Hello,
I know I should have started this log about a year ago, but it's better late then never.
For the past 10 years I want to build/buy an arcade machine. I live in a little town with no access to arcade
machines since 2001; (we had an small arcade at my locate mall, but it was taken out by a hurricane Katrina).
Anyway, one day my friend ("Steve") found two Tempest cabs. and was nice to give me one.
My cab was in bad shape.
- no motherboard
- no power supply
- burnt monitor
- no cp.
- side art was pretty crappy
- and no back door.
+ the wood was in ok shape
+ Free
+ marquee was good
So, I decided to make it my first MAME machine.
Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!
MM
Part 2
First was the hardware:
Old computer : p4, 2Gigs of ram , 80gig harddrive, and old Voodoo 4 AGP
Monitor: LCD 19" Dell
Arcade CP: X-gamings Tankstick; ( i know some hate on the Tankstick but it a good place for beginnings to start)
Other items: two N64 controls and usb adapter.
Second was software:
Windows 2000 pro with MAME .109 and roms, nes, snes, GBA, Sega Master System, Genesis, 32x, Sega CD, Game Gear, Lynxx, TG16, atari 2600, 7800, and N64. With M.A. running everything on-top.
After several month i came to the conclusion that Windows 2000 pro and M.A. don't play together well.
So I upgrade the computer to windows xp with AMD +3500, 1.5 Gigs of ram, Nvidia 7600GS, cooling fans,
and WD 1TB SATA harddrive. This work much better.
Still not perfect. No matter what I did, the Tankstick did not play nicely with M.A. I hooked the stick via a usb-hub, NO! Via usb on the back of the tower, NO!! Via PS/2 and mouse port, NO!!!
M.A. would see the stick and all button and then stop working randomly.
The only solution I found was to hook-up an old Logitech usb gamepad and control ALL functions of M.A. with it. This has worked perfect.....more or less
Part 3
Another one of my friends help me cut the cab a bit and add a deep draw to drop my Tankstick into.
It came out good. It's a little bit off-center, but it's hard to tell when you are playing.
I dragged it outside...... filled in holes with wood putty, sanded the HELL out of it, primed and painted; two coats of flat black.
In addition I added a sub- frame and wheel to make my life a little easier.