Need some help identifying Joystick? “Apple stick”

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transwarp II guy's picture
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Need some help identifying Joystick? “Apple stick”

Hello, does anyone recognize this device? I’m guessing it’s some sort of I/O device but I don’t want to plug it into my II’s 16 pin I/O port in fear of possible damages.

I just purchased it off of ebay, the pictures are a copy from the listing, I can take better pictures if anyone wants me to. By the way thats a film container over the 16 pin plug.

Any help will be highly appreciated! Thank you.

Heres what it looks like:

gsmcten's picture
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Re: Need some help identifying Joystick? “Apple stick”

Looks like a "Home Grown" Joy-Stick.
I've never seen anything like it.

transwarp II guy's picture
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Re: Need some help identifying Joystick? “Apple stick”

Yea I was wondering if it was homebrew or maybe even some sort of prototype. I also thought it could have been a piece of factory test equipment of some sort. Hopefully some one recognizes it, I really want to use it lol.

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Re: Need some help identifying Joystick? “Apple stick”

The Apple Paddle/Joystick I/O port is very basic and there are a few things that can be done to Damage it, like the Lower Case Shift Key Modification on the Apple ][ and ][+, being used simultaneously with PDL Button 3 ( IIRC ).

The Apple ][ Paddles/Joysticks are 150K Ohm Variable Resistors and the Buttons are Momentary Contact Switches..

I located in the Book, "Understanding the Apple IIe" on Pages 7-33 to 7-36 ( PDF Pages 201-204 ) information on Expanding the Paddle and Buttons I/O System, with Testing Information..

If you would like further assistance, I have original Apple ][e Paddles and Joy Stick, plus the C-H Joystick and a bunch ( 8 ) Apple ][e's to test with...

transwarp II guy's picture
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Re: Need some help identifying Joystick? “Apple stick”

The Apple Paddle/Joystick I/O port is very basic and there are a few things that can be done to Damage it, like the Lower Case Shift Key Modification on the Apple ][ and ][+, being used simultaneously with PDL Button 3 ( IIRC ).

The Apple ][ Paddles/Joysticks are 150K Ohm Variable Resistors and the Buttons are Momentary Contact Switches..

I located in the Book, "Understanding the Apple IIe" on Pages 7-33 to 7-36 ( PDF Pages 201-204 ) information on Expanding the Paddle and Buttons I/O System, with Testing Information..

If you would like further assistance, I have original Apple ][e Paddles and Joy Stick, plus the C-H Joystick and a bunch ( 8 ) Apple ][e's to test with...

Sorry for the mega slow delay in my reply Mark. Work gets in the way quite often Wink I just went ahead and plugged it into a apple IIe motherboard that has video problems; Just another one I have lying around. Nothing happened. It didn’t register in mecc diagnostics software or on any of the games I have that utilize a joystick.

So I don’t know if it doesn’t work, or if the IIe I/0 has a problem, or if this is built for something else.

MarkO's picture
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Re: Need some help identifying Joystick? “Apple stick”

If you have a VOM, you can check the pins associated with the switches and the variable resistors.. if you have a working joy stick, you can check your test//e...

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Re: Need some help identifying Joystick? “Apple stick”

well i agree to gsmcten - it´s "homebrew" adaptor....
compared with "normal" joystick the difference is that this one does not "recenter" - i.e. it does not pull back the stick to the center with springs inside...
in early days there was a kind of CADsystem for Apple II called "Bitstick" and the trouble was, when using that software with normal joysticks this "recentering" was a lack and moved the drawingline always back to the center of the drawing area.... therefor the most users of that software made own adaptors like the one displayed for use with that software.... the X/Y switches were to change the axis to oposite function... ( like a turn of the papersheet by 90 degrees... ) and if the user, who made that device kept to normal coding, the brown wire on the outside of the cable would indicate cableside of pin 1 - and if that cable is seen at the plug - that would indicate orientation how to plug in the device....
sincerely speedyG

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Re: Need some help identifying Joystick? “Apple stick”

The Apple Paddle/Joystick I/O port is very basic and there are a few things that can be done to Damage it, like the Lower Case Shift Key Modification on the Apple ][ and ][+, being used simultaneously with PDL Button 3 ( IIRC ).

The Apple ][ Paddles/Joysticks are 150K Ohm Variable Resistors and the Buttons are Momentary Contact Switches..

I located in the Book, "Understanding the Apple IIe" on Pages 7-33 to 7-36 ( PDF Pages 201-204 ) information on Expanding the Paddle and Buttons I/O System, with Testing Information..

If you would like further assistance, I have original Apple ][e Paddles and Joy Stick, plus the C-H Joystick and a bunch ( 8 ) Apple ][e's to test with...

Sorry for the mega slow delay in my reply Mark. Work gets in the way quite often Wink I just went ahead and plugged it into a apple IIe motherboard that has video problems; Just another one I have lying around. Nothing happened. It didn’t register in mecc diagnostics software or on any of the games I have that utilize a joystick.

So I don’t know if it doesn’t work, or if the IIe I/0 has a problem, or if this is built for something else.

I would try and effect Repair...

In my looking for Apple ][ stuff I found this Web Site, Yesterbits: Softalk issues with links to some SofTalk Issues and Articles..

Here is one article just about the Joy Sticks and Paddles..

HardTalk: Apple Joysticks/Paddles

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