dual light guns

[gerble1000]

what are the best guns for our cabs,,ive currently got two lcd topguns wich are now broke they never really worked,

ive heard of act labs but i also need a good lenth of cable,and is there wireless guns for the pc yet

[Stu1983]

My lcd topgun was working flawlessly until I sealed my monitor behind a sheet of glass now it can't seem to pick of the infra red leds

Stu

[bkenobi]

I have a pair of Scorpion3 PS2 light guns. The TV in my cab is behind glass and it causes some small problems with accuracy around the edge of the screen, but it's not too bad. I would personally have recommended the lcd topguns based on user reports (I read a TON prior to getting my guns). I was cheap and got a pair of PS2 guns off some website. The were rated very highly for this purpose, so I gave them a shot. I wouldn't get them again primarily due to construction as they are almost all plastic. I had to open them up and fix the trigger on each one because they were assembled wrong.

If you don't like the topguns, try another one of the PS2 GunCon2 lightguns out there. Many of them use a USB plug and some even have a power cube so you don't have to hack up a PS2 cable. My suspicion with your guns is that if you put the LCD strips on the outside of the glass, they will work fine!

[Stu1983]

I have a pair of Scorpion3 PS2 light guns. The TV in my cab is behind glass and it causes some small problems with accuracy around the edge of the screen, but it's not too bad. I would personally have recommended the lcd topguns based on user reports (I read a TON prior to getting my guns). I was cheap and got a pair of PS2 guns off some website. The were rated very highly for this purpose, so I gave them a shot. I wouldn't get them again primarily due to construction as they are almost all plastic. I had to open them up and fix the trigger on each one because they were assembled wrong.

If you don't like the topguns, try another one of the PS2 GunCon2 lightguns out there. Many of them use a USB plug and some even have a power cube so you don't have to hack up a PS2 cable. My suspicion with your guns is that if you put the LCD strips on the outside of the glass, they will work fine!

Yeah I think my problem is that I have a 15 degree tilt on my monitor and glass for a more natural viewing angle and this is causing the IR to refract as it passes through... the problem is I took the IR stands apart and mounted the LED around my plastic monitor bezel, melting tiny holes for each LED to poke through, managed to do a mighty fine job, it looks as if thats the way it came... just a pitty the damn thing doesn't work now and I can't remove them as the bezel will be ruined... I might try a thinner sheet of glass and see how that goes

Stu

[Rustynutts]

Wii remotes can also be used !! you can get the LED's from any good eletronics shop. if you googl im sure you find how this is done.

[bkenobi]

You might find that the glass you are using is a poor choice. Some glass contains extra additives that absorbs signal. The dorm I lived in at school had leaded windows or something that blocked satellite signals, so the only way to get reception was to open the window and put up a sheet of carboard covered with a garbage bag (or at least that was the cheapest way ). I don't know if that could cause the problem you are having or not, but it might be something worth asking a glass shop about (the types of glass available that is).

[LB11]

maybe a piece of plexi-glass would work better?

[bkenobi]

Possibly, but I would try it out before you cut it. I know some plexi still has stuff in it that blocks stuff. I'm just saying you might want to try a couple things out if you can. I bet swapping to a different glass or plexi would help, but I don't know if it would be enough to solve things.

[jthompson]

Possibly, but I would try it out before you cut it. I know some plexi still has stuff in it that blocks stuff. I'm just saying you might want to try a couple things out if you can. I bet swapping to a different glass or plexi would help, but I don't know if it would be enough to solve things.

I have lcd topguns as well and have the leds mounted behind smoked glass (the real deal not plexi). They work good when I have all the lights out in the room but in bright situations they leave much to be desired. My glass is mounted at a angle as well. Also if you leave your cab powered on all the time the leds could be dieing. I know the MTBF rate of LEDS is supposed to be high but I read that the LCD topgun's leds can only be used for about 1000 hours before they start to die. The article is here .

Jay T

[Stu1983]

I have lcd topguns as well and have the leds mounted behind smoked glass (the real deal not plexi). They work good when I have all the lights out in the room but in bright situations they leave much to be desired. My glass is mounted at a angle as well. Also if you leave your cab powered on all the time the leds could be dieing. I know the MTBF rate of LEDS is supposed to be high but I read that the LCD topgun's leds can only be used for about 1000 hours before they start to die. The article is here .

Jay T

How thicks your glass? I went for 7 or 8 mm stuff which is why I thought the glass might be the trouble, though when I think about it at the start they did still work through the glass just not as well as without it but now they don't seem to do anything at all... When I point the gun at the screen the laser just constantly flickers like it can see all the LEDs and when I try to calibrate it only registers at random spots around the center of the screen and even then I have to frantically batter the trigger for it to eventually recoil

The cabs on all the time but the LEDs should be grand as I built a holster with a switch in it that automatically cuts the power to the LEDs when the gun is resting in it's place which is 99% of the time, I'd be lucky if I've used the gun for 30 hrs never mind 1000

I really must do some more investigation into it but I know it'll be a whole handling getting the glass back out so I've just bee ignoring it

Stu

[jthompson]

How thicks your glass? I went for 7 or 8 mm stuff which is why I thought the glass might be the trouble, though when I think about it at the start they did still work through the glass just not as well as without it but now they don't seem to do anything at all... When I point the gun at the screen the laser just constantly flickers like it can see all the LEDs and when I try to calibrate it only registers at random spots around the center of the screen and even then I have to frantically batter the trigger for it to eventually recoil

The cabs on all the time but the LEDs should be grand as I built a holster with a switch in it that automatically cuts the power to the LEDs when the gun is resting in it's place which is 99% of the time, I'd be lucky if I've used the gun for 30 hrs never mind 1000

I really must do some more investigation into it but I know it'll be a whole handling getting the glass back out so I've just bee ignoring it

Stu

Mine is 1/4 inch which is about 6 1/2 mm. Good idea with the switch I would have never thought of that. Sounds like some surgery might be required.

Jay T

[bkenobi]

Looks like I may have been wrong about my guns working. They both track and shoot, but I just realized that gun 2 shots register as being from gun 1. I've played around with it a bit, but haven't figured out what the problem is yet. I know both guns are tracking separately in windows since the drivers show them tracking independent, but the clicks don't seem to be working correctly.

Anyone find anything that might help in the last month or so?

[gerble1000]

i think ps2 or xbox has wireless guns ,but does the pc have wireless guns,as my guns worked for the first day i got them and thats it,,,now it will only sometimes register them and cut off shortly after,,so i need new guns, btw i have two lcd topguns,

[gerble1000]

Looks like I may have been wrong about my guns working. They both track and shoot, but I just realized that gun 2 shots register as being from gun 1. I've played around with it a bit, but haven't figured out what the problem is yet. I know both guns are tracking separately in windows since the drivers show them tracking independent, but the clicks don't seem to be working correctly.

Anyone find anything that might help in the last month or so?

i had the same problem so i changed my driver,from gun2mouse to guncon or something like that

[bkenobi]

Are you sure they are working with your drivers? I'm using these. The guns track correctly and the triggers work fine, but MAME doesn't accept the second gun's clicks as being from the second gun. I might need to change the keys they are mapped to. I guess that's something to look into.

EDIT: Acording to this post, I'm thinking that I probably have the triggers set to the actual mouse buttons (based on what's happening on my cab). It suggests mapping mouse buttons to keys and assigning those keys to actions in MAME. I'll give that a try next chance I get.

[gerble1000]

Are you sure they are working with your drivers? I'm using these. The guns track correctly and the triggers work fine, but MAME doesn't accept the second gun's clicks as being from the second gun. I might need to change the keys they are mapped to. I guess that's something to look into.

EDIT: Acording to this post, I'm thinking that I probably have the triggers set to the actual mouse buttons (based on what's happening on my cab). It suggests mapping mouse buttons to keys and assigning those keys to actions in MAME. I'll give that a try next chance I get.

yea sounds more like it lol

i just remember going through everything including changing the drivers,

[NizZ8]

Are you sure they are working with your drivers? I'm using these. The guns track correctly and the triggers work fine, but MAME doesn't accept the second gun's clicks as being from the second gun. I might need to change the keys they are mapped to. I guess that's something to look into.

EDIT: Acording to this post, I'm thinking that I probably have the triggers set to the actual mouse buttons (based on what's happening on my cab). It suggests mapping mouse buttons to keys and assigning those keys to actions in MAME. I'll give that a try next chance I get.

i'm hitting this same issue with my 2 lcd topguns. seems like its only affecting the trigger since the rest of the buttons on lcd gun 2 are being picked up properly.

[bkenobi]

I tried updating the GunCon2Mouse Driver that I've been using and realized why I wasn't using the most up to date one...it doesn't work

Unfortunately, in my hacking, I managed to screw EVERYTHING up now, so I don't have one OR two guns available, just two badly calibrated nonworking mice basically... Back to the drawing board. I'm thinking I may have to uninstall all my gun drivers and try again from scratch on them.

[bkenobi]

I tried updating the GunCon2Mouse Driver that I've been using and realized why I wasn't using the most up to date one...it doesn't work

Unfortunately, in my hacking, I managed to screw EVERYTHING up now, so I don't have one OR two guns available, just two badly calibrated nonworking mice basically... Back to the drawing board. I'm thinking I may have to uninstall all my gun drivers and try again from scratch on them.

[LucasBarton]

I'm looking to get 2 light guns for my HTPC gaming system. There doesn't seem to be much available as far as PC guns go. I don't really care for the look of the Act Labs guns. Would I be better off just getting 2 Namco PS2 guns and using PS2 to USB adapters? Any recommendations? I only need about a 6 or 7 foot wire. Also, I have a 51 inch CRT projection screen and I have read that most light guns do not work on plasma and LCD screens. Does anyone know if it they will work on a CRT projection TV? Any info would be great.

[bkenobi]

I don't know if a projection screen will work with a light gun. If they do, then you could go with PS2 GunCon2 compatible guns, but I would definitely check at arcadecontrols.com forums. There's a WEALTH of information about light guns including the dos and don'ts. I know for a fact that there is an option that would work, but I didn't go with it, so I can't advise you on if it's good or not. Check out the LCD Top Gun here. There supposed to be pretty cool...

[headkaze]

I don't know if a projection screen will work with a light gun. If they do, then you could go with PS2 GunCon2 compatible guns, but I would definitely check at arcadecontrols.com forums. There's a WEALTH of information about light guns including the dos and don'ts. I know for a fact that there is an option that would work, but I didn't go with it, so I can't advise you on if it's good or not. Check out the LCD Top Gun here. There supposed to be pretty cool...

LCD Top Gun's work fine with projection screens, just make sure you get the TopGun Blaze Stand when you order your guns so you can place the infarred recievers on stands.

[Tempest]

As long as you guys are talking about this, Do any of the light guns work with a vertically oriented monitor? I know for sure that the Act Labs won't.

[headkaze]

As long as you guys are talking about this, Do any of the light guns work with a vertically oriented monitor? I know for sure that the Act Labs won't.

The LCD Topguns will work with practically any screen type or size. It's kinda like the wii remote in that it uses infrared with a camera to track. This means it functions independantly of the screen.

[bkenobi]

True, the screen really doesn't come in to play with the LCD TopGuns. In fact, you could have the screen turned off and play by memory if you wanted and it should work fine. It uses the position of the gun relative to the LED's in the LED bars to determine where you are aiming. This is actually much better than the standard type of gun since there is no chance that things going on with the screen will affect your accuracy (e.g., glass, tinted glass, angle of the screen, room lighting (reflections), etc.). The only downside I saw with them when I bought my stuff was that they were more expensive than I wanted to pay. In retrospect, I would buy these since they work with anything (even XBox and PS1/2/3)!