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What is the best order to buy controls in?
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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?
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