Building my first cab

[grudgnor]

Hi All,

   I'm a relative newcomer to the MAME community and have just bought my first cabinet to play with. It's a standard JAMMA cab that used to be a Capcom vs. Marvel. I bought it from a vending company for $100, came with two joysticks (competition I think), 14 buttons, and a 25" Standard Resolution (I think) arcade monitor. It does need some work, but that's no biggie.
   My main questions are about the hardware and software I should use to make this baby work. I've read a lot from this website and easy mame cab, and it looks like besides the expensive ArcadeVGA, Trident Blade T64 and Matrox G400 are the best cards for hooking up to a 15kHz monitor. In order for these cards to work with an arcade monitor, do you absolutely have to use AdvanceMAME? I know that AdvanceMAME gives you a lot of options, but is it better than MAME32?
   I guess my main concern is running windows with the monitor. I want to use windows because I heard that DOS doesn't support USB devices, which would be my ipac and many other converters that I have (N64, PS, Trackball, etc). It seems like easy mame cab is definitely biased towards DOS, and I understand their reasons for that choice.  I don't want to hurt my monitor, and want to have a great setup with the best software at the same time.
   Sorry if these are tired topics, I looked around a few boards and still had these questions.  Thanks for any help!

Jeremy

Attached is a pic of my cab, I haven't had a chance to clean it up at all yet.

[GamingGreg]

Where's the pic?

[FractalWalk]

besides the expensive ArcadeVGA . . . In order for these cards to work with an arcade monitor, do you absolutely have to use AdvanceMAME

1) ArcadeVGA is not that expensive.
2) The whole point of using ArcadeVGA is that you don't need AdvanceMame.  Just connect your monitor and you can set the original resolutions for most games without anh H/W stretching. In other words, it rocks.

[grudgnor]

Where's the pic?

Sorry bout that, and the double post, for some reason I didn't get a confirmation that this was being posted, and I did attach my pic using the attach file, but oh well...

Anyways, I'll just link it:




Also, after paying $100 for the cab, $90 for just the ArcadeVGA seems kind of expensive, especially seeing other cards out there for $30.  I'm a starving college student, so I need to check out all of my options

[SkateDetroit]

     Cab looks pretty good. 100 bucks for a populated cab is a pretty decent deal. Grab a JPAC and a Arcade VGA and you'll be up and running with out much of a headache.

     Oscar Controls has alot of screen shots of the Arcade VGA in action you might want to check out.

http://oscarcontrols.com/arcadevga/index.shtml

     Might as well know what you're getting BTW - Is that one of those old TV/Speaker Game system combos behind your cab?

 

[paigeoliver]

Since you ALREADY have a nice 25" monitor, then I would go ahead and spring for the arcadeVGA, you won't be dissapointed.

I have built A LOT of Mame cabinets and I always try to do them as cheaply as possible, but I would not hesistate to purchase an arcadeVGA for a cabinet with a 25" monitor. There ARE other solutions, but all of them are inferior.

As far as I can see all you will need is.

A marquee ($10, just get some sort of Streetfighter one or something).
Encoder $30ish.
ArcadeVGA $90
computer $80-$100, search ebay local until you can find a 500+ mhz computer that actually has an AGP slot in it. You can spend a lot more money in this area if you WANT to, but it really isn't the best place to spend your money when it comes to a Mame cabinet. Use Mame version .60 for a computer of that vintage, as the newer Mame versions won't perform as well on an older computer.

[Minwah]

Also, after paying $100 for the cab, $90 for just the ArcadeVGA seems kind of expensive, especially seeing other cards out there for $30.  I'm a starving college student, so I need to check out all of my options

Point taken, I have to agree with the others tho - the AVGA makes it so easy you've got to get one.  Sell your bed or something if you must  

[Truz]

omg i hate you, ahaha i would kill for that cab. Im looking to start my first mame project and have been looking for an empty cab. And for 100 that cab is an awesome deal, i think. Also i love MvC (1st one... the 2nd one sucks) so i would love to have that cab.

Good luck with the cab it looks to be in great shape.




By the way, im a total noob and i have no idea where to begin looking for an empty cab, im in New Jersey and if anyone could point me in the right direction i would greatly appreciate it. thanks.

[Stingray]

I'll rubber stamp what everyone else is saying. You'd be doing yourself a disservice if you don't get an arcade vga card to use with that nice big monitor.

-S

[Edgedamage]

You could go the j-pac way with dos mame and arcade os. Yes the arcade vga ROCKS!! but to save money one could just use the j-pac.

[Edgedamage]

Again the arcade vga kicks --I'm attempting to get by the auto-censor and should be beaten after I re-read the rules-- but you said your cab is jamma well here's my old jamma cab with just a j-pac.

[grudgnor]

Well, after all of the great advice on the ArcadeVGA, I've decided to bite the bullet and lay down the $89 for it.  Even though I could probably pick up another cab for that cash, I know that it'll save me so much hassle compared to any other card out there.

paigeoliver, what encoder do you recommend?  Ipac and Jpac look great, but again, if I can save $25 bucks I'll go with something else.
This cab is stuck at my house 3 and a half hours away, but I'm heading home today to take a better look at it.  In the few hours I had with it when I bought it and put it in the house, I never got the control panel off (I think i see how it's supposed to lift off, but I was afraid that I could break something by forcing it) and didn't have a chance to really check out the insides of the cab (beyond looking through the coin door opening, the back of the machine is screwed on).  I know that the company I bought it from removed the Marvel vs. Capcom board from it, but I don't yet know if they removed the JAMMA connections.  I don't know why they would, but that might rule out the Jpac as an option if it's true.  I'll post later this weekend on what I find out.  Thanks for the replies!

BTW - Is that one of those old TV/Speaker Game system combos behind your cab?

That's just a GXTV by samsung.  It was a decent gaming TV for a boy like myself when I first got it a looong time ago.  It has 3 RCA inputs, 1 RCA out, and 2 coaxial plugs, along with those sexy fold out speakers.  Too bad it's only a 13".


-Jeremy

[Edgedamage]

"That's just a GXTV by samsung.  It was a decent gaming TV for a boy like myself when I first got it a looong time ago.  It has 3 RCA inputs, 1 RCA out, and 2 coaxial plugs, along with those sexy fold out speakers.  Too bad it's only a 13".

Hey I thought I was the only one with one of those!! For a little tv they sound great.

[Santoro]

OK, so I must be missing something.

What makes the AVGA a superior option over advancemame with a cheaper card?  I know ease of configuration is a biggie, but is there anything else?  

IMHO my AdvanceMame/ATI/D9200 combination rocks.  I can boot into windows, and it was ~$50 cheaper that the AVGA.

I know it is just me since the group was practically unanimous about it.  Just want to inderstand why.  Thanks

[Truz]

haha i have one of those samsung gxtv's as well... and i thought i was the only one with one. Yea it is pretty cool but its a little small, ive had it for a while and it got some good use back in the day. This is the first time i have ever encountered anyone else (let alone 2 people )  with this tv.. haha pretty funny.

[FractalWalk]

I know ease of configuration is a biggie, but is there anything else?  

Personally, I don't have the time or knowlege to configure AdvanceMame. With ArcadeVGA, it's a snap. Well worth an extra few $$.

[SkateDetroit]

     When those Tvs came out I wanted one so bad! It seemed like the greatest idea ever. Someone sell me theirs so I can live my dream heh. No seriously. It seems like the perfect thing to play some Final Fantasy action on, or Metal Gear. I couldn't imagine doing 2 players on that bad boy, but anything is possible I suppose.

         One poor college kid to another,

            ~A

[grudgnor]

I got to play around with the cab this past weekend, found out the monitor is a Wells-Gardner 25K7193.  I finally unlocked the control panel and got inside.  I found $0.75 and a token, along with an old fax from 1997.  Apparently it had started "losing money" and needed to be repaired.  At the time it was a Maximum Force instead of a Marvel vs. Capcom.

I found a great bundle deal on tigerdirect.com and bought the computer I'm going to put in it.  Here's the specs-

[hyiu]

if the marquee plexi is not scratched, but just the sticker didn't come off nicely... maybe you can try buying those goo-off stuff... wet a napkins and soak whatever is remiaining on the plexi by those goo-off, and slowly, it'll come off... that should save you a couple of bucks...

[grudgnor]

if the marquee plexi is not scratched, but just the sticker didn't come off nicely... maybe you can try buying those goo-off stuff... wet a napkins and soak whatever is remiaining on the plexi by those goo-off, and slowly, it'll come off... that should save you a couple of bucks...

I was going to try that but couldn't find the goo-gone.  The sticker has really eaten away at the plexiglass, almost look like someone's spilled acid on it or something.  I didn't think a sticker could do that to plastic  

Oh well...

[Minwah]

OK, so I must be missing something.

What makes the AVGA a superior option over advancemame with a cheaper card?  I know ease of configuration is a biggie, but is there anything else?  

IMHO my AdvanceMame/ATI/D9200 combination rocks.  I can boot into windows, and it was ~$50 cheaper that the AVGA.

I know it is just me since the group was practically unanimous about it.  Just want to inderstand why.  Thanks

I think because you have a D9200 you have it a bit easier than many others...your screen can display 640x480 and above.  I think in addition to the battle with AdvanceMAME, it is not that easy to get Windows itself to display on a standard res arcade monitor - this is where the AVGA comes in

[paigeoliver]

I have used both Ultimarc encoders and groovygamegear.com ones.

I suggest using an ultimarc one for this project simply because you are ALREADY ordering the arcadevga from andy, might as well get them both in one shot (that is no slight again keywhiz encoders, since I like them as well).

As for I-Pac or J-Pac.

If you are going the "save money" route, then go I-pac, it is cheaper and then you can sell your old jamma harness and make $10 off it. Or if you are wanting ease of install then go with the J-Pac.