My Complete Illustrated Experience to Mod X-Arcade TankStick (Part 2)

This is the SECOND of the THREE part posts that I wrote to share my experience to mod my X-Arcade TankStick.

The X-Arcade TankStick came with a very sturdy cabinet and offers a lot of room for modding. Search on Google and you'll find numerous mods that people had done with it over the years.

I decided to write this post to share my experience in modding the TankStick with little DIY background :-) I made sure to took pictures of every steps that I did not only to share the progress with you, but also as a flashback moment for me during the mod. The whole mod took around 3 days as I tried different joysticks every time I mounted a new one before finally deciding on one.

Modding the TankStick actually requires no woodwork AT ALL if you're only seeking to replace the push buttons and installing a spinner. Woodwork is only needed in case you want to mount a universal mounting plate such as the Kowal, which you'll then install it on the Japanese or Korean joysticks. This is mainly because the default mounting space is not tall enough to fit it vertically. The width fits perfectly though.

Please see the following post to find out which arcade parts I purchased for this mod project.

• Part 1 - Purchasing the Arcade Parts to mod my X-Arcade TankStick

Note: This post contains a lot of high resolution images. Please view it only if you have sufficient Internet bandwidth.

In essence, I mod the TankStick in the following ways:

• Replaced the stock X-Arcade push buttons with Euro iL Short Stem Convex Push Buttons (multi-colored)
• Installed Ultimarc SpinTrak, a high resolution rotary device that provides analog X-Axis (left/right) inputs. It would shows up as a Mouse device on Windows.
• Did some woodwork to expand the default joystick mounting place in order to install the Kowal Universal Mounting Plate.
• Mounted Kowal Universal Mounting Plate on various joysticks, i.e. Sanwa JLW and Seimitsu LS-32. 
• I also tried to mount the Eurostick iL Joystick without the Kowal plate since it is an exact fit. It's basically a drop-in replacement.
• Connecting the other end of the JLF-5H 5-Pin wiring harness to the Quick Disconnect. I did it because I don't want to cut the quick disconnect as I might want to use the non-PCB joystick on some fine day :)

Read more

Purchasing Arcade Parts to Mod My X-Arcade TankStick (Part 1)

This is the FIRST of the THREE part posts that I wrote to share my experience to mod my X-Arcade TankStick.

See Part Two - My Complete Illustrated Experience to Mod X-Arcade TankStick to see a complete pictures showing you my progress of mounting/installing these parts inside the TankStick.

The first step is of course purchasing the arcade parts. Following are the arcade parts which I purchased from various sites:

FocusAttack

• Euro iL Short Stem Convex 28mm Push Buttons
• Cherry DX44 Microswitches with 0.187" terminal size
• Kowal Universal Joystick Mounting Plate (to fit with American/European and Japanese joystick)

AkiShop

• Seimitsu LS-32
• Seimitsu LS-32-02 (same as LS-32 but with PCB mounted)
• Sanwa JLF
• Shaft cover and dust washer for Sanwa and Seimitsu Joysticks
• JLF-5H 5-Pin wire harness (to connect with the PCB on the Joystick)
• Restrictor Gates

ArcadeWorldUK
I decided to split my order into two separate shipments with declared value of ~USD150 each in order to avoid having to pay for custom duty. I'm just glad I made the decision!

First Box

• Eurostick iL Arcade Joystick (White)
• SpinTrak Steering wheel
• Sanwa GT-0 Round Restrictor Gate
• Sanwa JLW-TM-8 Joystick with Fine Mesh Ball Top (Green)

Second Box 

• Euro iL Convex Arcade Start Button (Player 1 & 2)
• SpinTrak Arcade Spinner with red/silver handle and Large flyweight

More about the parts

Ultimarc SpinTrak

Ultimarc SpinTrak with Large Flyweight, Red Knob, and PCB

Steering wheel

Euro iL Joystick (White)

Sanwa JLW Joystick and GT-O Circle Restrictor Gate

See Part Two - My Complete Illustrated Experience to Mod X-Arcade TankStick to view my progress on modding the TankStick using these arcade parts.

Read more

An Overview of Arcade Parts and My Arcade Purchase/Modding Experience

This is a quick write-ups on my journey of getting know more about arcade parts. As time goes I will be attempting to perform better mods for my arcade parts.

Read more