Those who have built a cab a couple of years ago...

[SirPoonga]

What would you do different with all these new products that have come out in the last couple of years?

[NoOne=NBA=]

I would have shaped it a little differently, and would have decased the monitor in it.

NOTE: My wife was the reason I DIDN'T decase the monitor in the first place.
It was a brand-new 21", and she didn't want me to void the warranty....which is up now....so I'm going to decase it into my next cab, and replace it with a 19" vertical.

[unclet]

I originally hacked a mouse for my spinner and hacked a Crystal trackball to be used as my trackball.    I would now simply buy a trackball from Ultimarc and a spinner from Oscar.

[APFelon]

I don't regret anything, really. I just upgrade.

I had my cabinet built before I first logged in to this forum. But I have learned a lot about cabs since.

I used to have two hacked daisychained Sidewinders for controls. I have since replaced them with a JPAC.

I used to run DOS 7.0. I have since upgraded to WINXP so I could use MAMEWAH and run ePSXe.

I used to have a Matrox G400 running right to the WG monitor. I had to turn the monitor on separately from the cab power after the Matrox card started sending 15 khz. It sucked. The Arcade VGA and the JPAC helped there.

The only thing left is the cosmetic stuff. I still have the black marble contact on the CP and the Wrestlefest marquee mounted, but I don't care. Function over fashion, I always say.

APf

[GGKoul]

I was lucky.  As when I started my cab, the IPAC4 just came out.  I actually bought the 1st IPAC4 from Andy.

[Minwah]

I collected parts from around 2001 to now...here's my general thoughts:

ArcadeVGA is a godsend - I'm soooo glad I decided not to use the 21" PC monitor I bought and got a 21" arcade monitor (using the PC monitor on my desktop this second),
IPAC is superb.  Not that I have used any other encoders (bar HotRod),
Again, I wouldn't hack a mouse again as long as Oscars hacks are around,
Daves AKI is superb - I wouldn't do another gameport/100k pots or USB controller hack.

I'd still do swappable panels, though I only have 1 completed atm 

[NoOne=NBA=]

I'd still do swappable panels, though I only have 1 completed atm 

If you only have one, wouldn't that be a REMOVABLE panel, at the moment? 

[GGKoul]

I'd still do swappable panels, though I only have 1 completed atm

[SirPoonga]

Oh yeah, arcadevga, jpac, and multijamma.  I'd be tempted to sell my mame cabinet to fix my double dragon II cab and install a multijamma in it.  Collect some board but still run a pc for jamma games.

[Kremmit]

I am working on lighted transparent micros for my player 1 and 2 start buttons.  I have the superbright LEDS.  Been searching around for nintendo holders because I want the leaf button look in microswitch format.

These?

Check your PM. 

[scooter]

I am working on lighted transparent micros for my player 1 and 2 start buttons.  I have the superbright LEDS.  Been searching around for nintendo holders because I want the leaf button look in microswitch format.

Bob Roberts carries these as well, although they are expensive (even if they are in his "Klearance Korner").   

See here.

[Wade]

I built mine almost exactly two years ago (and built two since then) and I would do it all the same, except I would buy a new trackball instead of messing with a junky used one (ended up spending more making it like new than I could have bought a new one for).

DOS
Gamelauncher
Keywiz
WG D9200 27"
homebuilt Simpsons style cabinet
used over/under coin door (repainted it)
2-player panel / 6 buttons each
J-sticks ***


*** The J-sticks are the only thing I might change if I were building the same thing right now.  I would probably go with some Omni Stick Pros with a classic ball top style stick.

I also would probably use some transparent leaf buttons with some kind of illumination behind them.

Wade

[Rocky]

I'd still do the mouse hack for my trackball and spinners

[Kremmit]

I am working on lighted transparent micros for my player 1 and 2 start buttons.  I have the superbright LEDS.  Been searching around for nintendo holders because I want the leaf button look in microswitch format.

Bob Roberts carries these as well, although they are expensive (even if they are in his "Klearance Korner").   

See here.

That's exactly what I sent him- I just didn't post the link publicly, so nobody else grabbed them before SirPoonga got a chance at them.

Last week, somebody posted a link to the Klearance Korner, and the Nintendo 2-ways that were up on there got grabbed almost right away.  I know, because when I tried to order them, Bob said it was funny, they'd been sitting around there for months, and all of a sudden he gets more than one person trying to grab them one right after the other.   

[scooter]

If they ended up gone, I would probably send him a few of mine out of guilt.   

[Lilwolf]

When I started... No arcadeVGA, no jpac, no ipac4, ect.

I wish I started with a real arcade monitor.  Ergos are better then PC monitors... But at the time, it was the only windows solution.... I should upgrade it at some point.

I would have bought new buttons instead of used microswitch on ebay.  Sure I saved money... but I would have liked them all to be exactly the same.

I wish I didn't buy so many weird controllers on ebay before I hacked the last one.  I have too many parts and no time to finish them.

I wish I never wrote a frontend... mainly because I STILL spend more time coding then playing

I wish I built my own from scratch instead of maming a gauntlet cab.  I could have done a few things differently.

Last... I wish I had more time to play

[Minwah]

If you only have one, wouldn't that be a REMOVABLE panel, at the moment? 

Yep, but I said one have one *completed*.  I have had up to 3 fully working but incomplete ones   ATM I have 1 complete and 1 full working, but with some additional 'ventilation holes' 

[Thenasty]

I dunno if this count but I have started a Cabinet with C64 hack w/ custom menu I created and hack the joysticks to Arcade Joystick back in 1991. So my interest in building an Arcade cabinet was before MAME came along. That Cabinet happens to be Donkey Kong and I fitted a a 19" Television (throw away the original monitor Duh!!) in there (thats was tuff). I still got some pics of it too... I only manage to program my menu for 52 games and controlled by the Joystick and an A/B switch to switch between PORT A and PORTB of the joystick port. Some games the joystick must be in Port A and some on Port B. I also hack the Keyboard Input part because some of the CRACK games, it has trainers and you must push "y" or "n" etc..
I also hack the GAMES itself, instead of saying "F1 to Start" I changed it to "Press Fire to Start" etc... It was alot of work. I no longer have the C64 cabinet (I sold it) cause MAME came into my life. However, I still visit the person who bought it from me and help them with little problem they would have on it.

[SirPoonga]

I'm constantly watching ebay for those nintendo holders.  I've seen them go for better prices.

[Matt Berry]

Funny as I just did this last year. My first panel was built in 97 when mame was still young and split and zipped sets were not even on the books. Options were pretty limited back then, and I've progressed through a lot of different stages, matrix style keyboard encoders, hacked keyboards, hacked mice, make your own spinner and more. After years of use I decided enough was enough and money wasn't an object. I've tried many joysticks, trackballs, ect. Buying a prefabbed spinner either an oscar or the tornado is the way to go, along with a 3" trackball. For joysticks, my favorites are the original wicos, no comparison on these. An encoder has to be a dedicated individual input encoder either Ipac or a keywiz. In the end the biggest thing I've learned over the years is don't skimp, buy or build the best you can afford, because in the end that "extra" money you saved could cost you that high score in "insert favorite game here".

[the3eyedblindman]

How many of you wire up coin doors to be used on your cabs? The reason I am saying this is I am not even done with my cab yet, but I bought a non working over under coin door for decoration. If I were to start my cabinet over right now, I would have bought a working new coin door and wired it up. I just dont think its the same when you dont have to put quarters in and have unlimited credits, I mean thats what makes arcade games fun right? You play until you run out of money, now we can play as long as we want, infinite credits, not as fun, no competition.

[telengard]

How many of you wire up coin doors to be used on your cabs? The reason I am saying this is I am not even done with my cab yet, but I bought a non working over under coin door for decoration. If I were to start my cabinet over right now, I would have bought a working new coin door and wired it up. I just dont think its the same when you dont have to put quarters in and have unlimited credits, I mean thats what makes arcade games fun right? You play until you run out of money, now we can play as long as we want, infinite credits, not as fun, no competition.

I did this.  It's quite easy to get it hooked up to the coin 1 and coin 2 on the IPAC.  Adds a little bit more authenticity in my opinion.   

[mattv]

I'm thinking of selling my MAME cab to buy a pinball machine

[Thenasty]

You play until you run out of money, now we can play as long as we want, infinite credits, not as fun, no competition.

For the qames that has continue, this diffinetly stinks and the only games that I played alot even thou its unlimited credits are the classics that has no continue, at least there is a challenge there. Till now, I still have to get further in the Pac family and the galaxian,galaga, Zaxxon and the Donkey Family etc....

[Chris]

I'm constantly watching ebay for those nintendo holders.

[Chris]

As for what I would do different, I probably would have waited for 1Up's rotating panel cabinet kit to become available. 

Failing that, I would have kept the cabinet I have now, but I would have stayed in DOS rather than "upgrade" to Windows.

I would have never screwed with cheap PC trackballs and would have gone straight to an arcade ball, although I think good results can be had with a Kensington Expert Mouse trackball. 

I would probably buy an encoder rather than use a KB hack (I'd replace it with a KeyWiz if it had LED support). 

I wouldn't have bothered trying to make a spinner; I'd either go without or buy an Oscar or a Tornado.

I would have gotten or built a cab big enough to take a 27" monitor.  27" is too big for many classics, but I could use the bezel feature for those, or use the extra space for instructions cards, and vertical games would still be a good size and the gun games would have the full 27".  (My cab is 1/2" too narrow to take a WG 27".  )

If I didn't get the rotating panel kit, I'd do modular panels.

--Chris

[PaulG]

Mine's only 1 year old.  The things I did right:  The Oscar Vortex spinner and Happ 3 inch GT trackball.  The area I'm in the process of fixing right now are the controls and buttons.

When I was doing it, I saw some threads extolling how authentic and silent the Leaf buttons were.  Being new and afraid I was getting in over my head enough, I went with Happ buttons because I didn't care about the superficial "benefits" and didn't want to further complicate the process.  Well, I've come to realize the Leaf buttons are also faster.  And the vast majority of the MAME games I play originally used Leaf buttons.  From a space POV, this probably means a 7 button layout is out, but considering the fighters haven't been touched (Nor the top row of my buttons), it's a waste anyway.  Apply this same thing to joysticks.  The T-Stick Pluses are nice, but I'm on the lookout for Wicos.  Once I get them, I'll order some Leaf buttons and redo the CP.

[Dexter]

Well, for a start I wouldn't have let my friends talk me into selling the machines I have done. I went from two uprights and plans for a cocktail, to no machines and a WG d9200 33" still in the box on my kitchen floor!

This summer, have to do it this summer. I'm going to go for the showcase style setup.

[Elkor]

I just looked at this forum for the first time in well over a year a few minutes ago, and then I see this post

Answer:  I don't know a lot about the brand new stuff, I guess I'll have to do some reading.  Upon scanning this thread I did a lot of the things you guys are saying you would change in my initial build. (27" arcade monitor, oscar pro spinner, ipac)  I never did the lightgun or went the usb route, but this is a dedicated arcade so I never saw the need for usb/mouse support.  I went with commandline linux for the os.

I guess If I could change something I would go with possibly an arcadeVGA setup (provided I could keep it under linux, support was sketchy when it came out) and not go through the additional config of AdvanceMAME which I have *never* got working at 100% (some stuff still locks up randomly).  I could probably fix it all with a few good solid days of ripping through the code and rebuilding the software but I just wind up talking about doing that a lot and never actually doing it ;-)

[Kook]

Here is what I have, what worked well, and what didn't work so well

Cabinet: Mortal Kombat II. Very happy with this. Roomy cabinet, nice control panel, 25" display. Acquired for $375 at auction. Eventually, I turned it into a MAME machine. The conversion is completely reversible (I didn't cut holes or damage anything). It's fun when folks come over and see MKII running on this MKII cabinet, then I hit a couple of buttons and reveal that it is a multi-game machine, then hit a couple more buttons, grab a wireless keyboard, and reveal that it is a fully functional computer, with a broadband Internet connection!

JAMMA PCBs: For a while, when I first got my cabinet, I bought various JAMMA boards on ebay so I could play a bunch of different games in my cabinet just by changing PCBs. After a while, the board swapping was just too much of a hassle.

Mobo: AMD Duron 1800. Works very well with most MAME, SNES, and Genesis games I have tried. In terms of speed, my arbitrary goal was have no discernible difference between my original Jamma MKII and MAME MKII. It achieves this.

Memory: 512 MB. No problems at all.

Video: Trident Blade T64 (driving the 25 inch arcade monitor). It's great, but... my only complaint is that the screen is scrambled until my Blade driver loads. I chose the Trident card because the ArcadeVGA card was more expensive, and folks said the Trident card had more vibrant colors. However, if I ever build another cab, I might take another look at the ArcadeVGA.

Interface: JPAC (PS2 based). This thing is awesome. Basically the heart of the system. I like the way it protects my 15KHz monitor if my video card tries to send the wrong frequency (which happens a little too often). Highly recommended.

Audio: PCI based SB Live. Was a hassle getting it to work reliably in DOS. Never did get it to work reliably with ADVMAME running multiple emulators under DOS. Works well with Mamewah in Windows though, and eventually I learned that Mamewah and Windows was the best combination for my cab. I'm not sure there is a better alternative sound card. Some folks say ISA sound cards are better, but I don't think you can get a modern, fast motherboard with ISA slots any more.

Frontend: Mamewah. I ran ADVMenu for a while, but I had various issues with it when switching between emulators or entering/exiting emulators. I think it was mostly due to compatibility problems with my 15KHz video driver, SB Live driver under DOS, etc. Mamewah is great, but my biggest complaint with it is the performance issue when dealing with large lists.

OS: Windows 98se. I started out with DOS (WIN98se DOS) but eventually discovered (to my surprise) that games ran a little faster under Windows, and that Mamewah under Windows worked better for me than ADVMenu under DOS. Windows also makes it possible to add USB game controllers and has built-in networking (which comes in handy sometimes). If I had to do it all over again, I would probably try Windows XP.

Emulators: For MAME, ADVMame (great if you like to tweak and want to get your arcade games to look great on an arcade monitor). For SNES, ZSNESW (hacked so that Esc exits the emulator) and, for Genesis, WGENS (also hacked so that Esc exits the emulator).

Joysticks: HAPP Competition joysticks. I didn't realize how sloppy the joysticks in my cab were until I replaced them with the Happ Competition sticks. They are great.

Gamepads: Cordless Logitech Rumblepad II's. This worked out nice. For games that work better with a gamepad instead of the cabinet control panel, there are two cordless rumblepads stored behind the coin door. They work great and you can use two simultaneously. Two complaints: 1) You can only activate a profile for one rumblepad at any given time; so, for example, if I want to assign "Z" to gamepad 1, button 1, and assign "/" to gamepad 2, button 1... you can't do that. 2) I haven't found any emulators that make the rumble feature rumble (although I haven't really looked all that hard).

Keyboard/Mouse: Logitech cordless desktop. What amazes me is that the wireless keyboard, wireless mouse, and wireless gamepads all work fine together.

Kook