My Cabinet: The Final Chapter

[Chris]

Not sure why I'm even posting this, but I'm getting ready to tackle my cabinet, hopefully for the last time, and I'm always looking for input.

My cabinet will not win any awards; its as basic as they come.  Stating life as a Konami cabinet that was an empty black hulk when I got it, my initial goal was to be able to play the classics and build it cheap ($300).  It worked.  Sometimes I wish I had left it that way.




Once the Act-Labs guns came out, I had to have them, having fond memories of Maximum Force.  This triggered a wave of upgrades that have continued to this day.  I had to upgrade from DOS to Windows to support the guns, thus I had to upgrade the processor.  With Windows I could now support Visual Pinball and Windows games.  A bigger trackball and thus a bigger CP came later. 

The machine now seems to be in a constant state of being tinkered with.  People who scroll through the list and find games they want to play often hear "Oh, that doesn't work properly yet" or "I haven't set up the controls for that" or "I'm still working on that".  I have hundreds of dollars in parts lying around for a "someday" that never seems to come.  So now, I'm going to finish the darn thing and lock it down.

Here's what the machine looks like now:




Here's what I'm thinking of:

Artwork: I've gone with the much-maligned theme of using the MAME logo everywhere.  I do like the logo, but the cabinet does more than MAME now: pinball, 2600 emulation, PC games, and jukebox.  So I think it's time to give the machine a real name and artwork to match.  I'm going to keep the black and blue theme, as one of my favorite cabinets was Tron which has a similar scheme, but I need to do something with the sides (probably some simple stencils or something rather than vinyl again), marquee and CP.

Monitor: Right now it has a 19" Wells-Gardner D9100, which is a PC monitor in an arcade frame.  I'd love to put a 25" in there, but my cab is just 1/2" too narrow to support one.  I've considered rebuilding the cabinet from scratch, using a TV instead of a monitor, and other options, but I finally settled on simply upgrading to a 21" and learning to be happy with it.  This monitor has been purchased and is waiting for installation.

Processor: Right now the machine has an Athlon XP 2000+. This is sufficient for most games. However, recent versions of MAME have brought games such as Cruisin' (one of my daughter's favorites) within range, so I'm going to put some money into a new motherboard and processor.  What I don't know is just how much to put in.

Control Panel: This is the biggest change.  I've always considered the rounded panel above to be "temporary", and now it's time to design a replacement.  What to do, though?

• The buttons are too far ahead of the trackball to be useful for trackball games like Missile Command.  The joysticks and buttons need to be brought in-line with the trackball, but I can't do this without extending the panel past the natural sides of the cabinet, venturing into Frankenpanel territory.
• I have two Pole Position wheels and two Happ pedals; I'm determined to find a way to integrate these into the cabinet.
• I really really like the idea of using the Ultimarc 360; it would solve lots of my issues with beloved games such as Sinistar and Star Wars.  But by the time all of the needed accessories are in, it's close to $100 a stick.  This wouldn't be so bad, except I can't imagine how I can get away with making player 2's stick any other kind of stick as it won't match, and I just can't bring myself to spend an extra hundred just so player 2 will match.
• I succumbed to the lighting craze and bought translucent buttons and an LED Wiz.  Since then, I've listened to some of the criticisms of unecessary lighting bling, but I do like the idea of lighting only the buttons used by the game, so I'm going forward with lighting, but only enough to be functional and not gaudy.
• I'm parting from the general wisdom regarding button colors.  I know the trend these days is toward monochrome buttons, but I remember arcade machines as being colorful, so my skittles colors are staying.  The challenge is to pair them with appropriate art so the colors don't look out of place.
• The tight diamond button layout is really handy for some games but for most it's just not natural or comfortable.  I'm sticking with four buttons per player but I'd like to get them into a Neo-Geo layout.  Of course, this goes back to the problem of the width of the panel.
• I don't know what to do about four-way games.  I have a dedicated 4-way stick now, but it rarely gets used due to its position.  I will probably just do away with the 4-way stick; this would be okay if I go with the Ultimarc 360 and its digital restriction patterns, but if I stay with my Supers I know this is going to eat at me every time I play Donkey Kong or Pac-Man.
• The trackball needs to be at least 6-8 inches from the glass for bowling and golf games; this design requirement affects all the others.

One thing I'm thinking of to fix a lot of these issues is a partially modular panel: player 1's stick and buttons would always be in place, but player 2's stick and buttons and the trackball would have to share space by being on removable or rotatable modules.  I'll never use 2 sticks and a trackball in the same game.  The problem with modules is that the primary audience for the machine is 12 and under, so any swapping mechanisms need to be simple and solid with the electronics protected.  I'm fond of the Rototron setup where only a section of the panel rotates.

As far as the wheels go, I'm looking at mounting them to modules that would attach to the front of the control panel box.  The question is how to do this in a secure way such that the panel doesn't look awful when they're not mounted?

I also want to play You Don't Know Jack, which means finding a way to integrate a keyboard and the appropriate buttons.

So I'm not asking for much, just a way to play everything without a panel the size of an aircraft carrier.  No problem, right?

Anyway, this thread probably isn't going to be particularly interesting, but I wanted to throw it up there to muse out the answers to some of these questions.  Maybe someone will find it useful.

--Chris

[Kaytrim]

You touch on several issues that I have as well in my CP design.  I am currently running with a full modular panel system.  Each control has it's own separate panel, joysticks, trackball, spinner, 6 button, 3 button and blank panels as well as an admin panel permanently mounted in the bezel area.  The panels all plug into a patch panel via CAT 5 cables. 

The bigest problem that I currently have is my woodworking skills and tools are not the top of the line.  The panels are sloppy in their fit and tend to slide around unless I wedge a shim in someplace.  Right now I am toying with the idea of larger panels, i.e. joy with 6 buttons, trackball with 3 buttons, spinner with 3 buttons.  I am not sure if I want to go with the larger panels or not.  I like the idea of having various button layouts for different game types like fighters, neo-geo, defender, etc.  The other issues that I am seeing now is durability and the over all look of the panels.  I am even thinking on using hardwood or MDO instead of the MDF I currently have for the panels. 

Believe me when I say I feel your pain.    Maybe if we put our heads together we can come up with a workable solution.

[Chris]

Here's a direction I'm thinking of for the panel.  The rectangle at the right represents a rotating section; two sets of controls are overlaid into the same space to represent that: a trackball with two buttons and a stick/buttons in a Neo Geo layout.  It's not perfect yet; I don't have the admin buttons on yet (but those are easy), I'm not sure which way is better to rotate the section (horizontal or vertical) and I'm sure I need to do some spacing adjustments, but I think this could be a way to solve my issues without a big ugly frankenpanel.

Rotating section idea shamelessly stolen from Rototron.

Why only two sides?  The height of the control panel box is the limiting factor.  It's 7 inches right now, and as it is I'll need to make it a couple of inches taller, but I can't go any farther than the coin door.  I'm also trying to avoid hacking up the original cabinet as much as possible in case I need to revert things for some reason.

[Chris]

And for reference, here's my current CP layout.  (Looks like this was before I added the 4-way.  Ah, well, you can see it in the photo above.)

[GadgetGeek]

Build a second cab.  Sounds like you have all the parts laying about.  Cab 1 is a basic 2 player layout.  Second cab gets the TB, Spinner/Wheels, 360 joy, etc.
Just a thought.  Hard part is upselling that to the rest of the family. :-)

[Chris]

Build a second cab.  Sounds like you have all the parts laying about.  Cab 1 is a basic 2 player layout.  Second cab gets the TB, Spinner/Wheels, 360 joy, etc.
Just a thought.  Hard part is upselling that to the rest of the family. :-)

I actually have family permission to build a cocktail cab; what I lack is the space to put one.  If I do build the cocktail, though, it'll be a dedicated 4-way and run all the classic cocktail vertical 4-way games, which will solve my 4-way problem.

I had considered building an all-new cabinet as well, but I'd still face the frankenpanel issue.  Plus, I don't have a workshop; I can barely handle the carpentry for a control panel.  (If I build the cocktail, I'm doing it with a friend who has a workshop; he'll do the carpentry on cabs for both of us while I handle the electrical/computer end of it.)

[GadgetGeek]

Fully swappable CPs?

I have a cocktail and one of the first post-production mods I did to it was I added lockable casters so it can be wheeled to the side easily.

Lack of workshop would be an issue, that is for sure.

Good luck.

[Chris]

Fully swappable CPs?

Goes back to "Can a 12-year old girl swap it?".  Perhaps if only the front section is removable?  But then we're getting back into "module" territory.  It's worth considering, though.  If it could be engineered so the connection is made automatically it would be easier.  Aren't there special spring-loaded contacts for this sort of thing used for cars?  I thought there were but I can't find them anywhere.

[johnperkins21]

My idea for a fully swappable cp was to make a box somewhat similar to something like an X-Arcade with all the wiring going to a couple of cat 5s or a 24 pin connector that dangles from the box. Then on the cabinet itself the IPAC or whatever is also hidden and the only thing exposed is the corresponding connector. The control panel box would fit snugly within the space on the cab with some velcro to help hold it down.

I drew a really bad picture of my idea. Should be easy enough for a 12 year old if it's just plugging in a connector and basically setting the box down.

[Chris]

My idea for a fully swappable cp was to make a box somewhat similar to something like an X-Arcade with all the wiring going to a couple of cat 5s or a 24 pin connector that dangles from the box. Then on the cabinet itself the IPAC or whatever is also hidden and the only thing exposed is the corresponding connector. The control panel box would fit snugly within the space on the cab with some velcro to help hold it down.

I drew a really bad picture of my idea. Should be easy enough for a 12 year old if it's just plugging in a connector and basically setting the box down.

That's essentially how mine is now; I use a 25 pin connector, but it takes two hands to handle the panel and a third to connect the cable.  The clamps are on the inside though so it's not easily removable.  Also, the panel holds the glass in place; I'll need to change that if I do removable panels.

[shardian]

You may want to check out this thread about centronics connections for swappable panels.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=60482.0

[johnperkins21]

That's essentially how mine is now; I use a 25 pin connector, but it takes two hands to handle the panel and a third to connect the cable.  The clamps are on the inside though so it's not easily removable.  Also, the panel holds the glass in place; I'll need to change that if I do removable panels.

Well, it would only take 3 hands if you weren't willing to set the cp down on the cab first, or if your cable isn't quite long enough. The other idea would be to have the cables come out the side so that you could set it in place then plug it in.

I don't think that there is a perfect solution, but there's probably a few different ones that would work. I've always thought a modular plan would be better than a rotating one just for upgrading purposes. You want a couple of steering wheels? Just build a new modular panel. If it's a rotating one you could be out of luck or have to completely re-do the whole thing. I plan to make two panels to start out with, a Street Fighter layout (with a seventh Neo Geo button), and a Golden Tee layout. Then as I get time and money it's an easy upgrade.

One of the great things about this past time is the amount of options to customize and personalize a cab for the games you want to play. I don't think there is one idea that works for everyone, but there are tons of small ideas that everyone can use and build from.

Good luck with your cabinet.

[Chris]

You want a couple of steering wheels? Just build a new modular panel.

For steering wheels, I think the better opportunity is to make removable mounts for the front of the CP box.  If one was to mount a Pole Position wheel on an angled box attached to the front of a cabinet, wouldn't it be at about the same height as a real Pole Position wheel?

[GadgetGeek]

Steering wheel:  I recall seeing someone's project where they had a hole in the front of the cabinet and a steering wheel on a post went into the hole.  I don't recall if they had used an embedded optical mouse inside the cab or what to detect movement.  It is pretty slick.  I'm sure one of the resident google monkeys will find the link quicker than I can.

12 YO swapping panels:  How often does it need to be swapped out?  Would 90% of the games the 12YO plays all on one panel or the other?  However, with a 12 YO, I'm guessing that whatever game she wants to play would be on the other panel, regardless of which one is currently in place.  I'll be paying close attention to the outcome of this, because my current thoughts are a swappable setup.  Which is part of why I keep pushing this option...to see the rebuttals.

[Chris]

Steering wheel:  I recall seeing someone's project where they had a hole in the front of the cabinet and a steering wheel on a post went into the hole.  I don't recall if they had used an embedded optical mouse inside the cab or what to detect movement.  It is pretty slick.  I'm sure one of the resident google monkeys will find the link quicker than I can.

Yes, I was seriously looking at that.  If I didn't already own a pair of Pole Position wheels, I'd do that.  It's just a wheel mounted to a PVC pipe slid into a larger PVC pipe with an optical mouse looking through a hole in the outer PVC, and the playground wheels at Lowes are a great size and really sturdy. I was almost ready to do that and sell my Pole Position wheels until I got them out to take pictures for eBay and were reminded just how nice and solid they were and how smooth the bearings are, so I'm back to wanting to use them.  But they're heavy, and thus may fail the 12-year old test as well.

12 YO swapping panels:  How often does it need to be swapped out?  Would 90% of the games the 12YO plays all on one panel or the other?  However, with a 12 YO, I'm guessing that whatever game she wants to play would be on the other panel, regardless of which one is currently in place.  I'll be paying close attention to the outcome of this, because my current thoughts are a swappable setup.  Which is part of why I keep pushing this option...to see the rebuttals.

Swappable will be fine if I can make them a) light, b) sturdy, c) electronics/wiring protected, and d) easy to connect (preferably auto-connect).  Doing this with a half-panel module will probably be easier than doing it with a full panel, at the expense of some fit and finish (visible seams).  (Although if I put an artificial seam around player 1's controls as well, I can integrate that into the artwork.  Hmm...)

The huge benefit is that I can add other panels or modules later.  The huge drawback is that I can add other panels or modules later, thus once again I'll never be "done".  (But at least modifications won't require a full re-tooling.)

Anyone here have swappable panels that they're comfortable allowing a kid to swap without supervision?

(Another solution is the more likely one: By the time I'm done building them she'll be 16; end of problem.  )

--Chris

[johnperkins21]

I don't have a 12 year old so I can't necessarily say, but I have to imagine your daughter is old enough and responsible enough to use Doc's modular panels. And by the time you're done she'll probably be at least 13, if not 14. 

If you haven't seen his project, it's amazing, and it's here:
http://www.beersmith.com/mame/

You could take his idea one step further and protect the connections underneath each individual panel.

I do like your idea for the Pole Position wheel, definitely an outside the box idea. If you go that route I will be excited to see the photos for how you did it, as I think making them sturdy yet easy to set up and remove will be key.

[Kaytrim]

Fully swappable CPs?

Goes back to "Can a 12-year old girl swap it?".  Perhaps if only the front section is removable?  But then we're getting back into "module" territory.  It's worth considering, though.  If it could be engineered so the connection is made automatically it would be easier.  Aren't there special spring-loaded contacts for this sort of thing used for cars?  I thought there were but I can't find them anywhere.

You could snap off the locking tabs on the male CAT-5 connectors.  Then permanently mount them in the cab so they would slide into the female CAT-5 connectors when you mounted the panel.  I am thinking about doing this in my CP.  When I have time I'll play around with the idea and post my results on another thread.   

[Chris]

Fully swappable CPs?

Goes back to "Can a 12-year old girl swap it?".  Perhaps if only the front section is removable?  But then we're getting back into "module" territory.  It's worth considering, though.  If it could be engineered so the connection is made automatically it would be easier.  Aren't there special spring-loaded contacts for this sort of thing used for cars?  I thought there were but I can't find them anywhere.

You could snap off the locking tabs on the male CAT-5 connectors.  Then permanently mount them in the cab so they would slide into the female CAT-5 connectors when you mounted the panel.  I am thinking about doing this in my CP.  When I have time I'll play around with the idea and post my results on another thread.   

I don't know if you'd get a firm enough connection that way.  If you do this, perhaps mounting the socket part on some sort of spring so it exerts pressure against the plug to make up for the lack of a locking tab?  Just like a battery compartment always has one springy terminal per battery to ensure good contact.

[Kaytrim]

I don't know if you'd get a firm enough connection that way.  If you do this, perhaps mounting the socket part on some sort of spring so it exerts pressure against the plug to make up for the lack of a locking tab?  Just like a battery compartment always has one springy terminal per battery to ensure good contact.

Good thought,  I'll keep it in mind as I work out the details.

[Chris]

Step 1 so far is putting in the new monitor.  I bought a 21" Cornerstone P1500, and promptly decased it:



The case didn't stay empty for long.



The Cornerstone is a short-neck monitor; it fits into the same space as a 19"  The biggest problem with it for use in a cabinet is that the controls are not on a removable circuit board; without the original bezel you have to stick a pencil through holes on the front to reach the control buttons.  I'm planning to solve this by trying to get everything running at 1600x1200x32 so I don't have to adjust for resolution changes.

I had bought a Happ 19" bezel a year ago and never installed it. With a utility knife and a few hours work I was able to trim it to fit the Cornerstone almost perfectly.

Next up is to put a couple of 2x4's in to bolt the monitor to it.

[Chris]

Planning mounting the monitor. It fits in quite nicely; here's a diagram of how it fits in.  I'll use this to plan where to add mounting parts; it's unfortunate 1UP doesn't have his monitor brackets available. right now.

[Chris]

Still haven't mounted that monitor.  I've been working on the insides instead.

I finally settled on an Athlon 64 4000+ on a Biostar GeForce-6100 motherboard  It brings a few games that I really wanted on my cab frustratingly close to playable: Cruis'n USA, Soul Edge, Tekken, CarnEvil, etc.  So for the first time in my life I'm actually experimenting with overclocking.  The processor's native speed is 2.4 GHz; I had it up to 2.8 for a short time but couldn't keep it stable.  Right now it's running well at 2.6 after adding a heat sink to the motherboard's onboard GPU, upon which I could have fried teeny tiny eggs.  The board and processor support AMD's Cool 'n' Quiet, so when there's no CPU activity the speed drops to 1.1 GHz; starting MAME brings it up to full speed in less than a quarter of a second. It'll be interersting when I get to the front-end selection phase to see if it runs at 1.1 or 2.6 while running the front end.

I think all my major expenditures are over.  I have all kinds of nickel and dime ideas that, if all implemented, could add up in a huge hurry to close to an extra grand.  I think the last place I'm going to really spend money is on artwork; I've printed my marquees and CPO in the past but this time I may have them professionally done.  I do need to think of a new theme, though.  My cab currently has MAME plastered all over it, which I'm sick of, and the "nebula/stars" artwork and paintjob just didn't look as good as I was expecting.  I was really taken by the nice clean look of some of the more abstract sideart designs like the grid currently on the news page, or the stripes on the Starfighter cabinet.  I like lines; I may go with something reminiscent of Tron without actually making it a Tron theme.

The other major hurdle is the control panel.  Yes, I still haven't decided on a new control panel design.  Part of me is tempted to just keep what I have, as it's worked for years, but I've never been truly happy with it.  I haven't even completely decided what controls to include!  The dedicated 4-way is probably going to go; I only use it for Donkey Kong anyway.  The trackball is a must-stay, and it's center point must be at least 6-8 inches from the glass.  But I still don't know whether to keep my Supers, or go to switchable sticks or U360's.  I'd love to use the U360's but it's hard to justify sinking another $200 into the cabinet to help out the handful of games that need it.  It wouldn't be such a pain if those few games weren't among the best.   

Anyway, enough rambling.  I need to force myself to select a CP design soon so I can start the woodwork.

[Bobbler]

Just a thought regarding the modular control panel. I was thinking about the ability of your daughter to plug them in being an issue. Being 12 myself (though quite some time ago LOL), I thought back to things of an arcade nature that I would have been playing with back then. I came up with the NES games console where you would swap a game cartridge over.
So how about using a circuit board type connection, like you have on a PC PCI/AGP slot? Should work out pretty good as its a sturdy reliable connection designed to be swapped out all the time.

http://www.coin.demon.co.uk/-video.htm#conn

Just my two cents

In addition to that you could have connection points wired at both front and back of the panel (and removable controls) which would allow the option of flipping them 180 AND holding them in place

[Chris]

The more I think and tinker the more I'm moving away from modular/removable designs.  I came up with an idea last night where I might be able to keep it all in one panel within the natural sides of the cabinet if I keep my diamond button layout rather than convert to a Neo-Geo layout.  It's not ideal, but it's always about compromise.  As it is, with lighting and LCD wiring and everything, the connections are going to be a bear as it is.

[Chris]

Augh!  Everything is just going to be so tight internally!

I think I'm going to have to pre-build this in 1/3 scale to make sure it all fits.  1/4" foamcore should make a perfect stand-in for MDF.

[Kaytrim]

Augh!  Everything is just going to be so tight internally!

I think I'm going to have to pre-build this in 1/3 scale to make sure it all fits.  1/4" foamcore should make a perfect stand-in for MDF.

Just use a piece of cardboard box and do a full size mock up.  That way you will know for sure.

The more I think and tinker the more I'm moving away from modular/removable designs.  I came up with an idea last night where I might be able to keep it all in one panel within the natural sides of the cabinet if I keep my diamond button layout rather than convert to a Neo-Geo layout.  It's not ideal, but it's always about compromise.  As it is, with lighting and LCD wiring and everything, the connections are going to be a bear as it is.

I feel your pain.  I too am thinking of moving away from the modular system that I am playing around with now.  I may end up building two cabs.  The first one will be a fighter layout and be my FrankenMAME.  The second one will be a multipurpose cab with the trackball and keyboard.  My wife likes the slots at the casino so that will be the machine for the casino programs, MAME trackball games, second homework computer and other stuff.  This one will be called Tere's Casino.

TTFN

[Naru]

Still haven't mounted that monitor.  I've been working on the insides instead.

I finally settled on an Athlon 64 4000+ on a Biostar GeForce-6100 motherboard  It brings a few games that I really wanted on my cab frustratingly close to playable: Cruis'n USA, Soul Edge, Tekken, CarnEvil, etc.  So for the first time in my life I'm actually experimenting with overclocking.  The processor's native speed is 2.4 GHz; I had it up to 2.8 for a short time but couldn't keep it stable.  Right now it's running well at 2.6 after adding a heat sink to the motherboard's onboard GPU, upon which I could have fried teeny tiny eggs.  The board and processor support AMD's Cool 'n' Quiet, so when there's no CPU activity the speed drops to 1.1 GHz; starting MAME brings it up to full speed in less than a quarter of a second. It'll be interersting when I get to the front-end selection phase to see if it runs at 1.1 or 2.6 while running the front end.

I think all my major expenditures are over.  I have all kinds of nickel and dime ideas that, if all implemented, could add up in a huge hurry to close to an extra grand.  I think the last place I'm going to really spend money is on artwork; I've printed my marquees and CPO in the past but this time I may have them professionally done.  I do need to think of a new theme, though.  My cab currently has MAME plastered all over it, which I'm sick of, and the "nebula/stars" artwork and paintjob just didn't look as good as I was expecting.  I was really taken by the nice clean look of some of the more abstract sideart designs like the grid currently on the news page, or the stripes on the Starfighter cabinet.  I like lines; I may go with something reminiscent of Tron without actually making it a Tron theme.

The other major hurdle is the control panel.  Yes, I still haven't decided on a new control panel design.  Part of me is tempted to just keep what I have, as it's worked for years, but I've never been truly happy with it.  I haven't even completely decided what controls to include!  The dedicated 4-way is probably going to go; I only use it for Donkey Kong anyway.  The trackball is a must-stay, and it's center point must be at least 6-8 inches from the glass.  But I still don't know whether to keep my Supers, or go to switchable sticks or U360's.  I'd love to use the U360's but it's hard to justify sinking another $200 into the cabinet to help out the handful of games that need it.  It wouldn't be such a pain if those few games weren't among the best.   

Anyway, enough rambling.  I need to force myself to select a CP design soon so I can start the woodwork.

My Pentium 4 3.2GHz wont run Cruis N' USA at full rate.
How close are you getting?

[Chris]

And here we are two years later....

Unfortunately, I was laid off from my job this month.  While I am looking for a new onem, I finally have time to finish this cabinet overhaul.

I have come to a few decisions:

- Swappable/Modular Panels: This is a no-go.  My daughter will just use the regular 8-way joystick when playing racing games rather than hook up the Logitech clamp-on wheel as it is, so anything that requires "setup" just isn't gonna get used. 

- Control Panel: I was all set to hack up the front of the cabinet and install an "aircraft carrier" panel but after some serious juggling in Visio I think I can keep everything within the confines of the main panel.  So I am going to stick with a 23" wide panel.

- Motherboard/CPU: The Athlon 64 4000+ just didn't quite get where I needed it to be, so I picked up an Intel Core 2 Duo 6550 (Conroe).  Using 64-bit XP, this will get me a number of new games.  Ironically, it will run Cruis'n at full speed just as I have decided not to install wheels after all.

- Controls: Because I will not be swapping, I went ahead and picked up a pair of Ultimate 360's.

I built my cabinet seven years ago, and as I have tinkered with it the interior has become a mess.  This upgrade will involve me touching almost every part, so I have a chance to essentially start from scratch.  Here is what the interior looks like today:

[Chris]

So here is what I am thinking:

FLOPPY/CD-ROM/USB CAGE: This was originally to give me I/O access through the coin door.  With the advent of large USB flash drives, none of this is necessary anymore, so the cage and drives will be removed.

USB HUB: This is a powered 4-port hub.  Since the U360's, trackball, and LED-Wiz are all USB based, I am installing a powered 7-port hub in the control panel with 3 ports having external access, so this hub will become surplus.   I will either remove it or, if it is not in the way of anything, leave it but switch it to unpowered mode.

AMPLIFIER: On my main system I have a nice Altec Lansing speaker set with subwoofer that I never use since my monitor has built-in speakers and on the rare occasion I play cames on it, it's with the sound way down.  So I may migrate these into the cabinet.

SPEAKER PANEL:  The cheap plastic molding I have been using as a marquee retainer has broken with the cats always climbing on it.  I have a proper Happ marquee retainer but the speaker grilles get in the way.  i need to remake the panel with recessed grilles, or just slots or speaker cloth.  I may replace the car speakers that are there now with the Altec Lansing's.

CONTROL PANEL: Well, that's the heart of the change; it deserves a separate post.

[Chris]

I think I have the control panel plan nailed down.  First, here is my current panel:



I never use the 4-way stick in the top center, and the diamond button pattern is non-intuitive and clustered a little too tght.  The panel is too deep; it needs an inch ot two shaved off to use the sticks comfortably.  And the overlay is a little TOO generic; it has the same starfield and purple clouds that the cabinet sides are painted with, but it is just boring.  I saw GoddTodd's TRON-themed panel and really liked it, so I decided to create something similar.

So here is my planned new overlay, and what it should look like populated:

[ivwshane]

It still looks too deep to me. Whats the buttons underneath each player for? It seems like it would be too easy to hit while playing.

I like the art work and the lcd is a nice touch.

[Chris]

Those buttons are left and right mouse buttons.  They are used as fire buttons for trackball games, as the main button clusters aren't very convenient for those games.

A certain amount of depth is necessary, as without it you'll smash your fingers into the glass on Golden Tee, World Class Bowling, Shuffleshot, etc.  I do agree, though; however, the only way to make it shallower is to make it wider.  I had been strongly considering that.  But the sticks are 1.5" closer to the panel front than they were, I am hoping that is enough.

The mounting plates for the trackball and player 2 joystick are right up against each other in this design, so this is as shallow as it can go, shallowness being measured by the distance from the sticks to the panel front.

[Barry Barcrest]

A certain amount of depth is necessary, as without it you'll smash your fingers into the glass on Golden Tee, World Class Bowling, Shuffleshot, etc.  I do agree, though; however, the only way to make it shallower is to make it wider.  I had been strongly considering that.  But the sticks are 1.5" closer to the panel front than they were, I am hoping that is enough.

You are more likely to hit the right hand stick i would have thought. You could move the sticks down slightly but that one stick will be even closer to the trackball then.

[Chris]

You are more likely to hit the right hand stick i would have thought. You could move the sticks down slightly but that one stick will be even closer to the trackball then.

The mounting plates prevent the sticks from moving any farther down.  I have the standard shafts for the U360's so they are top-mounted.



If I bottom mount them I can buy myself maybe a half inch, but as you say the player 2 stick would be even closer tyo the ball.