BUMMED OUT.

[MameMaster!]

 

Greets All.

I built my Arcade Cab over Jan.-March of this year.

I've added an Oscar Spinner.

I've added an XBox & Dreamcast (with VGA).

I've decorated the cab.

I've figured out a way to light my coin lights.

I even recently made Mame related TShirts for myself using iron transfers (some of you may have seen my posts about that).

I just ripped out all of the wiring/connections and redid the all to finally make sense out of the rats nest of wires.

I connected my Cab (with is 3500+ song database) to my upstairs & downstairs stereos (both have big subs...ROCK the house!).

NOW WHAT?.....other than loading the occassional new game....I'm basically done and don't have room for another cab!!! (and I ain't ready to part w/my present one!).

....sigh. This has been one of the most fun projects I've ever taken on.....and now I'm basically done.

Do any of you feel the same way?....while I LOVE playing my cab.....I REALLY loved the whole journey on the way to its completion......

 

The MameMaster!!!  What next?  

[Hoagie_one]

minimame

[MameMaster!]

minimame

....thought about that!....and possibly a cocktail table....but my wife pretty much made it clear   no more cabs....at least until someday we have a larger house w/a basement!

The MameMaster  

[Hoagie_one]

no, really mini, like a table top.  Use one of those supper mini atx boards and a tiny lcd or something.  lol.

[Hoagie_one]

this MoBo is less than 7 inches on a side
http://www.lillicomputers.net/product.asp?pf_id=EPIA%2D800&dept_id=08

You can get one of those Cash register Monitors if you dont want to do LCD, those are like 7-9 inches.

With being 10 inches wide, you'd probably just have enough space for a stick and 4 buttons.  Have to get a coupld tiny radio shack buttons for admin stuff.

lol

[DeathMonk]

Sell your wife for some more room...

 

[MameMaster!]

this MoBo is less than 7 inches on a side
http://www.lillicomputers.net/product.asp?pf_id=EPIA%2D800&dept_id=08

You can get one of those Cash register Monitors if you dont want to do LCD, those are like 7-9 inches.

With being 10 inches wide, you'd probably just have enough space for a stick and 4 buttons.  Have to get a coupld tiny radio shack buttons for admin stuff.

lol

Yeah...thought of that one too.....but it's not "authentic." But a good suggestion!

The BummedMaster!  

[Hoagie_one]

Friend of mine has been flirting with the idea of modifying his Bar.  He wants to cut out a section and put a glass table top monitor and arcade controls right there, so when he has his drinnking buddies over (I'm not a drinker) they can get hammered and play pacman without leaving the bar, lol

[pathdoc2]

I'm just like you, addicted to building things.  I've been this way my whole life and my wife understands.  I've built 7 or 8 mame machines over the last 2 years.  Sold 7 of them.  

[grafixmonkey]

totally addicted to building things...   that's why I love this forum!

oh, and the relatively high level of politeness and attention to topic, and the lack of flames and jerks.

I'm bummed about my cab too, not because there's nothing left to do, but because all that's left is software configuration, and stuff I can't order the parts for yet.  Oh yeah, and I spent so much time playing the arcade games while I was waiting for parts, that I started getting tired of 'em!  

Well, when my friends get back in town, the fun will begin again.  Anybody want to add fun electric mechanisms to their cab but don't know how?  I can help people build those.  

[menace]

Its funny--when i read your posts, I had the exact same thoughts--I'm finished 1 cab--now what?--so I decide to build another

So other bored memebers, you want a challenge eh?  Ok, design an automatic rotation mechanism that would suit a 1up or rebirth cab.  Just unlock the front door, press a button and watch the action!

Some criteria:

-As cheap as possible (money-wise)
-relatively easy to find parts--i.e. no special orders from sri-lanka
-5v,12V and 110V power sources
-no model is required--vaporware is fine  

Think of it is arcade-wars--you have 10hrs! GO  


 

[Hoagie_one]

Think of it is arcade-wars--you have 10hrs! GO  


 

fUNNY

[Chris]

NOW WHAT?.....other than loading the occassional new game....I'm basically done and don't have room for another cab!!! (and I ain't ready to part w/my present one!).

Suck a buddy into the hobby and help him build it...

[CitznFish]

swappable yokes/steering wheels/etc  that mount cleanly to your current CP?

[TalkingOctopus]

Perhaps make a website documenting your project, if you don't allready have one.

[Xiaou2]

Some fun projects that Ive always wanted to make but have no time currently:

 Mini-Pinball
    - uses a mable size ball.  
    - field about 1ft * 2ft long
    - real mini coils  
    - lighting
    - pc interface with monitor as the backboard and controller (dream!)
    - detailed artworks
    - and more...
 
  sadly... i lack the technical electrical knowledge on how to get the coils to fire, as well as know which coils ti use and what to power them with..ect.   Would be great to remake a few of my fav machines as well as make some originals.

 ------

  Skeeball machine?!  (made one out of cardboard as a kid  heh)

  Simulation Motion chair  (dream)
 
  mini ice cold beer machine
 
  n-scale train layout

  pachinko machine.  maybe even a pachinko-pinball hybrid like
  ballys Rapidfire.

  re-creation of many electromechanical type games

  rotating pool table?  rolls horizontally to serve as a normal table... or flipped for pool.

  un-realistic ($$$+time+experience) Ideas:

 - backyard or indoor rollercoaster minecart type ride.
 - human gyro thingy
 - some sorta gocart thingy

 ... and so much more...

  Someone hop on these so I can feel good that someone is enjoying themselves in building them : )

[Tailgunner]

Stop by some motorcycle shops and pick up a few sport bike brochures. You'll either end up will a cool bike or lots of room for more cabinets.

[night]

im not even completely done with my cab yet (about 90%) and im already designing a driving cab and cocktail O_o.

where is the arcade cab charity fund....

[SNAAAKE]

ping pong table !  
oh yes...i won tournies in school.
Yes I always win all kinds of tourny(sports,arcade,anything).  

Maybe a pool table.Is that possible to build  
Anyone ?

[Lilwolf]

Start writing a frontend... takes WAY more time then building a cab.... or...

Hot swappable control panels!!!  The way to go!

Then..

Classic (4way - asteroids buttons - qbert 4 way)
Starwars control panel
720 control panel
SNK rotaries.
machine guns.
3 360 steering wheels (for champ sprint)
1 270 steering wheel
defender dedicated (those small joysticks are EXPENSIVE on ebay... for a 2 game panel that is)

The list can go on and on.

Also... Convert your current cab into a different TYPE of cab.

Rotate the monitor so its exactly vertical.
MOve the control panel off the cab... And move it back to a showcase cab...
Then add a seat in between the showcase and the cabinet.
Why???  (well you are looking for new projects right??  It would take you FOREVER.. And it SHOULD fit in your wifes definition of one cab!)

[MameMaster!]

 

Wow...it's funny how much interest this generated.

I do think my next step will be to do a custom control panel (this Winter?). I'm presently using an XArcade that works great w/the Dreamcast, XBox & PC.....but a custom panel....drooollllll........

The MameMaster!  

[Generic Eric]

Air Hockey Plans

[hyiu]

ever since I'm into making a cab... I'm very much into woodworking.... and also hacking pads for other consoles for my friends.....

I've been fixing kitchen cabinets.... fixing my bed to make it firmer.... a golf / sport equip stand.... I'm going to make a router table so that I can go 1 level up.... heee hee...

this wood working thing is addictive.... so is the cab....

otoh.... my golf sucked BIG TIME...... I'm now consistently last when playing with my friend.... not a good sign... need to spend some time on it..... lol....  

what's next ??... I might make a mobile tool cabinet to hold all my tools !!!....   .... (still in design phase.... let me finish my cab first....)

too many projects... too little time....
 

[DZuroff]

This probably wouldn't work for some girlfriends, wives, significant others... but I found that by involving my wife to be in the project itself she is more at ease with it.  She doesn't want anything to do with the construction, but at one point I had all my parts laid out to show her what everything does and what I was doing and somewhere along the line she became interested!  I don't know how, but it happend.     She didn't even gawk when I told her I plan on spending $550 on a Wells Gardner monitor.    

[menace]

I did the same thing and now we are going to pick up a dedicated q-bert for her this weekend--I can't fathom how anyone could be against this hobby

[tbombaci]

My cabinet is 99% done.

Yesterday, I felt the "I need something to build" blues. I have a dead PolePosition II that I will be making into a dedicated verticle MAME cabinet (this winter)...but....

I came across the Jukebox pages!!  Whoo Hoo!

I designed the cabinet at work yesterday. I monkeyed with the front end and configured it on my laptop as well. I am ready to build!

My wife is not liking the idea at all. Currently, my office is crammed with a server, a PC with 21" monitor, a G3 with dual 21" monitors, my sons iMac, my MAME cabinet, a futon and a 27" TV on a tv stand (there is enough room and it actually doesnt look too cluttered)

As I write this, I am seriously thinking of picking up that 7" mobo for the jukebox. The bulk of this project is the 15" crt.  LCD would be ideal, but, I do not want to fork out the $199 for an ol' cheapo LCD monitor.

Time will tell...

-Tom

[cobelli]

If your wife won't let you have another cab, why not have the side "accidently" fall off the current one. Then as you are reattaching it, you realize it won't "work" without a rotating monitor, self swapping control panel, detachable steering wheel, etc...
- Cobelli

[grafixmonkey]

I always thought it'd be fun to have a crane machine.  You know, those are fun to play;  the commercial ones are just such a rip off that they ruin it.

I got a chance to play one at a Disney Quest (could play it like up to 10 times for free) but I refuse to sink $1.00 for a 5% chance of nabbing a $2.00 plush toy.

That, and a Whack-a-Mole game would be awesome!
http://www.happcontrols.com/amusement/acesor/51500100.htm

[CitznFish]

My cabinet is 99% done.

Yesterday, I felt the "I need something to build" blues. I have a dead PolePosition II that I will be making into a dedicated verticle MAME cabinet (this winter)...but....

I came across the Jukebox pages!!  Whoo Hoo!

I designed the cabinet at work yesterday. I monkeyed with the front end and configured it on my laptop as well. I am ready to build!

My wife is not liking the idea at all. Currently, my office is crammed with a server, a PC with 21" monitor, a G3 with dual 21" monitors, my sons iMac, my MAME cabinet, a futon and a 27" TV on a tv stand (there is enough room and it actually doesnt look too cluttered)

As I write this, I am seriously thinking of picking up that 7" mobo for the jukebox. The bulk of this project is the 15" crt.  LCD would be ideal, but, I do not want to fork out the $199 for an ol' cheapo LCD monitor.

Time will tell...

-Tom

the jukebox pages here? Or did you find another site? jukeboxcontrols.com doesn't seem to get much traffic...

[ArcadeMaze]

While I haven't faced the same problem.....Yet.

I have known all along that it IS the journey, not the destination.  That is why I have three MAME machines in progress(Vertical, Horizontal, and Vector)..  

Only the Horizontal is playable at this point.  But, I know the dread.  I don't want to be finished, this is my sand garden, my zen place.

[MameMaster!]

While I haven't faced the same problem.....Yet.

I have known all along that it IS the journey, not the destination.  That is why I have three MAME machines in progress(Vertical, Horizontal, and Vector)..  

Only the Horizontal is playable at this point.  But, I know the dread.  I don't want to be finished, this is my sand garden, my zen place.

That's too funny....."I don't want to be finished, this is my sand garden, my zen place.".....

.....I so agree.....I guess that's why I'm bummed!....my machine is my "happy place!".

Due to this thread though, I've been thinking of adding a Force Feedback PC wheel. Any thoughts on that? Are there any worth while Force Feedback games out there?.....

I would keep it removable, but I think that might be a fun add on.

I'm still thinking about building a cocktail table (and no  don't have the space....but maybe I can part with my old sofa in my spare room...it's REALLY old anyway).......(perhaps from a kit to get started as I don't have enough room to do the woodwork).....hmmm......I REALLY would love a vertical screen!

Oh the sacrifices I'm considering for my mame!

The MameMaster!

 

[JODY]

Get rid of the wife to make room for the cocktail.


Just kidding.........

[skorch]

Why don't you start building cabs and throwin' them suckers on eBay? You can keep the auctions local so you don't have the hassles of shipping, they just pick up the cab.
I'm sure the wife won't mind your hobby when you're making  the dough for that vacation to the Bahamas she's always wanted!