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Author Topic: Scratch Built Jamma Cab  (Read 16057 times)

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TheDriver

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Scratch Built Jamma Cab
« on: March 18, 2008, 04:25:38 pm »
THIS THREAD IS NO LONGER BEING UPDATED, I NO LONGER HAVE THE CAB, GAVE IT TO A FRIEND BECAUSE I LOST INTREST IN IT.

Well finally after a long crappy rainy winter I have started my first cab build. The aim of this was to have a functional jamma cabinet, originally for just one game but I may or may not put a multi jamma in it to run more boards in the same cab. As this is my first ever build please be gentle, I know it will not win any prizes for looks (My woodworking skills or should I say lack of are very, very bad!!!) I had no idea it was so hard to cut a straight line with a jigsaw, suffice to say I have invested in a circular saw for the rest of the panel cut's which is what I should have used in the first place but ofcourse I have now learned this lesson!!! Sorry for the lack of build pictures also, I was concentrating so much on cutting and joining that I forgot to take any pictures, and the one's I have taken are not that great as they were done on my phone (Can't find my digicam)

This is obviously the sides but they are deeper than I thought they would be, I could have made them much slimmer but im sticking with them
EDIT: I also took the probably bad choice of not routing a slot for the t-molding, a bad move but I have not yet borrowed a router.




They are slightly off in some of the cut's but I am hoping it's not too noticable once it's completed.


The 2 jamma boards I have at the moment






Now I know that control panel is squint and the joystick & buttons are not in a good place, this is just a temporary cp for me to test out, it was made from an offcut of wood which had both sides a bit wavy! The final cp will be for 2 players.





The light at the top is the marquee light just sitting on top for no other reason than just testing the wiring and the speaker is up there too, again just so I can test the audio







That was all done last week, tonight I wired it up properly using an emi filter, fuse holder/fuses, dpst switch, distribution block and the switcher so it all now work's like a proper cab in the sense that it's now 1 single throw of the switch to power up.







That's as far as I am going for the moment, I was just pleased that all my wiring worked first time with no problems. I feel that the cab is knowhere near the quality of some (most!) posted here as my woodworking skills are pretty non existant, some of the cab's here look like really pro efforts compared to mine, but hey at least I have given it a go, im confident I will get better as time goes on but as a complete rookie I think it's ok.

Regards.
« Last Edit: November 05, 2008, 01:21:18 pm by TheDriver »

CheffoJeffo

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Re: Robocop/Jamma cab
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2008, 04:30:31 pm »
I like it -- can you talk a bit about the monitor and how you wired the video ?

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TheDriver

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Re: Robocop/Jamma cab
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2008, 04:36:52 pm »
That's the Pentranic I picked up way back in november, it's a proper gaming monitor which accepts the signal's without a problem




It's a d-sub connector on it but for the jamma board's I got an interface board with it




Regards.

CheffoJeffo

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Re: Robocop/Jamma cab
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2008, 04:38:28 pm »
Interesting ... might have to look into getting one of those!

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TheDriver

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Re: Robocop/Jamma cab
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2008, 04:49:36 pm »
I may use it for something else, I think it's a bit much & expensive for a jamma cab but it will do for the moment.

Regards.

rlemmon

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Re: Robocop/Jamma cab
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2008, 11:07:59 pm »
That's a cool design  :applaud: Are you going to use robocop artwork and make it a robocop cab  ?  I built a robocop replica cab myself, but i used mame instead of a pcb. Here's a link to my site with updated pics.

http://mysite.verizon.net/ronaldlemmon/



TheDriver

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Re: Robocop/Jamma cab
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2008, 09:56:59 am »
Yes, going to finish the build then order the artwork. I did originaly intend for it to be a 1 game cab but would like to put a Robocop2 pcb in aswell so I can switch between the two. Im unsure what to do to be honest, there is always to many options when doing this hobby!!! I'll get a replacement monitor and use the pentranic for something else but until such times I will leave it in just now.

I like your cab, very nice, I know you have more of a choice with mame so a mame cab is something I will think about for the next project. :)

Regards.

rlemmon

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Re: Robocop/Jamma cab
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2008, 07:23:13 pm »

I like your cab, very nice,

Thanks, Robocop 2 gets a bad rap but i think its fun. I would like to convert my cab to a robo 2 but I have never been able to find the artwork. I have only ever seen one robo 2 cab on ebay but it was two far away.  :banghead:





TheDriver

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Re: Robocop/Jamma cab
« Reply #8 on: March 21, 2008, 11:49:00 am »
I think both robo games get a bad rap but robocop to me brings back memory's of family holiday's down to blackpool, bridlington, scarborough, all the places at the "seaside" that had all the best arcades, I used to put £ after £ in it then moved on to robo2 which was even better! As you say it's a hard cab to track down (and even harder to track down a pcb, I know of only one that is currently up for sale but a bit pricey at $129+shipping, I may be tempted though!!!)

Won't get nothing done until next week some time, this weekend will be a little alcohol fuelled!!! & as we all know it's not a good idea to work on a cab/project when drunk or hungover (bad thing's happen!!!)

TheDriver

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Re: Scratch Built Jamma Cab
« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2008, 03:05:26 pm »
A little more work done today, the NOS outrun marquee I got was just put in place to give me an idea of how it will look so that's why it doesn't fit!!!


El Cheapo circular saw (does the job!)

























Need to finish puttin all the buttons on and still a few panel's to cut. I put some extra support's on for the monitor, not that I think it would have fell anyway as it wiegh's next to nothing but just for my own peace of mind. Also the thread title has changed, think I will do a replica cab to put robo in after this one. ;)

Regards.

rlemmon

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Re: Scratch Built Jamma Cab
« Reply #10 on: March 26, 2008, 11:41:00 pm »
If your cpo comes down over the front of the panel you might want to smooth the edge with a router or sander. I didn't round mine very well and my cpo didn't adhere well over the edge and the vinyl eventually cracked . Keep up the good work.

TheDriver

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Re: Scratch Built Jamma Cab
« Reply #11 on: March 27, 2008, 12:08:23 pm »
Thank's for the tip rlemmon, I probably wouldn't have noticed this until it was too late!!!

A bit more progres today:

















I decided to just cut the coin door as I know what over/under I want to put in (just need to get hold of one now!!!) there is a big gap at the bottom right of the cab, my base is not quite square so I will need to fill a few places before it gets a coat of paint. Button 2 on the player 2 side does not seem to work, double & tripple checked my wiring and all seem's fine so possibly the board is at fault, I don't have another 2 player game until Aliens arrives so that will just need to wait. Cab looks really wierd without the proper marquee!!!

Regards.

TheDriver

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Re: Scratch Built Jamma Cab
« Reply #12 on: March 31, 2008, 08:14:14 am »
Aliens board arrived today and all buttons work, so at least I know my jamma loom is wired up properly so I have no idea why button 2 is not working for bad dudes. I hooked the bad dudes board up to my supergun & bizzarely button 2 works no problem so this leaves me stumped as to why it does not work when in the cab! 5v is getting to the button when the board is connected so it's really wierd  :dizzy:

Regards.

Kajoq

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Re: Scratch Built Jamma Cab
« Reply #13 on: March 31, 2008, 09:32:01 am »
Driver, You might want to try a 6 button game of some sort before you commit to that control panel.  Those buttons are way far apart for most 6 button games.  Its obviously a matter of what you are comfortable with, but nows the time to test those things before its all painted/arted/sealed up.

Current layout would be fine for most older jamma games with 2/3 buttons, but for a street fighter or what not, they might be a bit of a stretch.

Cab is looking really nice, has the traditional arcade look to it and you slimmed it down nicely without making the proportions look odd

TheDriver

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Re: Scratch Built Jamma Cab
« Reply #14 on: April 04, 2008, 06:50:36 am »
Not much to update, was going to just use the angled metal I got from B&Q for the marquee holder but mentioned to a friend about making some for me, gave him the outrun marquee holder for reference & got these back, first pic the outrun one on the top copy on the bottom, second pic outrun on the right copy on the left, look's much better than the crappy bit's I have on it just now!!!





Kajoq, I see your point about the button's, going to try & get a six button gameboard to try this out & will indeed change it if it's no good. Progress is slow at the moment due to work commitments.

Regards.

TheDriver

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Re: Scratch Built Jamma Cab
« Reply #15 on: April 08, 2008, 01:32:18 pm »
Some more "small" progress, not really been able to do much but today I routed the t-molding groove, added the marquee retainer's and routed a small bevel on the edge of the control panel per rlemmon's advice (  :applaud: ) not sure I have made it enough of a bevel but it is ok (for the moment!) that's not really too apparent from the photo but I think it will be seen better once it's painted and art'd up. It's been moved to it's final resting place next to the now stripped out outrun project (more on that at another date ;) ) Also I have been trying to think of a name for it and did a mock-up marquee, now I am pretty sure I have heard the name "Jamma-star" before but im not sure so it's not decided wether im going to use that or not (don't want to copy someones idea) anyhow, my stomach is rumbling so im off to get some food. :)


TheDriver

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Re: Scratch Built Jamma Cab
« Reply #16 on: April 10, 2008, 02:50:39 pm »
Put components back into the cab tonight when I got in from work, tried to tidy the wiring up a bit with cable ties, mounted the jamma board on the back, I have space for at least another 2 maybe 3 but until such times as I get a multi adapter the one will do just now. I decided to mount the PSU on the side so I can see the LED, you couldn't see it the way I had it before and obviously you need to see what it's showing. Next on the agenda is putting all the control's back on then painting/artwork and coin door. Speaking of artwork excuse the dodgy paper aliens marquee, I just couldn't help myself!!!!  ::)


TheDriver

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Re: Scratch Built Jamma Cab
« Reply #17 on: April 16, 2008, 07:00:55 am »
Nothing major to update build wise, but I did find the time to do more artwork that I am fairly pleased about. I googled for jammastar & came up with nothing so that's the name I am using. Below is probably the final marquee design but the control panel I am not sure about. I have totally redone the layout of the cp (based on sega net city cp!) so should be a lot easier to reach buttons for 6 button games.


TheDriver

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Re: Scratch Built Jamma Cab
« Reply #18 on: April 29, 2008, 11:36:33 am »
Again not much of an update, managed to finish early from work today and did a few bit's this afternoon. The major thing being the cp has been completely redone, the button's are now in a much more comfortable position curving slightly which follows the natural curve of the hand/finger's, inspired by the sega net city cp. Also the marquee & monitor plexi are on (not that you can make it out too well but it is there!) and in preperation for the coin door I have managed to track down (which is from a sega cab) I have put on the one from my outrun cab which is exactly the same so that all seems to fit properly. I ordered t-molding last week which should be here shortly so need to tidy up a few bit's before I paint. Not far away from completing it really but I don't know when I will next get a chance.





ps- I was quite nervous about cutting the plexi but don't know what I was worried about as it turned out to be realy easy with the router!

Regards.

TheDriver

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Re: Scratch Built Jamma Cab
« Reply #19 on: May 03, 2008, 11:01:16 am »
Another small update, black t-molding arrived this morning so I really need to get painting so I can get it on! & I always planned on putting a tinted piece of plexi between the monitor & clear plexi so cheaped out and got some car window tint film and stuck it to a bit of clear plexi, quite pleased with the result's, the monitor image looks so much better & it calms the colour's down a bit but this pic doesn't do it justice.


TheDriver

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Re: Scratch Built Jamma Cab
« Reply #20 on: August 19, 2008, 04:58:12 am »
Well well, no update in almost 4months!!!! and it really hasn't got that much further forward. I hadn't touched it since may, been buying plenty of
arcade related item's but last week I decided to mount the monitor again, the original mount's just didn't look good, functional yes, but looked sheeite!
so it was just to mount it really so as you can see there are a few squint lines, not worried cos there is a bezel to go in there still. Also the control panel has been replaced with an all new control panel and a plexi top, looks better imo & the button moves feel wore comfortable. The big thing for me was seeing it painted, really changed the look of the whole thing which is what made me put the tmolding on.



So it will probably sit there now till I do something with it, but when that will be is anybodys guess, too much going on atm.

Regards.

TOK

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Re: Scratch Built Jamma Cab
« Reply #21 on: August 19, 2008, 06:04:46 am »
Nice project. Who did you get the Pentranic monitor from, and would you mind listing a price?
I considered something like this instead of a 24.8 CRT for my Golden Tee, but only saw the Happ LCDs. They only had up to 19", which is way too small, but even those were ungodly expensive.

TheDriver

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Re: Scratch Built Jamma Cab
« Reply #22 on: August 19, 2008, 06:46:59 am »
Nice project. Who did you get the Pentranic monitor from, and would you mind listing a price?
I considered something like this instead of a 24.8 CRT for my Golden Tee, but only saw the Happ LCDs. They only had up to 19", which is way too small, but even those were ungodly expensive.


Got it direct from pentranic, not sure of the price I will need to check an old post, ill do a search!

EDIT: found it!
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=73994.0

Expensive then(£399.50) , but possibly cheaper now but im not sure, I haven't spoken to harry in a while. ;)

« Last Edit: August 19, 2008, 06:51:42 am by TheDriver »

lettuce

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Re: Scratch Built Jamma Cab
« Reply #23 on: August 28, 2008, 05:09:42 pm »
So you didnt decide to make the bezel so it covered up the boards on either side of the screen?

TheDriver

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Re: Scratch Built Jamma Cab
« Reply #24 on: September 01, 2008, 09:36:28 am »
So you didnt decide to make the bezel so it covered up the boards on either side of the screen?

Still to do the bezel, going to get some posterboard at some point in the near future and it will be cut in such a way that it will hide the wideness of the screen and fit round the actual screen output.