Newbie! Just got my first cabinet!

[ZippySLC]

I just picked up my first cabinet. It's a 19" Dynamo cabinet with "Final Blow" installed.

I got it for $100 - works perfect, clean, etc. The monitor has some burn in, but not terribly bad. The coin slots also work great.

The coolest thing about the cabinet is the sliding shelf that holds the power supply for the cabinet, game PCB, etc. I'm considering mounting the PC there - although there is plenty of room in the bottom of the cabinet as well.

I'm probably going to go the ArcadeVGA route, as I want to use the monitor that I have now without hacking up the wiring too bad.

I'm wondering what I should do about controls. The Dynamo cabinets seem to only have two joysticks (4 way) with three buttons per player, and 1 and 2 player start buttons. I'm having a hard time deciding what sort of controls to get. Most of the games I want to play are from the 80s - PacMan, Missle Command, Galaga, APB, OutRun, and APB. I'm wondering if I should get two 8 way sticks, one 4 way stick, four fire buttons per player, and a trackball. The problem is that the Dynamo control panel is made out of metal and constructed in a way that looks like it would be hard to reproduce in wood. It also might be too cluttered.

Anyone build a MAME cab from a Dynamo cabinet and have any suggestions or pictures from their project?

[Apollo]

Well congrats and welcome! Pretty exciting when it arrives isn't it.
My cab ( work in progress ) has metal panels. I bought smaller cab with 19" monitor but have recently decided to go for the big boy, standard jamma cab with 25" arcade monitor and metal Street Fighter style control panel i.e. 2X8 way sticks with 6 buttons each. I like metal control panels but I need a 4 way stick and Defender type buttons as well. My solution is to get a blank control panel ( I can get one from the guy who is selling me the cab ) and get it drilled professionally. You may not have that option but you may find that a metal work shop can make you a blank from your original panel? Just a thought. Then you can have swappable panels ( you would only need 2 ).

[ZippySLC]

Well congrats and welcome! Pretty exciting when it arrives isn't it.
My cab ( work in progress ) has metal panels. I bought smaller cab with 19" monitor but have recently decided to go for the big boy, standard jamma cab with 25" arcade monitor and metal Street Fighter style control panel i.e. 2X8 way sticks with 6 buttons each. I like metal control panels but I need a 4 way stick and Defender type buttons as well. My solution is to get a blank control panel ( I can get one from the guy who is selling me the cab ) and get it drilled professionally. You may not have that option but you may find that a metal work shop can make you a blank from your original panel? Just a thought. Then you can have swappable panels ( you would only need 2 ).

I think it might be easier/cheaper for me to work with wood. I was looking around at some pre-made stuff and wondering if I could do something similar. I think I would like having all of the controls on one panel, sort of like the Slikstick Classic, but making it mountable to the slide-in shelf.

What I was thinking of was making a panel that hinged from the bottom like my current cabinet, but having a larger control panel with two slots for the T molding of the cabinet to slip into. That way it could fold down and be as accessable, but when up and locked into place have all of the controls up and ready for use.

I also want to keep away from removable panels to keep it simple to use if guests come over.

[Sasquatch!]

Holy crap, it's ZippySLC!

Uh, back on topic: Yeah, ditch the metal panel and work with wood.  HELL of a lot easier.

I agree about not using swappable or switchable panels just for ease of use, but it's a personal call.  Just remember that COMFORT of the control panel should be your #1 goal.

[spectre]

yea i've got a dynamo cab
junk ur cp
make one
i'm using an xarcade in mine as teh dimensions fit pretty good...

[ZippySLC]

yea i've got a dynamo cab
junk ur cp
make one
i'm using an xarcade in mine as teh dimensions fit pretty good...

got any pics? what's the size of your cab?

Sasquatch! - from SA, right?

[spectre]

i'll take some when i get the xarcade in there for ya, it should be here tues i assume...
it's same exact as yours 23 inch arcade monitor 19 inch pc monitor i've got a 15 in it now tho works good less pixelations and ur eyes adjust...
anyway... yea i'll take pics in a few days for ya

[paigeoliver]

A few comments here. You probably DO NOT have 4-way joysticks in that cabinet. Not unless someone took a cabinet that shipped with 8-way sticks, and installed a kit that ALSO came with 8-way sticks, and yet for some reason went out and installed some 4-way sticks instead. 8-way sticks also have 4 switches, the only difference is that it can hit two of them at once for the corners.

Control panels for 19" Dynamo cabinets are easy to come by, and I think they might even still make them.

X-Arcade looks like dog poop in a cabinet, and the controls probably are not as nice as the ones you already have (if your cabinet has the sticks that came with the Final Blow kit, then they should be a couple of really nice 8-way microswitch Wico sticks with a rubber centering grommet).

If you are willing to sacrifice two player action, then you can get an 8-way, a 4-way, a six button layout and a 3" trackball on that panel without cramping. There is no way you would get a 2 player setup +4-way, +trackball on a Dynamo panel. Way too small.

You can build a bigger panel if you want too, but it will look "wrong" no matter how well it is done. 19" cabinets just didn't have oversized panels. If you aren't concerned with having it look and play like a real arcade game, then go with an X-Arcade, or go with a massive 4 foot control panel. My personal suggestion is either go with 4-way, 8-way, 6 buttons, trackball if you mostly just will be playing it yourself. If you plan on playing two player all the time, then go with a pair of 8-ways with the Oscar restrictor plates. (I doubt you could fit a trackball in with any two player setup, but you are welcome to try).

[ZippySLC]

I think what I am going to end up doing is along the lines of DHansen's bump controls. That should get me enough room to throw in a few extra controls without screwing the lines of the cabinet up too much.

As far as the sticks being 4 way, they are leaf spring, and it doesn't look like they contact one side all the way when pushed in the diagional. I will take your word on it, since I this is the first time I have ever looked inside a arcade game before!