topic change : battery powered arcade cabinet discussion (& mini bartop plans)

[spystyle]

Hello from Maine,

I am looking for the plans, or a "straight on" side pic of this style bartop cabinet (see attachments)

Also, if you have made a portable arcade cabinet post a pic.

Thank you,
Craig

[spystyle]

.

[spystyle]

OK,

I was able to obtain an "almost straight on" side pic and the measurements. Using the measurements I was able to stretch the image of the side panel, while not maintaining aspect ratio, into a an accurate representation of the side panel "straight on". Then I added 1 inch squares to it and it is a quick plan

The measurements are 20" tall, 24" from front to back, and 19 1/4" wide.

See attached pics. Each square equals 1 inch.

Dig it?
Craig

[spystyle]

I intend to build a scaled and shallow one out of 1/2" plywood that uses a laptop as guts, it will be portable

I'm thinking about working in a motorcycle battery so it would not require AC while playing... I'll call it MAMEboyAdvance!

A laptop also can be powered for many hours by a motorcycle battery, or any auto battery with a small footprint could fit, this could make for the first "truely portable" arcade machine that you can bring on picnics or to friends house without having to plug in.

I think for it to work I'd need the laptop's car adaptor and a auto battery charger built in, at night plug in the auto charger. A car battery guage could also be added, that would be really cool!

What do you fellas think about a battery powered, portable arcade machine?

Thanks,
Craig

[Abomination]

I like the idea of a portable arcade but not sure of how viable putting extra batteries in it will be.  You figure you have to run the monitor AND the laptop, I dont see you getting much time out of any battery.  Also the weight, how portible will it be if you have to hook up 2 car batteries to have it run for multiple hours?

I would say make it as light as possible with a plug.  How many places could you go without a plugin?  And if you go on picknicks or camping trips enough to justify it, why not just get a DC/AC converter and run it off the car battery/alternator?

[spystyle]

I hear ya,

It's a novelty, not a practical application.

And when you say I would need to power the "monitor AND laptop" - I'm saying I intend to build a cabinet that uses only a laptop as guts, no monitor, just that laptop's display.

As for the weight of "several car batteries" - I was thinking of a small footprint battery, like motorcycle. Not very heavy (for an adult to carry from the car to the location) and I estimate it would power a laptop for many hours.

I am thinking about building two. One that is very light and shallow for my daughter to bring with her when she goes away on weekends, and another that uses the battery.

It's about being entertaining and innovative really, it's just plain cool to have a truly portable arcade machine that doesn't require a plug. 

Craig

[JoyMonkey]

I planned on making a Galaga bartop a while back. It's another one of those things that never got off my drawing board, but I think I do still have these plans somewhere if they're any help to you.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=20928.0

[Popcorrin]

JoyMonkey, I would be interested in those plans if you still have them.

[Abomination]

Ahh sorry I didnt understand what you meant, but if you dont have the weight or power consumption of a laptop it could run a good time unassisted.

[stratjakt]

Not to hijack this, but I'd thought of similar plans for a mini, say 1/16th scale, Pac-Man cabinet.

I was thinking of using one of those 5-in-1 namco games (the stick that plugs right into the tv) for its guts, and a little LCD screen for the display (the ps2/gamecube screens). 

Only problem is finding little weensy joysticks for it.

Another thought was hacking a gameboy advance into a little weensy scale model of a classic nintendo cab, and playing some of their remakes on it (gameboy donkey kong with the hundred+ levels is pretty cool).

[TOK]

JoyMonkey, I would be interested in those plans if you still have them.

DOH... I have them, but didn't realize they were posted in the original thread. See post below.

[spystyle]

JoyMonkey, I would be interested in those plans if you still have them.

They were in the link he posted, but here ya go