My MAME project!

[amiga500]

Hi!
this is my first post here at ArcadeControls, although I've been visiting the forum for a while.
First of all, please excuse my english since it's not my first language.

Ok,
I want to build a MAME cabinet since a couple of months, and yesterday I get an old arcade cabinet for $50.
I also get in ebay some happ sticks and buttons.
My goal is to build a good (not super great), MAME system for the BBQ in my house, so we can play some classic fighting games like SF2, Final Fight, etc.

I had some experience building a control panel for using with the PC, I've made it with used arcade parts and a PC USB gamepad for the interface. I've posted some pictures of it, below.

The thing is that I don't know if is it worth to fix the RGB 29" monitor, I was told by the person who sold it to me that it was easy to fix, maybe a problem in the chassis. At the moment I didn't care if it was working or not because I just wanted the cabinet and I was going to out a 20" TV that I got, and for $50 bucks I didn't expect that the tube was working.

If I turn the arcade on I get a green screen with some deformation at the bottom corners, the seller also said that it had image when connected to a Jamma PCB, but it was distorted to the left.

So, how can I made to connect a PC and tells how the monitor works?
I've read here that I need some VGA to RGB cable, I'm not sure where it should connect on the chassis.
Please remember that I want the cheaper solution possible, so if I have to build a cable I'll try.

I'll search some more info on the forum.

The hardware I had so far:

1) Old arcade cabinet (it says STAR in the marquee, please anyone knows where is it from and how old is it?)
-RGB Monitor (not working well, it is a NOKIA A66EAF00X01, I don't know nothing about the year)
-Chassis (board says: RODO-JW888A, any info would be useful)
-Coin mechanism (it says: Asahi Saiko)
-JAMMA connector (useless for this project)
-Old buttons and sticks
-Power supply
-Transformer (I live in a 220V country)

2) Brand new Happ 2 sticks and 14 buttons

3) a PC

------------------------
I'll post how the project is going as soon as I have some updates.
Thanks a lot for any info!


The last pic is a Joystick for the PC I've made some time ago.

[amiga500]

Work in progress...

The Happ controls I've ordered from eBay just arrived.
So I take off the old control panel and made a new one with a new design also, this way there's more space for resting the hands on the panel.

Here's the old panel:



Here's the new one:



The old sticks (the red ones in the picture) Asahi Seiko, will be replaced with some Happ bat style ones.
Here you can see also the coin-door, it needs a repaint.



Checking the buttons and sticks position:



Cutting the board, I had to enlarge the holes a bit with a driller because I didn't have the right tool:



The speakears that I'll install on the cabinet. To the left, those are the ones the cabinet had, they are 3W.
The big ones are Pioneer 120W, I also have a BOSS power to connect them.
I didn't figure out how to place the speakers yet, because of the design of the cabinet.



Some other pictures here:

[vertygo]

Looks like it's really coming together.. thanks for posting so many pics!

[metahacker]

wow, a NOKIA arcade monitor.

so far it looks like things are coming along rather nicely.   your new cp looks like its going to turn out great.

[psychotech]

...Oh well...

wow, a NOKIA arcade monitor.

Come on, it is really MOKIA ..

Vai kuinka?

Anyway, amiga500, your build looks great! Keep up the good work 

psychotech

[amiga500]

is it so strange that this monitor is NOKIA?

[psychotech]

is it so strange that this monitor is NOKIA?

No, it's not that strange, really 

But then again, how old is that cab? 19?? It's just that those Nokia monitors have been around like... OK, maybe they've been around for the last thirty years as Nokia/Finlux/Luxor variants ..etc.  Never mind   

All the best, still 

psychotech

PS. Komia on kaappi

[metahacker]

its just that we dont get to see those here in the states

i had a Nokia 21" PC monitor for the longest time .. so i am a fan of their CRT products.

Anteeks jos kysymykseni tuntuu hassulta, kun kyseessä on asioita jotka ovat eurooppalaisille itsestäänselviä... Mutta olen vanha tuttavuus suomalaisille olenhan sentään koodannut MUDIA heidän kanssaan suomeksi kokonaan.

so thanks and have a nice day.

[danny_galaga]

i really like that shape    does it have extra weight at the bottom to help stabilise it?

[amiga500]

Yes it is very heavy at the bottom, it's very solid and stable.
I don't know if this cab design is copied from an original one, but here in my country is very common see these kind of cabinet at the arcades.