Buying KeyWiz Max in the UK? Just starting a build.

[bumcheekcity]

Well, pretty much as in the topic title there. I'm just going to start building my first Arcade Machine as a summer project. I'm going to get my eye in with the electronics first, and then physically construct the cabinet, and all that. I've got a PC, and I now need the controls and Keyboard Emulator thingy.

Is there a good site to buy the KeyWiz Max in the UK? Or at least an alternative which will do the same thing? I want to do the absolute minimum of soldering, preferably none, so I can't buy the KeyWiz, I need the Max version, or at least a similar product which doesn't need soldering. Thanks for any advice.

Oh, and I'm probably just going to pick up the buttons and joysticks off eBay. Is that OK, or are there better vendors?

[JoyMonkey]

Ultimarc is based in the UK and they've got a bunch of different styles of IPac controllers. I'm sure one of them will fit your needs nicely.
http://www.ultimarc.com/ipac1.html

There's a good rundown on the various encoders out there here:
http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/wiki/Keyboard_Encoders
http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/wiki/Gamepad_Encoders

[Franco B]

Welcome to the forum from a fellow UK'er

The main two companies that sell keyboard encoders are

Groovy Game Gear (US - KeyWiz etc) www.groovygamegear.com

and Ultimarc (UK - IPAC2/4 etc) www.Ultimarc.com

I have ordered from both with no problems, obviously stuff from GGG can take longer to cross the pond and you can end up paying customs charges etc depending on the value of your order. 

For your joys, take a look at Ultimarcs U360's, the general consensus is that they are the the 'best' joy out there at the moment. There are plenty of options though depending on what your needs and budget are.

Don't rush into any products, take your time to look at the options available to you and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Edit: Yeah, what JoyMonkey said!

[bumcheekcity]

The IPAC2 seems to be a good choice - means I don't have to solder, right, it's a screw board?

I'm on the Ultimarc website, and a little confused - the prices are all in dollars, is it a separate UK site, or just ships there?

[Hoopz]

You can change the currency from dollars to euros to pounds. 

[bumcheekcity]

Ah yeah, I see that. Changed it to pounds now

[Franco B]

If you are placing a small order that will fit in a Jiffy bag (IPAC etc) send Andy (Ultimarcs owner) an email and he will send it out via Royal Mail for you rather than DHL which is much more expensive.

[bumcheekcity]

After all that, GroovyGameGear is a lot cheaper overall. Check out this cart below. Is there anything else I need in terms of electronics for my first build?

[Havok]

I built my Mame cab with all GGG parts: you won't be disappointed with his stuff, and he takes care of you when you have problems.

[Minwah]

Is there anything else I need in terms of electronics for my first build?

ArcadeVGA card if you want to use an arcade monitor...

[bumcheekcity]

I'm just going to use a standard CRT or perhaps TFT monitor. I can just use a normal GFX card for that, right?