Convenient way to turn a mame cab/jukebox cab + monitors on and off

[alex_hawpond]

I built my Mame cabinet without giving any thought as to how to conveniently turn it on...so I have to crawl on the floor behind it and fish around for the power switch. I'm getting plans together for an MP3 jukebox project and don't want it to suffer from this same design flaw.

How can I wire a standard arcade button to start the powerup of the PC in my jukebox cab? Is there an even better way to arrange for easy powerup?

I'm okay using start/shutdown to turn it off, but if anyone knows how to wire ANOTHER arcade button to the shutdown sequence, I'd use that too!

I searched two years of this forum and a lot on Google and didn't find anything useful...

Also, what have other jukebox builders done to manage power to LCD monitors in their juke cabinets?

Thanks
--Alex

[unclet]

Most computers are set up by default to turn off when the power button is pressed and (of course) to turn on when the power button is pressed again.   Knowing this, I simply went into the computer case and saw which two wires are used for the computer power button.  These two wires will be connected to a small molex connector which is then placed onto some pins on the motherboard.  Simply extend these wires to a pushbutton and you then have a button just like the power button on your computer.  Some people splice the two wires together and solder them all together and others simply extend some small thin wire from the molex pin connector on the board.  The actual molex connector which is used for the power button on the computer will hold it in place once it is pushed onto the pins on the motherboard.  Basically, one pushbutton can be used to turn on and turn off the computer.

As for powering other stuff, I simply purchased some 6 outlet power strips.  I cut the thick wire in half and connected it to a light switch.    This way, I can always have the power on going to the 6 outlet power strip, and I can control whether my lights, monitors, etc.. are on but flipping the light switch to on/off.

You can see some of the photos of the light switch wiring from my site (pics 50, 51, 52, 53, 54).  Click on the link below and select the "Photos" link on the bottom.

http://unclet.arcadecontrols.com/DadsJukebox/DadsJukeboxMain.html

Hope this helps.