Letting people play cab?

[Tahnok]

I just got my CP working last night (loads of fun!). I was thinking of bringing it to a game night with my youth group (high school age). But the more I think about it the more I am afraid of something happening to all my hard work. How much does it take to break a joystick or a trackball (T-stik Plus and Ultimarc 2 1/4")? How much of a chance is there of something getting damaged?

Thanks!

Edit: Oh, BTW... Does anybody know of any lights that can run off of 5 volts from the mouse? I am looking for something bright enough to make the trackball and buttons glow. I doubt there is anything, but it would be nice to have everything glow without having to use tons of LEDs or a power plug.

[whammoed]

Here is a link to some bayonet style led's that run on 6v but 5v should work.  You would need bayonet style sockets for these, I didn't see any 5v wedge base but they probably exist somewhere.
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=755&cart_id=6013726.15570
I wouldn't try to run an incandecent bulb off the ps2 or usb power as they draw a lot more amps.
Your controls are real arcade controls and are meant to take a beating just as they would in a real arcade.  I however don't know how sturdy your panel is, but I would guess it is built well?

[Tilzs]

Just like anything else, if you are worried that something will happen to it, then don't bring it.

[APFelon]

Nah, I would trust those products to withstand the wear and tear of non-abusive use for years and years. A trackball is pretty much indestructable unless they spill something in it. (I have seen guys playing Golden Tee that would hit the trackball with a tremendous amount of force. As long as you have it installed correctly, I wouldn't worry a lick about it). Let them play your cab with confidence!

For the lighting, have you thought about mounting a florescent tube behind the panel? You could even go ghetto and mount Xmas lights behind them, I suppose. a bulb that runs on 5v is a bladed 77(I believe).

APf

[paigeoliver]

No one is EVERY going to break your joysticks, trackballs, or other newly purchased controls.

They are much more likely to mess up that overlay you printed out yourself, or just hit the machine a lot (which doesn't actually hurt it at all, but it will still make you cringe).

[Tahnok]

They are much more likely to mess up that overlay you printed out yourself, or just hit the machine a lot (which doesn't actually hurt it at all, but it will still make you cringe).

I won't have an overlay by the time of the event and I am only going to be bringing the CP not the entire cab, so it sounds like I really have nothing to worry about.

[Zinfari]

I wouldn't worry about the durability.  The sticks, etc are designed to take punishment.  As far as the lights I used these with great success.  They work for 5v or 12 v, you just need to put different size limit resistors to make them work correctly (and they tell you the size) http://www.glowire.com/Lazer%20LEDs.htm they are at the bottom of that page.

-Zinfari

[photorock]

           Take it and enjoy it, it will be fine. The controls for the most part are the same ones that are in every arcade in the country and look at the abuse they take. Your Fine... Enjoy.

[SirPoonga]

You used ARCADE parts, right?  Of course they can stand up to abuse.  Ever go to an arcade and watch or play

you shouldn;t have a problem.  Just say not food or drinks near it and you will be fine.

[Tahnok]

You used ARCADE parts, right?  Of course they can stand up to abuse.  Ever go to an arcade and watch or play

Yes, but what got me wondering is when I walked into Tommy's Burger and both cabs were messed up. One of them is so messed up that they no longer run it and the other's joystick is unusable. I think one of them is a Capcom and the other a Neo-Geo. The cabs themselves are no prizes either though (huge scratches, broken plexi on CP, dead lights, etc)

[Wizard of DelRay]

Yes, but what got me wondering is when I walked into Tommy's Burger and both cabs were messed up. One of them is so messed up that they no longer run it and the other's joystick is unusable. I think one of them is a Capcom and the other a Neo-Geo. The cabs themselves are no prizes either though (huge scratches, broken plexi on CP, dead lights, etc)

Being that they're a Capcom and Neo Geo they could be over a decade old.  That's probably over 10 years of abuse from kids (and some adults I'm sure) beating the crap out of them on a daily basis and the manager not caring what they look like or even if they run, since that's not really their big source of income.  The kids in your youth group likely will have respect for what took your time and money to create.

[Darkstalker]

"Being that they're a Capcom and Neo Geo they could be over a decade old.  That's probably over 10 years of abuse from kids (and some adults I'm sure) beating the crap out of them on a daily basis and the manager not caring what they look like or even if they run, since that's not really their big source of income.  The kids in your youth group likely will have respect for what took your time and money to create."

Exactly...Lets make the comparison:

Public butt-head with no respect....Youth group membership....

Just lay some groundrules of no food or drink and no rough-housing the cabinet/controls and it should be fine.  After all, what's the point in having a multi-player cabinet if you don't let anyone else play?

[Xiaou2]

 Joysticks arnt indestructible.  They contain parts that do wear in them - especially if some peope are 'hard' on them.

 However... the plastic spacers on them that wear... take abot 3 to 6 months in an arcade to wear down to unusability.  ( i used to work in an arcade for 3 years )

 As for trackballs, they also wear - but will take years of abuse.  Mostly just the bearing need cleaning and lube.

 Soda and drink will cause problems with both tho.

[Todd H]

To me that's the fun part about owning a cab...letting other people play it!  

[mahuti]

I let Dee-Runk drunk people at my parties play my cab all the time. They haven't even come close to messing it up. My business partner abuse it every day, with no problems... sometimes even shoving it around.

At any rate, a joystick is only 10-20$, so that's not too much to have to replace.

[paigeoliver]

Exactly...Lets make the comparison:

Public butt-head with no respect....Youth group membership....

As the owner of MANY games and youth group sponsor for two years now I can certainly tell you that there is no difference between the two. The youth group kids beat the crap out of the games exactly the same way random people on the street do.

But, the WORST (other than 3 year olds, who like to HANG from joysticks), have to be girls in their 20s. Each and every single person I have ever witnessed smacking the GLASS monitor bezel on one of my machines has been a girl in her 20s.

[Darkstalker]

"Each and every single person I have ever witnessed smacking the GLASS monitor bezel on one of my machines has been a girl in her 20s. "

Gah <shudder>!  Being a person that sports a 4.5 inch long scar on my foot from putting it through a plane of glass when they were younger, it makes me cringe just thinking about that.  Then again, some people have to learn the hard way...

[mattv]

Each and every single person I have ever witnessed smacking the GLASS monitor bezel on one of my machines has been a girl in her 20s.

On the plus side, lots of nice young ladies playing games on your cab. Maybe when they loose and get upset you could offer to show them how it's done?
"No, no, no. You technique is all wrong! here, let me just reach round you like... this, and show you how its done. That? don't worry about that it just my... uh, joystick."

[Knoxximus]

To me that's the fun part about owning a cab...letting other people play it!  

Absolutely!  Yesterday I had 2 buddies of mine play through Double Dragon 1 & 2 back to back.  Nothing is funnier than watching those two really get into it....smack talking and all!  It's like they fight teh Williams and Abobos, somebody will get in the "accidental" lick (which is always up for debate), they chase each other around for a bit, make a unspoken truce to get rid of some baddies that just entered the screen, then, no sooner than the last one grunts and is flashing supine on the ground, they are right back at each other throats!

....IT  DON'T GET NO BETTER!!

[danny_galaga]

remember, it won't be a real cab until someone stubs a cigarette out on it...

[Raven..]

Yes, but what got me wondering is when I walked into Tommy's Burger and both cabs were messed up. One of them is so messed up that they no longer run it and the other's joystick is unusable. I think one of them is a Capcom and the other a Neo-Geo. The cabs themselves are no prizes either though (huge scratches, broken plexi on CP, dead lights, etc)

My thought here was, maybe you could rescue these poor abused cabs for cheap and have a new project.  

[monkeybomb]

I teach special education at a middle school in the inner city of Los Angeles.  I brought a Hot Rodd (happs supers and buttons).  If any kind of rough play would have damaged those sticks I promise my kidds would have done it.  They played 30 minutes before school and 45 at lunch and break everyday for the second semester.  I can't imagine fearing a few drunk idiots.

[StephenH]

As for the lights, it might be best to run off an unused disk drive connector (+5V ot +12V).    Also, you could get a cheap transformer from Radio Shack, Wal-mart, Target, or other stores to power your lights.  Just make sure the voltage and amperage correspond to what your lights need.   Most transformer adapters can supply between 1.5V and 24V, and between 100ma and 3A.     For incadesent lights, it does not matter if the voltage is AC or DC.   For LEDs, DC is probably best.

[GameDork]

Yeah,its fun to watch others play, I almost had to drag a cousin off of MAD DONNA Yesterday!! That's a different story though............