Question about Plug and Play Ready Control Panels

[studmuff]

Hi Guys.  I have a question if anyone can give me some advise.

I have had my MAME cabinet for over a year and love it.  My control panel is an X-Arcade Tankstick.  It's great but I want some more buttons and for sure a spinner.

I was wondering if anyone has bought a ready to play control panel "classic controller" from MAMEROOM.  I bought my cabinet from them and it was great.  I like the customization you can do ad actually see the results on there webpage. 

If anyone bought one from mameroom I just want to know your experience with it.  How long it took?  If your happy with it? 

Also noted ArcadesRFun as well.  Noted it takes anywhere from 6-10 weeks to receive.

I've been looking at tutorials about making your own control panel but I'm scared to do it since I have no experience with electronics.

[Blanka]

You can also dismantle the X-arcade, re-use sticks and buttons, add a replacement interface like a minipac and add the spinner.

[studmuff]

I've thought about monkeying with the X-arcade but don't know if I want too.  If I don't buy a prefabricated one I may get a precut board from MAMEROOM and do it myself but again I'm kind of scaried to take on the project myself with no experience.  The only reason I may try to do it myself is cost but if I fail I'm be out a lot of money too.  I really do like the classic controller sold by MAMEROOM.  I just haven'e seen anybody post anything about buying this product from them.

[Kevin Mullins]

I just haven'e seen anybody post anything about buying this product from them.

Generally because most people on here build their own anyways.

And for the prices I've seen on Mameroom's website........ I would recommend giving it a shot yourself. (between $500-$650 for the two player Classic you were looking at)
Maybe buy one of their empty precut and drilled control panel kits, but buy and assemble the guts separately.

[studmuff]

Thanks for the replies.  I did a balance sheet on building my own controller.  Buying the controller kit, trackball, spinner, joysticks, 30+ buttons (on the classic controller), wiring, i-pac etc.  It comes out pretty close to the classic controller.  Of course I'll have to pay for shipping and waiting time for them to build it but it will probably save me loads of time and keep some more hairs on my head for a little while   
I keep looking back to when I wired the lights on my coin door -- it was seriously a pain in the arse.  I really respect you guys who build your own.  I would love to do it, and it would give me a great sense of accomplishment if i did it right, but I would need someone there to hold my hand when I did it.

[Turnarcades]

Making your own panel isn't as difficult as you think electronic-wise, especially if you get a pre-wired solution like the mini-pac from Ultimarc, which has all the connections for a 2-player setup with a trackball and spinner.

[roger]

I have had my MAME cabinet for over a year and love it.  My control panel is an X-Arcade Tankstick.  It's great but I want some more buttons and for sure a spinner.

Adding spinners to the X-Arcade Tankstick is not that hard, I added two TT2s to mine a while back:


Adding more buttons shouldn't be difficult either.

[Flake]

I bought a panel form ArcadeRFun and while I'm happy with the way the panel turned out if I were to do it all over again I would build my own.  Between the cost and the time it took to receive the panel (almost 3 months) I could have built my own and had already been playing weeks prior. 

I too was like you....intimidated by the thought of wiring my own panel....but honestly after being exposed to more reading and after observing my own ArcadesRFun panel it doesnt look that hard.  The hardest part for me would be the carpentry.

At the very least I would simply purchase a blank template from one of these vendors (I think they run around $100 - $150 or so) and wire up your own panel.  Even if you spend $300 on controllers you still save $200 or so.

[studmuff]

I have had my MAME cabinet for over a year and love it.  My control panel is an X-Arcade Tankstick.  It's great but I want some more buttons and for sure a spinner.

Adding spinners to the X-Arcade Tankstick is not that hard, I added two TT2s to mine a while back:


Adding more buttons shouldn't be difficult either.

Wow.  That looks great.  Maybe I will try to modify my tankstick.  I have been considering just building my own.  I have a lot to think about.  3 months is long time to wait for a control panel and I wouldn't want to wait that  long, I would rather try to build it myself.  Thanks guys for all your replies.