Janky Kong - The Final Frontier

[yotsuya]

Oh Janky Kong... what secrets do you hide?

Pictures speak 1000 words. Basically I have 3 days/2 nights to make this a MAME multi-Kong for this Saturday's Knock-Off Kong Competition.

It was given to me free like this:


Some a-hole chipped off the blue sides and painted it this awful orange.



So I started stripping it...



And did more...



But it sat for months... to the point where I think something was living in it... at least my dog thought so...



Then we locals decided to have our own "Kong-Off", and so I'm making a MAME cab for guys to use for warmup. Most of the orange has been stripped away, and I filled in the gouges and used a heavy build primer...



I'll do more work tonight. I promise no before/after photos of bolts or screw heads... 

[Vigo]

Pictures speak 100 words. Basically I have 3 days/2 nights to make this a MAME multi-Kong for this Saturday's Knock-Off Kong Competition.

Dang, speed run. Sounds fun. Sounds like a reality show I would love to watch. Speed cab builds.

[pbj]

I prefer Konkey Dong

[vwalbridge]

Janky or not... I'm watching this. 

Nintendo cabs + Limited Time + Yotsuya humor = thread gold. 

[yotsuya]

I prefer Dong

Yot don't judge...

[opt2not]

Was it an R-type at one point? If the CPO is in good shape, I'm sure someone who's restoring an R-type cab could use that panel.  I'm not sure if the width is the same from a DK cab to an R-type...
 

[yotsuya]

Thanks,  guys.  I wasn't planning to do this, but you know how I get caught up in the events. I actually designed the marquee art we're going to be using on all the competitors machines. Since it is a rip off of the Kong Off, we decided to use Crazy Kong marquee art for ours. Early draft.

[yotsuya]

Was it an R-type at one point? If the CPO is in good shape, I'm sure someone who's restoring an R-type cab could use that panel.  I'm not sure if the width is the same from a DK cab to an R-type...
 

No,  the guy that gave it to me threw in the panel from a pile. But it is an R-Type panel. I'm actually throwing a Vs. panel on it.

[yotsuya]

I also created the plaques for the winners. Gonna stain them tonight.

[yotsuya]

If the CPO is in good shape, I'm sure someone who's restoring an R-type cab could use that panel.

No, the CPO is chipped and missing stuff, but the metal is in great shape. I'll probably use it for trade bait.

[harveybirdman]

Janky or not... I'm watching this. 

Nintendo cabs + Limited Time + Yotsuya humor = thread gold. 

second thirded

[yotsuya]

Ok, here's something - my buddy Jawhn wants me to keep it janky like that, but in my heart, I can't do that. So I'm gonna spice it up without going Full Griff on it. But what do you guys think? Keep it jank?

[yotsuya]

Oh, and last night, when I was moving it around, this big ass lizard ran out from behind it, so I think the dog was on to something...

[harveybirdman]

Oh, here's something - my buddy Jawhn wants me to keep it janky like that, but in my heart, I can't do that. So I'm gonna spice it up without going Full Griff on it. But what do you guys think? Keep it jank?

If you really wanted to make it jank put Donkey Kong 3 in there... PEEEEEWWWWW that game stinks!

[yotsuya]

Oh, here's something - my buddy Jawhn wants me to keep it janky like that, but in my heart, I can't do that. So I'm gonna spice it up without going Full Griff on it. But what do you guys think? Keep it jank?

If you really wanted to make it jank put Donkey Kong 3 in there... PEEEEEWWWWW that game stinks!

Aw, I love DK3 and Mario ' s "special" cousin Stanley...

[Nephasth]

DK3 is a great game! Play it like a shmup...

[harveybirdman]

you guys are dead to me....

 

[vwalbridge]

DK3 is a great game! Play it like a shmup...

[opt2not]

Ohhhh Janky, you are the best. 

[yotsuya]

Ohhhh Janky, you are the best. 

Is that your image? Do you have a high res version of it? I'd love to print it out and give it to the winner!

[opt2not]

yeah, I just whipped it up. I'll send you a high res of it now, but it's un-cleaned so the line quality is pretty rough.

[yotsuya]

yeah, I just whipped it up. I'll send you a high res of it now, but it's un-cleaned so the line quality is pretty rough.

Just make sure you sign it!

[opt2not]

Coo, sent you a signed version as well, to the last email you gave me before.

[yotsuya]

Coo, sent you a signed version as well, to the last email you gave me before.

Oh Janky Kong, you're the greatest!

[Wyo]

Allright, looking forward to watching this!!

[yotsuya]

Allright, looking forward to watching this!!

Wait till you see the coin door that I bought off of you, when I only knew you on KLOV!

[ChanceKJ]

Paul, this cab is begging for a full restore.

Please. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it. 

[jdbailey1206]

Paul, this cab is begging for a full restore.

Please. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it. 

Dont listen to Chance.  First off he's Canadian.  Second, the man matched his wire to the color of his cab.  He has no idea of asthetics.  And third I love how you guys are just handed empty cabs.  I think Im hanging out with the wrong people.

[Nephasth]

Paul, this cab is begging for a full restore.

Please. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it. 

It's just a Nintendo cab. They're all butt ugly.

...but, I'm a Midway fan.

[yotsuya]

Paul, this cab is begging for a full restore.

Please. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it. 

Hoser, please....

I'm going to get it in a "playable" state for the weekend event, but trust me, in the end It'll get the full Yot treatment. I don't half-ass my projects. Janky Kong is strictly for the event. Even at that, it won't be that Janky. I've already repaired the black areas, fixed holes, and reprinted some of the metal parts. Jawhn talked me into taking it - otherwise, it'd still be sitting out back patiently waiting it's turn.

[ChanceKJ]

...he's Canadian... ...no idea of asthetics... ...I love how you guys are just handed empty cabs.  I think Im hanging out with the wrong people.

Well you always will be with THAT attitude. 

[yotsuya]

Paul, this cab is begging for a full restore.

Please. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it. 

Dont listen to Chance.  First off he's Canadian.  Second, the man matched his wire to the color of his cab.  He has no idea of asthetics.  And third I love how you guys are just handed empty cabs.  I think Im hanging out with the wrong people.

I tell you, it's all about networking. I haven't bought a cab off Craigslist in over two years. It's all who you know. I'm actually proud of the fact that I can now give stuff away to friends or sell it to them dirt cheap. I love the relationships I've gained in this hobby.

[jdbailey1206]

...he's Canadian... ...no idea of asthetics... ...I love how you guys are just handed empty cabs.  I think Im hanging out with the wrong people.

Well you always will be with THAT attitude. 

What additude?  I just havent taken my Midol.

[Malenko]

DK3 is a great game! Play it like a shmup...

the funny thing is I have DK3 in my "vert shooter" list in MaLa

Ohhhh Janky, you are the best. 

Thats great!

I think this is the first time Ive been excited to see a cab finished....twice? Janky style and Yotsie style!

[DeLuSioNal29]

If you were near me you could put my Janky Sanyo 20EZ in there.  Lol.

[yotsuya]

If you were near me you could put my Janky Sanyo 20EZ in there.  Lol.

Heh....

Remember, Janky refers to where Janky Kong STARTED. I don't plan for it to be Janky POST this weekend. I'll get her presentable this weekend, and then go from there. If anything, this was a good kick in the ass to get started back on JK.

[Cobolisdead]

This topic is an interesting read. I didn't realize that the KO had grown so much.

And third I love how you guys are just handed empty cabs.  I think Im hanging out with the wrong people.

I know right!

[opt2not]

Dont listen to Chance.  First off he's Canadian. 

[yotsuya]

Dont listen to Chance.  First off he's Canadian. 

Yeah, but he's a "Take off, eh!" Canadian, whereas Opt2Not is a bad ass, almost American Canadian.

[Nephasth]

Canadian American, don't like to get up, in the morning, so they do it really slow...

Wait a minute... Wrong song...

[harveybirdman]

Yeah. OK, well, uh, we found, uh, this mouse in a bottle of YOUR BEER, eh. Like, we was at a party and, uh, a friend of ours - a COP - had some, and HE PUKED. And he said, uh, come here and get free beer or, uh, he'll press charges

[opt2not]

Canadian American, don't like to get up, in the morning, so they do it really slow...

Wait a minute... Wrong song...

Canadian American, we go to french class, learn to speak french fluently, then move to the west coast and find the majority is Asians who don't speak french...

Canadian American, we like football, but change the rules of football, to make it easier to score points for no good reasons...

Canadian American, we like drinking beers, claim our beers are better, but make fun of Americans for drinking Budweiser, when Budweiser tastes exactly like Molson Canadian...

Canadian American, we like hockey, want to be hockey players, but we become professionals to move to Anaheim for the beaches and warm weather...

Canadian American, get free health care, but not really free, and wait months for important surgery's, but can't wait that long so we cross the border and pay American doctors to get it quicker...


ok that's all I got.
(I still think the line: "Mexican Americans love education so they go to night school, and take spanish and get a B." is the most hilarious verse of that song)

[ChanceKJ]

  you guys crack me up.

Just remember guys, we're bigger and we're on top, if this was anything like your overcrowded prisons you'd be the ---smurfette---.

[opt2not]

Well to be fair, most of the country is uninhabitable and only the hardest Canadians live in the tundras. 

My bro lives up in Edmonton (aka Deadmonton) and its rediculously cold up there in the winter. Ain't no way I'd live anywhere north of Calgary. I ain't that badass.

[Nephasth]

Opt, that was awesome!

[emphatic]

Yeah, but he's a "Take off, eh!" Canadian, whereas Opt2Not is a bad ass, almost American Canadian.

[yotsuya]

I'm getting quite chuffed for tomorrow's Knock-Off. I've printed the Janky Kong print Opt made, a 22x32 poster, made three plaques, and am on my way to pick up some t-molding for Janky Kong...

[opt2not]

Oh man...how did my sketch hold up at 22x32?  Like I mentioned, the line quality was pretty crappy.

[yotsuya]

Oh man...how did my sketch hold up at 22x32?  Like I mentioned, the line quality was pretty crappy.

I vectored it and did your sketch at 11x17. This is the flyer I made for the event that I blew up to 22x32....

[yotsuya]

Here's your sketch at 11 x 17.

[opt2not]

Lol, awesome. 

[yotsuya]

Lol, awesome. 

No, thank you man! All the locals love it!

[ChanceKJ]

That's so bad ass. 

[yotsuya]

 everyone that comes to ZapCon is going to get a limited edition print as well.

[ChanceKJ]

Sold.

[dmckean]

you guys crack me up.

Just remember guys, we're bigger and we're on top, if this was anything like your overcrowded prisons you'd be the ---smurfette---.

The USA is your prototypical power bottom. You're going to give it to us,  you're going to do it exactly the way we like it and you're still our ---smurfette---. 

[yotsuya]

Painty Kong!

[harveybirdman]

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=136713.0;attach=333401;image

I'm doing the same thing right meow.

[ChanceKJ]

Awwww. TWINZIES!! 

[yotsuya]

Ok, thought I wouldn't have time to work on this tonight, but Mrs. Yotsuya came home randy as a stoat, so by virtue doing the husbandly duties early, I should have time tonight to do a thorough patching of some of the nasty spots. More later.

[yotsuya]

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=136713.0;attach=333401;image

I'm doing the same thing right meow.

Of course you are, my brother!

[Cobolisdead]

What in satans hollow is a stoat?

[Nephasth]

[yotsuya]

I got 5 hours to finish this ---maternal-smurf---! Let's do it!

[vwalbridge]

I got 5 hours to finish this ---maternal-smurf---! Let's do it!

Reminds me of this:

[yotsuya]

I got 5 hours to finish this ---maternal-saint's minion---! Let's do it!

Reminds me of this:

One of my favorite movies. Your ass better make it to ZapCon next year.

[yotsuya]

Momma said knock you out!

[Cobolisdead]

Nice! Now get the internals installed!

[vwalbridge]

I got 5 hours to finish this ---maternal-saint's minion---! Let's do it!

Reminds me of this:

One of my favorite movies. Your ass better make it to ZapCon next year.

Fo sho. I'm in. 

[yotsuya]

Closer...

[yotsuya]

There is a money shot of the marquee I designed for the event. All the machines are going to have them on.

[yotsuya]

Whoooooooo!!!!

[yotsuya]

Meep!

[Nephasth]

---steaming pile of meadow muffin---. I didn't think you had time to paint the damned thing, let alone have a full art package with it...

[johnrt]

But why are you working in the dark?

[yotsuya]

Side shot

[Malenko]

trade you a wwf wrestlemania board for it 


looks great bro

[vwalbridge]

[yotsuya]

Setting up...

[yotsuya]

And calling it done....

[harveybirdman]

 

[yotsuya]

Thanks, bro. It was fun.  Janky Kong and I are on our way to the competition!

[harveybirdman]

Hope you get past level 3 and consume many beers!

[ChanceKJ]

  that escalated quickly

[yotsuya]

So Janky Kong was a big hit. Interesting ly enough, I loaded up the NES library, and a lot of people had fun playing the old school Nintendo games on the Vs Control Panel

[vwalbridge]

Don't ask why I'm still up.

Just wish I was rather there playing some Janky Kong than working. 

[yotsuya]

Don't ask why I'm still up.

Just wish I was rather there playing some Janky Kong than working. 

Yeah, it was pretty awesome. Most of these guys are dedicated collectors, not MAME guys like us, so they were thoroughly impressed. Great times.

[opt2not]

So I'm down here in Jesus-land this weekend for a wedding (LA specifically) and throughout the event I was thinking "I hope yots had enough energy to finish up Janky in time for the comp". Glad to see you did! (Yeah you know you're arcade obsessed when...)

[yotsuya]

So I'm down here in Jesus-land this weekend for a wedding (LA specifically) and throughout the event I was thinking "I hope yots had enough energy to finish up Janky in time for the comp". Glad to see you did! (Yeah you know you're arcade obsessed when...)

Hell yeah! Your Janky Kong art was a big hit, too!

[Nephasth]

You work well under pressure with tight deadlines!

[jdbailey1206]

Yeah.  Why do you work in the dark?

[yotsuya]

Yeah.  Why do you work in the dark?

My cel phone camera sucks, I guess. 

Besides, I live in Arizona. When it's 106* plus outside, you tend to keep things cool by killing the lights.

[yotsuya]

Ok, so to recap my whirlwind Janky Kong build...

It started out as a challenge, and a challenge it was. Actually, I consider myself done with Phase One more than anything. I don't like the LCD in there and will be swapping it out with a CRT first chance I get. I also plan to work more on smoothing out the finish, maybe using Ond's techniques. It was funny, people would play on it and touch it and and be, "Why is it sticky?" , and I'd go, "Because I just painted it 7 hours ago!" I also want to add some leg levelers to it, because dragging it on the wood base is BS.

And special thanks to my homies Neph, Malenko, HaRuMaN and Opt2Not for helping out in their own ways.

[Malenko]

And special thanks to my homies Neph, Malenko, HaRuMaN and Opt2Not for helping out in their own ways.

Great now you've summoned X2 in here to call me a narcissist!

I'm guessing my support was more emotional than anything cause I dont recall doing ---fudgesicle--- all to actually help with this at all. I am loving Opt2Not's line drawing up there though! Chuffiest of the Chuff!

[yotsuya]

And special thanks to my homies Neph, Malenko, HaRuMaN and Opt2Not for helping out in their own ways.

Great now you've summoned X2 in here to call me a narcissist!

I'm guessing my support was more emotional than anything cause I dont recall doing ---fudgesicle--- all to actually help with this at all. I am loving Opt2Not's line drawing up there though! Chuffiest of the Chuff!

I count the sexting as project support.

[yotsuya]

But seriously,  you and Neph were in the loop when I got the cab a year ago. Check your texts.

[Malenko]

oh cool, so many dudes on here need to thank me for helping them with their projects then!

wait a minute!.................................... 




Oh, I had no idea that was the same cab as a year ago, I thought you picked one up on thursday and had it playable by saturday!

[yotsuya]

oh cool, so many dudes on here need to thank me for helping them with their projects then!

wait a minute!.................................... 




Oh, I had no idea that was the same cab as a year ago, I thought you picked one up on thursday and had it playable by saturday!

Naw. Janky Kong is that project I kept talking about. I just had a reason to get it done.

[yotsuya]

Allright, looking forward to watching this!!

Here's a shot of that coin door you sold me last year. Thanks for the hookup, brother!

[zanna5910]

It was given to me free like this:

i dont get in the forums as much as i used to, but is no one going to mention this?   How did you pull off a nintendo cab for free??? I needs one of those hookups!

Sorry for the resurrection

[yotsuya]

It was given to me free like this:

i dont get in the forums as much as i used to, but is no one going to mention this?   How did you pull off a nintendo cab for free??? I needs one of those hookups!

Sorry for the resurrection

It's all about networking and relationships. A friend saw the job I did on my Macross cabinet and messaged me. He told me he had this old Nintendo cabinet that someone had painted a nasty looking orange, and that he didn't think he could do anything with it but he didn't have the heart to throw it away. He offered it to me because he knew I'd give it some TLC.

[Nephasth]

It was given to me free like this:

i dont get in the forums as much as i used to, but is no one going to mention this?   How did you pull off a nintendo cab for free??? I needs one of those hookups!

Sorry for the resurrection

It's all about networking and relationships. A friend saw the job I did on my Macross cabinet and messaged me. He told me he had this old Nintendo cabinet that someone had painted a nasty looking orange, and that he didn't think he could do anything with it but he didn't have the heart to throw it away. He offered it to me because he knew I'd give it some TLC.

Yup. Half the cabs/machines that have gone through my hands over the years have been for free. Hell, one was a Ms Pac cocktail in beautiful shape, just missing a monitor (good thing I had a spare on the shelf)!

[pbj]

It's all about networking and relationships.

Disregard the above.  It's all about cash in hand.

[yotsuya]

It's all about networking and relationships.

Disregard the above.  It's all about cash in hand.

Cash in hand... for free cabs..... 

But James is right- if you want to buy a cab, Cash-In-Hand is king.

[dmckean]

It's not like he's getting free pristine cabs. Both the Centipede used for Macross and this cabinet were in pretty rough shape.

There's a game/vending place 30 minutes north of me that puts out stripped cabinets in really rough shape by their dumpster for free all the time.

[jdbailey1206]

Cash is king.

What is this?  Storage Wars?

[harveybirdman]

you all are lucky Tulsa area is the WORST place to try to get cabs, granted I got a Z back for 100 bucks, but most of the time people want a fortune for the crappiest cabs.

My local craigslist fair

Golden Tee 99 $300
Megatouch Maxx $300
Playchoice 10  $1500
WS Baseball (Naomi) $500
QBert in a Taito Cab  $500
World Finals Soccer $400
Popeye $1150
BATTERED Ms Pac  $800

[vwalbridge]

QBert in a Taito Cab  $500

[harveybirdman]

Fraid so

[yotsuya]

It's not like he's getting free pristine cabs. Both the Centipede used for Macross and this cabinet were in pretty rough shape.

^^^ This.

But even with that, my networking has allowed me to get cabs in great shape for under $200. Working Ms. Pac for $200, Dynamo HS-5 for $80, Star Wars for $150, Tempest for $75.... No more CL for me...

[jdbailey1206]

Yeah.  I get the same love for arcade cabinets here in the D that Harvey gets.  A lot crap builds that are way over priced and a lot of originals and restores for too much money. 

[Wyo]

Allright, looking forward to watching this!!

Here's a shot of that coin door you sold me last year. Thanks for the hookup, brother!

THAT looks great!!! 

[yotsuya]

Allright, looking forward to watching this!!

Here's a shot of that coin door you sold me last year. Thanks for the hookup, brother!

THAT looks great!!! 

Thanks, Wyo!

So now that The Knock Off is over, I'm going to start with the rest of the restoration. One thing I've been want to do is extend the black color all the way down the sides of the kickplate. I didn't do that during the marathon phase one of Janky Kong,  but I had some time today so I went ahead and did it. I masked off the areas on the kickplate that needed it, and I went there town. 10 minutes later, the deed was done.

Looking more like a real Kong.

[yotsuya]

This is my plan for the front end/system - all Vs. Games. I just need to find a CRT for this.

[Nephasth]

You had me at CRT...

[ChanceKJ]

You had me at CRT...

me three.

[jdbailey1206]

Whats a CRT?

[Malenko]

Whats a CRT?

not sure if serious........

Cathode Ray Tube.  aka the big heavy tube monitor with phosphor and all that jazz in all its 4:3 glory with natural scan lines.

[pbj]

Well, if you're going to have one of those hideous Nintendo cabinets laying around, the only thing that's going to make it look worse is an LCD.

[vwalbridge]

Well, if you're going to have one of those hideous Nintendo cabinets laying around

[DaOld Man]

Great job Yots! Dont you just love it when the plan comes together?

 

[yotsuya]

You had me at CRT...

me three.

Thanks, guys. Last night when I was at Starfighters, I saw the exact monitor I would LOVE for this thing- a Wells Gardner 19" VGA monitor. Oh hell, it was so beautiful and easy to use.

Well, if you're going to have one of those hideous Nintendo cabinets laying around, the only thing that's going to make it look worse is an LCD.

Careful, you're gonna make Baby Chance cry.... 

But I completely agree. Having seeing one in person, yes, I don't want to keep the LCD in this cab.

Great job Yots! Dont you just love it when the plan comes together?

 

Thanks, Ken. Yes, I do. Especially when you consider the state I got it in.

Next steps: Clean up the wiring inside, hunt for a CRT, and get a lower bezel retainer.

[ChanceKJ]

I saw the exact monitor I would LOVE for this thing- a Wells Gardner 19" VGA monitor. Oh hell, it was so beautiful and easy to use.

....Go on...

[yotsuya]

I saw the exact monitor I would LOVE for this thing- a Wells Gardner 19" VGA monitor. Oh hell, it was so beautiful and easy to use.

....Go on...

http://arcarc.xmission.com/PDF_Monitors/Wells%20Gardner%2014k3101-19k3102.pdf

[jdbailey1206]

Whats a CRT?

not sure if serious........

[yotsuya]

I just picked up two arcade CRT's from my buddy Jawhn right now. I don't even want to tell you what I paid for them. They're both burn free, and probably need cap kits, but it's a nice problem to have.

[Nephasth]

$Free.99?

[yotsuya]

$Free.99?

$20 for the two.

[ChanceKJ]

You'd honestly be surprised how often that works up here when we want to trap people from Edmonton. The stage part is, the bottom of the net is still on when it traps them, but they're too stupid to realize.

$Free.99?

$20 for the two.

You're not serious?

[yotsuya]

This space left intentionally blank.

[yotsuya]

You're not serious?

I am serious. And don't call me Shirley.

[Nephasth]

 

[yotsuya]

What can I say, it pays to network!

[ChanceKJ]

agreed!

[yotsuya]

CRT or GTFO!!!

[yotsuya]

And from the front!

But before I even think of firing it up, I gotta do some work on the flyback. But actually having the monitor is half the battle.

[jdbailey1206]

....is half the battle.

[yotsuya]

....is half the battle.

I can't hear you. Come run repeatedly into my fist to see if that helps.

Ok, so looking at the flyback on this monitor, it appears that it's arching. My buddy wrote on the test tag "Sparks from the flyback. And flames. Seriously."

Looking at the flyback, there is a small hole near the focus knob. Doing some research, this is actually a pretty common thing. Ken Layton recommends hacking 1/4 inch away from the metal cage that surrounds the flyback, and smalltownguy has fixed the same issue using epoxy, so I'm going to try those two things first before I even fire this mofo up. Then we'll see what the next steps are. The other monitor I plan to throw in the Super Pac-Man cocktail project I'm tinkering with.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Looks good Yots!  I'm planning a MAME .vs build in the future too.  I'm really curious to see what you do with the front end.

D

[yotsuya]

Looks good Yots!  I'm planning a MAME .vs build in the future too.  I'm really curious to see what you do with the front end.

D

I'm going to go with AtomicFE. I have it set up with a logo wheel/screenshot type setup. I'd like to try and use a motion background (just that Nintendo purple grid acting all floaty), and I'd like to try and give the logos more of an 8-bit look. Ideally, I'd like for it to look like the images were being "generated" in real time as opposed to simply being static images. I'll throw some pics up later tonight when I get home from work.

It's only got Vs. games on the wheel, although I did set up a sub-wheel with NES games I like playing. I didn't make it part of the hierarchy, but it's there.

[jdbailey1206]

I can't hear you. Come run repeatedly into my fist to see if that helps.

[yotsuya]

Mini-update-

This back power plate is going to need some love... Fuse holder on the way, let's see what we can salvage...

[yotsuya]

Spent the evening doing a cap kit on the monitor.  Just gotta patch up the flyback, then hopefully all will be good.

[ChanceKJ]

What chassis is that?

[yotsuya]

What chassis is that?

It's a Kortek chassis. See that big ol' block of metal around the flyback? Yeah, that needs to be trimmed away. That's what was causing the flyback to spark and arc. According to Ken Layton, chopping a half-inch off the opening should be fine. I'm also going to patch any pinholes with epoxy.

Oh, and I love janky stuff like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Bite-Monster-Pac-Man-Style-Arcade-Marquee-Sign-Banner-Video-Game-/291553075100?hash=item43e1eadf9c&rmvSB=true

[yotsuya]

Here comes a flurry of pics! Chassis hacked to open up the flyback area.

[yotsuya]

Look at the size of that hole on the flyback!

[yotsuya]

Cleaned and patched with epoxy, as per smalltownguy's recommendation.

[yotsuya]

Installed. I'm gonna let the epoxy dry so I probably won't hook this up until the weekend.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Why not just get a new flyback?  I'd be afraid that it would fail and cause a fire.

[yotsuya]

Why not just get a new flyback?  I'd be afraid that it would fail and cause a fire.

Because I trust smalltownguy when he tells me that this fix worked. If it doesn't I will, but in the DIY spirit, I want to see if this works for me. 

[vwalbridge]

I like how you cut right through the word "CAUTION" 

Also that looks like JB Weld?

[pbj]

Looks like a legit repair to me.  That glue is probably sturdier than the original casing.

[harveybirdman]

Looks like a legit repair to me.  That glue is probably sturdier than the original casing.

That right there gentlemen is the PBJ frugal repair seal of approval....

[yotsuya]

I like how you cut right through the word "CAUTION" 

Also that looks like JB Weld?

Yeah, it's a two-part epoxy.

The "hole" if you will, results from the proximity of the flyback to that cage. Since the metal is so close, any pinholes result in arcing. Ken Layton recommends trimming back 1/4 inch, I went 1/2. I'd ditch the cage altogether, but there are some transistors mounted on it.

Looks like a legit repair to me.  That glue is probably sturdier than the original casing.

Yep, you are correct, sir. I checked it after it had set for 4 hours, and it was solid.

That right there gentlemen is the PBJ frugal repair seal of approval....

I'm not a foolish American with deep pockets and an impulsive behavior. A new flyback would cost me 3x what I paid for the whole monitor. I'll try a posted, tested fix first, and if it doesn't work, THEN I'll spend the $$$.

[yotsuya]

Another shout out to my homeboy Wyo for the awesome Nintendo coin door he sold me when this was still a Creamsicle mess....

[yotsuya]

Fergot the pix!

[ChanceKJ]

Those coin mechs look so shiny. 

[yotsuya]

Those coin mechs look so shiny. 

Yep.

I'm pretty excited to get the monitor running in Janky Kong. I found my isolation transformer right now, so I'll wire it up tomorrow and see what happens.

[yotsuya]

So my line filter came in. I went ahead and wired everything up on the old iso/power supply board inside Janky Kong. I dug through my boxes o' stuff for all the Molex connectors that I needed and was able to get everything connected satisfactorily. 

This monitor was the one with the sparking flyback, the one I repaired with epoxy as recommended by Smalltownguy and trimmed the flyback cage as recommended by Ken Layton. With all that done, and a new capkit, I hooked up my CraftyMech TPG and gave it power....

And as you can see, she's alive!

Next step is to set up the new computer I'm using for this one with AtomicFE and the J-Pac, then plug it in and see how my Multi-Vs. setup works. 

[harveybirdman]

Nothing like seeing a repaired CRT fire up... Great Job!

[pbj]

Good work, man.  It is supremely satisfying to get an old CRT going.

[yotsuya]

Nothing like seeing a repaired CRT fire up... Great Job!

Nothing like seeing it fire up with no fire!

[yotsuya]

Good work, man.  It is supremely satisfying to get an old CRT going.

Yeah, especially since the tube is burn free.

[rablack97]

 

[yotsuya]

 

Yep,  baby, I practice on these machines, pretty soon,  we talkin' playoffs!

[jugger18]

 

Yep,  baby, I practice on these machines, pretty soon,  we talkin' playoffs!

You guys must be drunk

[yotsuya]

 

Yep,  baby, I practice on these machines, pretty soon,  we talkin' playoffs!

You guys must be drunk

No, we just have a sense of humor.

[yotsuya]

Janky Kong updates from the phone, so one photo per post. It was a good day today, I took the day off work and so I put in a LOT of time with the monitor. I tested the monitor with my TPG, but as I was putting the PC together (more on that later), I plugged in a JAMMA board, hooked it up to a PC supply,  and fired it up. Everything looked great. Then, a couple minutes later, I smelled something. I looked up and saw smoke. Yeah, this happened...

[yotsuya]

I'm not sure what caused it to melt. I assume something was shorting out in the bundled up power harness.  I don't know where power was getting to the unused part of the harness, unless power was getting pushed out through the board. Oh well, damn cheap Chinese harness.

However, I made the best of it. The wires for the speakers, door, and player controls were all unharmed,  so I clipped them off and rolled my own harness with an extra Bob Roberts DIY crimp 'em yourself kit that I had. I made my own ground wires to eliminate the issue. So that was good.

But what is this...?

[yotsuya]

"That" is a custom board of my own design. I wanted to make an "all-in-one" plate that would function like a PCB. I got measurements and designed a board that would allow me to install the motherboard,  hard drive, AND J-Pac in one convenient place. Here it is with the motherboard installed...

[yotsuya]

Here it is with the motherboard and hard drive...

[yotsuya]

And now complete....

[yotsuya]

So with it all wired up, I plugged the J-Pac into the harness, fired it up, and....

[wp34]

Nice!

[harveybirdman]

Art!

Can't say enough about the dedication to make this look and feel like actual arcade hardware!

As you would say,  here's someone who gets it....

Top Shelf bro!

 

[yotsuya]

Art!

Can't say enough about the dedication to make this look and feel like actual arcade hardware!

As you would say,  here's someone who gets it....

Top Shelf bro!

 

Thanks, brother!

I gotta admit,  when I had the Dell LCD in there, I really hated how it looked. But now... the chuff be flowing.

[yotsuya]

Some pics from the end of the night... the last one I'm chuffed by, I printed that sticker out myself!

[vwalbridge]

That VS control panel and buttons smell minty through my monitor.

[yotsuya]

That VS control panel and buttons smell minty through my monitor.

The CP is in great shape but nowhere near mint. Half the buttons are original, the others are repros from Mike's Arcade. I need to lube up the P1 joystick. Any suggestions?

[vwalbridge]

White Lithium Grease

(I think you can also get it at Home Depot)

-Specifically designed for moving metal parts
-Low odor
-Doesn't run or drip
-Doesn't attract dust (this is the best part)


A while back, when operating my garage door it sounded like the world was coming to and end. This stuff applied to the garage door springs and rollers fixed that right up. Great stuff.

WD-40 can eat it.

[yotsuya]

White Lithium Grease

(I think you can also get it at Home Depot)

-Specifically designed for moving metal parts
-Low odor
-Doesn't run or drip
-Doesn't attract dust (this is the best part)


A while back, when operating my garage door it sounded like the world was coming to and end. This stuff applied to the garage door springs and rollers fixed that right up. Great stuff.

WD-40 can eat it.

That looks good. Do you think I need to disassemble the stick to use it?

[vwalbridge]

I'd probably take the joystick out and disassemble it. Then spray the parts with Carb and Choke cleaner to blast out the gunk...then lube it with the lithium grease. (Only for the metal on metal parts)

If you don't take it apart and there is gunk already in there, then you are just going to put more grease all over the gunk.

[vwalbridge]

Pillow balls....

[yotsuya]

Sounds good... and keep your hands off my pillow balls.

[vwalbridge]

Sounds good... and keep your hands off my pillow balls.

I expect a full report when you are done.

[Vigo]

Yeah, white lithium is a good go-to lube. I personally opt for Super lube in most cases because it is well rated for plastics, wood, and rubber as well as metal. I doubt white lithium would corrode plastics, but I generally only see it advertised as a metal-to-metal lube.

I also love to use it on stuff that I touch routinely, because it is a food grade lubricant. I won't worry I am ingesting something i shouldn't if I eat nachos after touching something I lubed up.

dry spray

grease

[vwalbridge]

Yeah, white lithium is a good go-to lube. I personally opt for Super lube in most cases because it is well rated for plastics, wood, and rubber as well as metal. I doubt white lithium would corrode plastics, but I generally only see it advertised as a metal-to-metal lube.

I also love to use it on stuff that I touch routinely, because it is a food grade lubricant. I won't worry I am ingesting something i shouldn't if I eat nachos after touching something I lubed up.

dry spray

grease

I've heard super lube is great too. I'll have to try that sometime.

[yotsuya]

Yeah, white lithium is a good go-to lube. I personally opt for Super lube in most cases because it is well rated for plastics, wood, and rubber as well as metal. I doubt white lithium would corrode plastics, but I generally only see it advertised as a metal-to-metal lube.

I also love to use it on stuff that I touch routinely, because it is a food grade lubricant. I won't worry I am ingesting something i shouldn't if I eat nachos after touching something I lubed up.

dry spray

grease

I've heard super lube is great too. I'll have to try that sometime.

I'll let you guys know what Mrs. Yotsuya thinks.... 

[Vigo]

White lithium got me in the game about caring about my lubes. It took me down a trail from only having a can of WD-40, to having everything from teflon to graphite. Haha! Is it OK to be a "lube snob"?

WD-40 can eat it.

Agreed!! Although, WD-40 is getting into the game of offering real cool products. Picked up a can of this the other day and looking forward to trying it out on everything from NES cartridges to leaf switches.

[Vigo]

I'll let you guys know what Mrs. Yotsuya thinks.... 

  For those certain uses, KY is still king.

[vwalbridge]

White lithium got me in the game about caring about my lubes. It took me down a trail from only having a can of WD-40, to having everything from teflon to graphite. Haha! Is it OK to be a "lube snob"?

WD-40 can eat it.

Agreed!! Although, WD-40 is getting into the game of offering real cool products. Picked up a can of this the other day and looking forward to trying it out on everything from NES cartridges to leaf switches.

Oh yea, WD is definilty getting with the program now. They have a full product line of lubes. They have even have a WD version of white lithium

I'm curious of your results with the contact spray lube.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Yots, watch 34ks video here: 
He uses the WD-40 Lithium grease shown here:  http://www.walmart.com/ip/40842973?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222228028406339&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=61182034809&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=96573185529&veh=sem
vwal, are you saying the WD40 brand is not good to use?

D

[Vigo]

I'm curious of your results with the contact spray lube.

Sure, I'll see about giving it a go this week and let you know. 

One thing about WD-40, they have really nice nozzles these days. I hate constantly losing those red tube thingies that direct the spray.I might stock up on their white lithium.

vwal, are you saying the WD40 brand is not good to use?

I think he is critiquing the original WD-40 formula as a general purpose lubricant. WD-40 can corrode and it only lubricates for a short span. WD-40 works better as a rust buster when removing tough bolts. I would think that many of the WD-40 brand products would be fine.

[vwalbridge]

vwal, are you saying the WD40 brand is not good to use?

No... I'm sure the WD brand of While Lithium Grease is fine. I just don't like the traditional/general WD for anything.


...and that video by 34K is great.  Just change the playback speed in YouTube to like 1.5 because it a little long.

[ChanceKJ]

I've always used Dow 33. Figure if its been good enough for 15 years on my paintball guns, it would work well on my sticks.

[yotsuya]

I've always used Dow 33. Figure if its been good enough for 15 years on my paintball guns, it would work well on my sticks.

Do you put it on your pillow balls?

[ChanceKJ]

huh? 

[yotsuya]

huh? 

Bro, did you even read the last 15 posts?

[vwalbridge]

huh? 

Bro, did you even read the last 15 posts?

Yea Chance...everyone knows not to play with their joystick until they lube up their pillow balls.

[yotsuya]

huh? 

Bro, did you even read the last 15 posts?

Yea Chance...everyone knows not to play with their joystick until they lube up their pillow balls.

Pillow balls are exclusive to Nintendo fanbois.

[ChanceKJ]

How's the guy born in '84 the least childish in this thread? 

[jdbailey1206]

Chance if you don't know about lubing your pillow balls maybe you are on the wrong thread.

[yotsuya]

How's the guy born in '84 the least childish in this thread? 

Don't worry, when you hit puberty, your pillow balls will drop down and you'll start manhood.

Oh, and I pulled the trigger on a cheap Vs. Unisystem board. Not even sure if it works, but it's an option...

[ChanceKJ]

just make sure you have the proper power, video inverter, Audio amp, and harnesses to connect it all.  

[jugger18]

 

Yep,  baby, I practice on these machines, pretty soon,  we talkin' playoffs!

You guys must be drunk

No, we just have a sense of humor.

I was keeping the joke going, as new reports state AI was drunk during the rant
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13011685/new-book-says-former-philadelphia-76ers-star-allen-iverson-was-drunk-practice-rant

[yotsuya]

 

Yep,  baby, I practice on these machines, pretty soon,  we talkin' playoffs!

You guys must be drunk

No, we just have a sense of humor.

I was keeping the joke going, as new reports state AI was drunk during the rant
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13011685/new-book-says-former-philadelphia-76ers-star-allen-iverson-was-drunk-practice-rant

Props for you, bro!

[jugger18]

Vwall, original WD-40 makes a great flamethrower to get rid of spiders in your garage

[vwalbridge]

Vwall, original WD-40 makes a great flamethrower to get rid of spiders in your garage

  you're right about that. Only fire kills spiders.

[jdbailey1206]

Vwall, original WD-40 makes a great flamethrower to get rid of spiders in your garage

  you're right about that. Only fire kills spiders.

[yotsuya]

Done a LOT on Janky Kong the last few days, and she's almost done. More pics later,  but I had to show what I picked up today... custom built by a talented local woodworker.

[harveybirdman]

Coin box?

[yotsuya]

Coin box?

Yep. I have to build the enclosure, but the box will help me put together the right dimensions.

Oh, man, I'm loving how this has come out.

[DeLuSioNal29]

I can get actual measurements if needed. All you have to do is ask.

[yotsuya]

I can get actual measurements if needed. All you have to do is ask.

If you could measure the size of the base, the one that spans the width of the cabinet, I just need to know how deep it is. I'm guessing 10 inches or so?

[vwalbridge]

9 and 1/8 inches.

If you trust my chewed-on DK.

[yotsuya]

Sweet! DeL, if you want to double check, I would appreciate it.

I got a lot to post,  but my phone is going to die. I'll post a few pics, then fill in the narrative later...

[DeLuSioNal29]

Took some pics with the tape measure. You're in luck since I just gutted my cab to prep it for painting. So I removed the whole coin door box assembly.

[DeLuSioNal29]

More measurements...

Even measured the handle.

DeLuSioNaL29

[yotsuya]

Thanks, DeL, but you're an hour too late... much appreciated, though...

[yotsuya]

Oh, is the whole enclosure fastened down, or does it just sit there?

[DeLuSioNal29]

Oh, is the whole enclosure fastened down, or does it just sit there?

What do you mean by whole enclosure?  If you mean the wood box then, yes, it's stapled in from the bottom onto the plank that spans across the cab.

If you mean the bottom piece of wood, yes, that was screwed into the cabinet.  It was not just sitting there.

D

[yotsuya]

Oh, is the whole enclosure fastened down, or does it just sit there?

What do you mean by whole enclosure?  If you mean the wood box then, yes, it's stapled in from the bottom onto the plank that spans across the cab.

If you mean the bottom piece of wood, yes, that was screwed into the cabinet.  It was not just sitting there.

D

I meant the bottom piece. Perfect, I'll fasten it. Thanks!

[ChanceKJ]

the batons on the underside of the main plank holding the coin box are screwed into the inside of the main side walls of the cab, two screws each.

[yotsuya]

the batons on the underside of the main plank holding the coin box are screwed into the inside of the main side walls of the cab, two screws each.

You might want to link to DeL's photos in the Donkey Kong plans thread. They're really handy.

[yotsuya]

Yeah... so this happened.... I got the board cheap, desoldered the CPU from a bare NES board that I had, and plugged in some EPROMS and a PPU... now I just need to take this to Arcadenut's to test it out..   

[ChanceKJ]

Wait... What?

[yotsuya]

Wait... What?

Wait... What what?

[DeLuSioNal29]

I can grab a populated board with full harnesses (including CP harness) for $150 shipped. Is that a good deal?

[yotsuya]

I can grab a populated board with full harnesses (including CP harness) for $150 shipped. Is that a good deal?

A working board, populated with two games, with full harnesses? Snap that ---smurfette--- right up.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Not really. Only 1 side works. (I only need one for my Unisystem). Comes with Tetris. (Don't really care about the game I'm planning to get the UniVersus daughter board when it comes out)

[yotsuya]

Not really. Only 1 side works. (I only need one for my Unisystem). Comes with Tetris. (Don't really care about the game I'm planning to get the UniVersus daughter board when it comes out)

A working board (no game) seems to run for around $50-$75, and the harness is around $50 (both before shipping). So it really depends on how bad you want the board in anticipation of the UniVersus board. My untested board was $45, and the EPROMs/PPU set was $42 (free CPU). No harness, but I plan to get a Unisystem to JAMMA adapter.

[ChanceKJ]

Id say thats a decent price. and i'm rather fond of Vs Tetris. Do it.

Wait... What?

Wait... What what?

What exactly are you doing here. and do you have a link that explains more....

[ChanceKJ]

I mean, you WILL need a PPU and CPU for the UniVersus.  So why not a PPU that also works with games like Duck Hunt and Tennis?

[ChanceKJ]

You might want to link to DeL's photos in the Donkey Kong plans thread. They're really handy.

Agreed.  I'll ad them in a bit if J's cool with that?

[yotsuya]

I mean, you WILL need a PPU and CPU for the UniVersus.  So why not a PPU that also works with games like Duck Hunt and Tennis?

What are you talking about? The UniVersus works with any PPU. I picked up a tested, working Hogans Alley PPU/EPROM set. The CPU I got from a gutted NES. It's the same CPU. 

[yotsuya]

Oh wait, I see you were talking to DeL. I see I can use my PPU with Tetris as well. I can easily convert the Hogan's Alley EPROMs to Tetris. Hmmmm....

[ChanceKJ]

Yeah, sorry, I was too lazy to hit the quote button I guess.

Ive got a couple Vs PCBs. One with Wrecking Crew across both, the other with SMB. I plan to populate the WC one with a UniVersus on each side, then use the other with a third U.V. and all the Vs. guts from my DKU cab for my upcoming Mario Bros Cabaret project.

one of the Red Tents will get all the Vs games, the Cabaret will get Mario Games.

[ChanceKJ]

I guess I was also wondering why you took a CPU from a NES and not just grabbed one from an actual Vs PCB. Like you knew about some cool NES hack or something.

[yotsuya]

I guess I was also wondering why you took a CPU from a NES and not just grabbed one from an actual Vs PCB. Like you knew about some cool NES hack or something.

No cool hacks or anything. My board didn't come with one, and I had this one on hand. Free is free. 

[DeLuSioNal29]

I may snag it then.  Anyone know if the PPU that is there that work with Tetris will also work for SMB?  I'm thinking a can clear the EPROMS and burn new ones.  Yotsuya I'm talking to you...

Edit:  I just looked it up and SMB requires the PP2C04-0004 PPU.  Tetris comes with either the PC2C03B PPU or the RP2C04-0001 PPU.

D

[yotsuya]

Well, if you buy two UniVersuses, it won't matter. But if you want to convert them to another game, I'm happy to help.

[yotsuya]

I would snag it because it comes with the harness. If you're planning to run all original hardware, you'll definitely need that. I'm going to go to JAMMA on mine, so I haven't been looking for a harness. I did bid on one early on, but I went for way more than I would pay for it.

[ChanceKJ]

http://johnsarcade.com/nintendo_vs_ppu_info.php

For those of you who don't know.  Just in case.

[yotsuya]

Janky update:

Ok, I've got some time now and will go back to fill in on the process.

My all-in-one board works great. Having the J-Pac, HD, and Mini-ITX board all on one plate sure is handy. Clearances are a little tight, so if I ever fab a new one, I will make it a bit bigger and add just a little more space between the motherboard and the J-Pac*. But I screwed in on to the side of the cab, mounted the power supply on the floor of the cab, and fired it up.

I had to tweak the system a bit, as it was booting up to a blue screen when hooked to the ArcadeVGA. I figured out why, though - the board, while unused, had sat for a long time, and the cheap battery that holds the CMOS settings wasn't keeping them, so the board booted to the on-board video and not the ArcadeVGA. I replaced that battery with a new one for better results.

So once I got the boot issues sorted out, I went ahead a played with the OS setup and the front end. I used Instant Sheller to mask off the FE, made a custom boot screen for the PC, and have it autologin.



It comes up to my list of Vs Unisystem Games.


More later!


*Actually, I did JUST THAT right now as I typed this post.... gonna fab it in an hour. **

** OK, fabbed it before I even finished this post. W00t!

[yotsuya]

Once I had it all up and running, I immediately noticed that I couldn't go down or left. I cracked out my new Fluke, set it to continuity, and saw that I needed to re-crimp down, left and Coin 2 on the JAMMA harness. That was an easy fix.

I've been playing a lot on this cab. I loved Excitebike BITD as well as Castlevania. I'm mulling whether to add a few NES games to it, like a Playchoice. I'm also waiting on some new marquee and bezel art as well, some simple custom Unisystem stuff.

[Malenko]

I would totally load up some NES games. No point in limiting yourself.  I would love to play some Bases Loaded on that bad boy.

[harveybirdman]

game creep...


 

I love it dude, did you machine that plate in your garage or do you got a guy?

[yotsuya]

I would totally load up some NES games. No point in limiting yourself.  I would love to play some Bases Loaded on that bad boy.

Loved Bases Loaded.

Off the top of my head, I'd want to add the other SMB games, Castlevania games, Double Dribble and Blades of Steel, games that could be played in short sessions. I love Final Fantasy but I ain't marathoning that on a cab.

[yotsuya]

game creep...


 

I love it dude, did you machine that plate in your garage or do you got a guy?

Yeah, don't worry, I ain't puttin' Mario Paint or any Zapper games on it.

And ---fudgesicle--- me, 10 Yard Fight is near impossible....

Oh, I have access to a Plasma cutter at work. I tweaked my design and recut it.

[Vigo]

I really can't think of this as Janky Kong any more. Everything about it is becoming the opposite of janky.

[yotsuya]

I really can't think of this as Janky Kong any more. Everything about it is becoming the opposite of janky.

Thanks. I consider Janky Kong a term of endearment!

[yotsuya]

I'm waiting on my new bezel to get printed, but here's a sample.

[ChanceKJ]

who's doing your print work for your art package?

[yotsuya]

who's doing your print work for your art package?

I got a local connection. Going to trade something for my laminated marquee and bezel.

Otherwise, I'd go with Brad or Stpcore.

[yotsuya]

Comparison time! Old plate....

[yotsuya]

New plate! I added an inch in length, moved the motherboard away from the J-Pac to open up the cabling area, added a hole for the HD access light, and two holes for a 36" zip tie to secure the video card. A winner is me!

[DGP]

No cup holder on that plate = Janky.

 

[yotsuya]

No cup holder on that plate = Janky.

 

Fake rep for you!

[yotsuya]

If anyone wants the  old plate, lemme know.

[Vigo]

Classy! What kind of fasteners you have on that mobo?

[wp34]

That plate is cool. You have inspired me to up my game when I get to my JPAC build. Using a cased PC just seems so wrong now.

[yotsuya]

Classy! What kind of fasteners you have on that mobo?

I use some screw caps that I got from Home Depot. They flip up if I need to access the screw heads.
It's pretty awesome. The holes in the plate are spot on, so I leave the screws in capped, and they easily slide into the holes. I hand-tighten the nuts on the back, so I never even need to use a screwdriver to fasten the mobo to the plate. The SSD screws go into the bottom of the drive through the back with spacers. I also use spacers and three screws with the J-PAC as well, and I leave enough overhang for the JAMMA connector.

That plate is cool. You have inspired me to up my game when I get to my JPAC build. Using a cased PC just seems so wrong now.

Yeah, I prefer decased machines in my own builds. I would mount them to 1/2 wood boards, but the plate just has much more flair.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Is it OK to make it from Metal?  I usually make mine from non-conductive material like wood. Wood also allows me to screw the video card into it by bending the bottom of the metal slider and using a Bic pen cylinder cut to size for the gap.

Edit:  I guess it's OK. Most PC cases have a metal plate with standoffs anyway.

DeL

[yotsuya]

Is it OK to make it from Metal?  I usually make mine from non-conductive material like wood. Wood also allows me to screw the video card into it by bending the bottom of the metal slider and using a Bic pen cylinder cut to size for the gap.

Edit:  I guess it's OK. Most PC cases have a metal plate with standoffs anyway.

DeL

I use nylon spacers between the plate and all components.

[Vigo]

I use some screw caps that I got from Home Depot.

Thanks for the tip, I will have to keep that one in mind next board mount I do.

[yotsuya]

I use some screw caps that I got from Home Depot.

Thanks for the tip, I will have to keep that one in mind next board mount I do.

It just looks cleaner that way.

This photo of the old plate should show how much clearance there is.

[ChanceKJ]

Did you ever convince stpcore to do a reverse print? I saw in that one thread you had been asking him about it.  Did you find a source for doing it?

[yotsuya]

Did you ever convince stpcore to do a reverse print? I saw in that one thread you had been asking him about it.  Did you find a source for doing it?

No. No reverse print. Just laminated. Very durable - my buddy just dropped it off.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Chance if you need reverse print I know a guy:  Joe Szabo. And he does things quickly. :-)

[yotsuya]

Super bad photo, I know, but if you look closely, you can clearly see Hogan's  Alley running on this Duck Hunt cab. Yes, I took my Janky Unisystem board that I Frankensteined together to StarFighters Arcade,  we plugged it in to Duck Hunt, and yes, the ---Bad words, bad words, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when saint censors you?--- booted! W00t!!!

[DeLuSioNal29]

Woot!

[yotsuya]

Woot!

Yep. There were hugs all around when I saw that mofo boot up!

[vwalbridge]

I really like that mounting plate. It's awesome that you have access to a fabrication facility. 

What finish is on that plate? It looks like gunmetal and I like it.

[yotsuya]

I really like that mounting plate. It's awesome that you have access to a fabrication facility. 

What finish is on that plate? It looks like gunmetal and I like it.

It's just a piece of 16GA sheet metal that I hit with a random orbital sander to give it some texture and take off any finish. Looks great once it's cleaned up. I toyed with painting it something flaky metallic (like a midnight blue), but in the end, the metal is the best.

[yotsuya]

Oh, and what's nice about the plate is that if I DO go the original Unisystem PCB route, I can easily take the plate out and transfer it to another project. 

[vwalbridge]

Oh, and what's nice about the plate is that if I DO go the original Unisystem PCB route, I can easily take the plate out and transfer it to another project. 

I like the way you think brother!

[yotsuya]

Oh, and what's nice about the plate is that if I DO go the original Unisystem PCB route, I can easily take the plate out and transfer it to another project. 

I like the way you think brother!

Yeah, I've been doing these plates for a while now. My original design was just for the motherboard, and I had a large cutout under it for the a custom graphic that would basically be a mini-marquee (see attached). I used this on a cab I build for my friend. The next version got rid of the cutout and integrated the hard drive and J-Pac. The latest version spaces things out better, as I didn't take into account the cabling between the J-Pac and the motherboard. Hella chuffed with were it's at now.

[yotsuya]

Small update, cut  a piece of plexi and mounted the custom marquee I designed.

[yotsuya]

Urp... attached photo

[harveybirdman]

Is that a llama or a donkey on that bezel? Whatever it is it freaking rocks!

[yotsuya]

Is that a llama or a donkey on that bezel? Whatever it is it freaking rocks!

It's an asshat... and actually it's going to be gone from the finalized version of the marquee...

[Vigo]

I was figuring that was an inside joke with KLOVians at the knock off competition.

[yotsuya]

I was figuring that was an inside joke with KLOVians at the knock off competition.

You are correct, sir!

I'm off this week, so the plan is to source a piece of 1/4 tinted plexi so I can install the bezel, then she'll pretty much be done.

[yotsuya]

Big Janky Update -

We're having our big Christmas party, and I've been mixing up the gameroom. With that in mind, I put the final touches on Janky Kong.

I wheeled JK outside and recut the t-molding slot (I had patched it up a while back because the slot was horrible and wouldn't hold the molding), which went well. I then measured and cut the piece of tinted plexi I bought online, then added the laminated graphics I had created and had printed to the front. It looks great, almost factory.

Yeah, she's done.

[harveybirdman]

Looks great. 

[yotsuya]

Looks great. 

Thanks, bro. I just need to make the mullet and the monitor shroud to be completely finished.

[rablack97]

Janky approved.!!!!!!

[DeLuSioNal29]

Looks awesome! 

[wp34]

Looks great. Now come do mine.

[vwalbridge]

Nice work bro!

Just one thing wrong...it doesn't look Jankey anymore. 

[ChanceKJ]

.

[yotsuya]

Thanks for the kind words all.

Just as a documentation followup, for the marquee artwork I wanted to retain elements of the classic Unisystem marquees. I went with the instruction box in the corner, putting the instructions on how to get back to the main menu and how to select a game. For the background, I went with the Nintendo grid from the side art, and I like the look - very retro. I simply put a Nintendo logo and Vs. Unisystem on there, because I wanted to keep it simple and factory in appearance. No made up titles, no "Arcade Memories", no Mario jumping off the lettering for me.



For the bezel, I wanted to retain the classic look of the Donkey Kong bezel. If you've ever seen a Univsystem in the wild, half the time it's a blank grey piece of plexi with no art, and the other half the OP simply flipped the original bezel around, so you have weird shapes looking through.  Since this machine wasn't game specific, I decided to keep the DK striping, but in the roundels, I replaced the DK characters with characters from my favorite Vs. games. I also wanted to show some variety and keep things consistent, so I used the official Nintendo 8-bit art for all pieces.



From there, it was a simple matter of getting stuff printed, laminated, and then applied. The marquee I put on a piece of cut regular clear plexi I had. The bezel was a bit different. For the bezel, on the original Knock-Off Janky Kong, I sandwiched my printed art between a piece of clear and a piece of bronze plexi. I had to do that to make the bezel thick enough to sit snugly in the bezel retaining mechanisms on the DK cab.

For the new artwork, I had it printed with the intention of applying it directly to the front of the bezel, which would be grey. This would be a close to the original as I could get. I ordered a 24"x24"  1/4 inch thick sheet off eBay, cut it to size using the old one as a guide, then applied the art.

[vwalbridge]

Was that your final print? If so, is should be:

"...TO NAVIGATE UP AND DOWN THROUGH"

..not THOUGH

[yotsuya]

Was that your final print? If so is should be:

..."TO NAVIGATE UP AND DOWN THROUGH"

..not THOUGH

It is, sorta... when the Universes board comes out, I plan to transition Janky Kong away from being MAME based and over to straight JAMMA, so I was going to have my buddy reprint the marquee with whatever appropriate control changes need to happen. Thanks for the heads up, though.

And here's a shot of Janky Kong in his new home. These are my three newest machines.

[opt2not]

Looks great bro!   

[ChanceKJ]

.

[yotsuya]

...when the Universes board comes out, I plan to transition Janky Kong away from being MAME based and over to straight JAMMA...

Are you planning JAMMA or converting it back to an actual Nintendo Vs? Surely you already know Nas's UniVersus is a drop in daughter board for a Vs PCB?

I do know that. And don't call me Shirley.

[yotsuya]

To be clear, I'm going to use a Vs. To JAMMA adapter with the working Vs board that I have.

[ChanceKJ]

.

[donnie1979]

And calling it done....

Sweet to see my Crazy Kong theme in there

[yotsuya]

And calling it done....

Nice to see my theme in there

What theme? I did everything from scratch. Explain.

[yotsuya]

Oh, you mean the Crazy Kong marquee? Yeah, that was top notch, bro!  Looks great!

[acvieluf]

This looks great.  excellent work.  I love the name, too, very original.

[yotsuya]

OK, although my Janky Kong Vs. Unisystem Restoration is done, plays well, and all that cal, my dream for the machine has always been to run a real Unisystem board in him, preferably running the Universus daughtercard when it's available. To do that, though, I need a Unisystem2JAMMA adapter because my cab is wired for JAMMA, I'm using a non-Sanyo monitor, and I don't have a sound amp that the Unisystem board needs. Mike's Arcade sells one, a multi pcb setup with wires and such. So I've held off on getting one because the Universus isn't available yet.

Then yesterday, Mike posted this:


http://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?sku=VS2JAMMA

Holy CRAP have I been waiting for that! It's an all-in-one adapter that does exactly what I need. I ordered mine a few minutes ago. My plan is to convert Janky Kong to the working Vs. Unisystem board that I have. It's set to Hogan's Alley right now, but I'll do a ROM swap to change it to Excite Bike or Super Mario Bros. So now, Janky Kong is going to ZapCon. I'm going to take a Sharpie as well, because I want all my BYOAC brothers to sign it as well. Who's quite chuffed? This mofo!

[vwalbridge]

OK, although my Janky Kong Vs. Unisystem Restoration is done, plays well, and all that cal, my dream for the machine has always been to run a real Unisystem board in him, preferably running the Universus daughtercard when it's available. To do that, though, I need a Unisystem2JAMMA adapter because my cab is wired for JAMMA, I'm using a non-Sanyo monitor, and I don't have a sound amp that the Unisystem board needs. Mike's Arcade sells one, a multi pcb setup with wires and such. So I've held off on getting one because the Universus isn't available yet.

Then yesterday, Mike posted this:


http://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?sku=VS2JAMMA

Holy CRAP have I been waiting for that! It's an all-in-one adapter that does exactly what I need. I ordered mine a few minutes ago. My plan is to convert Janky Kong to the working Vs. Unisystem board that I have. It's set to Hogan's Alley right now, but I'll do a ROM swap to change it to Excite Bike or Super Mario Bros. So now, Janky Kong is going to ZapCon. I'm going to take a Sharpie as well, because I want all my BYOAC brothers to sign it as well. Who's quite chuffed? This mofo!

Daaaayum! That's awesome!

[yotsuya]

Dude, this thing is gorgeous....

[yotsuya]

Hell to the...



Yeah!!!

[harveybirdman]

  Nep.....

[yotsuya]

  Nep.....

Neph is everywhere, brother.

[harveybirdman]

 

Looks sweet, can't wait to play it

[ChanceKJ]

.

[opt2not]

Very awesome! One of my favourite nintendo projects here!   

[bplail]

Awesome work mate!    

[yotsuya]

Awesome work mate!    

Thanks, my friend!!!

The plan is to take it to ZapCon, so watch this space.....

[DeLuSioNal29]

You should seriously hit up Nazerine on KLOV to see if he can get you a loaner proto board to feature at the show. I'm sure tons of people will see it and want it. Great exposure for him.

[yotsuya]

You should seriously hit up Nazerine on KLOV to see if he can get you a loaner proto board to feature at the show. I'm sure tons of people will see it and want it. Great exposure for him.

That's great advice, but quite frankly I'm content with him releasing it on his own time. I'm personally not a big fan of guys who try to jump to the front of the line by offering their machines.. If he asked me or was actively soliciting users, that would be another thing.

[rablack97]

[yotsuya]

Ok, so for the past two weeks or so I've been fiddling with the Unisystem board that I have. I picked up a cheap board and a cheap set of Hogan's Alley roms just to get a PPU, and I swiped a CPU froma non-working NES. Hogan's Alley works, but obviously I can't play it on my setup with no gun. With the Universus nowhere in sight any time soon, I've been playing with some hacked ROMs that allow you to use any PPU with certain games. However, I wasn't having ANY luck doing so. I'd burn the EPROMs, but nothing would work.

We had a repair party this weekend, and I took the board to Arcadenut's house. He graciously lent me a working SMB board that I could use for ZapCon. In the mean time, I experimented with the SMB EPROMs and my board, and no dice. I started to wonder if my board was actually not working correctly. Hogan's Alley boots, and I got Vs. Pinball to boot (uses the same PPU), but nothing else would work. Not even taking his good ROMset and PPU and putting it on my board. I even used my EPROM burner and made copies of his ROMs since I wasn't sure what Romset in MAME worked best with the PPU hacks. Still no luck.

Then, last night, I read that SMB REQUIRES you to have a CPU or a dummy CPU on the second side in order to work. Arcadenut's working board has the dummy CPU - mine doesn't. So tonight I loaded his Romset onto my board, put the PPU in, and added the dummy CPU...

...and what do you know, my board worked with his roms!! Perfectly, even!!!


Feeling emboldened, I burned a new set of EPROMs, adding in the PPU hacks. I put my Hogan's Alley PPU back in, and then I did a jumper trick... The dummy CPU can be replaced by simply running a jumper between two pins on the second CPU side. So I did that, crossed my fingers, and fired it up....

And had my own copy of SMB running on my board!!!

So, it looks like Janky Kong will be at ZapCon running Super Mario Bros!

[ChanceKJ]

.

[yotsuya]

Yeah I had trouble with 2600's rom hacks at first. A buddy of mine with a burner had to make three attempts at a set of Balloon Fight ROMs before we finally got it to work. It was ULTRA picky about voltage, and ultra picky about verifying them.  Needless to say I have BF working on a set of 0002 PPUs now. So stoked.

I ran into the same issue with the Dummy CPU with SMB when I first got my tent last year. I was trying to figure out why it wasn't working and seriously thought I screwed up something when none of my three PCB's would work with the chip sets.

Until Naz is done, I plan on collecting a few more myself.  Just got a new 0002 PPU in today, a couple more chips and I'll have a working Vs SkyKid/Ice Climber to add to my Wrecking Crew and Balloon Fight. Might just have to get a couple more PCB's so I can get a SMB/Excitebike and Dr Mario/CluClu Land ones going as well.

It's becoming an addiction.

Yeah, I might keep an eye out for some other sets myself, especially since I don't know where Naz is in the process. I wouldn't mind getting Excitebike and Ice Climber as well. I'm just glad my board works. I bought it untested on eBay, so as it is, I've been playing with house money.

[yotsuya]

So today I took out the MAME setup in Janky Kong and installed my Unisystem board. I had to run some power wires to the harness and recrimp the speaker wires, but I now have a working Super Mario Bros setup in Janky Kong. Since she's now running a dedicated board, I'm going to take her to ZapCon. I've had a pretty good cash offer for her, but I kinda want to keep her for the Universus board coming out soon. Anyway, Janky Kong is now in her final, final form after being final. Thanks for all the kind words and encouragement along the way. Remember, you can earn the Janky Kong badge at ZapCon!

[vwalbridge]

I kinda want to keep her for the Universus board coming out soon.

Nice. I'm looking forward to the Universus board too. It can't come soon enough. Looking forward to seeing Ms. Jankey in 2 weeks!

[dmckean]

OK, although my Janky Kong Vs. Unisystem Restoration is done, plays well, and all that cal, my dream for the machine has always been to run a real Unisystem board in him, preferably running the Universus daughtercard when it's available. To do that, though, I need a Unisystem2JAMMA adapter because my cab is wired for JAMMA, I'm using a non-Sanyo monitor, and I don't have a sound amp that the Unisystem board needs. Mike's Arcade sells one, a multi pcb setup with wires and such. So I've held off on getting one because the Universus isn't available yet.

Then yesterday, Mike posted this:


http://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?sku=VS2JAMMA

Holy CRAP have I been waiting for that! It's an all-in-one adapter that does exactly what I need. I ordered mine a few minutes ago. My plan is to convert Janky Kong to the working Vs. Unisystem board that I have. It's set to Hogan's Alley right now, but I'll do a ROM swap to change it to Excite Bike or Super Mario Bros. So now, Janky Kong is going to ZapCon. I'm going to take a Sharpie as well, because I want all my BYOAC brothers to sign it as well. Who's quite chuffed? This mofo!

Wow, I missed the release of this.

Very cool.

[yotsuya]

Out with the MAME, in with the PCB...

[opt2not]

 

Is there a better solution for that hi-score battery? Never trusted AA's to not leak on these boards.

[yotsuya]

Is there a better solution for that hi-score battery? Never trusted AA's to not leak on these boards.

Probably.That's a brand new battery holder, plus I used batteries that aren't supposed to leak. We'll see.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Mail me Janky's old computer. I don't have a Unisystem PCB yet for mine. LOL.

DeL

[yotsuya]

Mail me Janky's old computer. I don't have a Unisystem PCB yet for mine. LOL.

DeL

That gorgeous metal-backed SSD & J-Pac all-in-one setup? You wish.

I'll either save it for my gun cab dream (which is why it exists in the first place), or I'll upgrade my existing MAME cab with it. But money talks, too...

[yotsuya]

Erp.... slow network, double post..



[Edit:  Was going to kill this post, but the animated gif is too cool.  So leaving as is]   

[harveybirdman]

Did you have any issues with 5V and 12V line running to the JPAC? If I use a slot in Bullet Reign for mame and a JPAC I am interested in any necessary mods.

[yotsuya]

Did you have any issues with 5V and 12V line running to the JPAC? If I use a slot in Bullet Reign for mame and a JPAC I am interested in any necessary mods.

Those weren't actually hooked up. I added the power lines this weekend when I put the switcher and PCB in.

[yotsuya]

I love how this project has evolved.

I finally got my hands on a MultiVS kit. HighScoreSaves.com is selling the board, and if you read the Summer of Chuff thread, you'll see that yours truly assembled them! The board replaces the 6 game eproms, and allows you to run up to 8 different games, depending on the PPU. If you read KLOV, you'll see that the ROMS have been hacked to run on different PPUs, allowing for greater flexibility. The games are combined and written to two flash eproms, which allows me to write and re-write different combinations. The games are selected via an onboard DIP switch, but you can also install a remote header.

The kit is awesome! These are the 8 games I'm running.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Didn't realize you had the gun for your cab.  What do those run?

[yotsuya]

Didn't realize you had the gun for your cab.  What do those run?

I don't. I'm going to do the light gun zapper hack to run those gun games on my cab.

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

[yotsuya]

You guys ready for gun games?

I put Hogan's Alley and Duck Hunt as Games 7 & 8 on my image (I own a set of HA roms and my PPU is from the set, so I have a soft spot for it). I read about the NES Zapper hack here, so I got one from eBay. I have an empty NES case so I took one of the controller connectors out so I didn't have to hack the game cord.



I then studied schematics to see what would work best for me. I'm using one of Mike's Arcade Unisystem to JAMMA adapters, so I decided to solder wires from the connector directly to the adapter. I also had to jumper from pin 4 to pin 1 to shut off the "missing gun" alarm.



After doing the gun transitor hack, I connected the gun to the connector.



After tweaking the monitor for brightness, well...

Success! I was able to play both Duck Hunt and Hogan's Alley!

So here's what I'm going to do.. I'm going to mount that connector underneath the control panel so I can plug in the gun when I want to play gun games. I also need to install a switch to enable/disable the alarm jumper, since in other games it's the up switch, and so if it's always connected it'll cause an issue. I'm making a master remote switch panel for the DIPS on my MultiVS, so all in all, it's pretty much done and perfect for my needs. What an awesome kit!

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

[yotsuya]

Here's the video!



Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

[vwalbridge]

Now this is what BYOAC is all about right here. Very, very cool Yots! 

[yotsuya]

Thanks, brother. There's something so cool about looking at schematics and figuring stuff out.

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

[Malenko]

Hall of Famer right there

[n3wt0n]

Janky Kong just keeps getting better and better! Nice job Yotsuya!     

[yotsuya]

Janky Kong just keeps getting better and better! Nice job Yotsuya!     

Thanks. It's become one of my favorite builds, mainly based on its evolution from a basic Unisystem MAME cab into a real multi cab using an original board.

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

[yotsuya]

Btw, HighScoreSaves.com just put the MultiVS on sale right now. If you have a dedicated Unisystem board, it's a great upgrade.

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

[opt2not]

Yes yes yes! Nice job brotha!

[harveybirdman]

So now that this thing is 8 levels of awesome, I think it needs it's own Janky Kong marquee and sideart...

[yotsuya]

So now that this thing is 8 levels of awesome, I think it needs it's own Janky Kong marquee and sideart...

Ooohh Ooohh ohhhh I'll Google for a jpg of Donkey Kong wearing a tie and late 90s console Mario RIGHT NOW!!!

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

[harveybirdman]

[yotsuya]

That's going to be the artwork for the Knock-Off III!

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

[Malenko]

Im pretty terrible at making new art if you want me to give it a go

[yotsuya]

Nope, art is done.

I added the passthrough jack for the Zapper. Hidden under the control panel, out of sight until I want to add a gun.



Switch it to a gun game and I'm golden.



Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

[yotsuya]

Here's a fun little project I cobbled together - a remote switch box using the header pin on the MultiVS. I picked up some mini on/off switches and a project box at Frys and wired it up. I set all the DIPs on the board to off, connected the box to the header, and now I can select a game simply by turning off the machine at the power switch I use, opening the coin door, and using the first three switches that correspond with the dips. In this photo, you can see I've got Game 7 selected. Since it's Hogan's Alley, I need to enable the jumper for  the gun alarm, so I installed another switch oriented horizontally to do that.



Quick and dirty, but it gets the job done, and I don't have to mess with the board at all.

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

[DeLuSioNal29]

Slick!  I'm still in Phase 1:  Unpacking the PCB and Multi-VS. :-). Can't wait!



DeL

[yotsuya]

Joe already sent you the MultiVS? He's good.

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

[yotsuya]

I just picked something up for Janky Kong that will, by this time next week, put this baby into her final form. Hella chuffed, stay tuned!

[Scotty_C]

Just got done going through this awesome build!!  Outstanding

[yotsuya]

Just got done going through this awesome build!!  Outstanding

Thanks, my friend. It's been a long journey, but this project is almost done! At least, done again!

[yotsuya]

Pillow balls....

It's been 9 months... Have you lubed up your pillow balls?

[yotsuya]

Those of you that have been to recent ZapCons know that I ended up trading Janky Kong a few years ago for a Galaga. Some friends wanted to mix it up, so I said OK to the trade.

Fast forward to today... it’s good to have you back, old friend...




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