It all started in the year 1982.  I was 13 years old at the time and my dad was the owner of a medium sized R&D company who did design work for various arcade game manufacturers.  My dad being in the field he was in afforded me certain privileges that other kids my age didn't have.  This particular perk included the chance to see a prototype Atari Star Wars at an industry show before it was released to the general public.  Naturally, I played the machine as long as I could.  I was dazzled by the color vector graphics of a space flight sim.  It was awesome.  I couldn't wait to see the machine appear in the arcades.  At this time in my life, I was already repairing arcade games and helping my dad with R&D projects of all sorts, primarily in the arcade industry.

Fast forward to the year 1988.  I quickly worked my way up the ladder and became the head tech at a local arcade repair shop.  I had a knack for repairing the "impossible" boards, specifically multi-board setups using nothing more than a logic probe, signal injector and multi-meter.  By this time, I had seen many dozens of Star Wars machines pass through the shop.  The vector monitors were a problematic component from the very beginning.  Internal memo after internal memo direct from Atari described the various problems associated with the game and their dubious repair suggestions.  After personally overseeing the repair of these machines for no less than 5 years, I had a good handle on what typically went wrong with them.  Top of the list, the vector monitor.  Next, the logic boardset (specifically, the mathbox, the AVG chip and various EPROMs and their sockets).  Last, the controllers (specifically the pots, the gears and the cherry switches).

After awhile, I started to notice an increasing number of failing and/or cannibalized controllers.  In the beginning, Atari, of course, was happy to supply the required parts to no end.  However, eventually they started running low on necessary components which were required to repair the controllers.  Finally, they ran out of most parts and simply stated that the parts in question were "obsolete" which meant they would never again make or supply the part.  That was some sad news.  Since then, the popular method of obtaining parts for a controller has been to swipe them from another controller.  On occasion, a stash of parts can be found in an operators shop somewhere which was typically gobbled up and expended in record time.  A few alternate sources for one or two of the gears were located, but the over the top pricing left a lot to be desired.  Eventually, the extreme lack of such parts for many games aside from Star Wars hindered my ability to offer quality repairs.  I wasn't about to Mickey Mouse any repair work.  I was left with no choice but to leave the arcade repair business and seek other employment.

Fast forward to present time, the year 2004.  I'm well footed in the manufacturing business by this time.  I've been collecting games for my personal collection for awhile and I decided it was about time to fix up some of my failing and/or incomplete machines.  First two on my list are Major Havoc (dedicated) and Star Wars.  On my Major Havoc, the controller is simply missing.  SW, the controller is loose and falling apart, the X movement is not working and the Y movement works only partially.  After a worthless attempt to search for parts and no prospects of finding a complete/working controller, I have decided it is time to make the controller myself.  

Construction Progress

	12/15/04:  The Star Wars flight yoke controller reproduction project started in late 2004.  This is about the same time I started the Major Havoc roller controller project.  Both of these projects began before I officially opened up RAM controls as a separate business.  Armed with an illustrated parts list for the controller and a couple of spare controllers (one pictured above), I set out to reproduce this controller in whole and as accurate to the original as possible, while trying to also incorporate minor improvements to extend the lifespan of the reproduction version.
	06/01/05:  Purchase of complete hardware line accomplished (screws, nuts, bolts, etc). Pictured is a small fraction of the total stock.  It was critical that I have a complete selection of hardware before I attempted any reproduction work.  I bought roughly 5,000-10,000pcs each of roughly 450 different size screws, nuts, washers, etc.  Mostly stainless steel and alloy parts.  This took some time to acquire and stock.
	07/15/05:  Purchase of special retaining rings completed.  Used to retain handle and steering shafts.  Believe it or not, I didn't know what this retaining ring was called.  No, it's not an E-Clip.  Anyhow, after a little time, I was able to find the OEM for this part and purchased up a big batch to add to my hardware stock.
	08/18/05:  Special I.D./O.D. stainless steel washers stamped out and completed in-house.  Used on steering shaft.  This washer was unavailable no matter where I looked.  I finally said the heck with it and designed my own tooling to stamp these out of stainless steel sheet metal.  They turned out quite nice if I do say so myself.  For the record, I ran off about 5,500 of these. No, we won't be running out of these anytime soon!
	09/01/05:  Large torsion spring run completed in-house. Used in steering assembly frame.  I own spring making machines, so this was a simple operation.  I ran off a great big batch of these, so we'll have spare springs for years to come.
	09/09/05:  Small torsion spring run completed in-house.  Used in handle assembly frame.  I own spring making machines, so this was a simple operation.  I ran off a great big batch of these, so we'll have spare springs for years to come.
	09/09/05:  Small compression spring run completed in-house.  Used in handles for thumb buttons and triggers.   I own spring making machines, so this was a simple operation.  I ran off a great big batch of these, so we'll have spare springs for years to come.
	11/20/05:  Special made bronze flange bearing completed.  These were an interesting part to source.  I was sure this was actually a "bushing" not a "bearing" but come to find out, I was way off.  It's a sintered bronze flange bearing.  What a mouthful.  Anyhow, I found the OEM who made them for Atari and had them run off a large order for me.  Again, enough spares for many years to come.
	12/05/05:  Neoprene rubber bumper outer part completed. The rubber bumpers used on the Star Wars yoke are a pain in the backside to replace.  I decided to make some minor design changes that will allow easy replacement of the rubber part of the bumper when the time comes.  Made from high quality neoprene rubber, no matter how good it is, it is destined to fail eventually.  That's the nature of rubber components.  I was, at least, able to ease the replacement woes.  I was able to produce this part in house once I sourced the proper rubber material.  No shortage of parts here.
	12/09/05:  Rubber bumper inner part completed in-house.  This part was made from a nice steel stock material and machined down to size.  It's a perfect fit for the rubber part pictured above and the frame assemblies they attach to.  The part is slightly enlarged to help withstand normal and abusive handling.  The OEM part would bend fairly easily under normal use.  The reproduction counterpart should withstand much more force and, therefore, last much longer.
	12/10/05:  Rubber bumper assembly completed.   This is what the assembled rubber bumper looks like.  The rubber ring simply slides onto the metal bumper base.  Pretty straight forward from beginning to end.
	02/20/06:  Anchor Pin completed in-house.  Made from steel, zinc plated gold.  These were machined from hex steel rod stock and then put through the screw machine.  Once completed, they were given a nice zinc oxide coating.
	05/13/06:  Anchor Nut completed in-house.  Made from steel, zinc plated gold.  These were machined from hex steel rod stock and then put through the screw machine.  Once completed, they were given a nice zinc oxide coating.
	12/29/06:  Spring Pin completed in-house.  Made from steel, zinc plated gold.  These were machined from round steel rod stock and given a nice zinc oxide coating.  The color variation from part to part was a result of testing different coating processes.
	01/03/07:  Thumb button completed in-house.  Part upgraded to 6061 aluminum.  They have not been anodized yet, but we should have them finished up in two weeks or less.  We're going with a "hard" black anodize which should provide a very tough finish that looks nice.
	01/10/07:  We just completed a full production run of 5000 aluminum hubs for the 14-tooth gears. The hubs are machined 6061 aluminum parts.  These are near-perfect reproduction parts, manufactured to Atari specification.  Now we just need to have the actual Delrin gears injection molded onto the hubs.
	01/10/07:  We just completed a full production run of 5000 aluminum hubs for the 28-tooth gears. The hubs are machined 6061 aluminum parts.  These are near-perfect reproduction parts, manufactured to Atari specification.  Now we just need to have the actual Delrin gears injection molded onto the hubs.
	01/10/07:  We just completed a full production run of 5000 aluminum hubs for the 60-tooth gears. The hubs are machined 6061 aluminum parts.  These are near-perfect reproduction parts, manufactured to Atari specification.  Now we just need to have the actual Delrin gears injection molded onto the hubs.
	01/14/07:  Thumb button completed in-house.  Part upgraded to 6061 aluminum and hard anodized black.  I don't know how many times I've come across yokes with worn thumb buttons.  I've never seen a thumb button to the brink of non-functional, but a few were pretty close.  I'm convinced that the aluminum version I've designed will outlast the OEM part.
	01/21/07:  Steering shaft prototype pictured before full production run.  Made from steel and ground to spec.  This shows what the part looks like prior to zinc plating.  I happen to prefer this look, but if I went this way it wouldn't be as close to OEM as possible now would it?  I've had the shafts cut and ready for machining for a long time now.  I finally had the time to create the program and run them off.  I snagged a fresh milled part (before zinc plating) to get a nice photo for the website.  This part is completely within the original spec, but the material I chose far exceeds the original specifications.
	01/21/07:  Handle shaft prototype pictured before full production run.  Made from steel and ground to spec.  This shows what the part looks like prior to zinc plating.  I happen to prefer this look, but if I went this way it wouldn't be as close to OEM as possible now would it?  I've had the shafts cut and ready for machining for a long time now.  I finally had the time to create the program and run them off.  I snagged a fresh milled part (before zinc plating) to get a nice photo for the website.  This part is completely within the original spec, but the material I chose far exceeds the original specifications.
	02/09/07:  Steering shaft production part.  Made from steel, ground to spec, machined and zinc plated gold.  Here's a picture of the final production version of the steering shaft.  Looks pretty close to the original.
	02/09/07:  Handle shaft production part.  Made from steel, ground to spec, machined and zinc plated gold.  Here's a picture of the final production version of the handle shaft.  Looks pretty close to the original.
	02/10/07:  Steering Frame Assembly prototype components (flats) pictured just before the assembly process (forming/bending and welding).  Parts are laser cut from 11 gauge cold rolled steel (CRS). Note: Pictured to left is 1 of 2 parts belonging to the "Steering Frame" - this is the "base" portion of the steering assembly, the part that mounts the entire yoke controller to the control panel.  The stud fasteners still need to be press fit into the part you see pictured.
	02/10/07:  Steering Frame Assembly prototype components (flats) pictured just before the assembly process (forming/bending and welding).  Parts are laser cut from 11 gauge cold rolled steel (CRS). Note: Pictured to left is 2 of 2 parts belonging to the "Steering Frame" - Atari originally designed this as two separate parts, but with the advanced CNC press brakes of today, forming this from a single flat is very easy.
	02/10/07:  Steering Frame Assembly prototype components (flats) pictured just before the assembly process (forming/bending and welding).  Parts are laser cut from 11 gauge cold rolled steel (CRS). Note: Pictured to left is 1 of 3 parts belonging to the "Handle Frame" - this is the "base" portion of the handle assembly.  The special "collar" stills needs to be welded into the part you see pictured.
	02/10/07:  Handle Frame Assembly prototype components (flats) pictured just before the assembly process (forming/bending and welding).  Parts are laser cut from 11 gauge cold rolled steel (CRS). Note: Pictured to left is 2 of 3 parts belonging to the "Handle Frame" - these form the sides of the yoke controller.  The special shape alone should give it's identify away.
	02/10/07:  Handle Frame Assembly prototype components (flats) pictured just before the assembly process (forming/bending and welding).  Parts are laser cut from 11 gauge cold rolled steel (CRS). Note: Pictured to left is 3 of 3 parts belonging to the "Handle Frame" - this part mounts inside the front part of the handle frame.
	02/10/07:  Handle Frame Cover prototype component (flat) pictured just before the assembly process (forming/bending and welding).  Part is laser cut from 16 gauge cold rolled steel (CRS).  This forms the cover for the entire yoke controller.  This is the part that the yoke overlay is attached to.
	02/17/07 - To the left, we have our earliest Solidworks model of our prototype handle frame assembly.  The original assembly from Atari was made from 11GA HRP&O (hot rolled pickled & oiled) which was OK, but our version will be made from 11GA cold rolled steel which is much stronger/stiffer.
	02/17/07 - To the left, we have our earliest Solidworks model of our prototype steering frame assembly.  The original assembly from Atari was made from 11GA HRP&O (hot rolled pickled & oiled) which was OK, but our version will be made from 11GA cold rolled steel which is much stronger/stiffer.
	02/18/07:  Handle Frame Assembly prototype Revision A pictured just before full production run.  We're going to make a Revision B model before the production run so we can change out some of those pesky OEM issues.  Part is made from 11 gauge steel, laser cut, formed to spec and TIG welded.  Note: part has been prepped for powder coat, which gives it an interesting color/texture and smoothes out the sharp edges.  Also, shaft hub in rear of assembly is made from steel, machined to spec and welded into place.
	02/18/07:  Steering Frame Assembly prototype Revision A pictured just before full production run.  We're going to make a Revision B model before the production run so we can change out some of those pesky OEM issues.  Part is made from 11 gauge steel, laser cut, formed to spec and TIG/MIG welded  Note: part has been prepped for powder coat, which gives it an interesting color/texture and smoothes out the sharp edges.  Also, #1/4-20 x 5/8" captive studs (self clinching) pre-installed into frame assembly for form/fit testing.
	02/18/07:  Handle Frame Cover prototype pictured just before full production run.  Part is made from 16 gauge steel, laser cut and formed to spec.  Note: part has been prepped for powder coat, which gives it an interesting color/texture and smoothes out the sharp edges.
	02/20/07:  We just received our order of the self clinching studs used on the steering assembly base.  These are the fasteners that hold the entire controller to the control panel.  We picked up enough of these for about 4000 controllers.  It takes a minimum of 3.5 tons of force to press fit these fasteners into place.  I think we can cover that....and then some.
	02/23/07:  This is the collar/bushing used on the handle assembly which is the attachment point for the steering shaft.  It's welded into the back of the handle assembly frame.  I just ran off enough of these for the first run of 1000 controllers.  I have 42 of these trays full of the collars!  Hopefully, this will be enough to last for a long while!
	02/25/07:  Here's picture number one of the full production run (1000pcs) of sheet metal parts used to make the steering assembly and handle assembly.  This is what it looks like before they're all bent and welded together.  Nothing really fancy here, just wanted to demonstrate the magnitude of this project and our commitment to it.  These are mostly 11GA parts with the exception of the handle assembly cover which is cut from 16GA cold rolled steel.  In this picture, you can see a massive number of the handle frame side plates.  These form the left and right sides of the main housing seen when using the yoke controller.
	02/25/07:  Here's picture number two of the full production run (1000pcs) of sheet metal parts used to make the steering assembly and handle assembly.  This is what it looks like before they're all bent and welded together.  Nothing really fancy here, just wanted to demonstrate the magnitude of this project and our commitment to it.  These are mostly 11GA parts with the exception of the handle assembly cover which is cut from 16GA cold rolled steel.  Three different parts can be seen in this picture.  Up front you can see the steering frame bracket (the furthest back part of the entire controller).  To the left and slightly back, a part belonging to the "Handle Frame" is pictured - this part mounts inside the front part of the handle frame.  Along the back/top of the picture, another part belonging to the "Handle Frame" - this is the "base" portion of the handle assembly.  This is where the special  "collar" (pictured two up) is welded on.
	02/25/07:  Here's picture number three of the full production run (1000pcs) of sheet metal parts used to make the steering assembly and handle assembly.  This is what it looks like before they're all bent and welded together.  Nothing really fancy here, just wanted to demonstrate the magnitude of this project and our commitment to it.  These are mostly 11GA parts with the exception of the handle assembly cover which is cut from 16GA cold rolled steel.  A closer view of the previous picture.  You can get a better view of how deep these stacks of parts really are.
	02/25/07:  Here's picture number four of the full production run (1000pcs) of sheet metal parts used to make the steering assembly and handle assembly.  This is what it looks like before they're all bent and welded together.  Nothing really fancy here, just wanted to demonstrate the magnitude of this project and our commitment to it.  One part in particular can be seen in this picture.  You can see the handle frame cover (on the right side of the picture) which is the only 16 gauge part we had to cut for this project.  Particular attention was paid to the corners (which are slightly rounded on the reproduction version) and the hole placement (which is off by up +/- 0.060" on the OEM parts made by Atari).  Ours are within 0.001" tolerances which may be considered overkill for sheet metal parts, but the yoke project deserves no less than perfection.
	02/27/07:  Here's picture number one which shows a sampling of the full production run (1000pcs) of steering assembly plates.  Note the press-fit fasteners in the plate.  We used a 20-ton hydraulic press to fit these into place.
	02/27/07:  Here's picture number two which shows a sampling of the full production run (1000pcs) of steering assembly brackets.  Note the main design change.  Atari originally had this part as two pieces welded together.  With our much more advanced equipment and precise cutting technology, we were able to create this bracket from a single piece of sheet metal formed into place.
	02/27/07:  Here's picture number three which shows a sampling of the full production run (1000pcs) of handle assembly plates.  Note the main design change here.  Essentially, "slots" were cut into the tabs to allow easy tool access to the set screws on the collar.  Then, of course, all corners were rounded to decrease the likelihood of sustaining an accidental cut which is never fun.
	02/27/07:  Here's picture number four which shows a sampling of the full production run (1000pcs) of handle assembly brackets.  The only real design change here was the larger radius on the corners.  Aside from this, it's identical to the OEM counterpart.
	02/27/07:  Here's picture number five which shows a sampling of the full production run (1000pcs) of handle assembly covers.  The only real design change here was the larger radius on the corners.  Of course, we also paid close attention to the placement of the holes, as well.  I'm not sure that would be considered a design "change".  Aside from these notes, it's identical to the OEM counterpart.
	03/06/07:  Here we have a sample of our TIG welded handle assembly.  This would be considered "Revision B" with obvious modifications from the OEM and our initial Revision A version.
	03/06/07:  Here we have a 10pc sample of our TIG welded steering assemblies.  This would be considered "Revision B" with obvious modifications from the OEM and our initial Revision A version.  The OEM steering frame assembly was a three-piece design.  Ours is a two-piece design which does make for a better part.  Modern CNC press brakes allow this modification to be possible.
	03/20/07:  Full production run 60-tooth gears.  The gears are made from cast Delrin with machined aluminum hub.  These are near-perfect reproduction parts, manufactured to Atari specification, with upgraded materials.
	03/20/07:  Full production run 28-tooth gears.  The gears are made from cast Delrin with machined aluminum hub.  These are near-perfect reproduction parts, manufactured to Atari specification, with upgraded materials.
	03/20/07:  Full production run 14-tooth gears.  The gears are made from cast Delrin with machined aluminum hub.  These are near-perfect reproduction parts, manufactured to Atari specification, with upgraded materials.  The original gears made by Atari were press-fit.  This is one of the reasons why the originals fail so badly.  Ours are insert molded (or over-molded) when relieves the stress of the plastic gear being mated with the metal hub.  Plus, the type of knurling we use will give the plastic more strength to hold together.  Anyhow, the final decision was to go for "purity" with this component rather than a fully redesigned part which is why we stuck with plastic/metal like the original.  The diehard SW fans should appreciate this.  It LOOKS like the original part, but it's so much better.
	04/15/07:  New order of Cherry snap action switches has arrived.  We have enough of these for a few thousand controllers.  We'll include these in the upcoming rebuild kits, too.
	06/01/07:  I've put together some yoke "rebuild kits" to help service the OEM crowd who are obviously in need of replacement parts for their current machines.  The first rebuild kit, called the "standard" version will include all of the following parts:  (4) Rubber Bumpers, (2) Thumb Buttons, (4) Small Compression Springs, (4) Snap-Action Switches, (2) 60-Tooth Gear, (1) 28-Tooth Gear, (1) 14-Tooth Gear Update 11/17/07:  I'm also including the following item in this kit as of today: (2) "Extra Life" Precision 5K Potentiometers.  Picture updated to include new components. Update 11/08/09:  I'm also including the following items in this kit as of today: (1) Spacer Bearing, (1) Tube Nyogel 779ZC.  Picture updated to include new components.
	06/01/07:  The next level of rebuild kit, called the "deluxe" version will include all of the following parts:   (4) Rubber Bumpers, (2) Thumb Buttons, (4) Small Compression Springs, (4) Snap-Action Switches, (2) 60-Tooth Gears (1) 28-Tooth Gear, (1) 14-Tooth Gear,  (2) Large Torsion Springs, (2) Small Torsion Springs. Update 11/17/07:  I'm also including the following item in this kit as of today: (2) "Extra Life" Precision 5K Potentiometers.  Picture updated to include new components. Update 11/08/09:  I'm also including the following items in this kit as of today: (1) Spacer Bearing, (1) Tube Nyogel 779ZC.  Picture updated to include new components.
	06/01/07:  The top level of rebuild kit, called the "premium" version will include all of the following parts:   (4) Rubber Bumpers, (2) Thumb Buttons, (4) Small Compression Springs, (4) Snap-Action Switches, (2) 60-Tooth Gears, (1) 28-Tooth Gear, (1) 14-Tooth Gear, (2) Large Torsion Springs, (2) Small Torsion Springs, (4) Flange Bearings, (1) Steering Shaft, (1) Handle Shaft, (1) Anchor Pin, (1) Anchor Nut, (1) Spring Pin. Update 11/17/07:  I'm also including the following item in this kit as of today: (2) "Extra Life" Precision 5K Potentiometers.  Picture updated to include new components. Update 11/08/09:  I'm also including the following items in this kit as of today: (1) Spacer Bearing, (1) Tube Nyogel 779ZC.  Picture updated to include new components.
	08/22/07:  Powder coated handle assembly. Atari originally painted these with an automotive type paint, they were not powder coated.  Our process is definitely an upgrade which provides a much better appearance and function.
	08/22/07:  Powder coated steering assembly.  Atari originally painted these with an automotive type paint, they were not powder coated.  Our process is definitely an upgrade which provides a much better appearance and function.  We were originally going to go with a nice black zinc plate, but the powder coat looked SO much better, it was a no-brainer.
	08/22/07:  Powder coated handle assembly cover. Atari originally painted these with an automotive type paint, they were not powder coated.  Our process is definitely an upgrade which provides a much better appearance and function.
	09/11/07:  We just finished manufacturing the production run of triggers.  They turned out really nice.  Pictured to the left are the very first three to come out of the molds.  Made from black acetal and machined to spec.  These are very tough compared to the original parts.
	11/17/07:  We just got in a big batch of potentiometers for use with the controller.  These are very nice quality parts and they really do put the old AB (Allen Bradley) parts to shame!  I've never seen such silky smooth response out of a potentiometer before these!  I'll be using these for every project from here forward, that's how good they are!
	10/19/08:  This is the first set of picture updates in nearly a year.  We got hung up on the handles early on and it's only now finally getting resolved.  As you can see to the left, this is a completed pre-production model of the RIGHT handles (inner base and outer cover).  It's made from an aluminum alloy, cast and tapped to spec., and powder coated with a smooth black satin finish.  They turned out beautiful!!
	10/19/08:  And here's the completed pre-production model of the LEFT handles (inner base and outer cover) as machined and finished.  It's made from an aluminum alloy, cast and tapped to spec., and powder coated with a smooth black satin finish.  They turned out beautiful!!  BTW, somewhere in the shuffle, we were able to dig up the original tooling Atari used 15 - 20 years ago!  These are essentially upgraded OEM parts!
	10/19/08:  Here's the completed pre-production models of the whole set of handles (right and left sides) as cast and finished.  Not to sound like a broken record, but these are made from an aluminum alloy, machined and tapped to spec., and powder coated with a smooth black satin finish.  They turned out beautiful!!  Yes, we used the original tooling that Atari used to make these parts.  Yes, we upgraded the alloy used, but these are essentially OEM parts for all intents and purposes! Update 12/04/08:  We're going to change these back to MACHINED handles - the cast parts are just giving us too many problems - from lousy powder coat and weak material to super-wide tolerance variances which are simply too inaccurate to allow into the market.  Machined parts will not suffer from ANY of these problems.
	12/01/08:  Atari called out a special damping grease (Nyogel 779) in pretty much ALL of their old controllers from the 70's and 80's.  This is a special silica-thickened, light viscosity, synthetic hydrocarbon grease intended for mechanical components that require a light level of damping (noise/chatter reduction).  Anyhow, we ordered a BIG batch of the 779ZC grease to include with the rebuild kits and to sell individually.  This is the exact same grease called out in Atari specifications with an added moly lubricant for better aluminum on aluminum lubrication.  It also has an added benefit of quieting down plastic gears!  Comes in a 10 gram tube - enough for several applications.  As a side note, we also carry standard Nyogel 779 (without the "ZC") in 1oz tubes. We will now include this grease with all levels of yoke rebuild kits at no additional cost per kit.
	12/04/08 - With all the problems associated with the cast aluminum handles that we've had to put up with, we've decided to just bite the bullet and go with our original plan to machine the handles out of solid billet 6061 T6 aluminum bar stock.  This is generally more expensive than casting the parts, but the machined parts are far superior to their cast counterparts.  With machining, we can control the tolerances within 0.001" which is simply impossible to do with a casting process.  Because of this, we'll have handles which are precisely matched to each other (covers and bases will actually fit perfectly).  To the left, we have a Solidworks model of the left-side handle.  The right side is nothing more than a mirror image of the left side, so we're only showing this one.
	12/04/08 - Here's another view of the Solidworks model of the left-side handle.  The right side is nothing more than a mirror image of the left side, so we're only showing this one.
	01/11/09:  Our order of special security hex keys just arrived.  We're including these with the controllers when we ship them so the end-user can open up their controllers and work on them.  This extra will included at no additional cost.
	01/14/09:  We've had 75,000ft of this wire sitting in our warehouse for some time now.  I thought I should mention it in the BLOG.  This special 3-conductor wire used in the original controller was a big concern right from the start of the project.  It was probably a standard wire available in the 80's, but that's not the case now.  An exact match for the wire had proven to be quite difficult, but we didn't give up.  After searching high and low for the exact wire Atari used, we figured out that it just wasn't going to happen.  Why would we want to use the exact same wire?  Well, to put it bluntly, it was perfect!  It was the right size to fit inside of the shafts without binding up and it was a superior wire type which was capable of withstanding quite a bit of excessive abuse.  Faced with the inability of sourcing the wire, we opted to contract a local wire company to produce an exact version of the wire.  We contemplated upgrades, but there was really no need.  As it stands, the OEM wire was perfect in every regard all the way down to the strand count.  Yes, we counted the stands of wire to make sure we got it right.  That's the kind of attention to detail we had throughout this entire project. This special 3-conductor control wiring is an exact match for the OEM wire used by Atari, all the way down to the gauge, color and stand count.  The high strand count makes this wire especially flexible which is ideal for this application.
	04/14/09 - We just completed the production run of handles.  These are precision machined 6061 T6 aluminum parts.  After machining, we tumbled them to clean up the cut lines which is a great way to prep for painting/powder coating/anodizing processes.  Anyhow, these being machined parts, they are VERY precise when the handle base and cover are fastened together.  In fact, they're within a tolerance of 0.001" which is really tight compared to the cast aluminum counterparts.  The original cast aluminum parts had an eye-popping tolerance of 0.250" which is two hundred fifty times more "loose" than our machined parts.  Anyhow, we have enough handles in stock for about 4800 controllers.  We'll never run out of these things!  If we do happen to run out, we'll just make more!  Pictured to the left is a sampling of the RIGHT "Base"
	04/14/09 - Another picture of the handles. Pictured to the left is a sampling of the RIGHT "Cover"
	04/14/09 - Another picture of the handles. Pictured to the left is a sampling of the LEFT "Base"
	04/14/09 - Another picture of the handles. Pictured to the left is a sampling of the LEFT "Cover"
	06/24/09:  This is the spacer bearing that a few people have been asking to be included in the rebuild kits.  We have had exactly 1000pcs in stock which was earmarked for use with the reproduction controllers we intend to release, but we made no "spares" available....until now.  Machined from white Delrin, these are essentially exact reproduction parts with the exception of being made from a superior material.  The spacer bearing fits on the steering shaft between the handle assembly frame and the steering assembly frame.  Being an easy part to make and believing that the part wasn't sought after, we put this part on hold with regard to making extra parts available for rebuild kits.  We will now include them with all levels of yoke rebuild kits at no additional cost per kit.
	07/05/09:  Here's a picture of the very first two **incomplete** yokes off of the assembly line.  They still need the handles/buttons/triggers to be attached, the wiring installed, the covers fastened on and a good lube job.  Anyhow, these are the first full reproduction yokes to ever be created since the originals were made back in the 80's.  Ohhh, so nice and shiny! It's nice to see these finally being built.  We've had the majority of the components completed and ready to go since mid to late 2007.  The frames in particular have been taking up a LOT of space, being stored for later use.  The project was on track to release back then, but we got caught up with the handle issues which caused a huge delay....and then my subsequent trip to Australia (work related) didn't help matters much.  Anyhow, like I said, it's nice to see this whole project finally coming to a close. While assembling these yokes, I noticed an error in the original BOM (bill of materials) that Atari supplied.  The list calls for three #6-32 x 5/8" socket cap screws to attach the handle frame to the steering shaft.  Well, that's definitely incorrect - they're way too long!  It should read #6-32 x 3/8" socket cap screw.  Whoops.  Luckily, we have plenty of the correct part in stock, so there will be no hold up caused by this error.
	07/05/09:  Here's another picture of the reproduction yokes.  This one is a close-up of the handle frame.  If you will note, the powder coat really does a good job of providing a slick finish on the controller frames.  I wish it were that simple for the original CAST handles as we would have been able to complete this project some time ago.
	07/05/09:  Here's one more picture of the reproduction yokes.  This one is a close-up of the steering frame.  Pretty much every last part has a nice snug fit.  It's nice to see all of this precision work finally pay off.
	07/05/09:  ....and a side-view close-up.  The powder coat used is a nice semi-gloss.  I tried using a satin black finish, but the finish was too muted for my taste.  It was so dull, it might as well have been a matte finish.  I also tried full gloss....hey, I like bling just as much as the next guy, but full gloss was TOO MUCH.  Semi-Gloss seems to have provided just the right look I was trying to obtain.
	07/05/09:  ....and a side-view wide angle.  All of the gears line up perfectly, all of the shafts line up perfectly.... everything is pretty much perfect, so far!!
	07/05/09:  ....one more picture showing the yoke controllers from the backside.  There's a trick to getting those large torsion springs installed with the anchor pin/nut.  It took a couple of tries before I figured out my groove to get those assembled quickly.
	07/05/09:  ....and one last picture of the pair of controllers from the front.  I was only planning on showing only two or three pictures at most, but I went snap-happy with the camera and decided to post all of them here on the BLOG.  I hope I provided enough photos to keep everyone on the edge of their seats for a while longer.
	07/05/09:  Here's a close-up of a reproduction yoke overlay applied to the cover.  We only have the single sample overlay on-hand at the moment, so we decided to check to make sure it fit correctly.
	12/14/09:  The full production run of Star Wars Yoke overlays is complete and ready to go.  We now have a relatively small run of 200 units in stock.  We didn't expect to have these completed before the yoke was released, but as luck would have it we'll be able to offer these along with the release of the reproduction controller.  I suppose this is a good thing?   Anyhow, the overlays are made from the original Atari films and color matched to original Atari PMS color specifications.  They're adhesive backed and die cut to a precise fit.  These are absolutely perfect reproduction overlays.
	12/16/09:  This is a picture of our special AMP crimping machines which will make life MUCH easier on this end - no more blisters from crimping!  These are not brand new units, but they were never used, so they might as well be NEW.  One issue, though: the crimp heads are incorrect. Good news is that we can remedy the situation quite easily and within a relatively short period of time.  We have access to used parts for this machine.
	12/27/09:  All of us here at RAM Controls are pleased to *finally* announce the full release of the reproduction Star Wars yoke controller.  Over four years in the making, we're thrilled to offer this product to the market.  Nobody else has ever been able (or willing) to recreate this masterpiece of a controller until now.  A faithful reproduction of the original controller made by Atari, our model has many transparent upgrades which will ensure a long-life and trouble free operation. Reflecting back at our time bringing this project to a reality, we wrap up this project with relief and excitement.....and perhaps a little bit of sadness as well.  After all, this project has been the most interesting and talked about subject in our community for quite some time.  All the speculation, all the anticipation, all the prodding and antagonism  -- it's been a lot of fun, that's for sure!!  Pictured to the left is our very first production model right off the line.  This one is earmarked for our #1 pre-order (you know who you are). :-)
	12/27/09:  I'd like to mention that our 2007 pre-order folks are getting some special treatment for waiting this our over the very long haul.  Not only are they getting a yoke as promised, but they're also getting the yoke overlay included (as pictured).
	12/27/09:  The yoke frames (handle frame and steering frame) are both made from 1018 cold rolled steel as mentioned earlier in the blog.  This is a major improvement to the OEM's choice of HRP&O which stands for (hot rolled pickled and oiled).  HRP&O is very inexpensive and super easy to bend.  Those are the pros.  The major con is that it bends TOO easily which makes for weak structures.
	12/27/09:  The yoke overlays as pictured were made using the original Atari films (graciously provided by Scott Evans of www.atarigames.com) and the actual work in reproducing the overlays was done by none other than Rich at www.thisoldgame.com.  Our thanks go to both gentlemen for their superb help in making this part a reality.
	12/27/09:  We are well aware of the pitfalls in making sheet metal parts, so there was some concern about the frames.  After all, they are made from sheet metal.  Maybe with some luck but even more so our abilities of reverse engineering parts and correctly drawing them up in a 3D modeling environment, our sheet metal parts actually came out absolutely perfect.  Every last part lines up with perfection!
	12/27/09:  The movement of the steering is so smooth, it's sick.  There's a positive engagement along the full rotation of the controller.  There's nothing sloppy about this controller -- no way!
	12/27/09:  In this photograph, you can see the tie wrap "anchor" and the grounding clip.  Yep, every last piece was reproduced faithfully.
	12/27/09:  From this side, you can see one of the modifications that was made to the steering frame (to the rear of the yoke controller).  That 3/4" hole actually makes assembly (and disassembly) of the yoke much easier.
	12/27/09:  Here's a close-up view of the steering frame.
	12/27/09:  Here's another close-up view of the steering frame.
	12/27/09:  This is a wide angle view of the controller from the rear.  It really is a piece of artwork -- so nice to look at.
	12/27/09:  Here's a close-up view of the controller from the rear.

Updates

12/29/06 - David is back from his contract job in TX.  All projects have resumed.

01/06/07 - Rescheduled delivery of gears.  Changed design of handles from machined aluminum to cast aluminum alloy.

01/10/07 - First prototype run for handles in process.

01/14/07 - Thumb buttons are completed.  They turned out quite nice.  6061 aluminum was used, then hard black anodized.  I'm a real big believer in hard anodizing!

01/20/07 - Received gears.  On the surface, everything appears to check out.  I'm going to put these through very thorough testing and see how they perform.  These will be listed for sale as soon as our testing phase is completed, provided that they pass.  Received first prototype handles.  Flaw found with shaft connection outer radius.  Second prototype run for handle in process.

01/21/07 - Handle shaft and steering shaft production started.  Grabbed up a prototype sample of each and included in photos above.  As soon as run is completed, they'll be zinc plated gold..

02/04/07 - Received second prototype handles.  Similar flaw found with shaft connection outer radius.  Almost there.  It appears that the problem resides in the casting process, not the design.  Modified design to offset casting process issues.  Third prototype run for the handles in process.

02/09/07 - This project is still in production at this point in time.  Completion date is estimated to be approximately 30-60 days.  We're near completion of the remainder of the components and pre-sale has commenced.  Pre-sale price will be targeted at $200.  Once the product is completed, retail price will increase to approximately $250-$260.

02/10/07 - Prototype handle frames and steering frames have been laser cut and are being prepared for bending/welding.

02/10/07 - The first shipment of custom-made wire has arrived.  This is a dead-on match for the original wire used in Atari's controllers.  It's not made anymore, so we had to contract with a wire manufacturer to make it for us.  We had to agree to purchase fifty 1,500ft rolls to get them to agree to make this for us.  Yes, you counted that correctly, 75,000 FEET!!

02/17/07 - Prototype handle frames and steering frames have been welded together and are being sent off for powder coating.  It's coming along s-l-o-w-l-y, but progress is being made.  The frame components look awesome.  I've included some pics of the pre-production frame assemblies above.

02/20/07 - Prototype handle frames and steering frames have been approved and the parts are going into full production. I should have 1000 units cut in a few days.  The self clinching studs used on the steering frame has arrived today, as well.  We're movin' along!

02/23/07 - I just finished up a 1000pc run of the steel hub/collar used in the handle assembly frame.  These are made from 1018CRS material and are perfect reproduction parts.  These are the connection point between the handle frame and the steering shaft.  This is where the three small socket head screws mount to the main steering shaft.

02/23/07 - Upon further inspection of the gears, we have determined that they are not going to work out due to inferior build quality.  The entire run has been rejected by yours truly and returned to vendor due to a serious production flaw.  In other words, they were completely unacceptable and not worthy of inclusion in the reproduction yoke.  I'm searching for an alternate plastic injection molding company to work with me on the gears.  There's always a few backup plans in place, so this shouldn't cause much trouble.

02/25/07 - Production run QTY of handle frames and steering frames have been laser cut and is ready for fab (bending/welding).

02/27/07 - The production run of 1000pcs of handle frames and steering frames have been formed.

03/06/07 - The production run of 1000pcs of handle frames and steering frames have been welded together.  They're being sent out for powder coating today.

03/12/07 - Here's my first March '07 update.  Powder coating is taking longer than anticipated, although it is coming along smoothly.....albeit slowly.  The handles are in production and, again, coming along slowly.  The first batch of controllers are still expected to ship on-time, however there is a good chance the ship date may get pushed back due to vendor issues.  The vendors have been asked to pull in their slack and speed things up.  Also, a last minute change was made with regard to the gears.  Given the fact that the original vendor failed to provide quality parts, I chose an alternate vendor.  The first batch of parts are already completed and I'm going to place a large order based on the results of our inspection process.

03/13/07 - I received a first article on the powder coated frame parts and had to refuse them for manufacturing flaws.  Back to the drawing board for them.  The powder coat vendor can't seem to get the coating just right.  This one turned out very uneven and was totally unacceptable.

03/16/07 - The inspection process for the new sample gears netted an approval across the board with respect to the 60 tooth, 28 tooth and 14 tooth gears.  Finally, a breath of good news.  Note:  I'm going to be relocating at the end of the month, so there may be a few days worth of delay in news around the beginning of next month.

03/23/07 - I received a first article on the NEXT run of powder coated frame parts.  Again, I had to refuse them for similar manufacturing flaws.  Back to the drawing board for them yet again!  Still, the vendor can't seem to get the coating just right.  This one also turned out very uneven and was totally unacceptable.  In fact, in my humble opinion, this one was worse than the last!

03/27/07 - I received a first article on the latest run of handles.  They finally turned out perfect!  I've give the OK to put them into full production.  Once I have them in hand, I'm sending them out for powder coat at an alternate powder coat vendor given the continued issues with my current powder coat vendor.

04/01/07 - I'm relocating today.  No new news on the yoke project, just wanted everyone to have a heads up that I may be out of communication for a few days.

04/08/07 - Ok, I'm back.  Relocation has been completed and internet connection has been restored at new location.  Stand by for updates.

04/09/07 - Handles are completed.  They turned out quite nice!  They're going off to powder coat with the new vendor.  Frame component powder coat is still failing inspection, therefore alternate powder coat vendor has been chosen for this task and frame components will be forwarded to them.  Keep fingers crossed!  At this point in time, the completion estimate will not be met, obviously.  Pre-orders are still open, however, anyone who has already pre-ordered is welcome to request a refund given that I cannot meet the original expected completion date.

04/17/07 - First article on run of powder coated handles has been received.  I am giving this vendor two thumbs up on the workmanship.  Absolutely beautiful!  Production run has been OK'd .

04/21/07 - For some reason, the last nine or so updates never published to the website.  Today, all updates from the months of March and April appear to be on the Star Wars Yoke Project BLOG.  To summarize, the yoke is on hold, awaiting completion of the powder coat process.  What I imagined to be a simple process (IE: powder coating) has turned out to be a very long tedious endeavor.  The vendor I was using for the powder coat has provided me with at least 5 different versions of a "completed product" all of which have been refused for various flaws.  I had no other choice but to go with a new vendor which seems to have been a good decision on my part.  I'll update again shortly.

04/27/07 - The production run on the powder coating with the new vendor has begun and I'm awaiting to approve the first articles on the frame assemblies.

05/04/07 - First article for the frame assemblies from the new vendor received and rejected.  This isn't good news as this is the second vendor I've assigned to this task and the problem persists.

05/10/07 - Second first article for the frame assemblies from the new vendor received and rejected again.  It looks like this is going to be an ongoing issue!

05/16/07 - Third first article for the frame assemblies from the new vendor received and rejected yet again.  However, this time it's getting close.  I'm not sure what the real problem is with the powder coating, but it has something to do with the process itself.  The final parts have been coming out with a very uneven coat with some portions glossy, some flat, some a little light in color.  All in all, it's been varying too much with regard to quality.  This very last round of samples actually looked much better than all previous attempts, so we're definitely getting somewhere...finally!  It's my hope that the vendor in question will work out all the kinks during this next round so I can avoid having to make a tough decision:  go with another vendor or buy the equipment and do it myself...?  Keep your finger crossed.

05/20/07 - Well, it's about time I summarize where we're at with this project so everyone is in the know.  Last time I updated, I mentioned that the ongoing problems with the powder coating was starting to break free and looking better.  As of today, I am still awaiting the fourth and what I consider to be the final sampling before I am forced to make a decision or two.  If the next sampling comes back and I can approve of it's quality, then there's no issue aside from the lengthy wait we've had to endure.  However, if this sampling comes back and I disapprove of it for any reason related to quality, I'm going to rethink the remainder of the manufacturing process.  Will I continue trying to work with this vendor or will I find a new one?  Will I give up trying to find a suitable vendor and instead purchase the equipment and apply the finish in-house?  I know this may seem like an easy choice, but it's not.  Having no experience with powder coating, I am reluctant to do it myself.  However, given the extended timeframe involved with waiting on these vendors and the overall crummy job they've been doing, I'm tempted to try doing it myself.

In other news, here's where we are with the remainder of the parts (aside from the handles and the frame parts at the vendor).  All of the parts are completed and ready.  Yep, that's it.  The gears, the wire, the shafts, the bumpers, etc.  It's all done....well, almost.  I'm still waiting on an order for some very high quality custom-made extended life potentiometers, which should arrive around mid-November.  Please watch the order page as most of these items will be added shortly, including a few different versions of rebuild kits.  Stay tuned for news on this project.

06/01/07 - As promised, I have created three different versions of the Star Wars yoke rebuild kits.  The standard version has all of the common failure parts (rubber bumpers, gears, switches, thumb buttons, etc.  The deluxe version adds to this the four torsion springs which have been impossible to source up until now.  The premium version adds the handle and steering shafts, bearings and stop pins.  These kits should keep the community stocked up on parts to keep their existing controllers maintained for many years to come.

07/18/07 - The fourth and final samples of the handles and frame components look good.  However, I just learned that the samples I have been receiving and the upcoming production run are made using two completely different coating methods.  This somewhat puts a wrench into things as I cannot be certain that the final product will resemble in any way the sample units I have been taking receipt of.  I'm going to move forward and order the full production run of powder coating on the handles and frame components.  I will keep everyone updated on the progress.

08/11/07 - The second shipment of custom-made wire has arrived.

08/22/07 - I have taken receipt of the first batch of 1000pcs/ea of the powder coated handle frame, handle frame cover, steering frame and handles.  The frame components look GOOD.  However, the handles have turned out quite awful.  I've rejected the entire coat job on the handles and have kicked them back to the vendor for assessment.

09/07/07 - Apparently, the handles are suffering from something called "out-gassing" which causes the powder coat to bubble up for lack of a better way to explain it.  I am well aware of this phenomena and believed I compensated for it by my choice of aluminum alloy.  The process is as follows: preheating the parts, wiping them down, coating them, baking them in the oven, cooling.  However, even with the preheat/wiping, which is supposed to alleviate the out-gassing issue, the result is still incorrect.  Back to the drawing board!  I'm going to have to get all of the handles bead blasted now!

09/11/07 - We just finished manufacturing the production run of triggers.  They turned out really nice.  We've gone back and forth between, urethane, aluminum and acetal (delrin) made parts.  We finally settled on acetal since a machined part looks good in this material and it functions better than original nylon-made parts.  The aluminum parts we tested were too "heavy" and didn't feel quite right.  The urethane parts worked fine, but the finish on them left a lot to be desired.  The acetal parts just seem to be the best all the way around - they look good and they feel good!

10/14/07 - I just purchased a new powder coating setup for the shop.  It's going to take some time before I take delivery of the equipment.  I've decided that I'm going to work on these handles in-house from here on forward.  This should be an interesting experience.

11/17/07 - The order of custom-made extended life potentiometers arrived today.  I'm going to update the various rebuild kits to include this part.  In the 80's (and 70's for that matter), Atari utilized A-B (Allen Bradley) Type EJ extra long life potentiometers in their controllers.  These "Type EJ" potentiometers were good parts at the time, nothing else beat them!  They had a rotational life of 1,000,000 cylces opposed to the 50,000 cycles of their "Type J" version.  At some point, A-B downsized or went out of business and Clarostat ended up taking over their potentiometer line-up.  Today, the potentiometers that Clarostat offers is a far cry from the original A-B parts of yesteryear.  In fact, they're so unacceptable, I sought out a company who could make a better part.  After extensive research, I found the perfect company and they were completely capable of making a part which matched the original A-B specifications.  These guys manufacture precision military grade potentiometers, so I gave them a whirl.  It paid off in a big way!  Upon testing the initial samples they produced for me, I found that their part was actually better in almost every single area compared to the original Allen Bradley counterpart.  The new parts have the same rotational life (1,000,000 cycles) as the Allen Bradley part which in itself is an amazing spec, but the resolution and tracking is simply unbelievable.  It's the most "noise-free" potentiometer I've ever tested.  What does this mean when it's all said and done?  It boils down to an extremely smooth operating yoke controller!  Granted, the price for these new potentiometers is phenomenal, but I've ordered enough of them to bring the pricing down to a point where it has become a feasible option for this (and other) projects here at RAM Controls.  I can't wait to put these parts into regular use!

11/22/07 - We now have our very own in-house powder coating capabilities.  With some luck, this should speed things along with the SW Yoke project.

12/01/07 - Our initial attempts at using the powder coating equipment has been met with some difficulties, namely the lack of gas utility here at the shop.  We're working on it.  Stay tuned.

12/03/07 - Just finished up bead blasting the handles and I'm going to try and run them through the powder coat process again.  I'm hopeful that this powder coating issue will be resolved sometime soon.  This one process is all that is holding up the entire project.

12/15/07 - All projects at RAM Controls are temporarily shut down while David is working a contract in Australia.  The Star Wars yoke projects will resume in mid-January.  Stay tuned..

01/12/08 - RAM Controls projects are now back into production.  The project duties are designated to Jeremy, Bob, Jeff and Craig.

01/14/08 - We took receipt of the powder coating equipment in November.  The "oven" is much larger than I had expected, but I found a place for it in the shop.  The downside is that it runs on gas and I don't have gas service to the shop.  I've called up the utility and scheduled a time/day for them to come out and make an assessment for me.

01/19/08 - I had our casting vendor run off several handle samples using six different aluminum alloys and two zinc alloys.  Since I don't have my powder coating equipment set up and running yes, I'm going to run these by our current vendor and see what kind of results I can get.

02/24/08 - I'm getting good results with all the alloys except for one of them.  One alloy in particular did extremely well.  I'm going to consider using this alloy and move forward.  If I had known all the issues related to powder coating and reactions with certain alloys, I could have saved myself so much time!

03/15/08 - It looks like the Star Wars yoke project is finally coming to a close.  The powder coating issues appear to have been overcome once and for all with our new powder coating equipment. The handle assembly frame and the steering assembly frame were already completed back in late August '07 but the handles have been an ongoing issue ever since.  We've gone through many, many power coat processes and determined that the alloy in use was the problem.  However, I've had some excellent results with the original alloy on OUR equipment.  I'm going to run off a larger batch and see what happens.

03/18/08 - This project has taken far longer than originally anticipated.  If you have a pre-order with us for this item and you feel that you can wait no longer, please don't hesitate to contact us for a full refund.  Please accept our apologies for this lengthy completion time.

03/20/08 - The third shipment of custom-made wire has arrived.

03/29/08 - We're prepping the handles for powder coating.  We should begin the process in a week or so.

04/08/08 - We have begun the powder coat process on the Star Wars yoke handles in-house.  Stay tuned for updates.

04/21/08 - It seems that the issues with the powder coating persist with the handles.  The coat produced is uneven.  After having discussing the matter, we believe that our original assessment was correct and that it has everything to do with the original alloy, no matter who coats it!  Further testing must be performed in order to determine exactly why we continue to have issues with the coat process on the handles.  I really don't want to have to go through the expense of running a whole new set of handles with a new alloy.  I will, however, if nothing else provides perfect results for me.  Stay tuned for more information.

05/01/08 - We are developing our own in-house made yoke decals (in Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi flavors) to go along with the yoke controller.  Stay tuned for more information.

05/20/08 - We have taken receipt of a second order of the custom made potentiometers, both in 5K and 120K.  Originally, we were going to order 100K for MAME use, but some last minute second-guessing netted us 120K pots.   We're developing our own USB/PS2 interface for the Star Wars yoke and the 120K pots seem to perform better.  I'm hoping that users of other interfaces can use the 120K pots, too.

06/15/08 - We are developing our own in-house made control panels to complement the yokes.  We're starting with Star Wars cockpit control panels and will move to Star Wars upright control panels thereafter.

06/20/08 - The Star Wars yoke project has been stalled yet again because of the powder coating.  In April '08 we entertained the idea that maybe the alloy we used was at fault and, after much testing, we determined that this was in fact the issue at hand.  After two months of trial and error, we've chosen a new alloy for the handles which is both stronger (a lot stronger) than the OEM handle material and does not react poorly with the powder coating.  We will now begin the process of creating a small sampling of the handles with the new alloy and powder coat them.  Essentially, this project is approximately 85% completed at this time.

07/04/08 - All projects at RAM Controls are temporarily shut down while David is working a contract in Australia.  Projects will resume in about 1 week while project management is reassigned.  Stay tuned..

07/11/08 - All of the projects have been resumed as of 07/09/08.  The sample Star Wars yoke handles manufactured from the new alloy material have been completed.  We're going to powder coat them and will have results shortly.  Stay tuned.

07/14/08 - The powder coat testing on the new Star Wars yoke handles appears to have been successful.  We're going to let the coat sit for a awhile to see if there is any delayed reaction before we officially call this issue resolved.  Stay tuned.

07/18/08 - A short note to let everyone know that our fourth and final shipment of custom-made three conductor wire has arrived.  We now have enough stock of this wire to cover the manufacture well over 7000 yokes!  We're in good shape!

07/22/08 - It's been a little over a week now and the Star Wars yoke handles manufactured with the new alloy appear to have accepted the powdercoat without incident.  Production run of the new alloy handles will begin shortly.  We have to shop this part out to a casting vendor, so it may take awhile.  The casting industry appears to have been unaffected by the economic downturn which means they're busier than ever.  Stay tuned for more information on this topic.

07/24/08 - Note: there are only a few Star Wars yoke pre-orders remaining.  We would like to again mention that if you have a pre-order for this item and you no longer wish to wait for our reproduction version of the Star Wars yoke to be completed, contact our sales department and they will issue a full refund to you.  Please accept our apologies for the continued delay with this project.

08/15/08 - Again, we would like to mention that if you have an existing pre-order for the Star Wars yoke and you no longer wish to wait for our reproduction version to be completed, contact our sales department and they will issue a full refund to you.  Please accept our apologies for the continued delay with this project.

08/23/08 - Star Wars yoke handle casting is still in process.  We placed the order a month ago, so we're in the queue.  The good news is that the casting mold has already been made previous to the alloy change and it will work fine with the new production run.  So, we'll save a little bit of time there. 

08/24/08 - While our ordering system is offline, if anyone wishes to purchase our yoke rebuild kits or individual parts, please visit www.videogameparts.com.  They carry all of our reproduction parts.

09/18/08 - The Star Wars yoke handles are still in process as of today.  We're still in the queue to get the parts cast from the new alloy.  Again, refunds are still available to any existing pre-order customers.  Contact sales for any assistance.

09/21/08 - We just got word that our sample parts will be run in the next week or so.  We should have the samples by early next month.

10/09/08 - Star Wars handle cast samples just came in today.  These samples turned out perfect!  It appears that our new choice of aluminum alloy is working out great.  It is stronger than the OEM material and it lends itself to a good powder coat with negligible outgas issues.  Just waiting to sign this off before the full production run begins.

10/12/08 - We coated the samples and we're letting them sit for a few days.  If all goes as planned, we should have pictures in about a week.

10/19/08 - Pictures of most recent yoke handle samples have been added to the BLOG.  The samples turned out quite nice.  Our production units should appear similar or better than these.

11/21/08 - We're still behind schedule, but we're plugging away.  All we're waiting on are those handles to finish up at the casting plant before we coat them and complete the project.

11/23/08 - The Star Wars project BLOG has been updated to include all of the notes/news/photos since the last update.

12/01/08 - Atari called out a special damping grease (Nyogel 779) in pretty much ALL of their old controllers from the 70's and 80's.  This is a special silica-thickened, light viscosity, synthetic hydrocarbon grease intended for mechanical components that require a light level of damping (noise/chatter reduction).  Anyhow, we ordered a BIG batch of the 779ZC grease to include with the rebuild kits and to sell individually.  This is the exact same grease called out in Atari specifications with an added moly lubricant for better aluminum on aluminum lubrication.  It also has an added benefit of quieting down plastic gears!  Comes in a 10 gram tube - enough for several applications.  As a side note, we also carry standard Nyogel 779 (without the "ZC") in 1oz tubes. We will now include this grease with all levels of yoke rebuild kits at no additional cost per kit.

12/04/08 - This project has been continuously riddled with issues revolving around the handles and the fact that they're made from cast aluminum.  We just received the latest samples from the *latest* initial production run and they're inferior.  The halves (cover/base) do not align properly.  This is normal for a cast aluminum part, but the magnitude of the flaw is simply too much to be allowed to pass.  Not only that, but when powder coating the handles, they inevitably fail inspection due to outgassing - this has been an ongoing issue for some time now.  It seems that cast aluminum parts are simply junk!  This reproduction project deserves nothing less than the best with regard to manufacturing quality.  With that in mind, it's been decided to drop the idea of having these handles cast and just machine them from solid billet aluminum bar stock.  It's more costly and labor intensive, but we will get precise parts that are exactly matched pairs (covers/bases).

12/09/08 - To save on material cost, we're putting together an aluminum extrusion tool for the handle bases.  This will get us length of material  which has a similar profile as the part itself so there's less machine time involved and less material waste.  We'll be able to cut material cost in half.  Since we make our own tooling in-house, the cost for tooling itself is negligible.  In fact, it's such a good deal, we can cut the cost of a machined part (which is far superior to a cast part) to a price which is significantly lower than the cast aluminum parts we were having made.  This is good because we can increase quality of the controller while holding the price level which means no price increase!

12/15/08 - We just finished up the aluminum extrusion tooling and we're sending it out to have material run for us.

12/20/08 - We've just received  enough extruded aluminum to make roughly 5000 handle bases.  We'll be using standard off the shelf aluminum bar stock for the handle covers.  We're about to

01/05/09 - Our very first prototype machined handle bases and covers are completed.  We're looking them over right now and expect to have a decision made on whether or not they're acceptable as-is or if they need to go back for revision.  They appear to match up/align with each other perfectly.

01/07/09 - We decided to revise three features on the handle bases.  These features are considered manufacturing upgrades, nothing more. The covers were approved with no issues noted.

01/10/09 - Our second set of prototype machined handles have been completed.  We're reworking those new design features at this point in time.

01/11/09 - Our order of special security hex keys just arrived.  We're including these with the controllers when we ship them so the end-user can open up their controllers and work on them.  This extra will included at no additional cost.

01/14/09 - We've had 75,000ft of the special custom made control cable sitting in our warehouse for some time now.  We've been experimenting with the wire and noticed that it's quite difficult to work with.  The jacket on it is actually somewhat picky about how it's stripped off.  If not careful, it seems that the wires inside are easily damaged.  We've been doing a LOT of testing and we cannot seem to find a dependable (and repeatable) method to strip the cable.  After going through at least 10 different type/brand of wire strippers, we're looking into a custom solution.  Anyhow, I just wanted to bring this up in case it becomes an issue later on down the road.  Originally, the 3-conductor wire used in the original controller was a big concern right from the start of the project, but the problem back then was just trying to match it with something available now.  An exact match for the wire had proven to be quite difficult, but we didn't give up.  After searching high and low for the exact wire Atari used, we figured out that it just wasn't going to happen.  Why would we want to use the exact same wire?  Well, to put it bluntly, it was perfect!  It was the right size to fit inside of the shafts without binding up and it was a superior wire type which was capable of withstanding quite a bit of excessive abuse.  Faced with the inability of sourcing the wire, we opted to contract a local wire company to produce an exact version of the wire.  We contemplated upgrades, but there was really no need.  As it stands, the OEM wire was perfect in every regard all the way down to the strand count.  Yes, we counted the stands of wire to make sure we got it right.  That's the kind of attention to detail we had throughout this entire project. This special 3-conductor control wiring is an exact match for the OEM wire used by Atari, all the way down to the gauge, color and stand count.  The high strand count makes this wire especially flexible which is ideal for this application.

01/26/09 - We're working on a value-added device for the yoke controller - a USB adapter.  This will be designed as a plug-and-play device which will work on any standard windows system which recognizes generic HID USB devices.  More to come later.

01/30/09 - We just got word that Dave's contract has concluded and he'll be back in the States shortly at which time he'll be taking over all of the RAM Controls projects once again.

02/04/09 - It's confirmed, David is back from his contract in Australia and it looks like he's back to stay!  He's the lead on all RAM Controls projects from this point forward.

02/09/09 - Our third set of prototype machined handles have been completed.  We have approved the bases this time as-is.  We're committing to a full production run at this point in time.

02/17/09 - While waiting for two of the milling centers to free up, we've made some minor changes to the corner radii on the handles to help increase it's strength.  These changes don't require any further prototype runs, so we can go straight into production as soon as the machines are free.

02/28/09 - The full production run of machined handles has commenced as of today.  We should have these completed sometime in early to mid April, depending on machine usage. 

03/02/09 - It feels like we're off to a slow start this year, overall, but things are definitely happening.  The handles are in process and we finally have a version that isn't going to fail a quality inspection for a change!  After this experience, I'll never go back to having a part made from cast aluminum.  Who needs that kind of headache?  Anyhow, like I said, the handles are in process and we've got pretty much every other part of the controller completed and ready to go.  We're still having issues with the wire, but we're working on that.  I'm hopeful that we will have these controllers out the door by the end of October or November of this year.  At the very least, before Christmas!!  Now that I am back in the saddle over here, I should be able to make those tough decisions that everyone else was afraid to while I was away.  Stay tuned for more information.

03/21/09 - Another note on the USB adapter.  We have our first prototype USB adapter in hand and it looks good.  It's based on a Microchip brand microcontroller and it's designed to be a simple plug-and-play device.

04/04/09 - We have another milling machine that just became available to us as far as machine time goes, so I'm running more handles on this one so I can close up the gap.  I'm trying to meet that April deadline I set for myself on this.

04/11/09 - It's settled, we're going to provide a full range of yoke overlays for these controllers: Star Wars upright, Star Wars cockpit (yep, there is a difference), Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Firefox upright, Firefox cockpit.  We may not have any of the overlays available until sometime after we release the yoke controllers.  However, the first overlays which we intend to release will be the Star Wars upright and cockpit versions.

04/14/09 - We just completed the production run of handles.  These are precision machined 6061 T6 aluminum parts.  After machining, we tumbled them to clean up the cut lines which is a great prep for painting/powder coating/anodizing processes.  Anyhow, these being machined parts, they look VERY precise when the handle base and cover are fastened together.  In fact, they're within a tolerance of 0.001" which is really tight compared to the cast aluminum counterparts.  The original cast aluminum parts had an eye-popping tolerance of 0.250" which is two hundred fifty times more "loose" than our machined parts.  Anyhow, we have enough handles in stock for about 4800 controllers.  We'll never run out of these things!  If we do happen to run out, we'll just make more!  Pictured to the left is a sampling of the RIGHT "Base"

04/22/09 - A few pieces of the handles have been sent out for finishing.  Since we have nice machined parts now, I'm testing out powder coating, hard anodizing and painting so I can determine the best option.  Each process has it's pros and cons.

05/05/09 - The anodized parts are back in our hands as of today.  They look really GOOD, but I'm not going to make a decision until I see the powder coated parts and the painted parts.  BTW, the painted parts are being done with "hardened" paint like the kind used on vehicles - gives it a really tough finish.  I'm concerned about each process for different reasons, but I have to admit that these hard anodized handles look REALLY nice!!  If there was no other process available, I would approve these in a heartbeat.  Compared to the powder coated CAST aluminum parts, it's like night and day between the two type.  Hopefully, I'll get better results from the powder coating on the machined handles.

05/10/09 - All right, now we're getting somewhere.  The painted handles and the powder coated handles are finally in my hands as of today.  Looking them over, I do like the finish on both.  The painted finish, however, seems to be prone to damage/scratches pretty easily, so it's got a thumbs down.  Now, the powder coated handles are a different story.  They look nice....very nice, indeed.  In fact, they look nothing like the powder coated cast aluminum parts we ran in the past.  However, I do have a concern about the thickness of the coat.  It seems like it varies between 0.002" and 0.005" which may not seem like much, but that kind of variance can bind up the countersinks on the handle base.  I'm going to see if the powder coat people can control that a little better.  If not, I'm definitely leaning toward hard anodizing the handles.

05/25/09 - I had another set of handles powder coated and they were able to tighten up the tolerances on the thickness, but it still varies a bit too much for my liking.  I'll try one more time.  If they can't control the variance anymore, I'll probably go with hard anodizing as my choice.  Besides, a thick hard anodize is actually tougher than powder coating to begin with.  However, the sleek finish of powder coating can look better than a hard anodize.  Decisions, decisions!

06/10/09 - I just got back the last set of powder coated machined handles I intend to test.  This set looks exactly like the last set.  Honestly, I'm torn between the powder coated parts and the hard anodized parts.  Unless I change my mind before I run them, I'll just have the handles hard anodized.  They really do look very nice and I think it's a good choice.

06/24/09 - People have been asking for the spacer bearing to be included in the rebuild kits.  We have had exactly 1000pcs in stock which was earmarked for use with the reproduction controllers we intend to release, but we didn't make any "spares" available....until now.  While I wait for things to move along, I've had a big batch of spare spacer bearings made.  Machined from white Delrin, these are essentially exact reproduction parts with the exception of being made from a superior material.  The spacer bearing fits on the steering shaft between the handle assembly frame and the steering assembly frame.  Being an easy part to make and believing that the part wasn't sought after, we put this part on hold with regard to making extra parts available for rebuild kits.  We will now include them with all levels of yoke rebuild kits at no additional cost per kit.

07/05/09 - We have officially begun assembly of the controllers as of today.  We have enough parts for 1000 units, but we're going to assemble only half of those for now.  I think that 500 of these should last us a very long time, unless demand for these is much higher than expected.  As a side note, the sheet metal used to make 1000 Star Wars yokes weighs approximately 5600lbs.  That's almost THREE TONS!  Most people don't know just how much steel can weigh.  I was reminded of this fact just recently when I had to move the material by myself.  Talk about a back breaker!

07/15/09 - Assembly has been going well.  So far we have approximately 200 units assembled, minus the wiring, insertion of the buttons/triggers in the handles and application of the Nyogel damping grease.

07/20/09 - Things are moving along at a good pace.  We have 400 of the yoke controllers assembled at this time.  We're still stuck on the wiring which is holding us up on completing the assembly, but we hope to get around this promptly.

08/07/09 - We've mostly assembled all 500 of the initial run except for the final touches (grease, buttons, triggers, wiring, covers).  These take up a lot of room, much more than the unassembled parts do.   I'd like to get these fully assembled ASAP so I can start boxing them up for shipping and proper storage.

08/20/09 - We're in a holding pattern for the time being, trying to get around this wiring issue.  In the meantime, we're trying to work on all the value added stuff for the Star Wars yoke (USB, yoke overlays, etc).

08/27/09 - The idea of a USB-only version of the controller has been brought up.  We can easily modify the yoke to mount a USB board directly on the controller itself and have it permanently wired up as such.  This way, a USB cable could be plugged into the controller and plug-and-play connectivity without the messy wires or conversion harness, etc.  Any input on this subject will be appreciated.  Contact sales@ram-controls.com with your comments and suggestions.

09/01/09 - We're now working with a tool maker who specializes in wire stripping tools and machines.  We've done a lot of back and forth to try and determine if they have anything existing which will work perfectly with what we have, but we're unsure as of now.  We're awaiting one of their catalogs.

09/13/09 - We have decided that there is no existing wire stripper or machine which will specifically work (correctly) with our custom made wire.  We've figured out a work-around that gives us a 50/50 chance at a good strip, but that's not very good odds when you consider the cost of this custom wire.  We'll keep working with this tool maker and see if they can help....and at what cost.

09/29/09 - We've sent off sample wire/cable to the manufacturer so they can get the precise measurements they need to cut the tools for us.  These custom made wire strippers should resolve our issue with stripping the wire. 

10/05/09 -  The tool maker got back to us and confirmed that our custom made wire is very difficult to work with.  They're giving us a few options for different types of strippers that they can custom design for us.  It ranges from $50 hand tools to $20,000 automated machines.  We're opting for a few of the $50 tools.  They should have a prototype tool (not an actual production tool) ready for us to evaluate in a week or two.

10/17/09 - We just received our test wire stripper tool and it seems to work.  It looks like a pair of wacky scissors a-la Edward Scissorhands!  Anyhow, we tried them out a few dozen times to test repeatability and it looks like we're a go!  We've given the manufacturer the OK and placed the order for five sets.  At no point when I was sourcing the custom wire did I ever consider that we would need special wire strippers for it!

10/19/09 -While doing all this work with the wire, everyone involved has developed blisters on their hands from overuse of the hand crimpers we've been using.  Obviously, this isn't going to fly, so I'm looking into something automated.  I know that Amp sells a line of devices just for this type of situation.  I'll be calling them shortly to find out my options.

10/22/09 - After speaking with AMP, it looks like my options are limited to a few very pricey crimping machines.  I happen to like the Amp-O-Lectric Model G the most out of everything I've researched.  However, they cost quite a bit.  I'm on the search for a deal on a used machine.

10/25/09 - I found a sweet deal on a crimping machine.  The best part is that the machine is brand new and I'm getting it in trade for NO CASH out of pocket.  I could not have asked for a better deal.  Now there's the waiting for it to arrive!

10/26/09 - We're a little slowed up on the assembly procedure - the wiring is giving us some grief as it does not strip easily and this has introduced a new hiccup in this lengthy project.  This issue has already been brought up and we have a solution in the works, but we still don't have that solution in-hand just yet.  However, we should be able to assemble a few controllers and get them out to the very first pre-orders so they can have a first hand look at the finished product!

10/27/09 - We're putting the USB adapter through some final testing before we release it.  We found two small firmware issues we're attempting to correct before we assemble and ship these.  Hardware wise, the product is perfect.

10/29/09 - I know I'm going to take some flak for this, but it looks like we're going to have to push back the release date a little bit.  We're all but finished, but this problem with the wiring is serious enough that I want to make sure it's done correctly.  I'm working quickly to overcome the issue and get these 99% completed controllers out the door.  Everyone, just hold on a little longer.  Nobody in the history of reproduction work has ever tackled the Star Wars yoke controller like I have and all of my hard work (although, it's taken far too long) is going to net a perfect replacement controller in the very near future.  Sit tight!!

11/05/09 - Alright, I've got a solid plan in motion.  I've already ordered a few sets of the special wire strippers and crimpers to speed things along.  The wire strippers are custom designed for this exact wire type (since it's a custom wire in the first place) which will cut the jacket off without damaging the wires inside.  The crimper is actually a high-end Amp-O-Lectric (Model G) made to automate wire crimping to some degree.  These run $15K new, but we found a good deal on a used one which we're getting in trade (no cash!).  Anyhow, we should have the device in our hands shortly.  I've also got a few contract workers prepped and ready to go when all of the equipment is in so we can pump these controllers out quickly.

11/13/09 - We received the special custom made wire strippers today, so we started the process of prepping the cabling for the controllers.  We're still awaiting the delivery of the Amp-O-Lectric crimping machine, but we're prepping for it's arrival in the meantime.

11/14/09 - The controller project is finally coming to a close.  I know I've said this before, but I see nothing that's standing in the way of getting this project completed now, except for the slow assembly time (waiting on the Amp-O-Lectric crimper).  We have all of the parts necessary to build the controllers, the parts are finished (painted/powdercoated) without issue and we worked out all the bugs with the wiring process itself - just need to get that last tool in.  It's only a matter of time before we have these controllers released to market.  As planned before, we're going to release a few at a time until all of the pre-orders are taken care of and then we'll move into full sales.

11/22/09 - Enough wire has been cut and stripped for 1000 yokes.  We're still waiting on the Amp-O-Lectric machine to arrive.

11/30/09 - We're now a month past our last official release date and here we are with mostly complete controllers sitting and ready for the wiring to be crimped together.  Hopes are high for a before-Christmas release, but I'm not going to hold my breath at this point.

12/14/09 - We have a relatively small run of 200 Star Wars yoke overlays in stock as of today.  Because of the way we planned everything (staggered), we did not expect to have the yoke overlays ready anywhere near the release date of the yoke controller.  In fact, the release date was supposed to be about 4-6 month AFTER the release of the yoke controller itself.  However, due to the numerous delays involved with completing the yoke controller, the yoke overlays ended up getting finished first.  Overall, this is actually a good development.  Now we'll be able to supply yoke overlays immediately during/after the purchase of a yoke controller.  The overlays are made from the original Atari films and color matched to original Atari PMS color specifications.  They're then adhesive backed and die cut to a precise fit.  These really are absolutely perfect reproduction overlays.

12/16/09 - The Amp-O-Lectric crimping machines have arrived, but the heads are incorrect.  Figures.  We're getting that remedied NOW.  BTW, yes I said "machines".  We were expecting to get only ONE of the two available machines, but somehow we ended up with BOTH of them!  Nice!!

12/21/09 - The new crimping heads arrived this morning.  We're getting the machines setup and testing them today.  With some luck and lots of finger crossing, we might very well have our first few reproduction controllers shipped this week or next.  We're SO close to having this done!!!  Hold onto your seats, everyone!!

12/27/09 - All of us here at RAM Controls are pleased to *finally* announce the full release of the reproduction Star Wars yoke controller.  Over four years in the making, we're thrilled to offer this product to the market.  Nobody else has ever been able (or willing) to recreate this masterpiece of a controller until now.  A faithful reproduction of the original controller made by Atari, our model has many transparent upgrades which will ensure a long-life and trouble free operation.

Reflecting back at our time bringing this project to a reality, we wrap up this project with relief and excitement.....and perhaps a little bit of sadness as well.  After all, this project has been the most interesting and talked about subject in our community for quite some time.  All the speculation, all the anticipation, all the prodding and antagonism  -- it's been a lot of fun, that's for sure!!

This wraps up our blog and officially brings our project to a close.  We may update this blog additionally to provide more/better pictures of our process from the beginning and to fill in any blanks we may have inadvertently left.  Thank you everyone for being patient and allowing us the time needed to get this project completed.  To say that we're relieved is an understatement of the highest degree.  Thank you again, everyone.  Enjoy this masterpiece and use it with confidence that it's another quality product brought to you by none other than RAM Controls.

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