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Author Topic: Unstupid's Bartop Neo-Geo System - The 3 year update...  (Read 145294 times)

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Unstupid

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Unstupid's Bartop Neo-Geo System - The 3 year update...
« on: September 11, 2011, 08:55:57 am »
Well, 3 months after I started I am finally finished...    Here is the video I promised you 2 days ago...  I hope you find it interesting.  Hit me up with any questions!





Also... I made the DWG files are available near the end of page 4
Original first post:
****************************************************

Well I have officially started my first mame cabinet.  Well not the construction part yet...  I'm still in the design phase.  I have pretty much nailed down the design, now I just have to figure out how to make everything fit.  The big stuff is already on the way, like the monitor and computer.  I'll lay it out below and show ya what I got, and what I need.  I'm not looking to do this on the cheap.  I want something that looks like it came straight from SNK's factory (even though they never make any bartops, did they?)!  I have access to some of the best tools for making stuff like this, so turning out a product that doesn't look "homemade" should be possible.  This will be a wild ride and you'll definitely want to follow along!  Besides I'll need you guys to answer some of my stupid questions along the way.  Here we go...

So this is the design I came up with so far.  I tried to stay true to the full size arcade cab as much as possible.  The marquee on the original MVS was way too big vertically so I chopped it down to make it more compact.  also this box is not as deep as a real cab only because it doesn't have to be because I'll be using an LCD monitor.  I did retain most of the angles from a MVS cab so I think it still looks like a real machine without the legs...  As it stands right now it is 16.8" wide, 17.9" deep and 22.1" tall.  Here is a quick rendering:


Here is the control panel.  It's pretty close to the real layout.  I did move the joystick a little higher.  Originally it was in line with the "A" button.  Mine is just between the "A" and "B" button.  I did go for the inline "B" "C" "D" buttons because that is what I grew up playing on rather than the newer layout where they are all in a smooth arc.  Is this enough buttons to run the machine sans keyboard?  Or do I need another one to exit back to the menu?


Anyways I'll post some more pics as things happen...  Here is where I stand on the equipment/hardware:

What I have or have already purchased:
-Monitor ($522)- Industrial Samsung LCD monitor here: http://www.rackmountmart.com/rmLCD/ID-15A.htm - Only because it should be easy to mount.
-T-Molding ($114)- Yup I got Happ-Slapped!  Ordered 75' of 3/4" T -molding for $35 for which they charged me $77 to ship.  ::) I don't mind spending money, buy if you are gust going to rip me off I'll take my business elsewhere. And that is why I need suggestions on places to buy the rest of the stuff I don't have:
-NeoGeo MV1C - PCB
-Jamma CGA2VGA board
-110w power supply
-Happ Competition Joystick and buttons.
-Lit coin button
-Speakers
-Marquee retainer
-Case locks and latches
-Marine grade plywood
-2 15" cold cathode tubes


What I still need:
-Lexan or Plexiglass or real glass

I'm sure I'm missing other things... Fell free to remind me!

That's it for now...  Sleepy time!
« Last Edit: February 09, 2014, 08:54:20 pm by Unstupid »

vcoleiro1

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2011, 09:45:48 am »
Looks like a really good design.  The only thing I would change is the coin button. I know HAPP (I know you dont want to hear that) have them, like the coin reject button, or if you had an Aussie cab it would be something like http://www.ozstick.com.au/prod_coinmechs.html  .  Anyway they are around, food for thought.


jimmy2x2x

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2011, 10:12:56 am »
Nice design, fully agree with the coin button suggestion.

Are you including USB port(s) to allow for a 2nd player?

What package did you use to do the render in, it looks great


Yvan256

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #3 on: September 11, 2011, 10:38:37 am »
Always glad to see another Neo-Geo project.

About the marquee, I don't know what you mean by too tall. The one you have in your rendering seems to be much taller than the aspect ratio of the original would otherwise be. What I would do is use this one with the white "MVS" mini-marquee already in place.

As vcoleiro1 and jimmy2x2x said, a "coin button" would look better. There's a few places that sell those, I just don't have any links for them. They're basically just rectangular buttons with a custom label in them.

It would be nice if you could put a headphone connector on the same panel as the coin button,  like a real Neo-Geo cabinet. Maybe make a custom front label which could be a mix from the real memory card/headphones and "left player" arrow for the coin button.

As for your Player Start and Select Game buttons, how will they be used? You mention a computer, so I'm assuming you'll be using emulation and not a real MVS board with carts. I know those are the real names of the buttons on a MVS cabinet, but for an emulated system, how does Player Start differ from Select Game?

One small detail about your Player Start and Select Game labels. On a real control panel, the "flat" side comes from the fact that the text is aligned with the 7-segments credit display but if you look at the whole white line side-to-side, the right end of is rounded too.

As for your parts list, I think you could have saved a lot of money on the monitor since almost all modern LCDs have VESA mounting holes on the back, which makes mounting in an arcade cabinet quite easy. Since a lot of people are replacing their 4:3/5:4 LCDs with 16:9/16:10 ones, finding a used one in excellent shape would probably not have been difficult.

All in all, an excellent start. The shape and colors scream "MVS", there's no question about it.

Martijn

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #4 on: September 11, 2011, 11:52:15 am »
Nice design, i like it. Isnt the pc a bit overkill? or expensive? 1135 us dollar !?!

I guess you want to play more then just the neogeo titles.

I would go laminate instead of paint to get a easy factory finish. But if you cant paint like Ond then no problem  :)




yotsuya

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #5 on: September 11, 2011, 12:37:14 pm »
75 feet of t-molding for a bartop? Why so much?
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Well Fed Games

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2011, 01:47:38 pm »
I have had good luck with sourcing parts from Groovy Game Gear (joysticks, coin buttons, pushbuttons) as well as Twisted Quarter (misc.). I would check those places first for everything.
Completed projects: Pac bartop (Plug & Play), 30th Anniversary Pac cab (MAME), Point Blank (PS1), Centipede (arcade hardware- light restore), VS. Super Mario Bros (arcade hardware- light restore) Tetris Cocktail (SNES), Arcade Classics upright (60-in-1, then MAME), Multi-Raiden (arcade hardware). Pac Man vs.(Gamecube),

Working on: Pinball Re-theme, Homebrew arcade arena shooter

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #7 on: September 11, 2011, 04:27:25 pm »
Have had good buying experiences from both of these suppliers in Buy and Sell

Divemaster 127
Arcade Emulator

Armi0024
Paradise Arcade Shop

GGG and Ultimarc are also great :D

SNAAKE

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2011, 05:16:19 pm »
that render is sexy. makes me wanna build a one like that even though I dont particularly care about SNK anything lol.. ???

Unstupid

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #9 on: September 11, 2011, 08:50:03 pm »
Thanks for the replies everyone...  Especially the suggestion to use the square credit button.  I didn't know they even existed.  I will definitely be using that on the front of the panel.  Also thanks for the recommendations on vendors...  Will definitely check them out... As far as the other questions:

Nice design, fully agree with the coin button suggestion.
Are you including USB port(s) to allow for a 2nd player?
;) Thats a surprise!

What package did you use to do the render in, it looks great
I used Rhino to lay out everything and Photoshop to work the artwork for the maps.

Always glad to see another Neo-Geo project.

About the marquee, I don't know what you mean by too tall. The one you have in your rendering seems to be much taller than the aspect ratio of the original would otherwise be. What I would do is use this one with the white "MVS" mini-marquee already in place.
The original MVS cabs had a very tall marquee like this one: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3051/3026376282_75308cd028.jpg that is the only one I could find lines for and it didn't scale down to bar top size very well. 

It would be nice if you could put a headphone connector on the same panel as the coin button,  like a real Neo-Geo cabinet. Maybe make a custom front label which could be a mix from the real memory card/headphones and "left player" arrow for the coin button.
I'd like to do the headphone... just gotta figure out how to do the disconnect so that when you plug in the headphones the speakers turn off.

for your Player Start and Select Game buttons, how will they be used? You mention a computer, so I'm assuming you'll be using emulation and not a real MVS board with carts. I know those are the real names of the buttons on a MVS cabinet, but for an emulated system, how does Player Start differ from Select Game?

One small detail about your Player Start and Select Game labels. On a real control panel, the "flat" side comes from the fact that the text is aligned with the 7-segments credit display but if you look at the whole white line side-to-side, the right end of is rounded too.
Not final on which buttons I need and how it will work.  I may change the select button back to a pause or exit button if they are not needed in-game.  Yea I know the ends are rounded I my just round the ends of the labels as well to see how it looks with text.

As for your parts list, I think you could have saved a lot of money on the monitor since almost all modern LCDs have VESA mounting holes on the back, which makes mounting in an arcade cabinet quite easy. Since a lot of people are replacing their 4:3/5:4 LCDs with 16:9/16:10 ones, finding a used one in excellent shape would probably not have been difficult.
It wasn't really about the mount It's more about the bezel.  I don't want to have to mask and spray the glass if I need to change it.  hoping the bezel under glass looks more polished.

All in all, an excellent start. The shape and colors scream "MVS", there's no question about it.
Thanks! that's what I'm going for.  ;D

Nice design, i like it. Isnt the pc a bit overkill? or expensive? 1135 us dollar !?!
I guess you want to play more then just the neogeo titles.
The Ultra Small Form Factor should fit nicely in the cab.  Not sure mow much computer is too much.  Last time I had a make box running 10 years ago we couldn't fully run all the neo-geo titles because of computer limitations.

I would go laminate instead of paint to get a easy factory finish. But if you cant paint like Ond then no problem  :)
I would if I could find some pre laminated black plywood here in Hawaii.  Don't really feel like buying laminate and gluing it on myself.

75 feet of t-molding for a bartop? Why so much?
Well they only sell in 25' minimums and I wasn't sure exactly on what I was going to build so I got Black, Yellow and Blue

Yvan256

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #10 on: September 12, 2011, 01:36:48 am »
Here's photos of all the http://different models of MVS cabinets released in the USA (and Canada). The tall marquees were only found on the 4-slot and 6-slot models.

You could use the same style of marquee as the MVS-1-25, which you can get from EMDK. I see in the description that you can order a custom size. What's the width of your marquee?

The description says 26 x 8 inches, so that means an aspect ratio of 3.25:1. Assuming your width of 16.8 inches minus twice the 3/4" T -molding which should equal your side panels, we end up with 15.3 inches for the marquee width and 4.71 inches for its height.
« Last Edit: September 12, 2011, 10:41:23 am by Yvan256 »

Unstupid

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #11 on: September 12, 2011, 04:41:24 am »
yea space for the marquee is 15.35" wide but the vertical measurement is a little tricky because I'm not sure how much of the marquee the retainer that Happ sells will cover the marquee... does it overhang 1/2?" 3/4"?  I can't find drawings anywhere.  Here is what it looks like from the side:



This will probably bring a whole new slew of questions so let me explain whats going on first.  You will see in the drawing that there are 2 hinges.  those will be piano hinges and one will be flush mounted under the control panel.  this will allow the CP to swing forward to allow access to the buttons as well as the glass covering the display.  the glass covering the display will be secured up behind the marquee as well as below the monitor.  The computer will be mounted vertically on the back door.  I'll be pulling air in with a 120mm fan at the top and exhausting it out 1 (or 2?) 80mm fans at the bottom.  I know hot air likes to go up, but the computer needs to mount with the back near the hinges.  As long as I can get enough air flowing through there it should be ok!  Also you may notice a lack of bracing.  I'm going to be constructing this with dowels can cam bolts.  The only bracing I'll have will be under the CP since there will be no way to dowel it.  Questions?  hahah!

ETA... Oh yea you notice the dimensions on the drawing look off.  that's because I'm using .72 for the thickness of the 3/4 plywood
« Last Edit: September 12, 2011, 04:45:21 am by Unstupid »

emphatic

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #12 on: September 12, 2011, 04:30:54 pm »
This is looking fantastic. I would use button combinations to exit to your frontend to keep it looking like a real coin-operated machine and not a MAME machine with "button rash".  :cheers:

For the headphone, you can get a small 2.1 system with a wired remote for volume as those often has built in phono jack that kills the speakers when connected. MVS games often have really great sound, so please make your system an awesome one.

Unstupid

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #13 on: September 13, 2011, 11:50:09 pm »
Ok... Change of plans today...  I decided that since this machine will be a dedicated Neo-Geo cab that there is no need for a $1,000 computer to run it... Instead I'm going "pro gear spec" (their words  :D).  I purchased a used (do what ya gotta do) MV1C board that should fit nicely behind the monitor.  I also ordered a jamma CGA to VGA converter board, as well as some 2" speakers (not sure I'm gonna use em... still looking for 3.5"s), Also ordered the joysticks (4 actually... Happ Competitions as well as a couple of others.  They havee the polished shaft a-la the real neogeo machines.  Oh yeah I also picked up some square illuminated buttons... gonna have to make the "press for credit" button myself since I can't find em anywhere.  What else did I get today.. Oh yea also grabbed a jamma harness because then I'll only need to make up pins on 1 side of the cable.  Also grabbed the power supply which should work to power the MV1C board, video converter as well as the monitor. so no need for power.

Also the monitor arrived today.  It is very nice!  feels very rugged.  There is a little more bevel on the corners than I expected but I was going to recess it into the plywood anyway... looks like we are almost ready for the construction phase!    ;D

Oh yea I forgot to mention... in exchange to the ease of going with the MV1C I'm going to have to give up a couple of things... mainly stereo sound and headphone jacks.  The MV1C doesn't output either.  There may be ways to hack it out but I can't find it on the forum over at neo-geo.com...   :dunno  

On another related note.... anyone have any good ideas of what I can do with a Dell Optiplex 990 Ultra Small Form Factor, Core I5 2500S, 8gb ram and Win 7 64bit?  It should be here the end of next week!
« Last Edit: September 19, 2011, 10:41:51 pm by Unstupid »

emphatic

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #14 on: September 14, 2011, 12:36:29 am »
Very cool that you're going JAMMA and with the real deal. I would add an SLG3000 to the mix:
http://wp1114205.wp150.webpack.hosteurope.de/xtcmodified/index.php?cPath=3&XTCsid=phm1ubdatbts1673qt1b9vd094 to get scanlines on your LCD screen.

On another related note.... anyone have any good ideas of what I can do with a Dell Optiplex 990 Ultra Small Form Factor, Core I5 2500S, 8gb ram and Win 7 64bit?  It should be here the end of next week!

As the cab will be JAMMA, you could still make a small MAME computer for everything else and add PC games to it. Then make sure that the MVS motherboard can be removed with ease and this computer can be put inside the bartop instead when you want to mix it up.  :cheers:

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #15 on: September 14, 2011, 08:19:06 pm »
I second Emphatic. Going with the real MVS hardware is awesome. :applaud: :applaud:
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Yvan256

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #16 on: September 14, 2011, 11:02:27 pm »
Here, I found this website: http://benheck.com/downloads

See "Neo Geo MV-1C Stereo Audio Mod", there's two high resolution photos. I'm sure Ben can help you if you need help, including adding a headphone jack to the whole thing.

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #17 on: September 14, 2011, 11:11:59 pm »
Check your viewing angle. I've built a few bartops and now I always try to mount my monitors as close to the marquee as possible (little to no overhang). In my signature I list several of the bartops. My first one was the multi-williams design and it was very playable, but you had to view the cabinet almost straight on. I fixed the design error in the following bartops.

Good luck with your build, I'll be watching.

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #18 on: September 15, 2011, 10:37:42 am »
Check your viewing angle. I've built a few bartops and now I always try to mount my monitors as close to the marquee as possible (little to no overhang). In my signature I list several of the bartops. My first one was the multi-williams design and it was very playable, but you had to view the cabinet almost straight on. I fixed the design error in the following bartops.

Good luck with your build, I'll be watching.

+1
I also learned this lesson the hard way.  :-[

This is a nice looking design. I'll be following it.


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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #19 on: September 15, 2011, 07:48:24 pm »
Thanks for the tip... I'll doulbe check the angles tonight!  On another note..... Does anyone have any recommendations on where to get the artwork for the side, control panel and marquee?  Who have you used?

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #20 on: September 15, 2011, 07:55:40 pm »
Thanks for the tip... I'll doulbe check the angles tonight! 

By angles, I mean to imagine the bartop where it will be sitting and stand in front of it. See if the marquee obstructs the view of the screen. Good luck.

Unstupid

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #21 on: September 15, 2011, 08:01:23 pm »
Thanks for the tip... I'll doulbe check the angles tonight! 

By angles, I mean to imagine the bartop where it will be sitting and stand in front of it. See if the marquee obstructs the view of the screen. Good luck.

I know exactly what you mean.  Thanks!

Unstupid

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #22 on: September 15, 2011, 09:07:50 pm »
I should be ok. with arms down at the shoulder and straight out at 90deg.  I'm actually arther play with my arms a little further forward which would set me back a little further from the screen.  I don't plan to play standing up.  But if it was elevated on a bar top with 5' to the top of the control panel you'd have to be pretty tall to not be able to see.
 
Pictures is a 6' person.  the top of the screen is 1 5/8" from the bottom of the speaker panel.

Unstupid

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #23 on: September 17, 2011, 06:06:16 am »
Always glad to see another Neo-Geo project.

You know when I first read your post I just thought you were a NeoGeo fan... I didn't realize you were currently in the process of building your own mini NeoGeo cab!  I just read through your entire project thread!  What you are doing with the 7 segment credit counter and the LCD marquee is awesome!  I'm definitely going to follow your build because I want to see how that turns out!  I noticed that you have a working coin slot.  Mind if I ask what kind of coin slot you are using?  I can't find a working one that fits my design and my cab is twice the size of yours!

BTW I though my build was going to be a "long process" because I'm expecting it to take a couple of monts.... You are going on a couple of years!  That is hardcore!   :notworthy:

Yvan256

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #24 on: September 17, 2011, 10:14:31 am »
Always glad to see another Neo-Geo project.

You know when I first read your post I just thought you were a NeoGeo fan... I didn't realize you were currently in the process of building your own mini NeoGeo cab!  I just read through your entire project thread!  What you are doing with the 7 segment credit counter and the LCD marquee is awesome!  I'm definitely going to follow your build because I want to see how that turns out!  I noticed that you have a working coin slot.  Mind if I ask what kind of coin slot you are using?  I can't find a working one that fits my design and my cab is twice the size of yours!

BTW I though my build was going to be a "long process" because I'm expecting it to take a couple of monts.... You are going on a couple of years!  That is hardcore!   :notworthy:

See my reply on the MVS-99-6 thread, I don't want to hijack your own cabinet's thread.

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #25 on: September 19, 2011, 10:57:20 pm »
So I recieved a package today (not gonna say who from) and inside was a small box that contained 2 joysticks that I ordered... Now I'm pretty sure this box was not meant to hold 2 joysticks because everything was really crammed in there.  Now, because it was so poorly packed one of the joysticks spent 4000 miles rubbing up against one of the metal connectors on the microswitches so much so that it bent the connector:


Easy fix, I can just bend it back, but the bat top got all scratched up and for that there is no easy fix:

I know it's only an $8 item, but would you be cool with that?  What would you do?  :dunno

AlienInferno

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #26 on: September 20, 2011, 12:37:57 am »
i know it's only an $8 item, but would you be cool with that?  What would you do?  :dunno

First thing would be to contact the seller and see what they have to say about it.  But no,  I would not be cool with that.

leapinlew

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #27 on: September 20, 2011, 08:43:40 am »
Not cool...

I have a couple extra handles for supers (I think). Let me know if you want them and I'll take a look. I replace my super tops with ball tops so I had a few extra. 

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #28 on: September 20, 2011, 08:57:49 am »
(not gonna say who from)
You should.

I know it's only an $8 item, but would you be cool with that?  What would you do?  :dunno
Ask them to replace it and foot the bill for shipping.
If they won't, then they don't deserve any of our business.

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #29 on: September 20, 2011, 09:12:19 am »
(not gonna say who from)
You should.

+1
I know it's only an $8 item, but would you be cool with that?  What would you do?  :dunno
Ask them to replace it and foot the bill for shipping.
If they won't, then they don't deserve any of our business.

Shouldn't even have to ask for a replacement. If you let them know it got damaged, they should freely offer a replacement. If you have to insist a replacement, there is something fundamentally wrong with the seller.

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #30 on: September 20, 2011, 09:22:09 am »
It's great that you took those photos. I must agree with everyone else. If it was packaged properly that damage to the stick would not have happened. They should freely offer a replacement and pay for shipping. Let us know how it turns out.


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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #31 on: September 20, 2011, 12:14:34 pm »
Not cool...

I have a couple extra handles for supers (I think). Let me know if you want them and I'll take a look. I replace my super tops with ball tops so I had a few extra. 

Well I also have some comps coming from Happ as well as other sources so I'm ok,  Thanks for the offer though!

As far as saying what company I bought these from, I'm going to give them a chance to fix the situation before I slander them.  ;)

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #32 on: September 20, 2011, 04:30:25 pm »
I also agree that a free replacement should be sent to you, including shipping.

Good call on going with a black bat top for a Neo-Geo cabinet, BTW.  ;)

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #33 on: September 20, 2011, 09:58:24 pm »
As far as saying what company I bought these from, I'm going to give them a chance to fix the situation before I slander them.  ;)

Saying you got a damaged part from a supplier due to poor packing isn't slander. Telling us will help us determine the track record of sellers. Although PBJ comes off assholish, he has made several intelligent and common sensical statements (and I must say I've been finding myself agreeing with him lately); one of them being that a supplier shouldn't ship bad/defective parts to begin with, even if they do replace them for free.

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #34 on: September 20, 2011, 10:47:15 pm »

Saying you got a damaged part from a supplier due to poor packing isn't slander. Telling us will help us determine the track record of sellers.

Agreed. I got a (not nearly as damaged but still scratched) stick from TwistedQuarter a while back, should have returned it but tried to fix it myself and just made it much worse, then spent even more on a new balltop from GGG. I hope the supplier makes it right for you.
Completed projects: Pac bartop (Plug & Play), 30th Anniversary Pac cab (MAME), Point Blank (PS1), Centipede (arcade hardware- light restore), VS. Super Mario Bros (arcade hardware- light restore) Tetris Cocktail (SNES), Arcade Classics upright (60-in-1, then MAME), Multi-Raiden (arcade hardware). Pac Man vs.(Gamecube),

Working on: Pinball Re-theme, Homebrew arcade arena shooter

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #35 on: September 26, 2011, 04:37:52 am »
Jammaboards.com was who I purchased the joystick from.  They did make it right and shipped me a new bat top.  I haven't received it yet, but it's on the way.  Funny thing was I wasn't planning on using the joysticks I ordered from them anyways.  I already ordered some Happ Competition joysticks from other sources (Happ, Arcade Emulator).  I just wanted to see what these metal shafts looked like. 

On a related note I have been ordering a lot of equipment from a lot of different people and I have found that there are many bad vendors out there.  I don't know if it is because they are doing this part time and simple questions are just "beneath" them, but if you can't resound to email in a timely manner (within 48 hours) then maybe you are in the wrong business.  Here is my current list of suspects and my thoughts on each.

Suzohapp.com - As far as price and selection these guys are the best.  Shipping prices and shipping tactics suck. (e.g. I placed an order for ~$100 worth of products.  everything was in stock when I placed the order, but when they shipped it they shipped most of the order less a power supply and charged me $35 for shipping.  Then a couple of days later they say the power supply is now back in stock and ship the $22 power supply and charge me $25 to ship it).  My advice, buy from them only if you can not find it elsewhere (score 3/5)

Arcadeemulator.com - I placed 3 orders (2 online and 1 via email/paypal).  They are OK.  Their shipping speeds are kinda slow.  I placed an order on the 14th but it didn't ship til the 17th!  Another one of my orders was placed on the 15th and I got delivery notification on the 21st, but the package wasn't picked up til the 23rd!  Their Pre-Sales communication is fine, but god forbid you should ask them about the status of you order.  I got not one response to the 3 or 4 emails I sent.  Atleast they only charged me $8 to ship the same power supply Happ charged me $25 to ship!  Use these guys if you are not in a hurry and don't mind unanswered emails (score 4/5)

Jammaboards.com -  These are the guys that like to cram things into little boxes... Not a bad thing if they were selling sardines, but sending me an f-ed up joystick is not cool.  After submitting a ticket and waiting for 48 hours for a response then sending an email inquiring about the ticket a new stick is on the way.  Other than their substandard shipping practices these guys are great.  They ship fast (within 24 hours), their prices are good, and they respond to emails (with a little prodding!).  Buy from these guys because they have some things others don't (score 4/5)

Paradisearcadeshop.com - So far they are the best of the lot.  Decent prices and shipping speeds, and their communication is great!  They respond to emails within hours if not minutes.  They even offered to hand deliver products to my office (Only because we are on the same island, so I won't fault the other vendors for not offering to do the same).  They don't have everything, but if they have what you need you can't go wrong!  (score 5/5)

Groovygamegear.com - Only placed 1 order from them (recently) because I could not find this anywhere else.  They say it is shipping soon so... yay!  So far, so good!   Because they had what I was looking for: (score 5/5)

Emdkay.net - I don't know what the fark is wrong with these guys but apparently they don't want any work because they never responded to a single inquiry.  I sent messages upon messages on his stupid website that don't like Safari (which is kinda dumb since most real graphic artists use mac).  I posted private messages on this board.  I emailed him but and still nothing... nada... zilch!  He must be too busy building pinball machines for his GI-Joe's!!  (score 0/5) coincidentally the 0 is also the same amount of my money that is heading their way!

Gameongrafix.com - Sent these guys a similar request for quote not unlike the one I sent to emdkay.net.  By the time they responded nearly 48 hours later I was already committed to using someone else to do my artwork.  Seriously, if you are going to drag your feet you will be left in the dust.  But hey at least they responded all be it short and sloppy...  (score 1/5)

Basementarcadegrafx.com - Sent these guys a question and he came back with a through detailed explanation.  Asked more questions and received even more detailed information.  This guy treated me like he wanted my business, and that's all I want....  well that and stellar/professional/rugged artwork that belongs on an arcade machine!  If the quality of his work is as good as his customer service then this may be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. (score 5/5) <-- subject to reevaluation upon receipt of artwork!

ok that's all for now...

BTW, as far as progress on my cab goes... I have nearly everything I need (save better speakers, case fans, cold cathode lights) and the correct buttons...  I ordered Happs competition convex buttons but really wanted the concave Ultimate buttons... FML!  ::)

Yvan256

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #36 on: September 26, 2011, 11:08:32 am »
I also agree about the shipping costs from Suzo-Happ. But on the other hand they are a big company and a reliable source of parts that don't require us to buy 50 joysticks and 1000 buttons per order, so I'm grateful for that.

And I've had very good service when I ordered a few parts from Lizardlick. I've also had excellent packaging when I ordered my black and white Sanwa SDM-20 buttons from Arcadeshop.

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #37 on: September 26, 2011, 11:38:03 am »
I also agree about the shipping costs from Suzo-Happ. But on the other hand they are a big company and a reliable source of parts that don't require us to buy 50 joysticks and 1000 buttons per order, so I'm grateful for that.

Divemaster (arcadeemulator.net) can get almost anything that's on the happ website and charges reasonable shipping.
The trade-off is that you usually need to wait a few weeks for him to get it from his supplier, then ship it to you.
(at least with the oddball stuff I order)
I've been happy with his service, but I knew the parts were special order to begin with, therefore I expect to wait a few weeks.
The shipping on my last order was $6.
He does keep the common stuff like joysticks/buttons/coin doors in stock.

I love the shape of this bartop.  Sorry, but it's so perfect, I may have to copy it.  :-[
(a lot of projects need to be completed before starting any new ones though)

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #38 on: September 26, 2011, 05:22:38 pm »
I love the shape of this bartop.  Sorry, but it's so perfect, I may have to copy it.  :-[
(a lot of projects need to be completed before starting any new ones though)
I'll be happy to give out the lines when I'm all done!

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Re: My Bartop Neo-Geo cab, this is going to be a long process!
« Reply #39 on: October 01, 2011, 07:05:02 am »
Well I've finally set a cut date... Right now I'm planning to cut all the pieces for this bar top next Saturday 10/8.  That gives me exactly 1 week to toolpath the entire cut, which is no easy task.  On another note I received the marquee retainers which is going to force me to make some small adjustments.  Silly stuff... will actually make the build a little easier... At least now I don't have to worry about attaching the small horizontal strip!



Ok time to get to work toolpathing... Nah... sleep first!