Light gun and WG3100/9200

[mravett]

Has anyone tried using the ActLabs light gun with one of the VGA arcade monitors from Wells-Gardener?  I assume it should work fine, as they are VGA compatible, which is all the ActLabs gun requires, but I just wanted to check if anyone has some 1st person experience.  

Thanks,
Ryan

[MrArcade]

The gun might require Svga not vga.  I would check it out...

[wescotte]

Hmm has anyone been able to get a nintendo or sega lightgun working in mame? I believe SMS's lightgun was a 9pin connector which fits in a serial port..

[Jakobud]

I don't 'think' anyone has ever been able to hack a nes or sms lightgun into a PC.  There is just more going on than a controller sending some signals to the NES/SMS.  Noticed how the screen would always flash white real quick every time you shot.  That was the only way for the software to know where the gun was aiming.  The actlabs gun actually sort of hooks up to your monitor I believe because when pulling the trigger is does the same flash of white thing.  Not sure if anyone has ever been able to accomplish that sort of hack with an old lightgun.

jakobud

[tom61]

You can use either of those monitors with the Act-Labs' gun. Search for the posts about it shortly after it started shipping.

As far as using old console guns in Mame, someone on this forum made an interface (or at least a schematic for one) for a NES gun, but couldn't talk anybody on the Mame team to add support for it. It'd only be compatable with PlayChoice and maybe Nintendo VS, because the gun doesn't work like most other guns. There was a person that helped make the Allegro library that said the DOS version of Mame had support for a PSX lightgun, if you interfaced it to the parrallel port using the SNESKey/Directpad Pro schematic.

I believe SMS's lightgun was a 9pin connector which fits in a serial port..

Not compatable, just because it fits doesn't mean it'd work. You might even cause damage to the serial port or the gun/pad.

[Demon-Seed]

Hey Guys,
I am still very interested in adding a light gun to my mame cabinet but the last time I was interested was when the Act Lab guns had many bug in them.. how are they performing now? what can you suggest? Right now the cabinet has a PC monitor it it, will it work with this unit and can I get 2 light guns hooked up? how does it peform going through plexi etc?? please let me know, also where can I buy em and what model???

thx
JIM

[tom61]

I am still very interested in adding a light gun to my mame cabinet but the last time I was interested was when the Act Lab guns had many bug in them.. how are they performing now? what can you suggest?

I presume you mean the older guns that connected to the joystick port. The new USB version reportably works well for native optical gun games, and requires tweaking for non-optical gun games like Terminator II. (see the link in one of the above posts for more info on compatability) Works best with the custom Gun Mame on act-labs site.

 

Right now the cabinet has a PC monitor it it, will it work with this unit

The current gun works only with PC vga/svga monitors, so you're fine.

and can I get 2 light guns hooked up?

Not currently.

how does it peform going through plexi etc??

Not even tinted plexi or glass gives these guns problems. If you can see it, the gun can shoot it.

please let me know, also where can I buy em and what model???

There's only one model of USB gun, and you can get them at Act-Labs' website http://www.act-labs.com .

[Demon-Seed]

oh wow great I know whats next! just have to get this dam dc to work