Donkey Jr Stealth Mame Cab Conversion - Initial Questions

[apocalypto]

Hey guys,  I have an original DK Jr cab that I am seriously considering converting to MAME.

Keeping it looking completely authentic is very important to me - I do not want to hack it up or add different controls/extra buttons. You should only be able to tell it is MAME if you opened the back door

I will only be playing 4-way 1 button games on it via MAME

I would LOVE to be able to easily restore it back to its original state (non MAME) down the road.

So, my initial questions:

1:  Can I use the existing Sanyo monitor with a pc?

2:  It is a non-JAMMA cab, so what implications does this have for converting to MAME?

3:  Will I be able to leave all existing hardware inside (PCB, power supply etc) to make reverting easier in the future?

4:  How do I connect the controllers to the pc?

I have searched and done a lot of research but haven't seen information about using as much original hardware as possible.

I'm super excited about this project and breathing some new life into my cabinet. I love it as it is, but am just bored with the one game. I am very much a purist which is why keeping it looking as authentic as possible is very important to me.

Thanks so much for your time!

[javeryh]

I can't answer any of your questions but maybe my project will help at some point?  I started with an empty cab and I did the exact same thing you are describing.

[apocalypto]

I can't answer any of your questions but maybe my project will help at some point?  I started with an empty cab and I did the exact same thing you are describing.

Very nice!! Great job on yours!  That really is pretty much exactly what I want to achieve, and I love the addition of the hidden buttons under the Control Panel!  I will follow your process on your site and hopefully get some good tips. I may have to shoot you a few PM's if I get stuck

Thanks!

[apocalypto]

OK, so after some great advice from javeryh I now have a better sense of the steps I need to take to MAME this cabinet as elegantly as possible.

I wish I had an Arcade Monitor with a VGA cable and standard power cable, but unfortunately I'm stuck with my Sanyo 20EZ and will have to do some mods to that.

Here is my plan right now. Please let me know if I am missing anything/being stupid/could do it better

1.  Use an IPAC to connect the control panel to the computer.
2.  Either rewire the existing original speaker to a pc audio cable or just install a 2.1 pc speaker setup inside the cab.
3.  Connect a VGA BReakout cable to the monitor chassis.
4.  Install an ArcadeVGA card in PC. Attach to VGA Breakout Cable.
5.  Install a new Marquee light with standard power cable.
6.  Install a SmartStrip to power on all devices using the PC as the 'Master'
7.  Wire a 'Power On' switch for the PC on the back of the cabinet.

I am a little stumped right now regarding the power for the monitor. Can I just plug in the Cabinet power cable (that plugs into the wall outlet right now) into the SmartStrip? Thus powering on the Arcade Monitor along with the other devices. I was trying to think how I would have to rewire the power cable on the monitor chassis but was I just overthinking it and can I leave the nintendo power supply and monitor power hooked up to that and power through the SmartStrip?

Please let me know if I am going in the right direction (and if you have an ArcadeVGA card for sale!)

Thanks again for your time!

[opt2not]

Sounds like it'll be a fun little project. Glad you're keeping with the original monitor, and not throwing an LCD in there. Regarding the power, if you go the smart-strip route, you should be fine just plugging the regular cord that goes out of the cabinet into it. Your main cabinet power will power the monitor, and marquee light...while the PC will run off it's own power supply.

Also, since you're going with Mame, this thread should probably be moved to Project Announcements as it's not truly a Restoration.

Good luck with your progress! 

[Dervacumen]

I'm actually selling my MAME rig to raise funds for a DK Jr machine.  That's a bummer you're so far away.