Anyone MAMEd a Taito cab?

[wakerlet]

Has anyone MAMEd a Taito style cab?  Looking for control panel layouts that would work with an Elevator Action cab.

Help is always appreciated.

-Todd

[SirPeale]

I have one, but haven't done anything with it yet.  It's going to require extensive work, as it has heavy water damage.  Likely I will just use it as a template and cut new pieces from it.

One thing I do need is either a new CP or dimensions so I can have one made.  It's one of the few things it didn't come with.

[Jedi Master Matt]

I've got an old Taito Arakanoid cab that I'm currently in the process of MAMEing.  

I've got the paint stripped off, try getting that dark green color off... yuck!

I'm getting started on the control panel on Thursday.  I've decided to "notch" out the sides so that I can widen the panel out to about 25" so it'll take two players easily.  I'm going to try to keep the panel at the same angle as the monitor glass, so it should look pretty sharp.

After much debate, I've purchased a 21" computer monitor to put in there.  The cab is simply too small to go 25".  

I'll try to get some pics posted on the Projects board once things start rolling.  

[CitznFish]

Has anyone MAMEd a Taito style cab?  Looking for control panel layouts that would work with an Elevator Action cab.

Help is always appreciated.

-Todd

Elevator Action is a sweet game! Is the cab in really poor condition? If not you should just restore it, sell it, and buy an even better cab to MAME

just my $.02

[rampy]

ooooh ooooh me!

UberCade: Taito MAME Cabinet conversion

let me know if you need any further info... (than on the site)

I used a "T" method  to extend the control panel to put more controls on and living room.

rampy

[slicer_d]

I too am working on a taito mame cab conversion and looked through quite a few pages I only found two (well now three if you include rampys)

here is one I cant find the other one at the moment though I will post later if I find it.

http://www.mameworld.net/massive/Cabinet/Zeldamame/Zelda.htm
He did acutally cut part of the cab off to make this though so keep that in mind.

[slicer_d]

Found the other one finally

http://sztaba.com/mame/

These 3 conversions seem to run the gambit on what you can do with the cab.  Simple with Robs a little more complex with rampys but still pretty simple and clean.  And ultra crazy huge with the Zelda one.  I think I will go wiht Robs at first and mabye when I get my money saved up go for the trackball and maybe  a spinner.

How far along are you on yours?  I'm wainting to get mine painted.  After that it will probably stay a dedicated Robocop cab for a while then (unless I find a better machine) I will start working on maming it.

[paigeoliver]

Arkanoid was conversion-only, there were no dedicated Arkanoid cabinets.

[rampy]

For what it's worth, in retrospect I would have been happy NOT "T"ing out... and going with a simpler layout/control panel.

If I were to do it again going for more seemless elegance... (even though I love it) I'd lose the oscar spinner *sniff* and go to a 2 and 1/4" trackball and fit it in the original control panel space (still 2 joysticks/6 buttons ---> I'd got with new fancy ultimarc sticks or groovey game gear switchable sticks)  I'd still try to find room for the spinner, come to think of  it...

I think my desire to play golden tee drove a lot of the decisions and I don't really play PC golden tee all that much to have warranted that much design consideration/shelf space.

*shrug*

rampy

[wakerlet]

Thanks everyone who responded!!

Rampy:  Do you mean that you would still lengthen the cp (out) but not "T" it?  Otherwise I'm not sure if I could squeeze a TB in there.

Thanks,
Todd

[ashardin]

I've done a couple...

I found that a 20" or 21" PC monitor will drop right in.  Take the outer plastic case off of the monitor, and it will be held in by the Taito's original monitor mounting metal bracket.

[rampy]

Thanks everyone who responded!!

Rampy:  Do you mean that you would still lengthen the cp (out) but not "T" it?  Otherwise I'm not sure if I could squeeze a TB in there.

Thanks,
Todd

That's pretty much what I'm saying:  I'd either use an originally sized control panel, or only enlongate it a little bit, but would NOT "T" it out and build a whole supporting box/etc... i.e. I'd keep it a little more original/classic =)

I'm pretty sure one could fit 2 joysticks, 6 buttons each, and a 2 and 1/4" trackball (although to save on a wee bit of real estate do a custom trackball mount and not a big plate)... I found it infinitely useful to use Visio and the stencils that are "full size" footprints of the control parts available on the arcadecontrols website.  You can move things around on a "sheet" that's full size of your intentded control panel space and see what fits and what doesn't...

As always you can and should make a cardboard mockup to see if what you designed in Visio is comfortable and makes sense for playability (i.e. you won't be too cramped with two players, no accidently hitting trackball or other function buttons, etc etc)

My second project (which is really my friends cabinet) is a simliarly sized Sente cabinet and we've got it configured for 2 players 6 buttons each with space allocated for a trackball later (and it's a comprable control panel).  

I know there's a byoacer who's gone bothways on this, that I wish I could send you a link to to their before and after CP or a thread with his thoughts...

Unless you want to go button/control happy you can make it without the "T" is my main point, I guess.

rampy

[ashardin]

I went with the T, but it was strictly for ergonomic reasons.  I slotted the new control panel and laid it in the existing spot.  It may be uglier, but usefulness won for me.  Especially if you have kids that will be playing, if they need to be up on stools it will get really nasty with both of them trying to fit on a 23 inch control panel.

[Jedi Master Matt]

wakerlet,

I thought about doing the T method, but I didn't like the idea of getting further away from the monitor.  That's why I'm going with notching out the sides a little using the existing space between the monitor mount and the front of the cab.  

It'll allow me to put a 25-26" wide CP box up flush with the monitor mount.  It only widens the cab out by about an 1 1/2" per side, so it shouldn't be too disimilar to the original.  

The 25" wide CP allows me to get two P360s and a six button pack on each side of the TB.  

I'll try to get the digital camera as soon as construction starts.  Unfortunately, it won't be until next week at the earliest.

[wakerlet]

Thank you all for the info.  One more question.  Would anyone be willing to build a bigger cp for me or sell their existing one?  I have no skill with wood, a lot with computers and wiring but none with wood.

Short of that, maybe someone has an old Taito cp lying around they want to sell (mine's hacked up)? Or even someone willing to post detailed diagrams of their cp for a taito cab?

Thanks,
Todd

[SirPeale]

What do you want to do with your old CP?

[rampy]

Thank you all for the info.  One more question.  Would anyone be willing to build a bigger cp for me or sell their existing one?  I have no skill with wood, a lot with computers and wiring but none with wood.

Short of that, maybe someone has an old Taito cp lying around they want to sell (mine's hacked up)? Or even someone willing to post detailed diagrams of their cp for a taito cab?

Thanks,
Todd

Hey Todd,

I wouldn't be afraid of the wood working part.  It's just like anythign else, at first it's intimidating, but once you get going you build confidence and then you wonder why you were so concerned in the first place.

CP's are very rudimentary on the carpenter skill level index.  As long as you plan and can borrow/own the right tools and take your time it's easy.

If you (for the time being/hyopthetically speaking) dropped the idea of "T"ing out or extending the CP... a replacment CP can just be a sheet of metal or a sheet of wood in a rectangle shape with 1 and 1/8th holes drilled in.  That's as straightforward as it comes!

I guess what I'm saying is that I failed woodworking in 8th grade and with a patience and preserverences (and help/support of the byoac community) I did fine.

good luck!

rampy

[SkateDetroit]

I second Rampys notion. It's all intimidating at first, but once you get your hands dirty you never go back. Find a design you like and are comfortable with. Try it out with some cardboard or even some cheap wood. Home Depot has a (if memory serves) 8 foot long by 11 inch wide piece of MDF for somewhere around 7 bucks. That is PLENTY of wood to screw up for your first try. They'll even do some cuts for you.

     Likewise you can pick up a 1 and 1/8 inch hole drilling bit for 4 bucks.

     If that fails you, i'm just around the corner and can help you fashion your panel.

[wakerlet]

Okay, okay, okay...this is BYOAC not BYOCP  

Before I get started though, does someone have some detailed pics of their cp (underneath, where it attaches to the cab, etc.)?

Thanks again.
Todd

[Stingray]

Not sure if this is what you're looking for or not. My CP is metal, but you can see the tabs in this picture where the panel clamps hold it to the cab: http://www.stingrays.dk/arcade/CP02.jpg

-S