I picked up a few of these Perfect 360 joysticks at a local vendor. They are made by the same manufacturer that Happ Controls sells. I chose the P360 because of its smooth action that seems to me more like an old leaf switch style than the newer microswitch style. Also the bases are very compact, which was a must for my rotating design. Unfortunately, the P360 does not come with an optional balltop. Slik Stik does sell cool aluminum & chrome replacement handles for the P360, but I wanted a lighter more traditional stick. Furthermore, I live in a dry climate and have experienced static electricity problems with my aluminum Tornado spinner. Until I installed heavy gauge grounds, static shocks frequently crash my USB hub. Fortunately, I came across a thread at BYOAC posted by Oscar reviewing the P360’s. In his thread he mentions that the P360 handle has the same dimensions as the old Wico balltops.
I bought this blue Wico ball top handle from a BYOAC user (the handle was NOS). Also, I thought the blue color would look better on my cab as opposed to the ubiquitous red. I’m sure many of the traditionalists disagree.
The handle shaft was the exact diameter as the P360 handle. However, the length of the shaft was about 1/16″ too short, which prevented me from attaching the E ring. Still, all you have to do is compress the internal spring and the E ring will fit. It makes removal more difficult but it works. I have found that it helps to loosen the E ring tension with vice grips so they are easier to install and remove. There is really no reason to have them super tight. Here is a picture of the completed ball top P360.
Here is a picture of the ball top P360 mounted in my square panel.
Here is a top view.
Mounted in square panel with artwork.
Ready for Ms. Pacman.
