Main > Main Forum

School me on putting a MAME cabinet together

Pages: << < (2/8) > >>

MagicManPA:

Games like Mortal Kombat & such for the most part. I picked the x-arcade b/c I wanted the Street Fighter button layout. I don't need anything fancy like LED buttons. I just need cheap & plug & play.
No trackball, spinner or gun needed.
2 players

I believe it has a coin door, but I have no desire to make it work. There is no monitor w/it. It's BARE. I am going to go LCD monitor.



--- Quote from: Donkbaca on December 09, 2010, 07:47:49 pm ---I love, love, love x-arcade.  But not to put on a cab.  I have yet to see one that looks right.

What you NEED for your arcade might be way different from what you want on your arcade.

My original plan was to just an old TV and an old P4 laying around, I was going to gut my x-arcade dual and use the joysticks and buttons, but then I decided to add LED buttons.  I like the x-arcade joysticks, I have a hori fight stick with seimitsu joysticks and buttons, I like the x-arcades better.  Personal preference.  Anyhow, I started out swapping out the x-arcade buttons.  Then I decided to ditch the CRT and go with an LCD screen so I can build a slim cab.  Then decided to ditch the regular marquee and experiment with an edge-lit plexi marquee.  Now I am thinking about inlaying some light-up designs into my cab.  Really there is a ton of crap you can do with your arcade, and a ton of options for each of those things.

I guess in order to help a few questions need to be answered:
How many players? (please say two)

What type of games are you going to be playing? (This will help decide how many buttons to get, what type of joysticks to get, etc...)

Do you need a trackball? (I thought I did, got one, then realized that it wasn't worth it since I am not a big trackball game guy)
Do you want a spinner?
Do you want light guns?

Does the cab have a coin door?  Does it work? DO you want it to work?  Does it take tokens or quarters?

IS there a monitor in the cabinet?  Does it work?  IF so, just use it.  Get a Jpac and arcade VGA and you are good to go.
IF the monitor doesn't work, what type of monitor do you want?  I am using a 21.3" 4:3 lcd in mine.

Man there is just so much to answer.  I guess just start with the basics.  how many players, and what games you looking to play?


--- End quote ---


HanoiBoi:

Assuming you are the least bit handy, you can save a little money by building your own Control Panel (CP) and not purchasing the X-Arcade Tankstick.

To build your own CP you'll need material (wood, MDF, etc.) joysticks, buttons, keyboard encoder (IPAC) and wire.  Most parts can be bought at ultimarc.com.

Examples:

Joystick: Mag Stik Plus for $33.00 per
http://www.ultimarc.com/controls.html

Pushbuttons: Classic Pushbuttons for $1.95 per
http://www.ultimarc.com/controls.html

Keyboard Encoder:
IPAC2 for $39 (This has 32 inputs.  Each button is one input.  Each Joystick is 4 inputs.  Don't forget '1P start, 2P Start, Coin 1 Coin 2, etc.)
IPAC4 for $65 (This has 56 inputs)

http://www.ultimarc.com/ipac1.html





Donkbaca:

If you are trying to save money, why are you going LCD monitor?  My advice? If you are going to MAME a cab, make it look like a cab if you halfass bolt an LCD in there and slap a x-arcade on it and put a pc in it, it will look like garbage, it will essentially be a retarded computer desk. Not meaning to offend, just laying it out there.  An LCD is gonna cost you what, 200 bucks? A dual stick 150. For the same price you can make your ab look like a real cab. It'll just take a little work.

Joysticks - xarcade, you can get 2 for 20 bucks
Encoder - paradise arcade has a plug and play USB with the harness all pre-crimped and wired for 25 bucks.
buttons - I would get paradise arcade translucent IL buttons for cheap, I use their ultralux knockoffs . Get translucent buttons, pretty much the same price as non-translucent buttons and if you decide to add LEDs later it would be super easy to do.  Figure 2 bucks a button, 16 buttons total - 6 per person plus start and coin - 32 bucks

That's 76 bucks

One sheet of MDF 20 bucks
Screws and spray paint 20 bucks
T-molding - 10 bucks

Total to build 126. I believe the dual is 129. Same price.

For the monitor, I would get a CRT tv. Price is 50 bucks, tops in C L

Maybe you need a video card with s- video out. 20 bucks

Boom. Authentic looking cab for around 200 bucks
Maybe you ne

MagicManPA:

I'm quite handy, but no plans to build the control panel. I want plug & play.
I am going LCD over CRT.


--- Quote from: Donkbaca on December 09, 2010, 11:15:56 pm ---If you are trying to save money, why are you going LCD monitor?  My advice? If you are going to MAME a cab, make it look like a cab if you halfass bolt an LCD in there and slap a x-arcade on it and put a pc in it, it will look like garbage, it will essentially be a retarded computer desk. Not meaning to offend, just laying it out there.  An LCD is gonna cost you what, 200 bucks? A dual stick 150. For the same price you can make your ab look like a real cab. It'll just take a little work.

Joysticks - xarcade, you can get 2 for 20 bucks
Encoder - paradise arcade has a plug and play USB with the harness all pre-crimped and wired for 25 bucks.
buttons - I would get paradise arcade translucent IL buttons for cheap, I use their ultralux knockoffs . Get translucent buttons, pretty much the same price as non-translucent buttons and if you decide to add LEDs later it would be super easy to do.  Figure 2 bucks a button, 16 buttons total - 6 per person plus start and coin - 32 bucks

That's 76 bucks

One sheet of MDF 20 bucks
Screws and spray paint 20 bucks
T-molding - 10 bucks

Total to build 126. I believe the dual is 129. Same price.

For the monitor, I would get a CRT tv. Price is 50 bucks, tops in C L

Maybe you need a video card with s- video out. 20 bucks

Boom. Authentic looking cab for around 200 bucks
Maybe you ne

--- End quote ---


HanoiBoi:

MagicMan, I think you've got us confused with what you want.  Is cheap your top criteria?  Is quality toward the top of your wants?

To answer your questions...

You should be able to attach an X-Arcade control to a PC without issue.  Plug & Play if you will.

LCD size: Buy an LCD that will not exceed the width, height and depth of your Gunsmoke cab.

Bezel: I assume you're not looking for an official 'Gunsmoke bezel', but merely something to cover the LCD?  You could get a piece of plexi or glass cut to the width and height of your opening.  Tape off and paint the edges black so that you only see the screen area.

Sound: You can use any 2.1 computer speakers; Altec Lansing, Cyber Acoustics, etc.

Other things you should need to know and buy:  Control panel, PC, speakers and your screen are all you need to be functional. Well, we don't know what you already know, but a power strip would help, a lighted marquee would be nice.  A PC that is capable of playing what you need.  A front end for MAME. 

BTW is a CRT that dangerous??  Are you confusing CRT with arcade monitors?  Any old CRT computer monitor (beige box) that could fit in your cab would be fine for functional and cheap.

Pages: << < (2/8) > >>

Go to full version