Where to put the switch?

[SeanFu]

OK - I'm sure this has been hashed out before, but where do you guys put the power switch and/or volume controls?

I have (mostly) built a defender style cab, and some of the last little details have me stumped.

thanks

[Brad Lee]

Red toggle at the top is power, it's lighted when the cab has power. The silver piece right below that is a key lock- on allows you to push the coin reject for credits, off the only way to get credits is insert coin.
THe red below that is a mini-momentary thats mapped to P or mouse button1.
You can almost see a black circle at the bottom of the clear part. THats the volume control. Theres a knob that extends out thru a hole in the plexi

The clear part itself is a scrap of the tinted plexi I used over my monitor. Without the flash it's almost opaque black, looks pretty slick

edit-
I need a aluminum/black knob, gonna raid some old stereos

[Chris]

My power switch is a pushbutton on the top of the cabinet.  Volume control is under the control panel overhang.

[SpamMe]

My power button is an arcade pushbutton on the control panel (upper left in the picture), but there's an interior toggle switch inside to disable it.

[gprime]

that is one sexy cp spamme. did you paint those buttons yourself?

edit: just now i discovered the inside of buttons pop off really easily, allowing colour combinations. very cool  

[SpamMe]

Hehe, thanks. It'll look a bit better (i.e. cover the scratches in the paint that look like scratches in the acrylic) when I get my arse around to finishing the underlay artwork

The button graphics are courtesy Nannuu:
http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=11971

--Edit: ahh the button bezels. Nevermind

[gprime]

Ah darn... too bad i missed those button graphics... they are really neat.

[SpamMe]

I'd write to/pm him. He may have more available or may be doing another batch

[JustMichael]

I used speakers similar to these (can't find a picture of the actual ones I used):


I had them in the old parts cabinet because the volume control was worn out.  It would pop and full of static whenever you adjusted the volume.  I had ripped out the amp board and put that in the cab (with the volume already set) connected to the cab speakers.  I recently desoldered the volume control from the board and bought a new potentiometer and knob from Radio Shack and wired that to the board (on really long wires) that way I have an external volume control.

In the pictures the volume knob is on the left, the switch for the switched outlet is in the middle (kills all power to cab) and last but not least is the momentary button as the power button for the pc on the right.  These are located in the overhang that is behind the marquee on my Xevious cabinet.  They are toward the back of the overhang on the left side.

[SeanFu]

Thanks - some pretty sweet ideas...  I like Brad's, but how exactly did you get the little panel into your coin door?  Did you cut that square hole and mount the panel?

Unfortunately I can't put the switches on the CP becuase I made the whole CP + box swappable on my cab.  And I can't put the switch on top, because my wife is short and the cabinet is tall...  so some kind of coin door thing like Brad's is a possibility.

I do dig those button graphics tho...

-Honko

[mnapuran]

I put a light switch on the back of mine...



-Mike

[Brad Lee]

Thanks - some pretty sweet ideas...  I like Brad's, but how exactly did you get the little panel into your coin door?  Did you cut that square hole and mount the panel?

Unfortunately I can't put the switches on the CP becuase I made the whole CP + box swappable on my cab.  And I can't put the switch on top, because my wife is short and the cabinet is tall...  so some kind of coin door thing like Brad's is a possibility.

I do dig those button graphics tho...

-Honko

The 2 rectangles on the left side of the coin door are actually precut. They're blank pieces that bolt on through the back of the coin door. They allow you to use different mechs, like for dollar bills, or change,  or I suppose as a ticket dispenser.
I originally had it empty and a 120mm pc fan mounted in the hole(it was a pretty close fit) to help me with overheating. When I got that solved, it seemed like a good place for misc stuff that I didnt want on the contol panel, since it's swappable.

My cab is a Tempest, so theres no overhang over the monitor like so many of the cabinets. THat really is an ideal spot, like the pics above.

[SeanFu]

I think the plan I've settled on is to put the switch and volume control behind the bottom panel of my over-under coin door.  I'll probably leave it unlocked and try to fashion some small black handle or knob for it so I don't have to leave the key hanging out.

[Minwah]

I just put a black arcade push-button on top of the cab out of sight for power.

I kindof decided not to have a volume control - will I regret it??

[NoOne=NBA=]

I don't know.

1) Are you married?
2) Live in an apartment?
3) Live with your parents?

If the answer to any of the above is Yes, then you may want to reconsider.
The volume knob keeps you from having to completely interrupt your "best game ever" to "turn that thing down".

It's something you can come back and do later, if necessary, though.
The only reasons mine ended up with one is that it was specifically on my list when I went looking for speakers; so the set I got had that (and a power button) built into it.

[Minwah]

I don't know.

1) Are you married?
2) Live in an apartment?
3) Live with your parents?

If the answer to any of the above is Yes, then you may want to reconsider.
The volume knob keeps you from having to completely interrupt your "best game ever" to "turn that thing down".

It's something you can come back and do later, if necessary, though.
The only reasons mine ended up with one is that it was specifically on my list when I went looking for speakers; so the set I got had that (and a power button) built into it.

Well I live with parents - fortunately my room is on the other side of the house to them tho, so I can get away with a bit of noise...

One slightly annoying thing about MAME is the way the sound level seems to be different for loads of games.  I was planning to go through them and turn down 'loud' games so they are all at similar levels - I don't think I can be bothered now tho  

I would only have to drill 1 hole to add a volume control, and the panel isn't attached yet, so maybe I should consider it...

[pmc]

I kindof decided not to have a volume control - will I regret it??

I love mine. It's a knob that protrudes from the speaker panel just below the marquee (I'll post pics at some point). It's great to be able to turn up and down during game play, as you switch games, when the football scores are being announced, when the wife walks in, etc. When the cab is idle but powered up, I turn the volume down to zero and I don't have to worry about noise from a demo at 2AM. And when my daughter plays the Sega Genny "Barney" the purple dinasaur, I can turn the volume down really low very quickly! I still like my choice in placement too.

Honestly, it's the best and most used feature I've added and I don't know how I'd live without it.

You could always add it later too. A cab's never "finished", is it?

- pmc