Question for Qix owners

andrewb

Well-known member
Joined
May 14, 2014
Messages
28,984
Reaction score
16,958
Location
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Dedicated Qix owners: What kind of joystick does your CP have?

The manual indicates it's a 4-way leaf, and I believe it's a skinny Wico like most other Taito games. But is it tall or short?

(Short should have less than 1" clearance between the bottom of the ball, and the CP).
 
Dedicated Qix owners: What kind of joystick does your CP have?

The manual indicates it's a 4-way leaf, and I believe it's a skinny Wico like most other Taito games. But is it tall or short?

(Short should have less than 1" clearance between the bottom of the ball, and the CP).

I have 2 dedicated Qix. Both have the short, skinny Wico.
 
Cool. That was quick. Thanks for the reply.

That's what I suspected. The manual doesn't specify, and the severely-not-to-scale drawings look like a tall skinny shaft, but I didn't think that was the case. So, I wanted to confirm.

I'm not aware of other games that use a short skinny 4-way leaf Wico. I am interested in determining what the proper stick types are for all games, and particularly skinny Wico games. (Lock N' Chase apparently uses a short skinny 4-way Wico, but the manual shows a short skinny micro Wico, which I personally haven't seen.)
 
That looks like a severe wear groove, from it being installed in a metal CP, or something else that was rubbing against the shaft. Is your CP original? I'd be interested to see a pic, to understand what was rubbing against it.

I suppose it could have rubbed against the base as well, as there is a metal plate embedded in the upper part of the base. But they typically don't wear like that, so I'd suspect something is amiss.
 
Hmm. Is it in a normal skinny Wico base? (Post pics if needed.)

I'm curious as to why someone would feel the need to machine it, as there are easier ways to adjust the stick action, lol.
 
Dedicated Qix owners: What kind of joystick does your CP have?

The manual indicates it's a 4-way leaf, and I believe it's a skinny Wico like most other Taito games. But is it tall or short?

(Short should have less than 1" clearance between the bottom of the ball, and the CP).

Very apropos to what I have been doing for last 3-4 hours tonight. Trying to figure out what sticks are in my conversion taito cabs that I am trying to put back together. They are a damn mess.

I was actually going to start thread asking your help putting a definitive wico style stick parts guide together as I was studying most of your pics. Different restrictor plates top and bottom 4 way/8way, different actuator types 4 way and 8 way and skinny, some are mixed (8 way actuator on 4 way restrictor).

Anyway I don't have dedicated Qix but both of my conversions came with some bastardized 3.5" shaft standard stick but have the round (no wico patent engraved) vs octagon bottom restictor. see pic.

Now my Rockola Eyes cabinet does apper to have the skinny / short wico. Might have to measure that.
 

Attachments

  • 2017-06-29 22.28.10.jpg
    2017-06-29 22.28.10.jpg
    732.6 KB · Views: 29
Cool. Several of my skinny FS threads have pics of the reference sheets from Wico showing the details for the proper parts for each kind of skinny stick (shaft lengths, actuator sizes, etc). But if you have any questions regarding any details, just let me know.

Also, that base you show in the pic looks like a Wico knockoff (and it's a 4-way base bottom, from the diamond hole). Even the original skinny Wico bases don't say Wico on them like the thick shaft ones do, but enough evidence has been posted to show the skinny ones were made by Wico (catalog pages, NIB sticks in Wico boxes, etc).

However, there are also copycat bases, which look very similar, but you can tell the difference because the plastic is a little different (harder and shinier), the hardware is a slightly different metal (multicolored, as shown in your pic), and the leaf switches don't have the 3rd metal piece that is the adjustment leaf. There are also subtle differences in the molds, if you have them side by side.

Functionally speaking however, you really won't be able to tell the difference, as they're basically the same thing, but they are cosmetically different.
 
good info. not to derail the thread but I did mention I was obsessed with this tonight. another pic. Joystick on left was from super qix in a qix cab one on right is in my eyes cabinet.
 

Attachments

  • 2017-06-29 23.01.13.jpg
    2017-06-29 23.01.13.jpg
    1 MB · Views: 33
Cool. That was quick. Thanks for the reply.

That's what I suspected. The manual doesn't specify, and the severely-not-to-scale drawings look like a tall skinny shaft, but I didn't think that was the case. So, I wanted to confirm.

I'm not aware of other games that use a short skinny 4-way leaf Wico. I am interested in determining what the proper stick types are for all games, and particularly skinny Wico games. (Lock N' Chase apparently uses a short skinny 4-way Wico, but the manual shows a short skinny micro Wico, which I personally haven't seen.)

I have an original deco Lock N Chase in my garage and forgot to look at the joystick today. Will do tomorrow.

I have been a bit obsessed with everything wico joystick lately. Have acquired NOS skinny shorts for taito cabs, took apart Eyes skinny long, grabbed multiple used bases, a NOS microswtich, AndrewB's reconditioned robotron's (while back), and even made an unintelligible video to show my recent OCD with wico.

Here is a link to some of their patents
https://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=pts&hl=en&q=inassignee:"wico+corporation"&num=50

relevant joystick ones include the snap-in leaf switch, the metal reinforced base, the switch blade cover, etc.

also Arcadeshop has an interesting list of games based on size of grommet. I would think anything with metal control panel is short and anything with wood control panel is long?

1/4" Wico Skinny
http://www.arcadeshop.com/i/348/wico-1-4-joystick-centering-grommet.htm

3/8" Wico "Heavy Duty" stick
http://www.arcadeshop.com/i/1061/robotron-joystick-centering-grommet.htm

video of my learning...


 
Last edited:
Pics of the joystick from deco lock n chase. Doesn't look like a Wico. Micro switches say Matsushita. The control panel is kind of interesting, has an unused rotary under a button cover and room for more buttons.
 

Attachments

  • 2017-07-09 14.08.21.jpg
    2017-07-09 14.08.21.jpg
    618.7 KB · Views: 9
  • 2017-07-09 14.08.13.jpg
    2017-07-09 14.08.13.jpg
    538.1 KB · Views: 10
  • 2017-07-09 14.07.58.jpg
    2017-07-09 14.07.58.jpg
    584.4 KB · Views: 10
  • 2017-07-09 14.07.41.jpg
    2017-07-09 14.07.41.jpg
    626.9 KB · Views: 8
The Lock n Chase stick looks similar to ones made by Sankyo, which are used on Make Trax. There's a mention of them here:

https://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=405794

I have a couple of these. They actually look like a knockoff of Nintendo sticks, in terms of design, and have the same bolt pattern. (You might want to check yours.) They also have Matsushita switches.

Those actually say Sankyo on them though, and have red balls, which look very similar to Wico skinny ones, though the shafts are different. It's interesting though, as the balls on them look identical to Wicos (even down to the type of plastic, mold shape, and artifacts, though that could be a coincidence, or just a good copy).
 
The Lock n Chase stick looks similar to ones made by Sankyo, which are used on Make Trax. There's a mention of them here:

https://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=405794

I have a couple of these. They actually look like a knockoff of Nintendo sticks, in terms of design, and have the same bolt pattern. (You might want to check yours.) They also have Matsushita switches.

Those actually say Sankyo on them though, and have red balls, which look very similar to Wico skinny ones, though the shafts are different. It's interesting though, as the balls on them look identical to Wicos (even down to the type of plastic, mold shape, and artifacts, though that could be a coincidence, or just a good copy).

Interesting you mentioned Make Trax. My Make Trax is an early version with unique CP overlay and non-laid back monitor but it had a Wico 8 way in it, likely replaced though, but it had a tight joystick bolt pattern which wouldn't fit a Wico..hmmm. Also the wood CP means the normal 3.5" wico sits right on top. Anyway here is a link to that thread to see it and another. https://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=323191
 
Back
Top Bottom