Gamester's ARCADE GALAXY

[Gamester]

I actually removed the smoked window tinting from my plexi glass the other day. I have been noticing specks of dirt and hair that I didn't see before, and to be honest, I like looking at the screen a lot more without the smoked glass over top of it.

Thanks Ryglore, that's good feedback.  I will probably just go with clear.  I'm fine with how it looks right now, so clear would obviously keep the look consistent.  The main reason I'm even going to bother with glass is for ease of cleaning.

That is in the top 5 cleanest builds I have seen, nice job!  Love it!

Thanks Santoro!  That's a huge compliment, considering some of the other works I've seen on this site.  I'm glad you like it!

Btw, I LOVE your new tokens, and definitely have those on my wish list.  They couldn't match more perfectly with the theme elements of my cab!  

[javeryh]

I've been out of the loop for a while but I wanted to say that this thing turned out FANTASTIC.  I absolutely love it and the construction quality looks top-notch.  Very very nice job!   

[Ryglore]

Thanks Ryglore, that's good feedback.  I will probably just go with clear.  I'm fine with how it looks right now, so clear would obviously keep the look consistent.  The main reason I'm even going to bother with glass is for ease of cleaning.

Oh ya totally, The plain clear plexi is great. Plus now with the way I changed how the plexi is held down, I can even take it off if need be, so I can clean the monitor and the back side of the plexi.

Also, I noticed it is a lot easier to play with just the clean glass rather than the smoked when the lights are on. Which means I don't need to play with the lights off. Though I do anyway, ha. 

[Gamester]

I've been out of the loop for a while but I wanted to say that this thing turned out FANTASTIC.  I absolutely love it and the construction quality looks top-notch.  Very very nice job!   

Hey javeryh, I really appreciate the compliment.  Glad to see you getting back in the saddle again!  Love the work you've done on your DK cab!

Also, I noticed it is a lot easier to play with just the clean glass rather than the smoked when the lights are on. Which means I don't need to play with the lights off. Though I do anyway, ha. 

Ah, I really didn't think about that aspect, but yeah, I bet the reflection/glare is worse on tinted glass.  That's a big factor for me because my cab is in my living room, right next to some large windows. 

That definitely cements my decision...

[Ryglore]

The stuff I had was supposed to be "anti-glare". But since it's basically a window w/ a black background it kinda worked like a mirror sometimes. I would always see the reflection of my overhead light on my glass.

[bigpete405]

Super Nice Cabinet . Everything works together perfect. 

[The_Friar]

Hi Gamester,

First the obligatory compliment that ain't so obligatory, I mean how can you not compliment something that pretty.

Ok, so I'm very very new here. In fact, its my first post. I've been reading as many threads as I can to steal .....borrow ideas for the cab I want to build.

My question for you sir, would be about your CP. How did you attach the plexi? I assume it's just the buttons and t-molding holding it on, but is it really strong enough or do you have something else that I just can't see in your pics?

Any help is greatly appreciated sir.

[Gamester]

@bigpete405 - Thank you so much!  


@The_Friar -  Thank you for the compliment, and welcome to the forums!

To answer your question, the plexi is held on only by the buttons and the t-molding which is mounted in an off-set slot to cover the edges.  The buttons hold it down firmly, and the t-molding prevents any lateral movement -- it's not going anywhere...

[zipseattle]

Gamester - great build!  I have a question regarding the spinner and trackball - earlier in the thread you mentioned that you were running the trackball by connecting it through the Turbo Twist interface.  How is that working? How did you connect your mouse buttons?

Thanks!

[Gamester]

Gamester - great build!  I have a question regarding the spinner and trackball - earlier in the thread you mentioned that you were running the trackball by connecting it through the Turbo Twist interface.  How is that working? How did you connect your mouse buttons?

Hi zipseattle,

Good question.

The controller that comes with the TT2 also has jumpers to connect mouse buttons.  The two buttons you see on my panel next to the spinner are wired as the mouse buttons.  

When you connect both a trackball and the spinner to the board, the spinner is on the 'Z' axis.  The problem I'm having is that the newer versions of MAME do not play nice with a spinner on the Z axis.  There were some software 'hacks' that could be done on previous versions of MAME to fix this, but I didn't have any luck making those work with my version of MAME (v134)

I *think* the easiest solution for me is going to be to just purchase another Opti-Wiz so I can separate the trackball and spinner.  For $20, it's worth it, as I'm tired of fiddling with MAME, and I'm not interested in dropping back to an older version.  If I remember right, the problem was introduced around v115 or so.

[bigpete405]

I just wanted to tell again how much I like this cab, so much infact that I ordered  2  NovaMatrix LED Marquee Light's, and novagem buttons for my cab. 

[Gamester]

Almost embarrassed to resurrect this thread after being away so long, but wanted to try to tie up a couple loose ends and throw up a couple newer (better) pics of the cab. 

One the major issues left unsolved in the thread was my audio/speaker situation. As mentioned previously, I had originally purchased some nice Infinity car speakers to use, along with an amplifier. Well, as it turned out they didn't play nice with the CRT monitor and attempts to shield them myself failed.  So, for a long time I was left with empty holes in my cab and speakers sitting on the floor behind the cab.  Lame!

So eventually, after the burnout from the project subsided, I decided to tackle the problem.  The challenge was I needed a high quality shielded speaker that wouldn't negatively impact the marquee lighting (i.e. cause shadows).  This meant I couldn't really use computer speakers as they were all too bulky in their enclosure and most are too small -- or have poor acoustical characteristics -- out of them.  So after some searching I ran across Dayton Audio RS100S-8 full range speakers. The key for me being that they are magnetically shielded, by all accounts good sounding, and relatively low profile.  Bingo!



They are a bit smaller in diameter than the holes I had cut, so I had to improvise and built some plywood mounting 'plates' which I painted black and installed on the back side of the speaker panel.  Once I installed speaker grills over the holes, it all blended in perfectly.



To power them, I found a Cambridge Soundworks Microworks system with subwoofer I had sitting around. This turned out to be a perfect solution and saved me some time because it has a remote (wired) volume control, which I was able to run up through the cab and mount on the back side of my control panel for easy access.



This solution sounds great, and in the end I'm honestly glad it worked out this way. I had not planned a subwoofer before, but it turned out to be a nice addition.  Really gives the audio a nice full sound.

And a couple updated pics of the final product:





The only other major to-do item is to fix my TT spinner. Sadly, I never resolved the problem where MAME wasn't playing nice with the spinner connected on the Z-axis of the controller. I had to unplug it and it's never been used! I suspect the issue can be resolved with some additional tweaks and a recompile of MAME (ugh).  I had tried that before without success, but I may give it another shot. My other option is to simply buy another opti-wiz and be done with it.

Oh, and on a separate note I just ordered some of these tokens from Santoro's site.  I can't believe I waited so long, as they fit the theme of my cab PERFECTLY. I mean even down to the Galaga ship with rays behind it (my marquee) and the space invader on the opposite side (my coin rejects).  And it also just so happens these are dated the same year I 'finished' my cab. It's like they were custom made for me! 



Anyway, the machine has been an absolute hit with my family and friends, and a great conversation piece when we have parties and get togethers.  My kids have really enjoyed it as well.  Makes me proud to see them playing and enjoying the same great games I played when I was their age.  I'm so thankful to this forum and all of the hobbyists and vendors out there that make it possible for us to build and enjoy these wonderful machines!   

[Ryglore]

Awesome! Glad to hear you got that figured out. I also bought some of Santoro's tokens my cab recently and love them. You won't be disappointed in them at all man. Congrats on the speaker solution and don't feel bad about reviving the thread. I think I'll be doing the same with the SHMUP here soonish... I've got some upgrades on the planning stages. 

[PL1]

The only other major to-do item is to fix my TT spinner. Sadly, I never resolved the problem where MAME wasn't playing nice with the spinner connected on the Z-axis of the controller. I had to unplug it and it's never been used! I suspect the issue can be resolved with some additional tweaks and a recompile of MAME (ugh).  I had tried that before without success, but I may give it another shot. My other option is to simply buy another opti-wiz and be done with it.

Maybe TopJimmyCooks can provide a few pointers like this for the recompile.

Just noticed that you posted in the same thread where he got it to work -- two years after you tried it.


Scott

[wp34]

Glad to hear you are still around and at it Gamester.     I borrowed heavily from your build thread for my project.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,116519.0.html

Thanks for the updated pics.   

[Gamester]

Awesome! Glad to hear you got that figured out. I also bought some of Santoro's tokens my cab recently and love them. You won't be disappointed in them at all man. Congrats on the speaker solution and don't feel bad about reviving the thread. I think I'll be doing the same with the SHMUP here soonish... I've got some upgrades on the planning stages. 

Thanks Ryglore. Look forward to seeing your updates.  ALso saw your 1984 cab btw.  Really nice work!!

Maybe TopJimmyCooks can provide a few pointers like this for the recompile.

Thanks for the link Scott. I'm hopeful that I can get it straightened out.  I'm ready for a little Tempest action!

Glad to hear you are still around and at it Gamester.     I borrowed heavily from your build thread for my project.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,116519.0.html

Looking good wp34! Glad my build thread was helpful. Look forward to seeing your cab finished!   

[Ryglore]

Thanks! I'm really happy with that cab, and its well loved in its new home and that's the best part. I can't wait until I can knock out the updates on SHMUP I'm gathering small parts right now and hope to get the big stuff after the new year. When I post an update I'll pm you so you catch it. 

[a1pharm]

Gamester,

Thanks so much for documenting your process so thoroughly.  Your post has helped me realize I, too, can build a cab.  I have most of the parts ordered, and construction will commence within the next 3 weeks.  When I start construction, I'll document what I do, meticulously.

The final (and perhaps most important) piece that I don't have planned out completely is my CP layout.  I have been looking for the perfect CP, and I think for what I intend to do, your CP is perfect.  Where can I find the layout/measurement image you used to create your CP?

Again, thanks a bunch for documenting, you are helping us other newbies get going!