Neo Geo 1 Slot Slim Cab

[Noclass_Nick]

Hey all, im a newbie to the whole arcade scene, not much of a mame fan, i always prefer the real deal to games. Anyway after having my mate get me into this scene ive been buying some parts and games here and there and decided to go for a low boy style cabinet for the man cave. Ive browsed the forums and have saved a few snaps and blue prints of holdenuts aussie lowboy (from across the ditch in new zealand myself) and modified it here and there for my own personal preference.

Decided that 530mm isnt wide enough for me so im pushing it up to 800mm wide and 200mm high, more then enough room for 2 adults to play side by side and enough room to rest hands on the panel. I didnt want to go straight into building the cabinet before trying it out so im in the process im doing a mock up out of foamcard. Holdenuts design was pretty straight on the front but i do like the designs where it wings out a lil at the front where the control panel is.

Anyway heres a lil peek at how the mock up is going so far...

[emphatic]

I love Lowboy cabinets! I'll be watching. 

[Acids]

I Think Lowboy cabinets are very cool 
Pitty my staircase is so small. 

Ill be watching as well.   
Would you be so kind to post your dimensions?

[Noclass_Nick]

Will do on the dimensions, gona cut down the width to 700mm i think, started buying the 18mm mdf i need for the project Brought more other pcb boards

[Los Abrazos Rotos]

This is one to keep an eye on, I love the design 

[Noclass_Nick]

Decided 700mm is still to wide so going down to 600mm, which is easier since the local hardware store sells 18mm mdf in 600mm wide pieces, which will work well for the front and back panels.

Was going to do the traditional red arcade colour but i think i might go with bright green, since it will be the extra colour in the man cave. Ive found a neo geo cp overlay and recoloured it green, and the buttons and joystick ball i have are green as well. I might paint and print out the overlay for my mock up and stick it on so i have a nice little replica to see how it looks first.

[DaOld Man]

Welcome to the forum and to the most challenging hobby you can get yourself into.
Your project is starting off looking good. I will be watching.

[Noclass_Nick]

Did a lil painting with some cheap poster paint and printed some stuff off to get an idea, paint isnt the colour i want on either the cp or the cabinet (more so the bright green in the bottom left corner)but its an idea:

[mgb]

Welcome to the forum,
Looks like you're off to a good start. I love the lowboy cab type.
Lookin' forward to the outcome

[Noclass_Nick]

oh yeah imagine it with black t molding on it as well, was gona draw some on with a permanent marker but forgot.

[GIZMOGAMES]

try the galaxian green T-molding that would complimeent it even more

[Noclass_Nick]

Ok so here is a full scale 600mm x 200mm mock up of the control panel with buttons in etc, just a rough printed out artwork on it, proper artwork would be the same green shade as the buttons.

The cp needs to be routed in the back so the joysticks have a slot to sit into and extend the length of the shaft...

[opt2not]

try the galaxian green T-molding that would complimeent it even more

I disagree. It would be too much green, and it won't be the same shade, so it might look a bit off... I honestly think white T-molding would really make this thing "pop".

[CheffoJeffo]

try the galaxian green T-molding that would complimeent it even more

I disagree. It would be too much green, and it won't be the same shade, so it might look a bit off... I honestly think white T-molding would really make this thing "pop".

 

[mgb]

I agree, White t-molding will be awesome with that green. it will really tie in with the green and white cp too.

[Woodshop Flunky]

I love Lowboy cabinets! I'll be watching. 

+1 

[Acids]

LOL -  I just re-read your first post

Kiwi Man huh?   - Go the Blacks !!  

I'm in Wellington,   where are you?

[Noclass_Nick]

Out in the lower hutt area, still trying to find a good site for hooking up the mvs to the power etc, found this site:

http://www.hardmvs.com/html/powerBoard.htm

Just wondering if there is any other or better site out there for hooking a neo geo mvs up from scratch?

[apfelanni]

in my opinion lowboys are a very underestimated arcade cabinet concept . they require minimum space and are well playable compaired with the everyone must build awful pacman style cocktail tables . because we dont have any of them in euroland i decided to build some on my own . a current work in progress is a conversion of a top and base damaged universal arcade with the guts intact . it will host a 21 inch tube and a mvs single slot board + 100in1 modul . 

ps. i like the idea of a green mvs . it looks promising . i once concidered spraypainting an empty ok baby cab blue neogeo style .

[Noclass_Nick]

Nice cab looks good man

[Acids]

in my opinion lowboys are a very underestimated arcade cabinet concept . they require minimum space and are well playable compaired with the everyone must build awful pacman style cocktail tables . because we dont have any of them in euroland i decided to build some on my own . a current work in progress is a conversion of a top and base damaged universal arcade with the guts intact . it will host a 21 inch tube and a mvs single slot board + 100in1 modul . 

ps. i like the idea of a green mvs . it looks promising . i once concidered spraypainting an empty ok baby cab blue neogeo style .

I dont mean to Hi-Jack this thread but nice job.   Got pics of the finished thing?

[Noclass_Nick]

Can a no geo mvs be hooking up to a pc power supply? has anyone done this if so is there any guides how?

[knohbody]

Can a no geo mvs be hooking up to a pc power supply? has anyone done this if so is there any guides how?

Yep. The 1 slot MVS boards are jamma, so follow a jamma guide. You can leave out the -5v, as the mvs doesn't use that line.

[Noclass_Nick]

Sorry my threads a bit slow, was gona start building the cab this week but ive just spent my dispossable income on a couple of vga converters im more of a fan of using lcd screen for my cab, just wondering if a 22" wide screen will work for neo geo

[apfelanni]

in my opinion lcd is a total nogo when it comes to mvs gaming . arcade screen or an rgb capable tv would be a better choice . why in goods name would anyone build a cabinet witch authentic mvs board and then use a widescreen lcd with converterstuff to 100 % kill the neogeo experience ? i wouldnt waste a minute of my life gaming something like that .. if it has to be lcd then u better buy a high quality 4:3 panel and use an emulation pc with scanlinefilters.

[Acids]

While I appreciate having the "Real Deal" would be Awesome, there are other factors that one must take into consideration.
Noclass_Nick lives in New Zealand ( as do I )  and I can say that arcade parts are not in ready supply like many other countries.

The few vendors that sell arcade parts in NZ demand such high prices that its just not cost effective to use them. Importing stuff like a screen is out of the question.

I made my cabinet with a 32" LG LCD Tv and can say without a doubt that mame and the use of a graphic filter More than makes up for the lack of a real arcade monitor.

I say run with what ever you can afford and do the best possible job you can.     99% of people who don't have an interest in authentic arcade gaming wont even know the difference  

Its the fun with friends and memories that make experience  

What ever you decide on, Please Please Please scale the cabinet accordingly.  There is nothing worst that a awesomely made cabinet with a screen that's simply too small.

[Noclass_Nick]

As he said, being down here we dont have access to all the fancy doo hickys others can get and if we can it isnt worth it cos wise to import etc.

If thats your option thats ok, but everyone has different tastes and no need for negativity. Due to the size of pre cut 18mm sheets i can buy im tempted to go towards i higher slim lcd cabinet, mostly because it save space and i can make about 2 cabs for the price of the mdf for the one low boy, but still havent decided yes or no yet.

[apfelanni]

the benefit of a the lowboy idea is the balance of cabinet and crt screen size + a nice viewing angle . arent there any scart crt tvs in nz u can get ? paradroid told us that its not such a big deal in australia . 

[lettuce]

Any updates on this nick? Am thinking of building 2 cabs soon (hoz & Ver) and your lowboy design has me thinking 

[lettuce]

in my opinion lowboys are a very underestimated arcade cabinet concept . they require minimum space and are well playable compaired with the everyone must build awful pacman style cocktail tables . because we dont have any of them in euroland i decided to build some on my own . a current work in progress is a conversion of a top and base damaged universal arcade with the guts intact . it will host a 21 inch tube and a mvs single slot board + 100in1 modul . 

ps. i like the idea of a green mvs . it looks promising . i once concidered spraypainting an empty ok baby cab blue neogeo style .

Was there a thread for this build??, what screen size was used? I have 2 new 25" 15khz monitors that i want to make into a hoz and ver cabs. And you design fits right into what i want a cross between and classic woody and candy cab

[ccmathome]

Ive thought about gutting my 4 slot cab and making a lowboy for the guts to save some space and weight cuz that sucker weighs a ton

[Noclass_Nick]

Havent been to active here in a bit been very slowly building things, unfortunately, the low boy idea was scraped and went with a slim tall one, just finished wiring up my 1 slot to a pc power supply and got it running, finally, now hopefully ill get the shell of the cab finished tomorrow with the brother in law, hopefully!

[Yvan256]

try the galaxian green T-molding that would complimeent it even more

I disagree. It would be too much green, and it won't be the same shade, so it might look a bit off... I honestly think white T-molding would really make this thing "pop".

If the control panel has a green background with white stripes, I also agree that the cabinet should be green with white T-molding.

Always glad to see other Neo-Geo projects!

[Acids]

Havent been to active here in a bit been very slowly building things, unfortunately, the low boy idea was scraped and went with a slim tall one, just finished wiring up my 1 slot to a pc power supply and got it running, finally, now hopefully ill get the shell of the cab finished tomorrow with the brother in law, hopefully!

Thats A shame, I was gonna use your plans ( assuming you shared them ) and make one of my own.
Hummm,  i have a spare 24" 16:10 monitor so i could make a mini ( but correct height ) single player.

Might have to scale it on cardboard.  might work?  might look ass?   

Post pics when your done.  i like slim cabs

[Noclass_Nick]

Slowly been working on my cab, very very very slowly, need to get a decent size screen still heres a pic of it so far, need to order the t molding, slots have been cut, need to get the red striped neo geo cp overlay printed off and get a neo geo marquee done etc, and more coats of paint

http://www.mediafire.com/view/?69z9xpehulcp192