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MrQuan's Arcade Project - Latest: TV repairs
MrQuan:
Control Panel
Ok, I've made steady progress these days. :) I'm now working on the control panel - I'd say I'm about 40% there. The design I'm using is a detacheable one, it will be wider than the cabinet and so will need to be removed when going through doorways etc. I've also decided to make the top hinged at the back, to access the internals and the butterfly-nuts holding it in place.
Here's a quick, out of proportion, sketch. It'll give you an idea what I'm aiming for.
Here is a photo of the control panel back, where the hinges will be (chiselled out). You can also see a hole in the bottom for cables etc.
Here's a snap of some of the products I've been using - wood putty, primer and paint. I had no idea what to get when I started, so hopefully this can help anyone else. For all you other Aussies out there, I bought these from Bunnings.
Here's a shot of the MDF Primer going on, thanks to the girlfriend for helping (she seems almost as excited as me about this project! ;D).
...and this is after applying the first coat of enamel. I was nervous doing this, as I'm definately no painter, and the guy from Bunnings said I had to apply it fast :-\ Doesn't look too bad if I say so myself ;)
The parts I've ordered from OzStick (http://www.ozstick.com.au) should arive tomorrow or the next day from what I've been told. These guys seemed alright from what I read elsewhere but I can't say much for their customer service. I'm talking NO feedback for a week after parting with near $300AUD, then when I asked them about it the reply was - 'Oh yeah, we got your money - But there's a delay on parts, sorry.' >:( Anyways, it's been two weeks now and I'm assured the parts are on the way.
So - next update - Control Panel continued and hopefully with Joysticks and Buttons! :P
MrQuan:
Progress on my project has taken a blow. Hey Coder, ready for another documented mess-up?! :P :P
Crisis has occurred!!! :cry:
I damaged the TV I'm using for my arcade cab. The tube is fine, however the driver board suffered quite a blow from a large piece of MDF. At first glance it was ok (no components missing), but when the TV didn't turn on, I took a closer look.
As you can see by the image below there are some large cracks in the PCB :-\ From memory we counted about 20 tracks that were broken.
There were some pretty heavy duty tracks broken (these are part of the power circuit), so we used some heavy gauge wire to ensure we're not restricting current in any way. The photos below are actually my brother making the repairs, he's an electrician, so at least I know it's in good hands. :)
The operating table... We used some lighter gauge wire for the smaller tracks as you can see here.
Here's a look after the repairs. A stash of wire later, and a once over with the multimeter, and it's time to put everything back together...
After a nervous pause, and the famous question, "Are you sure this won't explode?", I flicked the power on and...
YYEEEESSSSSSSS!!!! :cry: It works!!
In actual fact, I have made other progress, the control panel is coming along, as is the sound system - I'll post back here soon :)
MrQuan:
I received my order from OzStick a while back. It took them a while, and there customer service was nill... but in the end they came up with the goods all in perfect order. Here's a glimpse of what I purchased...
Sanwa JL-W Joysticks X 2. I've tested these and they have a nice light action, will take some getting used too but I'm very pleased I must say! :)
Here's some shots of the Coin Mech. I selected the HI-07CS "CPU - digital & comparable" model from . It's the electronic 'CPU' and has a few different jumper settings etc. Haven't tried it yet, but to set it up all I have to do is supply a sample coin, and off it goes.
Below is a rough prototype control panel, as you can see Iive used some 6mm MDF I had laying around for the top. The left side (P1) has the buttons in my initial design, they aren't straight, but follow a curved shape to better fit the player's natural hand position. While this seemed good on paper, I found they are a little too spaced for comfort. The right side (P2) is the same curved button layout with less gap between buttons. I'm going with this, it's perfect!
Here's the status of the cab to date with the prototype control panel... (Speaker boxes are being built seperately).
arcadefever:
very,very nice :cheers: some delay with the TV repair, but you sort it out :notworthy:
clean design, good luck for the rest of the project ....
MrQuan:
Thanks arcadefever :)
Yeah I'm going for a clean design, a bit of a classic fighter style. The speakers will mount to the sides, they will be angled (not just boxes), so I hope it looks good!! ::) We'll see soon enough.
Oh by-the-way, kudos on your games room - it's amazing :o