String Potentiometers Revisited

Last year I spent a lot of time researching GameTrak string potentiometer technology and ways to use it.

Although I'm not planning on using string potentiometers again this semester, I've gone back to researching GameTraks again for a redesign of the String Accordion. I've specifically been working on finding alternative sources for my string potentiometer needs, thinking about building them out of easily attainable parts rather than fishing them out of GameTraks.

A new GameTrak design came out in 2006 just before the company was bought out, right before the Wii revolution of wireless motion sensing remotes. The string based system was eventually dropped for a Wiimote clone that was obviously unsuccessful. Unfortunately, the last tech update to GameTrak before it jumped over to wireless was a really nice step up from the original.



This was a brilliant change in design for GameTrak. Instead of having the plastic flange for the PCB to sit on, the new design had it screwed directly into the spring enclosure. It boasts a smaller footprint and easily accessible wires via a smaller, new PCB by the string length potentiometer. It's everything I'm looking for in a string potentiometer system, but they only ran a short production in the UK in 2006. UGH.

All that's left is here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mad-Catz-Gametrak-Controller-PS2/dp/B000B0N448

Even with that, I can't guarantee that those are the right type. The new GameTraks look like they're lumped in with the old ones, and I'd hate to pay premium shipping to get the same old GameTraks I already have.

In researching ways to build my own GameTrak system, I've found that it's fairly simple to measure string length. Quadrature on a tape measure type system would do the trick, but the real tough part is measuring the XY position like the GameTrak does. I've scoured the internet and I still haven't found a viable alternative.

I'm considering an attempt to get in contact with the engineer accredited to this design. I wonder if he knows how useful his contraption is to the design world right now?