Hey guys,
We are on the look out for a cheap and cheerful joystick component for a quick prototype we are putting together.
Any recommendations and/or reviews would be gratefully received.
Thanks,
Tom and James (chambersJudd.com)
there is a billion styles of joystick, without knowing more I would say go down to the thrift store and get an old analog pc joystick for a buck
I agree with Osgeld; if this is just a prototype, go down to your local thrift outlet, and buy an old analog joystick for a PC, then rip the guts out and use them. Something to keep in mind though before you do so, is if you pick up a -really- old joystick (something from the 1970s or early 1980s), do some research on it before you "destroy" it - some of those old computer game parts are worth A LOT of money. But if it is something post-1990, go for it!
Also - if you want real el-cheapo, you generally see tons of cheap gamepad/joystick-style "TV-Games" and similar devices, plus plenty of Playstation controllers, whose joysticks can be fairly easily interfaced. Perfect for prototyping, once again.
Finally - if your prototype proves successful, and you want to take it to the next level, or you need something more robust, check out Happ Controls:
Arcade parts meant to take abuse; some items are fairly inexpensive, some are really expensive, but these are arcade game controls, so they are meant to last.
I've got an old analogue PC joystick that was easy enough to use, and I picked up a sparkfun thumbstick and breakout board. They both work fine though using something that was otherwise junk was cheaper.
I took an xbox pad (from the original, not the 360) apart the other day to clean and noted the thumbsticks on that were the same as the sparkfun one, and given the age of the xbox you can probably pick one up for next to nothing and use the thumbsticks from that.