New Cab Project Help/Coin Mech advice

[neo_virus]

Hi people, I've been lurking these boards for a good 4 years now! Anyway i've been wanting to build a cabinet ever since I saw this site, unfortunatly I wasn't able to as time, money and space, and skills didnt allow me. Well I went to university and now I'm living in a house with friends and have got a big room. Well one day I was at class, went to the toilet to find a arcade cabinet just standing there by the exit doors looking as though it was going to be thrown away. Anyway I went on a hunt to find a caretaker who gave me confirmation that it was going to be thrown away and that I could have it. So me and my mate spent the next 2 hours walking this thing home (through 2 big parks and a busy city centre). Anyways when I got it home we found a G3 Mac in which I sold so I can afford the parts. Anyway this leaves me to now asking for some help and advice.

Basically the cabinet was gutted and was running some software on the mac which was not very good so I am to Mame it. Basically I will be using a laptop to run mame on as I have no other spare pc. So I have several questions:

1. After investigation It has a Mars ME126 coin mech in which has been reprogrammed for new 50p's. Anyway I will hopefully be going down to Swallow Amusements as I've noticed they do credit boards and looms for this mech.  How would I go about connecting it to an IPAC-2 and is it just those 2 boards I will need? I also read it may need some power? How would I go about this using a laptop?

2. Can you buy tube lights that run of a standard UK plug that I can plug straight into the mains to use for a marquee?

It is mainly the Coin mech that is confusing me because it is an electric one not a mechanical one. So if anyone has advice and knowledge on the subject please let me know. Also ive attached an image of the cabinet if anyone as any info on that I would be glad to hear. Although it does just look a standard 'non-specific' cabinet though.

Many Regards
Sean
p.s Im In the UK.

[quarterback]

Any chance you could make that picture a little smaller so I don't have to scroll back and forth to read your post?
Thanks

[paigeoliver]

Ok, the coin mech hooks up to your IPAC the exact same way as it would hook up to an original gameboard. Look up the manual/instructions for the mech and follow them, substituting your IPAC for the game board.

If I remember correctly it basically only has a few wires, a +5, a ground, and a pulse. +5 and ground go to those spots on the ipac, and the pulse goes to the input you want it to you.

Any good hardware store should have a light fixture that can be powered from the mains.

[neo_virus]

Ok thanks for that, unfortunatly I don't have the manual for the coin mech so if any one has a manual please let me know. Also would is the ground daisy chained with the rest of the grounds on the joysticks and buttons etc?

Thanks very much

[paigeoliver]

Ok thanks for that, unfortunatly I don't have the manual for the coin mech so if any one has a manual please let me know. Also would is the ground daisy chained with the rest of the grounds on the joysticks and buttons etc?

Thanks very much

yes

[Felix T Cat]

NEO, send me an e-mail and I will get you a CF126 design guide with all the operation / connections e-mailed back.

cfelix2k@yahoo.com