Newbie needs help

[Marky_1979]

Im a newbie but thats not to say I dont have some ideas as to what im doing.

I have yet to construct my cabinet, but as i have been slowly but surely gathering information and researching I feel im ready... Well its been 4 months now and I just wanna get it started.

I have a few issues that I hope you could all help with and im sure as the weeks go on i'll have a few more.

To date I have ordered all the main parts from Happs, ultimarc, hagstrom etc still waiting on my trackerball/coindoor to arrive.

Im looking at a similar design to the one i found on this site http://netbox.home.mindspring.com/arcade/

So here goes i'll list my questions and see what happens hopefully you will be able to help.

1. Is there a way of starting my pc via the use of a push button rather than having to open the machine everytime i want to turn it on?

2. How would I light my translucent trackerball and coindoors Iv been told led's would work is this true and if so how would I power them?

3. I have 2x8 way and 1x4 way joysticks would a spinner be of use what games would I use this with (Paperboy,720?)and how could I conect this to my system im using the hagstrom ke72-t.

As yet these are the main issues bothering me but you can bet once I get this underway i'll open a whole new world of pain got a feeling this is gonna be a tricky project.

Thanks for your time - Marky

[teef two]

Marky,

I'd firstly search this board for points 1 and 2. Look at the first few theads on this board too as pointers for newbies.

I don't know that much about your encoder but I suspect you could not attach an optical device to it (i.e. trackball or spinner) as it is meant to be a keyboard emulator. If you buy a spinner from Oscar controls you can get a usb interface which will make it look to the PC like a mouse. As to what spinner games there are, well another search here is in order as well as looking at www.klov.com

If you have bought an opti-pac from ultimarc then you can connect spinner and trackball to that.

Anyway, search first and then come back if you still have more questions.

[Tiger-Heli]

3. I have 2x8 way and 1x4 way joysticks would a spinner be of use what games would I use this with (Paperboy,720?)and

Paperboy was basically an analog joystick.  (interface wise).
Spinner games - 720
Tempest
Driving games (especially those wanting 360-degree wheels)
Blasteroids
Arkanoid
Lots more that I can't think of now.

how could I conect this to my system im using the hagstrom ke72-t.

The KE-72T has a trackball interface, the KE-72 does not.  The spinner would connect the same way as using only one axis of the trackball.  However, I don't think you can connect "both" a spinner and trackball to one KE-72T

[Hoagie_one]

To answer questions 1.  YES.  About a dozen ways.  Many people would recomend the smart strip power strip so all peripherals come on at once and just wiring your pc's power button to an external Pushbutton.

[Marky_1979]

Thanks Guys I have the KE72 T Mainly for the trackball support but can i also attach a spinner or would I need another way of interfacing it?

Where would I find this powerstrip?? and would I need to open up my tv to wire it all up to power up at the same time.

 

[subzero23]

with a smartstrip, will a TV plugged in come on when a computer in the main plug/port is turned on?

And is it true you can turn your computer on by like hitting the space key three times if you set it that way, if so how?

[Tiger-Heli]

Thanks Guys I have the KE72 T Mainly for the trackball support but can i also attach a spinner or would I need another way of interfacing it?

Answered in this thread:
http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=27401

[crashwg]

would I need to open up my tv to wire it all up to power up at the same time.

Some TVs will power back on and also be on the same channel as they were before you cut the power to them, most don't.  To power your TV on and off if your TV isn't one of the smart ones you will need to either
(a) open up your case and wire a pushbutton to the power button and put it on the exterior of your cab (b) use a remote, whether you use it as intended or wire up a pushbutton to that and leave the remote part in the cab is up to you
(c) make the power button on the TV accesable to the outside of the cab somehow
(d) there's probably more options but I can't think of any right now

with a smartstrip, will a TV plugged in come on when a computer in the main plug/port is turned on?

And is it true you can turn your computer on by like hitting the space key three times if you set it that way, if so how?

#1 Usually not, although there are some TVs that will.  See above.

#3 I've never heard of such a thing and highly doubt it is posible.  Not to mention you would definitly not want to do this with MAME as spacebar is button 3...  3 grenades on Metal Slug and it's game over buddy!

[subzero23]

ya i read it on the main site
some motherboards or whatever have a powerup by pressing space key (which can be changed in mame to something else) 3 times

What other options are there?
I think I'm gonna be putting my computer in sleep mode...

[DaemonCollector]

That option your talking about for hitting spacebar is power-on by keyboard...pretty much every comp made in the last 4 or 5 years should have it, and even some before. Usualy you can enter up to and including 5 keystrokes to start the computer, for mine I just press Player One Start and the computer turns on

[Marky_1979]

I told you i would have more problems soon

[Tiger-Heli]

I told you i would have more problems soon 
Major issues at present are trackerball and coin door.

Trackball

I have the Happs 3" high ball translucent blue and was wondering how to wire it up? the green wire whats that for? i have a theory it might be needed to power the thing so a power supply will be needed but if im wrong then dont want to blow the whole thing?

You're wrong - that's a ground wire for taking static electricity from the ball to ground.  The search function is your friend here.  A search on Trackball ground wire reveals this

My coin door is the next major issue i got it from happs and i cant work out how the hell i can wire up the thing to my encoder as it doesn't have micro switches like i expected hope fully get a pic up soon so someone can point me in the right direction.

I would have thought it would have microswitches.  You can either have it activate when a coin is inserted, or when the reject switch is pressed, or both.  Search is your friend.

Reject Switch

Fairly complicated detector circuit

You should also be able to just wire the door so a coin (usually) closes a switch and activate the I-PAC input, but I'm not sure how.

and finally want to light the coin doors and trackerball but not sure how to get the supply from the pc? any pics or guides and if im right about the trackerball can i use the same supply for this??

http://arcadecontrols.com/arcade_wiring.shtml#wiring_coindoor

You probably want twelve volt power - see http://www.dansdata.com/io020.htm  Use the Yellow and black wires.  Computer stores will have adapters to take power out a PCI slot in the case, but it's not required if you're not worried about looks.

Really hope someone can end this nightmare.... Its christmas time of miracles and all that lol 

Ho! Ho! Ho!

[Marky_1979]

Cant thank you enough i'll check all these out and see how i get on many thanks 

[Marky_1979]

Here's the pic of the coin door any ideas people? sorry if there not the best pics

[RayB]

The red part is called a "coin mech" (coin mechanism) and it should be removable (not that you need to--I'm just letting you know) but if you look at the very very bottom of it, there SHOULD be a switch with a long thin wire attached to it.

Put a quarter in and check where it comes out. There is no switch there?? Usually coin doors come with the switches attached to them already.

~RB

[Marky_1979]

Thanks Ray i have looked but cant seem to find anything that matches your description its a real mystery!! its making me think they might have left some bits off when i ordered it. Hopefully get some better pics up soon maybe this is a new style???

[RayB]

So the coin just falls through and out the bottom? Better call Happ and complain. Or actually, ask them about the switches first and THEN complain. ;-)

[Marky_1979]

The guy at Happs doesn't seem to understand what i mean about the switches!! Maybe the guys here at happs europe are unaware of mame and custom built home arcades.

The coin drops into the box underneath the only moving part i can see is that brass lever think it might be an electrical circuit i need to hook it up to?

[Marky_1979]

found the door on Happs page might help?

40-0038-00 
 Over/Under Door with Cashbox and Full Metal Enclosure

[Marky_1979]

Also found this on the coin door Happs website has quite a bit of info but still cant find what im looking for.

[Oddfeld]

Also found this on the coin door Happs website has quite a bit of info but still cant find what im looking for.

Well if you look at that diagram, part 42-7087-00 is the actual switch. It will just be like a regular microswitch but with a long strip of metal coming off of it that the coin hits on the way through, pushing it onto the switch.

Looking at the part numbers it seems as if they sell the coin mechs with or without switches (since operators probably already have a bag full of a bajillion switches kicking about) - maybe you ordered the one with no switches included?

[Marky_1979]

Cool that would make sense. Is this the part? has anyone got a pic of the specific bit i need?

[Oddfeld]

That's the bit, and it's shown exploded to the left of the bit you circled.

They look something like these:

[Marky_1979]

Thanks for helping me out really apreciate all this help. Think im gonna have to have a real good look tonight and see whats what cos im sure there's nothing like that on there 

[Marky_1979]

really struggling here guys there not there and cant even work out where they should be not good getting more confused - Marky

[RayB]

COME on man, listen to what I/we are saying!

[Marky_1979]

will take the photo today and get it on here asap.

[Marky_1979]

spoke to happs im positive parts have not been included so asked them to send them to me. The picture will be up shortly 

[Marky_1979]

hope these are ok and help i even took the mech out and took pics of that too.

[Marky_1979]

also noticed this on back of mech when i removed it
 a metal wire i think has this any relevence?

[Marky_1979]

cant really see it that well but its in the top right.

[RayB]

OK, now we're getting somewhere.

Look at the diagram attached to this post:

[RayB]

OK So you see those 4 holes on your mech holder? In my diagram I covered them with a white rectangle.

Well those holes are screw holes where your microswitch is supposed to go! The white rectangle represents the microswitch(marked 'A').

The blue line (marked 'B') represents the wire that this kind of switch has. The end of the wire, is bent like an 'L' and the bent part sticks in. So you see that curved cut-out? The switches wire rotates down along that curved path when the coin hits it. That's how a credit gets registered, but the coin keeps on going to the coin box below.

So either you are missing that switch, or it's there, on the other side! If it's on the other side, then look for 2 or 3 short metal tabs sticking out of it. That's where you'd hook up the connections.

~Ray B.

[Marky_1979]

Thats excellent thanks Ray cant thankyou enough looks like the guys at happs didn't include the parts after all 

[Marky_1979]

I must say that i apreciate your Patience and time Ray it really has helped me out i never thought this project was gonna be easy so knowing that people like you are about is good to know.

Just got to build the cabinet now think i best see if the old man will help me out lol.

No doubt i'll be back with more problems soon 

cheers - Marky

[RayB]

No prob, though I did get exasperated a bit. Sorry about that.
I realize it's difficult to find something that isn't there! 

[Marky_1979]

Got my parts now but cant get them to attach need to know if anyone has used this happs type before and can assist

[IMMark]

Sounds like you have been having quite a time....I take it from previous posts..that the parts you have receive ed and trying to put on ; is the micro switch for the coin mech???   If so, what exactly is the prob....screw holes don't line up?   Wire won't fit in slot?   If that is not the part you are talking about...please give specifics.

[Marky_1979]

I followed what Ray said and was up last night for 3 hours trying different ways of fitting it but no luck do you think it might fit as part of the coin mech holder? cant think of any other things? parts are correct as from same place i asked them for the bits i need.

Yes it has been tricky definately not the simple job i thought it was gonna be.

[IMMark]

Well, I hope I understand what you are after....
The following picture is a coin mech with switch in place.
Please be as detailed as possible to what you want to do, what problems you are having....(ie screw holes don't line up, wire doesn't fit slot....)
Is the wire on your switch straight or bent on angle???