What is the best order to buy controls in?

[the3eyedblindman]

I already have the wood for the cab, and half of it is done, the computer, the tv, speakers, keyboard mouse, marqee was designed and CPO is being made, now my question is, what is the best order in which to order controls? What i need is A spinner, trackball, lightgun, all my pushbuttons and joysticks, an IPAC4 and on Optipac, What should i buy first? the interfaces or controls? And what comes first, trackball, spinner, and lightgun or the basic controls (joysticks and pushbuttons) just looking for the best way to go, thanks.

[Knoxximus]

Common sense, hombre....whatever you think you are going to use the most, order 1st.

[the3eyedblindman]

Well hombre (?), Im just lookin for the best way to go and what people usually do, interfaces or controls first? and then trackball lightgun and spinner or joysticks and pushbuttons first.

[Goz]

Yeah what Knoxximus said...

Also helpful to know that the more playable your cabinet becomes that typically the slower the progress comes. it's easy to get sidetracked when you can play it.

It's also very important to figure out your wiring prior to just slapping the stuff together.

-Goz

[the3eyedblindman]

ok, thanks, but forget about which controls to buy first, just answer this question, interfaces or controls? They both are used the same...

[pocketbikez]

ive learned its best to buy everything in advance. i always needed to measure something to make fifteen other things down the line fit as well.

* also i like to make a beta control panel and wire it up to make sure everything fits and works well. its much easier than trying to work inside a cabinet and my final construction goes a lot faster.

[monkeybomb]

I bought everything in advance too.  I have found it to be helpful.  But if you can only buy one thing, lightgun for sure.

[the3eyedblindman]

Ok, heres the story,  i am 15 and found a low payin job to pay for this with, my paychecks are usually about 130 bucks every two weeks (hey, im part time, makin six bucks an hour). Most of the money goes to arcade parts, well all of it, So my paycheck is comin up and am wonderin if i can only buy one or two things for these two weeks for the cabinet, and i only have controls left, should i buy the interfaces or controls, and if controls, which ones first.

[paigeoliver]

Well unless you want to toss out money on extra shipping then you should pretty much get most of your controls and encoders at the same time (assuming you get them from the same vendor).

[monkeybomb]

15 huh...The interface is useless without the controls, but the controls can be used, for size, to help make the control panel.  As far as which controls to buy first think joystick and buttons.  BUT, if you know you are going to buy a trackball and are planning to get it from the same place, just wait.  That way you can save on shipping.  Be patient.  

[the3eyedblindman]

Vendor list im planning on buying from...

Joysticks and pushbuttons, Happ Controls.
Interfaces, IPAC4 and OPTIPAC, Ultimarc
Spinner, Oscar Controls
Trackball, Ultimarc
Lightgun, Act Labs

Just wanna know what i should buy, the interfaces first or controls, considering i may only be able to buy one or the other after this paycheck.

[paigeoliver]

And the controls are useless without the interfaces!!!

Anyway, the real answer to this question is easy.

Light gun, buy your lightgun first, because that is a self contained control and with that you will be able to play games while you save up for other stuff.

For at least a month my first Mame cabinet had nothing but a trackball, which was a 3" capcom bowling trackball hacked together with a Compusa serial trackball to make something that sort of worked.

[monkeybomb]

Buttons and joysticks.  Also consider other places that sell happs stuff rather than happs.  They will ram you on shipping.

Heres a place:

http://www.gamecabinetsinc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=J

But there are many.

[the3eyedblindman]

K thanks! Ill have to purchase the house of the deads off of ebay when i purchase that too   After the lightgun im htinkin probably the interfaces, as controls are usuelss without them, so might as well get them outta the way.

[SteveJ34]

K thanks! Ill have to purchase the house of the deads off of ebay when i purchase that too   After the lightgun im htinkin probably the interfaces, as controls are usuelss without them, so might as well get them outta the way.

Well, if you are going to stagger your purchases, if it were me I would get controls so I could be working to get it everything put together while I was building up for next purchase. In this way you can lay out different components and keep the build process going.

When you can, you drop in the encoder you are going to use when you can afford it and complete the wiring.

Ideal situation is to get it all before you put it together but we each gotta do what we gotta do to get it done.

Best of luck!

[RayB]

If money is that hard to come by, then I would think you would not want to waste too much on multiple shipments.

Save up, and buy it all.

Most useful though:
Joys and buttons
Interface
then spinner, trackball and guns (they are kind of the "luxury" controls, which you can live without for a while...)

[NoOne=NBA=]

The encoder, one joystick, and a few buttons will get you into business.
You can build from there.
Every cabinet really hinges around the encoder.
It is the difference between having a "computer inside a pretty box", and having a "complete" cabinet.
Once you break your dependance on NEEDING a keyboard, you're on your way.

Any of the other controls will require some kind of hack, or an attached keyboard, to make them playable.
Because of this, I'd add them later.

As far as CP layout, all the suppliers have mounting diagrams for their devices.
Use these to make sure you leave enough room, and organize well enough, to know what your final layout will be.

[exibar]

I commend you on being 15 and building your own cabinet, there are people twice your age that want to build one but never get around to it.  heck, it's taken me 3 years to get off my butt and build mine!  it's almost done now :-)

  Don't forget, take pictures along the way, and pot them up to a web page for all to see your pride and joy :-)

  The order that you should buy your stuff in will vary according to how much you have to spend at the time.  I would group them by vendor though, just to save on shipping charges.  Ultimarc is in the United Kingdom, shipping is between $12 and $24ish bucks...  I'd order all the stuff that you need from him at once.

  Controls, joysticks and buttons so you can layout your control panel and start wiring the gounds up, putting the little quick connects (home depot sells 100 for around $5, the red ones work perfect for me dont buy these ar Radio shack).
  Get the dimentions of your trackball and/or spinner and make room on your CP for them.

   interface stuff from Ultimarc, and trackball in the same shipment.  You'll be able to finish your wiring to your computer at this point! :-)

   Spinner from oscar, my opinion is to go with the tempest replacement spinner.  I have a real tempest spinner and it's soooo much better than my tron spinner that I was using in my desktop control panel.

    LightGun and any Extras would be here....  Unless you're dieing to play your cab right away with any game you can, I'd put lightgun and extras last.  If you really really want to use your cab, buy the lightgun first as it doesn't need any special interfaces or stuff like that and will only run you $34 bucks + shipping from act-labs.

  oh yah, make sure you resuest a HAPP catalog if you order over $25 worth of their stuff.  They don't automatically send it out to you, you have to request it (I had to request mine twice :-(....  its a nice big catalog that you can use nicely as a reference...  You're supposed to get one catalog free per year with an order of $25 or more, they are normally $10 each.


    Hope this helps!  don't forget to post pictures of your project!

    Mike B

[the3eyedblindman]

Thanks, its gonna look nice, in my opinion, you can checkout the marquee i had made in the artwork forum, tell me what u think.

[the3eyedblindman]

Ok, ill stop at walgreens and get some throw away camera to take pics, i cant wait till its done, and id like everyone to see my work. Ill probably get the lightgun first, because it looks like somethins goin on with act labs, they are discontinuing items. Does anyone know where i can print out exact size templates for 6 button controls, joysticks, spinners, trackballs? so i canj layout a design and know where to make my cuts?

[exibar]

Kinkos can do that for you, I think Office max and Staples can too.

  You can always print out your canel on multiple sheets with any printer, and tape them together.  That would be the cheapest way just for a template

[the3eyedblindman]

I thought there were pre made templates on here somewhere? but i cant fiund them.

[DougHillman]

I thought there were pre made templates on here somewhere? but i cant fiund them.

A link to my Adobe Illustrator file with full sized Ultimarc sticks, Happ's Rotaries, 2 1/4" trackball, Oscar Model 3 & microswitch buttons can be found about 3/4 of the way down this thread.  http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=23028

It's not that difficult to make your own though.  All of the control vendor sites have mounting diagrams that show you the sizes.  You could just draw them out on a piece of paper or make your own in an art program.

As for printing it full sized, as as been said, Kinko's and the like can do it.  Ask some family and friends though, maybe someone has a plotter at work.  My girlfriend prints out my templates for me on the office plotter.

As for your original question, like many of the other questions asked here, there's no right answer.  Only what's right for you.   Nobody can tell you what that is.   As has been said, if you want to save on shipping, save up and order everything that's coming from one place at once.  If you want to get playing some, order your encoder a stick and a coupla buttons.  If you wanna get your CP built, order the controls and get them installed.  

Like others have said, kudos to you for taking on a project of this magnitude.  You need to get out of the mindset that there's some magical "correct" way to do everything though.  This is such a diverse hobby with a thousand ways of doing the same thing.  There's no "right" way, only your way.  

D