THECXSTICK ultimate fix

[woj]

6 hours ago, Pac-Man Senior said:

Now I hope that manufacturers are reading atariage threads and improve their quality management.

I do not think they do, that's the whole problem. It is even worse, I do not think we here (the AA community) are the main target for something like THE400Mini, we know too much, and we have loads of other (genuine) equipment to be bothered with this (at least I wasn't), not to mention that we can build our own stuff (apart from two Ataris, I have a self built Arcade box running RetroPie alt. MiSTer, and a GPiCase running RecalBox, why do I need another thing that does not add anything to what I already have, apart from the looks).

[JetmanUK]

After modifying mine I have not stuck the rubber feet back on the bottom yet, as I will be trying the other DS rubber pads that are currently in the post to me. 

 

A thought struck me, I think one of the rubber feet may be ideal on the PCB, useful as the manufacturer must already have a stock of them, perhaps they will be the solution?

[Pac-Man Senior]

1 hour ago, woj said:

I have a self built Arcade box running RetroPie alt. MiSTer, and a GPiCase running RecalBox, why do I need another thing that does not add anything to what I already have, apart from the looks).

Before buying the 400 mini I made some experiments with 8 bit computer emulation on a retropie. There was one aspect I didn't like: I very often needed a keyboard. Emulating on the 400 mini I can lean back and make every configuration via joystick. Perhaps you found a way to make this convenience possible on a retropie. I wasn't. 

[zzip]

2 minutes ago, Pac-Man Senior said:

Before buying the 400 mini I made some experiments with 8 bit computer emulation on a retropie. There was one aspect I didn't like: I very often needed a keyboard. Emulating on the 400 mini I can lean back and make every configuration via joystick. Perhaps you found a way to make this convenience possible on a retropie. I wasn't. 

The Atari800 emulator itself seems to only allow you to map the four joystick directions + fire button to a real joystick.   But you can't map keyboard functions.  I do hope they add this ability at some point.

[woj]

32 minutes ago, Pac-Man Senior said:

There was one aspect I didn't like: I very often needed a keyboard.

For configuring RetroPie or for playing games? Configuration is done once, to do it properly though it is not only about the keyboard, for some systems, including the Atari, I had to edit the config files manually (but do not ask me about the details, I forgot by now). For playing, sometimes Start/Select/Option or even Esc are needed, those can be mapped to joystick controls, provided the joystick has enough buttons, and also see point one, this was not a clikck through thing indeed. But in the end I got a joystick only system. (Apart from C64 part of it, not only was the emulator experimental at the time, there you either need the real keyboard or use the on-screen one, which is a nightmare TBH). You are right in the sense that it takes time and persistence to sort this out, but that's the part I actually enjoy, to a certain degree 😉

[Fred_M]

4 hours ago, woj said:

I do not think they do, that's the whole problem. It is even worse, I do not think we here (the AA community) are the main target for something like THE400Mini, we know too much, and we have loads of other (genuine) equipment to be bothered with this (at least I wasn't), not to mention that we can build our own stuff (apart from two Ataris, I have a self built Arcade box running RetroPie alt. MiSTer, and a GPiCase running RecalBox, why do I need another thing that does not add anything to what I already have, apart from the looks).

I think you hit the nail on the head. I also think that the 400 mini was not created for die-hard Atari 8-bit users that still enjoy their old systems. It was made for people who got rid of their Atari 8-bit a long time ago (memories) and people that never had one. I am afraid that a few months from now the interest in this product will be completely gone.

Edited April 4 by Fred_M

[hossbags2]

does anyone have the THE400_BASIC.atr file. I dont have access to the google drive from genxgrownup youtube video

[JetmanUK]

I don't have the console to hand as I type this, but isn't this file the tester app already typed in and readt to go?

At the bottom of the page.

 

Joystick Laboratory (atarimagazines.com)

[pjedavison]

5 hours ago, hossbags2 said:

does anyone have the THE400_BASIC.atr file. I dont have access to the google drive from genxgrownup youtube video

The400 Mini should automatically create it when you insert a correctly formatted USB stick that doesn't already have it in its root folder.

 

If for some reason you need it outside of The400 Mini, it's just a blank DOS 2.5 disk.

Edited April 5 by pjedavison

[JetmanUK]

An update from me, the tiny DS rubber thingies arrived today, I fitted one and I must say the stick is great. Diagonals are a little tricky, but all in all a great upgrade!

 

BUT!

 

The CX40+ and original CX40 are still better though. Particularly impressed with the CX40+, if you don't need multiple buttons and want to a use a joystick on a PC, buy one and a Mayflash adapter instead. 

Edited April 5 by JetmanUK

[+Torq]

If someone has a CSSTICK with issues that they either don't want to fix, or for whom the fix doesn't "feel" the way they wanted it to, and they want to sell it (or because they're using a 3rd party controller or just bought the stick itself and no longer want/need it), please PM me.  I need a couple of extra sticks for a custom arcade-style stick build I want to do, so it doesn't matter if yours has issues with diagonals mis-registering (one way or another).

 

Happy to buy a couple without issues, also, but either works.

 

No issue paying MSRP + full shipping (should fit in the squarer USPS Medium flat-rate box) - but US only.

[Spanner]

If you plug in the CXSTICK into the PC, it labelled as THEGamepad...  because its using its GH001 IC from THEGampad, RGL joysticks are all made the same way.

THECXSTICK does not have a line in the gamecontollerdb.txt file so does it really exist, that would really annoy me...  its the dam wrong name man...hahahaha.

There are only 4 RGL lines in the txt file the bottom one is for THEGamepad a CXSTICK:

03000000591c00002300000010010000,Retro Games LTD THEC64 Joystick,b:b1,a:b0,back:b6,leftshoulder:b4,leftx:a0,lefty:a1,rightshoulder:b5,start:b7,x:b2,y:b3,platform:Linux,

03000000591c00002400000010010000,Retro Games LTD THEC64 MS Joystick,b:b1,a:b0,back:b6,leftshoulder:b4,leftx:a0,lefty:a1,rightshoulder:b5,start:b7,x:b2,y:b3,platform:Linux,

03000000591d00002200000010010000,Retro Games The64 Joystick Prototype,b:b1,a:b0,back:b6,leftshoulder:b4,leftx:a0,lefty:a1,rightshoulder:b5,start:b7,x:b2,y:b3,platform:Linux,

03000000591c00002600000010010000,Retro Games LTD THEGamepad,a:b2,b:b1,x:b3,y:b0,back:b6,start:b7,leftshoulder:b4,rightshoulder:b5,leftx:a0,lefty:a1,platform:Linux,
 

[the antithesis]

Now that I've had some time with it, I can say with certainty that the CXStick is indeed atrocious. Maine thing I've found is that squirreling away the extra hidden buttons means they're in locations where you can accidentally hit them. I tried Berzerk and kept hitting the click rim and exiting the game. That's... just where I put my hands, activating forty-year-old muscle memory. I am definitely going to seek an alternative or simply hack this so that functionality isn't in my way.

[+LS650]

2 hours ago, the antithesis said:

Now that I've had some time with it, I can say with certainty that the CXStick is indeed atrocious. Maine thing I've found is that squirreling away the extra hidden buttons means they're in locations where you can accidentally hit them. I tried Berzerk and kept hitting the click rim and exiting the game. That's... just where I put my hands, activating forty-year-old muscle memory. I am definitely going to seek an alternative or simply hack this so that functionality isn't in my way.

I found I kept hitting the 'left' Ring buttons... until I figured out how to remap the controller buttons and turn this off.

Once I did that, no more problems.

[+Philsan]

5 hours ago, LS650 said:

I found I kept hitting the 'left' Ring buttons... until I figured out how to remap the controller buttons and turn this off.

Once I did that, no more problems.

But you cannot do it with built-in games if I am not wrong.

[Pac-Man Senior]

After several days playing with this rubber fix I can say that my joystick is fixed. It could depend on the games I like. I play a lot Jumpman, Miner 2049er, Pitfall, Lode Runner and Fort Apocalypse - the latter also on my THE64MINI. I am noticing no problems and in Fort Apocalypse I think the new stiffness is more an advantage than an issue. It helps me to position my helicopter without bouncing into walls. Someone said it might not be a fix forever. But what's forever? At the moment I am very optimistic that this fix will be good for a while. I'm glad having found this thread.

[+LS650]

2 hours ago, Philsan said:

But you cannot do it with built-in games if I am not wrong.

I guess that's true, but I play my favorite games with the USB drive and don't play the built-in ones much.

[Spanner]

5 hours ago, Philsan said:

But you cannot do it with built-in games if I am not wrong.

I think you can change them, not sure but RGL should make a update that all 4 buttons around the stick and the corner button are all turned off in a game and you start the game with the menu button only, so only Menu and Home buttons are active, it did it to me too yesterday for the first time where I pressed one of the 4 buttons with my hand by accident and it reset the game, it was on Berserk too and you can accidently touch the corner button too, RGL needs to turned them all off in the game and come back on when in the carousel, it would then fix the `Touch CXSTICK buttons by accident` problem.
It would of been better if RGL uses ATGames Atari Flashback buttons, they are on the back side of the joystick, maybe they couldn't because of copyright(but Atari have the right to the Atari Flashback) so went with this design instead, there should have made a few deigns before finalizing it with this design, well RGL didn't want the joystick to look like the Atari Flashback joystick so it feels different.

Edited April 7 by Spanner

[+remowilliams]

6 hours ago, Philsan said:

But you cannot do it with built-in games if I am not wrong.

You can this way.

 

 

[JetmanUK]

An update on this, and not a good one.

 

I haven't used the stick for a few days, today I tried it and it seems as if the sticky pad may have become depressed (I know I am with this damn stick too) to an extent where I would say it's functioning the same as when I loosened the screws, that is, it's OK and usable, but definitely not ‘fixed’. Shame.

 

 

EDIT

And it's going back, perhaps when I hear of an updated version of the stick I will rebuy. What a sad end to my planned trip into the 8 bit Atari era.

Edited April 10 by JetmanUK

[Fred_M]

4 hours ago, JetmanUK said:

EDIT

And it's going back, perhaps when I hear of an updated version of the stick I will rebuy. What a sad end to my planned trip into the 8 bit Atari era.

 

You can still continue your trip into the Atari 8-bit era, it is a great destination 😉 Use the money you will receive from your seller to buy a second hand 800XL or 130XE and a SDrive-max. The Sdrive max is a SD-card device to load (and save to) any ATR, ATX, XEX, COM, CAR and CAS-file. 100% compatible 😉

[+Philsan]

4 hours ago, Fred_M said:

 

You can still continue your trip into the Atari 8-bit era, it is a great destination 😉 Use the money you will receive from your seller to buy a second hand 800XL or 130XE and a SDrive-max. The Sdrive max is a SD-card device to load (and save to) any ATR, ATX, XEX, COM, CAR and CAS-file. 100% compatible 😉

SIO devices don't have CAR compatibility.

[+MrFish]

8 hours ago, JetmanUK said:

An update on this, and not a good one.

 

I haven't used the stick for a few days, today I tried it and it seems as if the sticky pad may have become depressed (I know I am with this damn stick too) to an extent where I would say it's functioning the same as when I loosened the screws, that is, it's OK and usable, but definitely not ‘fixed’. Shame.

If you look at the what @tyke used (OP of this thread), it was a rubber grommet. I'm pretty sure this is quite a bit more firm than the "Sponge Tape" you used.

 

[JetmanUK]

3 minutes ago, MrFish said:

If you look at the what @tyke used (OP of this thread), it was a rubber grommet. I'm pretty sure this is quite a bit more firm than the "Sponge Tape" you used.

 

If you read through the comments you will see that I purchased the exact thing that they used.

 

The OP even liked my comment on installing it. 

 

The sticky pad I am referring to is the DS rubber sticky pad that he used too. 

Edited April 10 by JetmanUK

[+MrFish]

3 minutes ago, JetmanUK said:

If you read through the comments you will see that I purchased the exact thing that they used.

 

The OP even liked my comment on installing it. 

 

The sticky pad I am referring to is the DS rubber sticky pad that he used too. 

You're right. My mistake. I was confusing you with @chad5200, who is the one that used "Sponge Tape".

 

Too bad the grommet didn't hold up. The idea seemed to be going in the right direction.