Howdy all! This is my first project that I am posting after lurking here for quite a while. this will be my third MAME cab. I picked up this cab from Craigslist inexpensively. It was up and running as a MAME cab already with ArcadeOS running on a Pentium machine with an iPac hooked up to the jamma harness and a hacked VGA cable directly to the PC. It came with leaf switch sticks and buttons. These will be replaced as I really can't get used to not hearing the click of cherries while playing games. The cabinet is a mess and I was hoping for some opinions on an appropriate way to go.
Here is the cab as I got it:
Just look at the placement of player 2s third button! Also it had a very high quality bezel and marque...(please note the sarcasm). And yes that is a bartop that I started in the background as well.
The cabinet appears to have been a Time Pilot cab as that is the tag inside:
But it definitely ran 1943 for a long time, look at that burn:
I have stripped the cabinet and plan on cleaning it and painting it all black. I am not too concerned with restoring it to Time Pilot cab as there are others out there for cheap.
The guts of the machine will be replaced with a "modern" PC probably running XP and GLaunch. The PC is no issue as that is where my actual talents and job responsibilities lie. The monitor will be a 21" 4:3 LCD that I have had for a bit. I am debating on whether is should go horizontal or vertical. most games I play are horizontal. It will all be fed via Happ controls and cherry switches and what I believe is a first gen iPac:
I just need to find the app to do a custom key assignment on it so that I can make my own setup. Does anyone also know if there is better response using this as a USB device rather than PS2 keyboard? I see the jumper for it, and I believe I can still get the cable from Andy.
Finally the big question. This cab has a metal control panel:
All the previous cabs I have had use wood for the control panel. I have nothing against metal, however I want to do a two player 6 button setup on this one. Since there are way too many holes already in this panel and they are all in the wrong places, and some will overlap somewhat with the new button placement, Can I just make my control panel out of say 3/4 MDF, then attach that to the metal panel that is there after drilling through the holes from the wood? Has anyone done this or should I really A) replace the whole control panel that is there with wood or B) replace the existing control panel with metal?
If B) does anyone know where in Maine something like this could be fabbed up with my preferred button placement? Oh and did I mention I am a cheap bstard. Wood I can do and cheap, but my concern is it looking decent when complete.
So, I apologize for the ramble...Here is the sum up. I am rehabbing this once time pilot cab to house a 21" 4:3 LCD It will be all black with Neon Green T molding, ball top stick and buttons. As clean and simple as I can make it.
Do I go vertical or horizontal, as I mostly play horizontal games.
Are the original iPacs better via PS2 connection or USB?
With what or how should I build the Control panel?
Thanks for looking and any advice or encouragement you may have.