Control Panel for 1981 Qix Machine.

[mllkat]

Greeting's,
I am in the middle of converting a Taito cabinet and I am having trouble in designing my control panel. The original metal control panel is in decent shape but is not laid out in the configuration I want. I was hoping to make it a two player control panel with six buttons for each player, along with player 1 and 2 start buttons. However I am at a loss to see how I can fit all of that on a panel the size of the original. I have enclosed a pic of the original panel. Any suggestions would be appreciated or if you could steer me in the direction of one of the posted examples who used something similar.

Thanks,
Mllkat

[Apollo]

I would suggest you don't mutilate that CP but that you get a sheet metal business to make you a blank copy of the panel, have it drilled ( you could do that yourself ) and the powder coat it. Then just SF layout should fit fine.

[steve_pss]

Qix was never a real favorite in the arcades and as such most of the oringinal cabs were coverted. They're are not many orginals intact. Please put that CO on Ebay and let someone restoring an orginal buy it.

[mllkat]

Qix was never a real favorite in the arcades and as such most of the oringinal cabs were coverted. They're are not many orginals intact. Please put that CO on Ebay and let someone restoring an orginal buy it.

That is a good idea. I really wasn't planning on trying to reuse the original but instead build another CP. I would certainly entertain selling it to someone who would need it to restore a QIX machine. I am just at a loss to figure out how to install a larger CP in the small area given. I will figure it out eventually but I am always interested in others ideas.

[pmc]

I fit a 2-player arrangement into a 8"x24.5" panel. 2 sticks and six player buttons each plus a row along the top for coin1/2, 1P/2P start, pause, and escape.

My microswitches extend vertically so there's space (although it's tight underneath).

Not alot of palm-rest space, but it's compact, clean looking, and uncluttered.

Make a mock-up out of plywood or MDF to try it out.

[mahuti]

Please scan it or take good detailed photos & send them to me so that I can recreate the art.

like this stuff. http://localarcade.com/4images

I would appreciate it & it would be a simple one for us to convert to lineart.

[patrickl]

I have seen the CP on the Dream Arcade Cabinet (usually called Arcade Legends) made by DreamAuthentics.com. They even managed to squeeze in a trackball (2" though) in there. I took the perspective out of one of the CP pictures (the overlay is straightened out so the sticks will seem a bit weird):


This panel is about 24.5" wide

[Stingray]

You can fit it. My panel is as small if not smaller:



If I had left out the center (dedicated four way) stick, I could have easily added two more buttons per player.

-S

[flampoo]

That's a 25" wide CP. Plenty of room. Although it's a bit crowded underneath, it's still easy to navigate.

[paigeoliver]

The Streetfighter 2 layout fits that panel just fine. The first Streetfighter 2 machine I ever owned was an ex-Qix.

You just have to put the start buttons on the front of the panel, rather than on the top.

[mllkat]

  You guys ROCK!! I appreciate all the input. Let's just see now if I can get the job done. Thanks again for your suggestions.

Mllkat

[dogg0]

I would suggest you don't mutilate that CP but that you get a sheet metal business to make you a blank copy of the panel, have it drilled ( you could do that yourself ) and the powder coat it. Then just SF layout should fit fine.

do you know of any online sheet metal places? or what to look for in the yellow pages? or what to ask when you find them? I have a 1981 Scramble machine that I need to put a new cp in. thanks.

[Stingray]

what to look for in the yellow pages? or what to ask when you find them?

Look under Metal fabricators. Take your old panel in and have them replicate it. They can also punch holes where ever you like.

-S

[Lance]

I would just build one out of wood.  My friend has a taito cab that we are working on and it you will save yourself a lot of effort if you just make a wood (mdf) panel.  The clips that hold the panel down are bolted on to the metal panel so it would be easy enough to just do the same on a wood panel.

[hyiu]

I think mine is an old 24 in cab... so the CP is just like 22.5 in or so....

http://geocities.com/hyiu/pics/Arcade/Cab_and_Stick/

you can check out the link, and click on the pics...

it was a metal panel, and I redo it with wood... and actually have enough space below to have a keyboard drawer... (but its tight....)

so... it should fit 2 player SF style....

good luck...