Convert original Ladybug universal cocktail game

[ShawnDec]

Hi everyone,

I am very new to this and need a ton advise. Is it possible to convert my original game to use one of those 60 in 1 jamma boards?  Currently everything is working with my Ladybug game and everything is all original.

Thanks
Shawn

[Nephasth]

Don't do it!

[paigeoliver]

Normally I advise against stuff like this, but Ladybug is on the 60 in 1 board and the CPO has room for the buttons, so it isn't a total crime.

You need a JAMMA harness and a 60 in 1 board and 2 new buttons for each side. Install them cleanly in the blue area and not over the Ladybug graphic. You will turn off all the games that require 8-way sticks and you will send me your old Ladybug circuit board and wiring for my technical help, which I will be glad to provide via email.

[Well Fed Games]

Yeah, no. Ladybug rocks. Keep it as it is.... not too hard to find an already gutted Atari or Midway cocktail if you keep your eyes open.

[mgb]

keep in mind too that those 60-in-1s aren't as great as you think.
Some of the audio is distorted and some sounds are outright wrong.

[paigeoliver]

keep in mind too that those 60-in-1s aren't as great as you think.
Some of the audio is distorted and some sounds are outright wrong.

Most of the bad sound issues are on the 8-way titles.

It is actually incredibly hard to find a donor midway cocktail these days.

[mgb]

keep in mind too that those 60-in-1s aren't as great as you think.
Some of the audio is distorted and some sounds are outright wrong.

Most of the bad sound issues are on the 8-way titles.

It is actually incredibly hard to find a donor midway cocktail these days.

True and true.

[Cynicaster]

I was playing on one of those multi-cade things at an arcade a few weeks ago.  I don’t know a thing about those things so I don’t know what one it was, but I played some Qix, DK, 1943, Juno First, Lady Bug, Centipede, and a few others on that machine. 

It was fun playing those games in the ambience of a real arcade, but I must say I was a bit taken aback by how crappy the emulation was.  Some games outright glitched in weird ways and were unplayable.  The monitor was LCD and all blocky-looking, and the audio was terrible.  In 1943, that awesome “bawhooooshh” noise the game makes when you down one of the larger green bombers was worse than incorrect—it was omitted entirely.

I know MAME isn’t perfect either, but comparing the two, I can’t fathom why anybody in their right mind would choose the multi-cade route over MAME.  Am I missing something?

There was another machine in that arcade that was all Williams games, including Smash TV and Robotron.  It had the dual sticks, but get this—they were both 4-way!  WTF, how useless is that?

[ShawnDec]

Thanks everyone for their input.  I do need to think about it before I start to change a 32 year old cabinet.

[Maximus]

I do need to think about it before I start to change a 32 year old cabinet.

This.

[yotsuya]

you will send me your old Ladybug circuit board and wiring for my technical help, which I will be glad to provide via email.

 

[Nephasth]

you will send me your old Ladybug circuit board and wiring for my technical help, which I will be glad to provide via email.

 

God bless.

[ShawnDec]

A quick update and question, I converted my cocktail game to a 60 - 1 jamma.  Everything works great except when the original monitor is powered on and you touch any metal that is in contact with the monitor you receive a very small charge of electricity.  Does anyone have an idea or a way I can maybe add a ground?

[Nephasth]

 

[yotsuya]

Email Paige.

[Nephasth]

Email Paige.

[CoryBee]

Email Paige.

 

[paigeoliver]

It is likely that the cabinet AC wiring isn't properly grounded. Sometimes you can get away with that (I never even lived anyplace that had 3 prong wiring until about 5 years ago, so all my older games had the 3rd prong chopped off).

Or being that this is a Japanese import cabinet there is a tiny chance that it is running without an isolation transformer.

[ShawnDec]

You are correct by removing the power supply for the board I must have also removed the ground from the monitor. 

So now the metal all around the monitor has a low flow of power in it.  Any tips on how I can add a ground, currently the monitor has a 2 prong cord.

[paigeoliver]

Go to therealbobroberts website and read up on cabinet AC wiring.

[Nephasth]

...and you will send me your old Ladybug circuit board and wiring for my technical help...

Q:

Any tips on how I can add a ground, currently the monitor has a 2 prong cord.

A:

Go to therealbobroberts website and read up on cabinet AC wiring.

 

[yotsuya]

I take it the OP never sent the goods, thus Paige is off the hook for technical help. 

[paigeoliver]

I take it the OP never sent the goods, thus Paige is off the hook for technical help. 

Correct. If he had sent me the leftovers then I would have gladly given detailed wire for wire tech help.

[yotsuya]

I take it the OP never sent the goods, thus Paige is off the hook for technical help. 

Correct. If he had sent me the leftovers then I would have gladly given detailed wire for wire tech help.

Fair enough!

[ShawnDec]

Well I have my game up and running.  Everything works great, now I just need to work on the cosmetics.

Thanks for the help!

[nagamitsu]

Normal for this one for the control panel to stick out that far? Your unit is very similar to my cocktail unit, my control panel is reset into the black surround that is bolted to the wood.

Tim

[ShawnDec]

Yes that is the original base, I just changed the front board.

[chopperthedog]

Normal for this one for the control panel to stick out that far? Your unit is very similar to my cocktail unit, my control panel is reset into the black surround that is bolted to the wood.

Tim

You are correct the panel should be recessed. Considering OP said the ladybug was all original and working I'm gonna say that's his not so handy work. Probably an idea he had when the panels were taken out to drill the button holes since ladybug only had a 4 way joystick.


good day.

[nagamitsu]

Yes, was just thinking of mine as reference, mine was originally Space Invaders, but almost the same cocktail unit: