best plans for 4 player cab?

[hulkster]

im going to be building a 4 player cab, and ive been looking around at the examples, and have some questions.  first of all, should i make a cab with the build like this  http://www.runriot.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/arcade/images/CabVersion3Mixed.jpg OR like this http://www.arcade-haven.com/zuem_site/Pictures/FullCab.jpg hope nobody minds if i use their pics as examples.  the first one is like the mamecast or whatever, and im wondering if that two piece design is better because of the support for the cp....or should i make it one piece (excluding the cp of course) and rest the cp on the one piece cab.  suggestions?

[TalkingOctopus]

I don't think supporting the CP will be too much of an issue.  I think the reason people build 1 or 2 piece cabs is because the 2 piece cabs are easier too transport.  I made my 4-player cab based on the Lusid plans and could not be happier.

Check it out:

http://webpages.charter.net/rbecker5/

[Raider]

Make the cp detachable man. Most "ergonomic" 4 player cps are too wide to fit through most doors. Besides if you ever want to do up another one or make it interchangeable, you'll be able to do it.

[hulkster]

I don't think supporting the CP will be too much of an issue.  I think the reason people build 1 or 2 piece cabs is because the 2 piece cabs are easier too transport.  I made my 4-player cab based on the Lusid plans and could not be happier.

Check it out:

http://webpages.charter.net/rbecker5/

okay cool.  and awesome cab by the way :-)  but is your cp removeable?  and have put like 4 big dudes or chicks (ha) in front of your cp to see if everybody is all crammed and stuff?  also, did you print off your plans for your cp and stuff at kinkos or something?  the reason im asking is how did you get all your joysticks and buttons aligned properly on all sides?  thanks for any answers you can give

[night]

  http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=9292

[hulkster]

yeah ive seen your cp....its original, but its almost too big and wide for me.  

[TalkingOctopus]

okay cool.  and awesome cab by the way :-)  but is your cp removeable?  and have put like 4 big dudes or chicks (ha) in front of your cp to see if everybody is all crammed and stuff?  also, did you print off your plans for your cp and stuff at kinkos or something?  the reason im asking is how did you get all your joysticks and buttons aligned properly on all sides?  thanks for any answers you can give

1) My control panel is removable.  I attached it with 4 1/2" hex bolts.  You can see them in this picture:



2) I printed my plans on many normal pieces of paper and carefully taped them together.

[grafixmonkey]

You lose the "cab feel", but I like the podium-style 4P cabs.  You can just stand it in front of your existing TV and start playing, and you don't have the problem of the cab having to be really deep to allow the side players to see the TV at a decent angle.  (like on Night's cab - those side players will have a hard time seeing the screen sometimes.)

You can shave a lot of width off by reducing the number of buttons on the side players too.  Putting a trackball in the middle adds a lot of width, so you might have a trackball + classics cab in one room and a 4-player + fighters cab in another.

If you like beatmania-style games, think about arranging the buttons so that you can access them like a music keyboard.  You'll get used to the arrangement for fighters no problem, but if you arrange for the classic fighter layout you'll be in pain if you play beatmania.

Here's my podium-style cab:  http://www.bkgrafix.net/arcade.htm
In the picture it's standing in a corner in front of the TV I just bought a while ago.  I'm about to move, so eventually it will be a part of my living room.

I kinda forgot to measure right, so there isn't room for a computer to fit inside (base is too narrow and not quite deep enough, can't fit both the coin mechs and the computer case.)  The buttons also aren't arranged very well for beatmania, which I'm regretting...  and building a second panel because of.  I think I should have avoided putting a trackball into an angled panel, because the trackball veers to the left when it's spun up, and veers up when it's spun to the left.  Other people seem to have that trouble too, but on my panel it's pretty severe.  The angle is too steep anyway though - it's somewhere around 15 degrees.  I should have made it closer to 7 degrees.

Happy cab planning!

[hulkster]

okay cool.  and awesome cab by the way :-)  but is your cp removeable?  and have put like 4 big dudes or chicks (ha) in front of your cp to see if everybody is all crammed and stuff?  also, did you print off your plans for your cp and stuff at kinkos or something?  the reason im asking is how did you get all your joysticks and buttons aligned properly on all sides?  thanks for any answers you can give

1) My control panel is removable.  I attached it with 4 1/2" hex bolts.  You can see them in this picture:



2) I printed my plans on many normal pieces of paper and carefully taped them together.

okay, im looking at your wiring job, and i dont see any ipacs or optic pac anywhere.  did you use the hagstrom thing?  is that a cheaper route?  and the only reason i wanted a trackball, was basically for golden tee.  is it worth it?  i mean, i would use it for centipede i guess, but i dont play that game too much.  and now that i think about it, thats a lot of money to spend on one game.  around 200 bucks for one game.  thats a lot.  

[grafixmonkey]

Marble Madness!   Marble MAaAdness!!11!1!!!!  

[TalkingOctopus]

okay, im looking at your wiring job, and i dont see any ipacs or optic pac anywhere.  did you use the hagstrom thing?  is that a cheaper route?  and the only reason i wanted a trackball, was basically for golden tee.  is it worth it?  i mean, i would use it for centipede i guess, but i dont play that game too much.  and now that i think about it, thats a lot of money to spend on one game.  around 200 bucks for one game.  thats a lot.  

Yes it is a hagstrom ke72-t.  It is an expensive solution.  You can probably get something cheaper than that which does the same things.  I like having the trackball for several games.  They are not $200.  I bought a new Happ one for about $80, however, you can get Wico/Imperial/Other brand/used ones for much less.  

[hulkster]

yeah but you have to buy the optipac just for that correct?  and that costs 50 bucks.  and then i have to buy the mounting kit and all that....so its almost 200 right?

[TalkingOctopus]

I honestly don't know much about the optipac.  I spent a bit over $200 for the hagstrom encoder.  It is a very slick piece of hardware. Here's what I got from them (from my website):

KE72-T 72 Input Keyboard Encoder w/ Trackball Interface - $139
IOX36 Break Out Board w/ IDE cable  -  $16 each times 2 = $32
KE-TBH3 Cable that connects to Trackball 1  - $10
KE-MM6-mini Cable that Connects Encoder to Computer Keyboard + Mouse Port - $6 each times 2 = $12

TOTAL = $193

It was very easy to wire.

http://www.hagstromelectronics.com/

[hulkster]

hmmm...i dont know if i want to do that or not, id rather work with stuff that i know and i know the ipac and stuff.  anyway, if i have an optipac and an ipac, with buttons and 4 players and all that, will i have enough wire inputs to wire extra buttons for coin, start, and menu buttons?

[night]

(like on Night's cab - those side players will have a hard time seeing the screen sometimes.)

now why does everyone assume that. it is some angle of course, but the whole screen is visible from the sides.
i invite anyone in the houston area to come take a look .

yes it is extra wide, but i hate the 45* 3/4 sides

[greven grevs]

(like on Night's cab - those side players will have a hard time seeing the screen sometimes.)

i invite anyone in the houston area to come take a look .

I just might take you up on that Night. I will be taking leave to see my parents the first week of January. I would love to see another MAMEer's machine. My parents live in the North Shore/Woodforest area.

[night]

cool, i'll have to get some more done on it then .

and im in the pasadena/SE area. not to far i dont believe.