Help w/ Japanese Capcom Impress cab

[Impostor]

Hi - Recently picked up a used Capcom Impress 29" sit down cabinet from a private seller.  I wanted to open it up and flip the monitor to vertical for MAME shooters.  But I can't figure out how to take the top speaker assembly and the plastic frame around the monitor off.

The bottom of this monitor frame wasn't screwed to the cabinet so I was able to lift up from the bottom (inside the control panel), but the frame seems to be connected to the speaker assembly on top somehow.

Anyone know how to take this cabinet apart?  I've emailed to the person at TweakerZ (http://www.trouble-makers.com/kami/emulation/main.html) for some advice, but no response from him.  I also emailed Arcade Infinity (http://www.arcade-infinity.com/index2.htm) who sells cabinets like these, but also no answer.  This was about 1 week ago.  So I'm hoping that someone here have some experience working with these Impress cabs can give me some pointers.

Thanks!

Impostor

[Impostor]

bump.

Still no looking for someone with experience working with these Impress cabs.

In the mean time, I bought a set of tamperproof torx bits on Ebay.  Should get here next week.

Also got ArcadeVGA and JPac.

Impostor

[SirPeale]

I don't have any experience on these cabs, but perhaps if you take some pics and post what you're trying to do, we might be able to help and puzzle thru.

[JamesMolloy]

I'd love one of those cabinets myself. You can't beat being able to sit down and the white fits into ones house much better than a tall black monolith.

[passing_through_]

Is this your cab.

Does the control panel hinge open - outward, then the monitor surround lifts up. This is how most sit-at cabinets open up for monitor access.

-

[Rom]

Dude, if you're going to upload a pic please make it a jpeg. A 900k bmp is a wee bit excessive don't ya think?

[passing_through_]

Dude, if you're going to upload a pic please make it a jpeg. A 900k bmp is a wee bit excessive don't ya think?

Point taken. This was the first image I ever uploaded.



Back on topic.

Imposter - if you get no answer to your question try posting in the unrelated forum over at http://www.neo-geo.com/

A of the few members own Japanese sit-at cabinets.

-

[Impostor]

I'll go checkout the Neo-Geo forums and see what info I can dig up.

While I'm waiting for the torx bits, I installed the J-Pac and ArcadeVGA cards into my Mame computer and the Impress cabinet.  Video came up without any problems.  

For audio, I hooked my audio out from the PC to the Q-Sound amp/processor inside the Impress.  Worked ok for most of the mono-games, but for the Capcom Q-Sound games, I get double echos.  Almost like the game is emulating the Q-Sound, and then the Q-sound amp/processor is applying its own on top.  I haven't figured out how to turn off Q-sound at the software level yet.

Thanks to the J-Pac/I-pac shifted key functions, I can run my pc/cabinet without a mouse or keyboard.  I'm still using Mame32 GUI, and the shift functions of the J-Pac allowed me to traverse the dir structures in Mame32 GUI and start games using the P1 joystick and the P1 start button.

Once I get everything close to my final setup, I'll disassemble the parts and take pictures.  Then I'll put up a web page to help out those doing the same thing.

Impostor

[passing_through_]

Look forward to the pix.

I would like to own a Japanese cabinet, but here in the UK they are a very hard item to obtain.



Sega Blast City cab with Tatsujin.

-

[qaotik]

Omg my fave game with a big ass monitor!

Please tell me where you live so i can come and steal it..

[Jakobud]

Here's a site with a dude who has Mamed 2 of these sit-ats:

http://www.trouble-makers.com/kami/emulation/index.html

[Impostor]

That's TweakerZ's site.  I emailed him for some help several weeks ago, but no replies.  That's why I started this thread here.

Impostor

[JamesMolloy]

I've seen an arcade stick for Dreamcast that seems to be one of those Blast City/Astro City control panels. I wouldn't mind one myself..

[Impostor]

Back to the original topic of this thread....

I received the security torx bit set yesterday.  To remove the plastic monitor frame, I had to unscrew 4 torx screws in the back of the cabinet, above the hand-slots.  This allowed the entire monitor frame, bezel, and speaker assembly to be removed.

Next was to change the monitor bezel from horizontal to vertical.  The bezel itself is square so it was very easy to unscrew the bezel from the monitor frame and flip it vertical.

Finally, the monitor have to be rotated to vertical.  This is tricky b/c it's a 29" monitor and it's freakin' HEAVY!!!  Luckily, the monitor is bolted to a metal frame that have 4 handles.  After undoing the bolts that hold the metal monitor frame to the cabinet frame, the monitor can be lifted and rotated.  At the bottom of the cabinet frame are 2 metal brackets that the metal monitor frame should rest on.  Once on, you just put the bolts back on.

AFter this, I turned on the whole system and I got a big fat nothing on the monitor!  But wait!  Looks like there's picture, but it looks like a shadow of a picture.  There's no color.  The RGB gain knobs aren't working.  A closer inspection inside the cabinet and the monitor board shows that the connector for the RGB gains were disconnected when I rotated the monitor.  I didn't want to stick my arms inside there, being so tight, and getting zapped with the monitor.  So I unplugged the cabinet and let it sit until tonite.  Then I'll try to plug the RGB gain cable back into the board.  Sure hope the monitor charge dissipated.

I'm sure this is all kinda confusing to read.  I took pictures and hope to have them up on a site soon for everyone to look at.

Impostor

[BobA]

Really good information.  Should help anyone else who attempts the same type of work.

As long as you don't go near the HV circuits you should not get zapped. Do not touch anything associated with the HV wire that goes to the CRT.  I know that alot of people swear by discharging the monitor but most service techs do not unless working of the HV portion of the circuit. Of course you should still be carefull not to touch exposed parts or circuits if at all possible.

[shmokes]

Might as well do it now as wait until tonight as I understand.  I've always been told to wait like a week.

[Impostor]

AFter this, I turned on the whole system and I got a big fat nothing on the monitor!  But wait!  Looks like there's picture, but it looks like a shadow of a picture.  There's no color.  The RGB gain knobs aren't working.  A closer inspection inside the cabinet and the monitor board shows that the connector for the RGB gains were disconnected when I rotated the monitor.  I didn't want to stick my arms inside there, being so tight, and getting zapped with the monitor.  So I unplugged the cabinet and let it sit until tonite.  Then I'll try to plug the RGB gain cable back into the board.  Sure hope the monitor charge dissipated.

To get to the 4-pin connector for the RGB gain controls, I had to remove the power supply unit.  The PS unit can be removed by unscrewing the screws in the back of the cabinet by the unit itself.  Then carefully pull it out so that it doesn't touch the monitor PCB.  It's really really close.

Once the PS unit is out, you can put your arm inside and carefully reconnect the RGB gain connector.  This connect sits on the large PCB all the way toward the front of the monitor.  I was very careful to make slow deliberate movements with my arm, hands, and fingers just to minimize the risk of touching anything dangerous.  So please be careful too!

After connecting it, the monitor regains the RGB colors, and gain controls.

Software-wise, I use MAME32 GUI.  My WinXP is displaying still as horizontal.  Still trying to figure out the best way to display games on a vertical monitor...

Impostor

[CthulhuLuke]

Btw, your monitor wont decharge by unplugging it.  That's like the number one rule.  You gotta find a tutorial on how to discharge your monitor if you want to do it safely.  Monitors will hold in a charge big enough to kill someone for monthes.  Infact, the cabinet I got had a monitor in it that the arcade vendor took out before he gave me the cabinet, and the thing looked like it hadn't gotten use in 6 monthes at least, well I knew 2 for sure *how long I had to wait for it*  and he was still able to get it to zap a discharge out.
     -Luke

[Impostor]

I figured that it still contains a charge enough to be dangerous. That's why I was being very very careful in plugging the connector back in.

So folks, just b/c I stuck my arm and hands in there doesn't mean you should too.  

Thanks for the warning CthulhuLuke.

Impostor

[anthony691]

Nothing is more satisfying then the clapping sound of discharging.

<ZAP>

I have a million awesome stories about monitor injuries, I won't bore you with details; at the computer reseller my father works at, they have all this crazy saftey stuff and yet some guy got fried trieing to bring a 23" monitor back into focus. He was alright (thrown about 3 ft.), but it certainly taught me to be carefull around my monitor!

[paigeoliver]

I figured that it still contains a charge enough to be dangerous. That's why I was being very very careful in plugging the connector back in.

So folks, just b/c I stuck my arm and hands in there doesn't mean you should too.  

Thanks for the warning CthulhuLuke.

Impostor

It takes approximately 2 minutes to make a monitor discharge tool, and another 30 seconds to discharge the monitor. THATS IT!

Take a flat headed screwdriver with a plastic handle, a piece of wire (i just used an extra wire I pulled off a JAMMA harness) and some electrical tape.

Wrap one end of the wire around the screwdriver about 2 inches from the tip. Use the tape to tape it there nice and good.

There! No you have a monitor discharge tool.

To discharge. Wrap the loose end of the wire around something on the monitor frame (usually tons of holes, pick one). Then stick your spare hand in your pocket, and carefully stick the tip of the screwdriver under the suction cup on the back until you touch the metal part underneath. You may hear a zap, you may not. But either way. You just did it.

It isn't hard. It isn't even scary after the first time you do it. Then you don't have to worry about touching the wrong thing.

[Impostor]

Thanks for the great instructions paigeoliver.  I have a question though:  what's keeping me from being zapped when I stick the screwdriver under the suction cup?  And wouldn't the wire that's wrapped around the screwdriver melt?

As you can tell, I'm totally clueless about this stuff.  But I am trying to learn.

Thanks!

Impostor

[paigeoliver]

You are only touching the plastic screwdriver handle. Plastic does not conduct. So you don't get zapped. Wooden handled ones work too. But they often have a metal ring at the edge of the handle, which rules them out.

The wire doesn't melt, or even get hot. Because the electricity encounters no resistance with the screwdriver. It just goes right through to the frame.  I have been discharging with the same cheapo wire for a long time. It works just fine.

[Pyronious]

I have a similar Japanese sit-down cab (the Neo Candy 29).  It may open differently from yours.  On the Neo cab, you unlock the two locks under the control panel, flip it up, and then the monitor bezel can be opened up like the hood of a car.  You can see pictures of this on my web page.

Still in the first phases of converting this to a MAME cab... but it's getting there!

http://www.pyronious.com/

Patrick