have to drill holes on an LSX-57 to accommodate Saturn grips. While on the bottom of the page, he's showing that the grips don't fit on the 5.66 shafts.

The "AC control panel" link compares the 5.2, 5.66, and Force shafts.

[MentholMoose]

Nice find, thanks for sharing. I never knew VO4 used different sticks. I guess it's good that I never bought a VO4 control panel or spare parts since it wouldn't be compatible with what I have.

While on the bottom of the page, he's showing that the grips don't fit on the 5.66 shafts.

AFAIK this is showing that the SS grips do fit the Ver.5.66 stick shafts. The grips are identical on SS, DC, and arcade VOOT Twin Sticks, aside from color. The pictured Ver.5.66 sticks are showing some serious age!

[Fredo]

I've tried moding the turbo buttons like Catch22 did and I must say that I prefer the original rubbery spring's feeling. They feel harder this way, but they feel more precise, clearly avoiding pressing the buttons accidentally.

The trigger mod looks much more relevant, I may try this later.

[twistedsymphony]

Old thread I know but can anyone comment on the feel (directionally) of the Saturn sticks compared to the VOOT 5.2 arcade sticks?

I'd like to upgrade the sticks in my OMG machine to the newer style but cant' seem to source any non OMG arcade-sticks anywhere, I was thinking putting some Saturn sticks in there would be a good interim solution but I don't want to waste the time and money if they're just going to feel cheap or fall apart on me.

[MentholMoose]

Old thread I know but can anyone comment on the feel (directionally) of the Saturn sticks compared to the VOOT 5.2 arcade sticks?

I'd like to upgrade the sticks in my OMG machine to the newer style but cant' seem to source any non OMG arcade-sticks anywhere, I was thinking putting some Saturn sticks in there would be a good interim solution but I don't want to waste the time and money if they're just going to feel cheap or fall apart on me.

Saturn Twin Sticks are fine. They're slightly worse than DC Twin Sticks from what I remember. Nothing compares to real 5.2/5.4/5.66 Twin Sticks, though. I can't definitively comment on VO4 Twin Sticks as I've never had the chance to try them, but I suppose they are somewhat better than the previous model.