Pole Position driver bartop - Finished!

[johnrt]

I tested the artwork on the cab tonight. I haven't done anything to the side art yet, but I will. I have miscalculated the size of the CP. The artwork is 19 cm deep, but the CP is only 18 cm deep. Well well, not a big deal, I just have to redesign the CP artwork a little. Additionaly I made the monitor mount and testfitted the monitor inside the cab. It turned out quite well I think.

The monitor is an old HP Compaq of some sort which I got from a flee marked for almost nothing. It had a non-standard 12V power plug which I removed and then soldered 2 wires directly on the PCB. Now I need a decent 12V power supply for the monitor, the marquee LED-strip and some other electronic gizmos. Nuff said, here's today's pics:

[8BitMonk]

Looks good, I like the blue better. I prefer the marquee text a little bigger and red Atari smaller but not bad as is. The way you have it is truer to the proportions of the original logos.

[johnrt]

Looks good, I like the blue better. I prefer the marquee text a little bigger and red Atari smaller but not bad as is. The way you have it is truer to the proportions of the original logos.

I just made the changes to the gradient in a hurry and then printed it out. I'm gonna follow your advice and make the red Atri logo smaller and the rest bigger. At least I'm gonna try that and see what it looks like.

[johnrt]

I need some advices here.

1. I'm done priming the back lid. Should I paint the back lid white? It really looks kinda cool.


2. Any idea for what to use around the inner monitor bezel? Some foam or maybe card board covered with black felt? Something easy to cut and adapt.

[yamatetsu]

Should I paint the back lid white? It really looks kinda cool.

Yep.

Any idea for what to use around the inner monitor bezel? Some foam or maybe card board covered with black felt? Something easy to cut and adapt.

Here's what I did :

I made a bezel. After having read the $2 cardboard bezel thread somewhere in this forum, I wanted to do a version without all the measuring. My take on this :

- I need thick cardboard, thin black cardboard and doubletape

- Get the screen measurements, mark the rectangle on the thick cardboard and cut it out

- mark the rectangle on the black cardboard with a pencil

- make a second rectangle, each side 3 cm smaller

- cut the smaller rectangle out
 
- make diagonal lines from the corner points of the small rectangle to those of the larger rectangle

- Cut along the lines

- now I have four 'lips' that I can wrap around the thick cardboard

- put doubletape on both sides of the thick cardboard and the space between them

- if I put the black cardboard on the thick cardboard and wrap it around it, the corners will not be covered in black because of the diagonal cuts. To solve this, I simply cut out four small strips of black cardboard and place them on the corners. They will be held in place by the rest of the cardboard.

Some pics :

The thick cardboard + doubletape + four corner strips



The back side of the black cardboard, you can see one of lips sticking up on the left



The finished bezel



And the bezel under the glass

The thick cardboard is the bezel in your case. You basically just put double tape on it, wrap it in black cardboard and put black strips in the corners.

[johnrt]

The idea is to make a bezel like this:

[yamatetsu]

Oh. In that case, have a look at the $2 cardboard bezel. Maybe you can adapt it. http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,17175.0.html

[johnrt]

Not much going on. I decided to ditch the old HP Compaq monitor. The picture was not good! I'm using a Samsung instead. So I had to make some brackets.

[ARTIFACT]

This is amazing! I want to make a bar too driver cab now....

[johnrt]

Power outlet mounted. And I'm trying to use the shortest cables possible for everything.

[ChanceKJ]

  briliant

[johnrt]

I have finally nailed the damn bezel! I made it out of 4mm plywood. Tomorrow I'm gonna buy myself some black felts and glue it on the inside. I think that will turn out nice in the end.

In other news: Today I FINALLY finished the Suzuka track in PP2! That was the last track I haven't yet finished.

[BorgDog]

Awesome work on the bezel!

On a slightly related note, I've been meaning to ask what all games you play on your Outrun cab, and how is your button layout working for you?  Anything you would change?  I ask as I plan on a future theft of the build for my own driver.. only smaller

[johnrt]

Awesome work on the bezel!

On a slightly related note, I've been meaning to ask what all games you play on your Outrun cab, and how is your button layout working for you?  Anything you would change?  I ask as I plan on a future theft of the build for my own driver.. only smaller

Well, I have a lot of games installed. But as usual I only play a few. PP1 and 2, OutRun and Virtua Racing is my favourites. Two of them are 270 degrees wheel games, but I think they work fantastic with the 360 spinner. I also TRY to play Arkanoid, but I find that game too hard!

The diamond shaped button pattern works like a charm. In fact it works so well, that I have ditched the pedals I initially meant to use. I find the gameplay very satisfying on my OutRun bartop, and I still play it several times a day.

I have a Radio-button on my CP (for a couple of games that require this). I would ditch the Radio-button next time. My sequential View-button also works like a charm. Well, I am quite happy with my driver bartop, and it IS my favourite arcade so far, and the only one I'm actually playing!

[BorgDog]

Thanks for the feedback John.  I was thinking of making my own shifter that would essentially hit two buttons and would operate the same as yours, Hi and Lo, do you think that would work if it was just to the right of the gas brake buttons?  I'm sure I'll do a mock up when the time comes.

[johnrt]

Thanks for the feedback John.  I was thinking of making my own shifter that would essentially hit two buttons and would operate the same as yours, Hi and Lo, do you think that would work if it was just to the right of the gas brake buttons?  I'm sure I'll do a mock up when the time comes.

I've been thinking about the same thing myself. But it won't work in MAME without detecting the high/low state. And I don't know how to do that. If I could figure it out, I'd make some electronics to communicate with MAME. Another option is to compile a MAME version yourself that supports a 2-button High/Low shifter.

[BorgDog]

Thanks for the feedback John.  I was thinking of making my own shifter that would essentially hit two buttons and would operate the same as yours, Hi and Lo, do you think that would work if it was just to the right of the gas brake buttons?  I'm sure I'll do a mock up when the time comes.

I've been thinking about the same thing myself. But it won't work in MAME without detecting the high/low state. And I don't know how to do that. If I could figure it out, I'd make some electronics to communicate with MAME. Another option is to compile a MAME version yourself that supports a 2-button High/Low shifter.

hmmm, I guess I'm confused, that's what I thought you were running, although I see they are clearly labeled gear up and gear down.  Guess I need to actually research the games in question before I start asking more questions.

[johnrt]

hmmm, I guess I'm confused, that's what I thought you were running, although I see they are clearly labeled gear up and gear down.  Guess I need to actually research the games in question before I start asking more questions.

There's a difference. Some games have more than 2 gears, hence the gear up and gear down button. But you will also find that the topmost button says LOW/HIGH/(GEAR DOWN). That button either Gear down when more than 2 gears or shifts between High/Low when 2 gears. Did that make sense?

[BorgDog]

There's a difference. Some games have more than 2 gears, hence the gear up and gear down button. But you will also find that the topmost button says LOW/HIGH/(GEAR DOWN). That button either Gear down when more than 2 gears or shifts between High/Low when 2 gears. Did that make sense?

Yes, perfect sense, thanks for clarifying.

[johnrt]

This turned out to be the mother of all bezels! (well, if not the mother, then at least the stepmother). I'm very happy with the outcome. The felt is pitch black and non-reflective, so it's a perfect material for monitor bezels, at least these kinds of monitor bezels. I think we need to use more felt in our builds! :-)

[johnrt]

I think I nailed the CP. I just ended up with two versions. Which one?





And without buttons:

[edekoning]

I really like the top one, but you have to get the buttons dead center in those rings, otherwise it will not look so good

[bfauska]

Bottom one. The button group oval seems less busy than the individual outlines.

[ChanceKJ]

Bottom one. The button group oval seems less busy than the individual outlines.

...you have to get the buttons dead center in those rings, otherwise it will not look so good

Agreed on both counts.

[Malenko]

The diamond shaped button pattern works like a charm. In fact it works so well, that I have ditched the pedals I initially meant to use.

It makes me really happy that the idea has worked out so well for you! I'm still in the planning stages of my bartop racer and yours are such an inspiration; I need to make the cab worthy of the camerea circuit I got from you


That bezel is genius, and I was going to suggest felt then I scrolled down and saw thats what you used 
Might be too late to suggest, but could you move the enter exit buttons to the top of the cab or something and off the CP? Then you'd only have 2 buttons above the diamond, just seems crowded. Also, I like the oval better than the "individual circles"

[johnrt]

That bezel is genius, and I was going to suggest felt then I scrolled down and saw thats what you used 
Might be too late to suggest, but could you move the enter exit buttons to the top of the cab or something and off the CP? Then you'd only have 2 buttons above the diamond, just seems crowded. Also, I like the oval better than the "individual circles"

Nothing is too late. What if I ditch the Enter-button (I don't really need that afterall)? Then there will be 3 buttons there instead of 4. I'll try it. And the gradient is to be blue, not orange.

[johnrt]

Today I received the FAN-controller I ordered from ebay. This fan is REALLY silent! I have to concentrate pretty hard to hear it. The FAN controller also have a temperature censor and a audio buzzer if the temperature get too high. Link to FAN controller: http://www.ebay.com/itm/181694032917

I have also ordered a couple of delay circuits with adjustable delay to control the power for the monitor when arcade is turned on: http://www.ebay.com/itm/161330097657
(Initially I planned to make these circuits myself, but it's actually WAY cheaper to buy them from ebay.)

[BorgDog]

I have also ordered a couple of delay circuits with adjustable delay to control the power for the monitor when arcade is turned on: http://www.ebay.com/itm/161330097657
(Initially I planned to make these circuits myself, but it's actually WAY cheaper to buy them from ebay.)

OK, so I "think" I understand what this does, but would you mind do a little explanation/wiring diagram for us electrically challenged?  I believe I may want this for past and future projects.

Thanks.

[johnrt]

OK, so I "think" I understand what this does, but would you mind do a little explanation/wiring diagram for us electrically challenged?  I believe I may want this for past and future projects.

Wiring is explained here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/251347657989
(Same circuit, only more expensive)

And here is another more advanced version: http://www.ebay.com/itm/360836715291

[BorgDog]

Thanks John, so basically it can be used to make your own smart power strip right? 

[johnrt]

Thanks John, so basically it can be used to make your own smart power strip right?

Yes. If you by "Smart" mean Delayed.

[johnrt]

And now I found a circuit I can use with my NUC to let the NUC control external power sources: http://www.ebay.com/itm/391036318137
I also ordered one of these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/111607956129
And here's how to connect it:

[johnrt]

And here's my latest CPO:
(I think the buttons and wheel needs to be moved more to the right)

[johnrt]

I have spent the evening redrawing this damn thing in Photoshop. I think this is it:

[Malenko]

I like it! 

[jdbailey1206]

Better to be unhappy with it on the screen and being able to rework it than be unhappy with it applied to the cab. 

[yamatetsu]

Any chance of getting a button with the ESC / Exit text on it ? Two buttons with icons on them and a blank one with a text next to it in a row look a bit weird to me.

[johnrt]

Any chance of getting a button with the ESC / Exit text on it ? Two buttons with icons on them and a blank one with a text next to it in a row look a bit weird to me.

That'd be swell! Anyone knows? It HAS to be concave buttons.

[Malenko]

Any chance of getting a button with the ESC / Exit text on it ? Two buttons with icons on them and a blank one with a text next to it in a row look a bit weird to me.

That'd be swell! Anyone knows? It HAS to be concave buttons.

either vinyl sticker or relocate the exit button to the back of the cab and only have 2 buttons there    or make exit 1p+2p ?

[johnrt]

either vinyl sticker or relocate the exit button to the back of the cab and only have 2 buttons there    or make exit 1p+2p ?

This is what I'm gonna do: I'm gonna ditch the "Esc" text and somehow label the button itself.

Thanks for the inputs guys! You rock! 

Edit: And here's the "final" CPO: