The Dream Machine of a Non-Techie -- Looking for Advice on Building/Buying

[rablack97]

Yep research is the best way to go.

If you want straight direction, have someone else build it for you.  The research gives you options and possibly better ways to execute.

One person could tell you, yeah put a pi in your arcade and call it a day, or build a frankenpanel, or put a 60" plasma screen in it.

Get feedback and opinions and combine that with your vision to create your own masterpiece.  We are here to help and degrade if it looks like crap.

If you post be prepared for accolades and gut punches, but take the good out of it and keep it going, you'll have something cool when you're done.

[DeLuSioNal29]

No worries all. I have already taken him under my wing. :-)

Since he lives near my old neighborhood which I visit often, I offered to go visit the place where they have the Mr. Do cab for sale so we can check it out together.

Chances are it's easily converted to JAMMA. If not JAMMA harnesses are cheap and I can show him how to pop it in with a switching power supply.

P.S. Tully is not insane (that was rude). He just had some personal issues he needed to work out. Kinda like people talking in the 3rd person, that kind of thing. But definitely not insane.

DeL

[yotsuya]

No worries all. I have already taken him under my wing. :-)

Since he lives near my old neighborhood which I visit often, I offered to go visit the place where they have the Mr. Do cab for sale so we can check it out together.

Chances are it's easily converted to JAMMA. If not JAMMA harnesses are cheap and I can show him how to pop it in with a switching power supply.

P.S. Tully is not insane (that was rude). He just had some personal issues he needed to work out. Kinda like people talking in the 3rd person, that kind of thing. But definitely not insane.

DeL

* yotsuya high fives DeL

[barrymossel]

Kinda like people talking in the 3rd person, that kind of thing.

[jennifer]

No worries all. I have already taken him under my wing. :-)

Since he lives near my old neighborhood which I visit often, I offered to go visit the place where they have the Mr. Do cab for sale so we can check it out together.

Chances are it's easily converted to JAMMA. If not JAMMA harnesses are cheap and I can show him how to pop it in with a switching power supply.

P.S. Tully is not insane (that was rude). He just had some personal issues he needed to work out. Kinda like people talking in the 3rd person, that kind of thing. But definitely not insane.

DeL

I had absolutely nothing to do with Tullys meltdown.

[yotsuya]

No worries all. I have already taken him under my wing. :-)

Since he lives near my old neighborhood which I visit often, I offered to go visit the place where they have the Mr. Do cab for sale so we can check it out together.

Chances are it's easily converted to JAMMA. If not JAMMA harnesses are cheap and I can show him how to pop it in with a switching power supply.

P.S. Tully is not insane (that was rude). He just had some personal issues he needed to work out. Kinda like people talking in the 3rd person, that kind of thing. But definitely not insane.

DeL

I had absolutely nothing to do with Tullys meltdown, He showed up to announce his departure, took his cab design as ransom and then hid behind another member as a contact.... Perhaps I went a bit far in trying to shame him to come back but in the end felt bad Yots (someones who Jenn does respect) having been put in that position.... I have been called much worse than insane here in this forum over the years, but never by a mod, You don't want Jennifer around....So be it and go :censored:yourself.

Hitch up the trailer and come to ZapCon next year, Jennifer!!

[yotsuya]

Btw, I miss LT's willingness to design and create. He was inspired by other designs, but never just blatantly copied them and chalked it up to "being greatly inspired".

[Ian]

 

[Ian]

My first cab was me just connecting wires to see what they do.... Not that I recommend that particular approach. Made a fully functional very enjoyable turd of a cabinet. That was back in 2005. Made a few jukeboxes (one better than the next), and then went back to cabs. Built two more mame machines and surprise surprise they got better with time and dedication to a hobby.

My point is this... I learn best by trial and error... Everyone learns things differently. Some guys can read and read and read and boom! They rock out amazing cabs. I would say most of us have learned by trial and error and experience.

So to the OP... What ever you do is gravy. Advice on this board is offered because hell... we were there before. You can take the advice and learn or you can ignore the advice and learn. Either way it's a great hobby that is unique and fun and you will learn a lot. Is it realistic to build your perfect dream machine on the first go? Sure why not?

[yotsuya]

My first cab was me just connecting wires to see what they do.... Not that I recommend that particular approach. Made a fully functional very enjoyable turd of a cabinet. That was back in 2005. Made a few jukeboxes (one better than the next), and then went back to cabs. Built two more mame machines and surprise surprise they got better with time and dedication to a hobby.

My point is this... I learn best by trial and error... Everyone learns things differently. Some guys can read and read and read and boom! They rock out amazing cabs. I would say most of us have learned by trial and error and experience.

So to the OP... What ever you do is gravy. Advice on this board is offered because hell... we were there before. You can take the advice and learn or you can ignore the advice and learn. Either way it's a great hobby that is unique and fun and you will learn a lot. Is it realistic to build your perfect dream machine on the first go? Sure why not?

Well said, Ian!

[Ian]

My first cab was me just connecting wires to see what they do.... Not that I recommend that particular approach. Made a fully functional very enjoyable turd of a cabinet. That was back in 2005. Made a few jukeboxes (one better than the next), and then went back to cabs. Built two more mame machines and surprise surprise they got better with time and dedication to a hobby.

My point is this... I learn best by trial and error... Everyone learns things differently. Some guys can read and read and read and boom! They rock out amazing cabs. I would say most of us have learned by trial and error and experience.

So to the OP... What ever you do is gravy. Advice on this board is offered because hell... we were there before. You can take the advice and learn or you can ignore the advice and learn. Either way it's a great hobby that is unique and fun and you will learn a lot. Is it realistic to build your perfect dream machine on the first go? Sure why not?

Well said, Ian!

I got words! 

[yotsuya]

My first cab was me just connecting wires to see what they do.... Not that I recommend that particular approach. Made a fully functional very enjoyable turd of a cabinet. That was back in 2005. Made a few jukeboxes (one better than the next), and then went back to cabs. Built two more mame machines and surprise surprise they got better with time and dedication to a hobby.

My point is this... I learn best by trial and error... Everyone learns things differently. Some guys can read and read and read and boom! They rock out amazing cabs. I would say most of us have learned by trial and error and experience.

So to the OP... What ever you do is gravy. Advice on this board is offered because hell... we were there before. You can take the advice and learn or you can ignore the advice and learn. Either way it's a great hobby that is unique and fun and you will learn a lot. Is it realistic to build your perfect dream machine on the first go? Sure why not?

Well said, Ian!

I got words! 

Yep.

Trial and error was so important. My path to where I am now is littered with burned out LEDs, miscut MDF panels, cracked plexiglass, fried EPROMS, and wasted money. But it's also made me better.

[talkgeek]

The good thing about mistakes in this hobby is they can always become something else - I have a custom designed cocktail cab that is now my router table ....or buried in the backyard

Friends and family only need see the good / better / best projects    ...but we should see them all

Personally I think designing the cab is the hardest part - because its often dictated by how good your skills are (or perceive to be) to then build it ...and how much you're willing to challenge / push those skills.

When you get to the wiring / making it "actually work" stage - that part is easy (yes it is Jennifer!), we can talk you through it / point you at some good videos, JAMMA isn't hard to understand - if you go the MAME route you will need some reasonable PC skills, I recommend sticking with JAMMA as a good starting point

Main points are: 
* Define what you want and how it should look
* Workout how you plan to build it - break that down into stages
* Ask for advise (or recommendations) on how to proceed through each stage
* keep moving forward.
* Enjoy yourself - take nothing on this forum as personal
* Embrace time, don't fight it

All the best!

[jennifer]

    The experience of buying your first game is something you will never forget, And I can not.... will not stand in the way of that,  Ya its easy man, go for it!

[barrymossel]

Of course it's easy to build an arcade. After a day of reading you will know what you have to do: saw, make holes, do some electricity, just some installing of software and bam, you got a mediocre arcade. What makes an arcade cabinet great is experience in woodworking and designing. And especially eye for detail, patience and persistence.

But maybe TS should start another thread as you guys f*cked up his by ---smurfette--- fighting.

[jennifer]

 Thx  ,.....  I wouldn't say this thread got "messed up" in the end lots of first time experience posts came from it, That did not come without consequences however,And I Wish to offer apologies to everyone in this thread, INCLUDING Tully for both past and present digressions, So sorry.... In regards to Third people Jennifer, I cannot realistically fix that, in fact without her I simply do not exist....Again, Sorry guys.   

[opt2not]

Hmmm, humble Jenny...I can't help but think "what's the catch?". I'm just waiting for the explosion of --a women scorned-- to manifest. Nope, I don't trust it one bit.

[jennifer]

    The real deal, No tricks.