RIDE THE LIGHTNING ARCADE CABINET MAME PROJECT

[Zakk]

No thanks, it's still too tough to hunt around on.

Did you at least ask for the money back that you paid for a 'customized' stick?  You do say they gave you a run of the mill stick, after you paid extra for a custom unit.  I'd say they owe you that 'extra' back.

Or you can continue to argue and ignore our helpful posts.  If that's the case, don't post on here about any more problems.  We're just trying to help out.

[Comp1demon]

No thanks, it's still too tough to hunt around on.

I hugely disagree, The main page gives alot of options..

The links up top take you to Exactly where you want to go.

You don't need to go to the tutorials overview page to see a particular Tutorial, you can just select it from the rollover right from the main page.

The Photo albums page is nicely laid out and simple and descriptive.

I offer Large 1 and 2 thumbs per page albums as well as 9-12 Thumb pages for each Album - so the choice is there you don't have to flip through 90 pages to see all pics per album.. only 1-4 pages on the small thumb selection.  Large thumb albums make it easy to see details without blowing up the pic to full screen resolutions, if you care to flip through 10-90 pages.

I think the site is well layed out and very easy to read.

The front page give Blog type progress and updates and offers movie downloads right from the blog entry.

Thanks for all the help so far.

C1D

[mccoy178]

I saw on the SS forum that they said they were gonna take care of you.  Did they?

[rugby1]

YOU PAID HOW MUCH FOR A CP?  AND DIDN'T EVEN GET WHAT YOU ORDERED?!?!?!!?!?!?

That is an insane amount of money!  Most people can build an entire cab for what you paid just for the CP.    And I felt ripped off by the $100+ spinner from SS...  not feeling so bad now   

[MovingTarget]

Ride the lightning brother...ride that lightning...

I nominate this thread as the most fun to read under Project Announcements 

[Comp1demon]

3/17/06: THE GLASS ARIVES - SORT OF

This place in Franklin Square called RITE GLASS was the place I went to for my glass order for my arcade machine. My measurements were perfect. I know they were. I got allot of flack from them about what I wanted. I'm the Customer and they wouln't listen to me. I finally got them to take my Layout and do my glass. For my Tempered Bronzed Glass that was going over my monitor, I was not very careful when installing the speakers in the top of my cabinet. This led to me having to have the glass notched and it cost me a pretty penny. They charged me $225.00 + Tax for it. First they told me End of the week (when i placed my order on a monday) then after i called on saturday to see if it was ready they told me 7-10 days. I started bugging them at day 18. It made it to day 21 and I finally was told NEXT DAY IT WOULD BE READY. I Picked it up yesterday and took it home. Not only did i order tempered glass to go over my monitor area, But I also ordered 2 pieces of glass to use instead of Plexiglas for my Marquee. I got home and the Custom piece that was notched for the speakers to go over the monitor was Spot on perfect. I had to trim my T-Molding with a razor to get it in there but it fit in 100%. There is no way to get the glass out unless you use a glass suction cup to pull it off. This is a good thing since Now I don't have to figure out a way to make sure the glass is secure in there. See the Picture album it fits perfect. Next I went to put in the Marquee glass. It was a 1/16 or maybe a 1/8th of an inch too big to fit. I measured it against the glass that covered the monitor and sure enough it was like (this much _ too big) compared to the monitor glass. I went back and asked them to trim it. They told me it was exactly 27" inches like i asked. I told them that it was a Fraction to large and since the glass was not tempered I wanted it trimmed. After Spending $225 + 20 for the marquee glass + Tax, I wanted it just right. They trimmed almost 3/16th off the glass and made it way too short, but they were closed when Ii got home and checked it, so i have to wait till monday to get it fixed, I have family member dealing with them now since she gets what she wants, I don't want to be messed around by them anymore. The other thing that pissed me off was this.. The Custom Glass I had made for the monitor, the guy made 3 of them. so when I went back to get the glass trimmed he said "the Tempering place had to do this and he made me 3 of them, I'm never going to sell the other 2 since they are custom for your project and I cannot cut it since it's tempered to cut the notches off so I'll sell you the 2 other pieces DIRT CHEAP. You know the Guy sold me 2 more $225.00 pieces (if that what they really costed) for $50.00. Hey now I have 2 more (I couldn't turn them down at that price - but he got more money out of me) - So if any one builds a UA II Cabinet and installs Xplode or 5 1/4 speakers and needs notched glass, or even not - as a bezel sticker would hide the notches - just re-enforce with some cardboard and tape you would never know. Hit me up ill sell them Cheap. The Notches also make good handles for pulling out the glass if you do it upside down. Anyway's I'm waiting for the right sized Marquee Glass still should be done monday I hope. That's it for now.

[Zakk]

But if we agree with you that it was a crazy price for a piece of glass (oh right, they suckered you into paying $350++ for glass that is the wrong size!!), and that you should demand a refund, will you get all upset and start defending them?

[MovingTarget]

Anyone else see how much fun this thread is to read?  It just keeps getting better and better.

[mccoy178]

Hey, I think your cabinet is very nice.  I was able to navigate the site.  It has more of an industrial feel than a hobbiest feel.  I will only compliment from here on out, but please, for the love of the game, ask questions here and check here first before buying things.  I appreciate the boost to the economy, but we're here to help.  I think that is what Zack is trying to express.  Anywho, it does look good and the glass is pimp, keep up the good work and put the wallet away!

[Zakk]

Nope I meant that for the price of the glass and the control panel, he should have instead bought a fusion reactor to power the machine.  Would have been cheaper.

Next he'll buy a 'deluxe' pentium 2 with 500 whole megs of hard drive for only $2999.00 from compaq, complain that they actually sent him a pentium 1 with 250 meg hard drive, charged him double for shipping, but then argue with us that it was actually a great deal, and what he really needed in the first place.

Seriously, if I could cut this out of my "replied threads" page, I'd probably stop reading and replying to it, but as it is....

I don't think the replacement window for my dining room was even $350USD, and it actually was manufactured to the right size and everything!

[Comp1demon]

Im not defending anybody or anything.. Just keeping up on the thread.

I pointed out weeks ago that the glass was going to cost me $225+ Tax

I agreed to it.

I went to threee glass places (over a 30 mile radius).  If the glass was square and Tempered it would only be $50.00 Pretty much at all 3 places.  I was not messing with the layout for the Bezel and tring to countersink it back more so I could use a regular piece of glass.  I tried and the wood that the bezel sits on just didn;t line up right.  SO the only way to make it fit correctly was to notch the glass.  One place would not notch it, the second place never got back to me after contacting them multiple times and the last place wanted $225.00.

To make the project as complete as possible I was not going to use Plexi - too ugly.

I had no choice but to go with place 3.

I figured since I was there I would get Real glas for my marquee....

Thats what the screwed up the Marquee glass (only $20.00), but hey it is going to get fixed tomorrow for nothing.

I was a bit surprised when the dude pulled out 2 more monitor glass covers and only wanted $50  more for both.  I could have just said no thanks, but hey ... why not just take them... I now have 2 replacements or I can sell them - with a bezel sticker they will fit any UAII machine perfectly, the notches can be covered or be used as handles or even just do the same layout I did with the speakers - I might even just build another UAII - (not now - still have to finish this one).

I just hate all the mistakes people make.. It's like a never ending thing.

I guess I made the Biggest mistake - Starting this project... If i just played mame on a PC and  a Monitor and didn't want teh cabinet nostalga then I probibly could have put a down payment on a motorcycle.

I'll admit, it's super frustrating - but it's almost done.. Just a few more small things to do and it will be 100% finished.

Thanks for the support advice and sarcasm.

C1D

[mccoy178]

Looking at your site, why didn't you mount the speakers on the inside like they are supposed to?  I'm asking because you thought plexi looked terrible, but you put car speakers on the front of your cabinet which you had notches especially made so it would all fit?  I don't get it?  I still think it looks good, but from my point of view it's like you said, "I wanted a rad sports car, that's why I didn't paint it pink.  What do you all think of the four doors I had custom installed?"

[Comp1demon]

The Speakers I wanted to use the Sony X-plodes don't mont on the inside. 

Second, the Wood Grill cuts that Mameroom has in the speaker pannel looks really ugly so I was going to put grilles over them anyways, but the way these speakers mount the grille on the ouside holds the speaker in sort of on the inside.  I didn't plan on mounting the speakers then notching the glass, I only noticed that the speakers impead the glass bezel from sitting correctly after the speakers are installed.  I'll be honest, it really is a flaw in the design of the UAII, I was working on my speakers from what Retroblast had installed.  I then noticed that the Panel that Retroblast installed their speakers into is alot bigger and is a SLIKSTIK CABINET.  The 5 1/4 speaker is too big to installed on the speaker pannel then install the Bezel holder and the marquee retainer.  I only Changed my plans based on the speakers since they were installed already, I wasn't going to attempt to make another speaker panel and mount smaller speakers, especially since I mounted 4 speakers of them not just 2 on the top... all would have to match. _ and ohmage is important too.  If you read the Original Speaker Blog on the SPeaker Tutorial page you will see I originally wanted to use ALL LOGITECH SPEAKRS
, but they blew up on me - i think that was a ohm issue too since i tried to mix with the X-plodes.

If I didn't have to notch the glass I wouldn't have, It's all about "Build and learn".  I though I had it all planned out correctly, Plus I am doing this alone and for the first time.  If I had to do it again, it would take 1/2 the time 1/2 the money and have no mistakes.  I don;t want a cabinet full of mistakes So every mistake I make I have retrofit it so it looks 100% correct in my eyes.

C1D

[mccoy178]

Cool.  It looks good.  I like the four doors.

[MovingTarget]

I'll stop busting your chops because I've got some serious questions.

Why did you go with the brown vs. grey tinted glass?

Now that you have the glass in place, do your knuckles hit the glass when you're using your flight joystick?

What are you going to use to hold the marquee glass in place?  I'm not sure a HAPP marquee retainer would hold that much weight.  It would totally suck ass if the marquee glass came crashing down on your expensive control panel.

[Comp1demon]

All good Questions.

The Marquee glass is not that heavy.. at all.. its only 1/8 inch thick so its quite lite and the retainer works well, I have tested it already.  you would be surprised how much weight the retainer holds.. the retainer came with the cabinet .. not happs.. but im sure they sell the same stuff.. Ill post pics when i get that done.

I went with Bronze tinted glass not Brown.. I read in this forum somewhere that a glass guy who built his own cabinet recomended Bronze or Smoke Tinted.. they only had bronze so that what I went with.. to be honest it's so light it don't affect the Monitor at all... It looks arcade perfect...

Lastly, I have more than enough room when I push the flight stick all the way foward.. my hands wrapped around the stick pushed foward I have over 2 inches before glass, and even the head of the flight stick pushed all the way foward has about 2 fingers rooms between it and the glass, there are pic's posted on my site.



Thanks,
C1D

[Comp1demon]

I finally Got around to Getting my Marquee Glass (yes Glass) Cut to size and installed + I got my Bezel Glass Sticker Installed.

Besides alot of software - this machine is physically done!
[img=http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/332/sany0007final2gl.th.jpg]http://

[Comp1demon]

Website has been updated as well as some Long ass Videos Posted.
Final Pics (for now) Posted in Album area.

Enjoy.

I will be doing a full front end update SOON!

Adding some new hardware and such also.

As well as Wireless 360 controllers when the $20 adapter hits in october to use all the wireless peripherals on the PC.

[Comp1demon]

Computer on RTL died... Updating the PC and the Software. Will repost soon!

Updated the CPU for $30 and the RAM was Lifetime Warranty so I RMAed it. 
NEW Video card $40
SSD to boot XP (120GB OCZ drive) Cost me nothing.

Everything else still the same pretty much.