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New Project - PlunkBox Arcade (Single Player Vertical Bartop)

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splunkett:
Hello fellow arcaders. After years of intending to, but never quite getting around to it, I have finally started my first cab. I have settled upon a bartop having failed to convince she who must be obeyed that a full size cabinet or a cocktail would make a great addition to the house. I like to portability aspect too so am happy enough with the whole deal.

I also wanted to do the thing 'all by myself' so am working without plans but with the benefit of seeing so many great projects announced on this forum over the years. Finally, I wanted to see what I could build using as much stuff that I had lying around and without buying any specialist hardware, based on the assumption that I would probably screw up my first attempt anyway.

So here is what I am using:

An old laptop that I have stripped down.
A dreamcast arcade stick that hasn't seen use for years.
A 17" 4:3 monitor that I almost threw out.
A cheopo USB joypad to hack up.
A bunch of buttons I could source from my local electronics shop.
Various other electrical bits and bobs to hang it all together.
A few sheets of MDF and 1"x1" timber.
A reasonably equipped workshop to do the damage in.

So hopefully from these humble beginnings a masterpiece will be born...

My arcade days were mainly on vertical shooters/platformers in the 1980s, so that is what I am hoping to recreate.

I will post the first set of photos tomorrow as I need to resize them (having just seen the size limit) but wanted to start this thread to force myself to get on with the build.

drventure:
Welcome aboard!

 Sounds like a plan. I'm always keen to see the cool things that can be done with stuff that was otherwise going to end up in the landfill.

Post Pics!

splunkett:
Okay. Here are some photos of where I am at. Basically I have almost completed the woodwork apart from the rear door which I am still working on.

splunkett:
Some more shots:

splunkett:
I have settled on theme/colours. The dreamcast buttons and joystick that I have ripped are bright green so will paint the side panels the same green and the centre will be black. This happens to match the classic Space Invaders colours (on screen) so am working on cp/marque to fit. CP plexi is now cut. Ventilation will be via holes in the base as shown in photos and the rear door (working on a space invaders drill out).

The holes in the rear cab photos are:

Top - USB port (left) in case I need to connect anything for maintenance and (right) cab audio volume dial.

Bottom - PC kettle type power connector socket and illuminated green cab power switch.

The treaded bolts visible at the back are the monitor mounts.

Internals will be fairly conventional:

Stripped laptop running MAME
17" LCD vertically mounted monitor
Powered speakers with mods to allow rear volume control knob
8w florescent tube for marque
Powered USB hub
CP controls made up of dreamcast arcade stick (including USB converter) and hacked gamepad

For some extra bling I am thinking of including a green light source inside the cab that will project a space invaders image onto a rear wall via the space invaders character I drill into the rear door for ventilation but not sure if this will actually work out (will be cool if it does though).

Hope to post an update in a week or so.

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