"Rainy Days" - 2-player upright cabinet [UPDATED 02/22/10!] - 100% FINISHED!

[dekar24k]

"Rainy Days" - 2-player arcade cabinet

The cabinet is now 100% completed and here is the result:







Click here to see all the pictures!



--

The cabinet features the following:

- Custom artwork

- Two Sanwa JLW-UM8 joysticks (one for each player) in 8-way mode

- One dedicated JLW-UM8 joystick in 4-way mode

- 7 buttons for each player + 3 trackball buttons + 1 button for the 4-way joystick + 2 x 2 flipper buttons + 10 admin buttons (all Happ)

- One U-TRAK trackball from Ultimarc

- One Spintrak Spinner from Ultimarc

- 27" WG D9800 + Ultimarc ArcadeVGA2

- Cabinet is built using MameRoom.com's UAII Kit

--

Thanks to:

Andy @ Ultimarc.com for getting that arcade hardware to my doorstep faster than anyone could, Scott @ Mameroom.com/North Coast Customs for the excellent service and swift shipments, Scott @ Mamemarquees.com for the best printing work I've ever seen, Ole @ CopyCat Oslo for delivering some excellent prints, thanks to my friends and family for all the help, my girlfriend for still sticking with me after all the weird stuff I've been doing (weird to her, that is) and not to forget everyone here at BYOAC for being helpful and friendly as always!

BTW, this cabinet is waaaay too big for my living room, so I will start building a new, smaller one soon.  

[thatitalian]

NICE! I really liked your bartop so hopefully this one will be the same!

I would really love to have a WG D9800, so I would suggest that as it is an awesome bit of kit!

GOOD LUCK!

[dekar24k]

NICE! I really liked your bartop so hopefully this one will be the same!

I would really love to have a WG D9800, so I would suggest that as it is an awesome bit of kit!

GOOD LUCK!

Thanks man.

I'd prefer a D9800 myself, but the problem is that noone sells them here in Norway and therefore it'll cost me nearly $800 (with shipping) to get one from the US. 

[thatitalian]

Yeah, they are hard enough to get in the UK as well.

You could always get one from here and ship if over? How would that work currency wise? Is it worth it?

[dekar24k]

Yeah, they are hard enough to get in the UK as well.

You could always get one from here and ship if over? How would that work currency wise? Is it worth it?

Perhaps. I haven't investigated prices in UK yet, do you know of any retailers?

[thatitalian]

Unfortunately I don't. I have been looking for a short while. eBay has them from time to time.

[dekar24k]

Unfortunately I don't. I have been looking for a short while. eBay has them from time to time.

Ok. I'm also trying to get one from Sweden though. Sweden has more arcade enthusiasts than Norway, unfortunately.

[emphatic]

Unfortunately I don't. I have been looking for a short while. eBay has them from time to time.

Ok. I'm also trying to get one from Sweden though. Sweden has more arcade enthusiasts than Norway, unfortunately.

Hi, it's you who wrote that want-ad for one of these @ Arkadtorget? Have you thought about going with a 29" low res from www.arcadegames.se instead? They do have Panasonic tri-sync monitors as well, but I would personally go with a low res only, as geometry issues are bound to exist on tri-sync monitors.

Edit: You are aware of this Norwegian shop: http://www.parts4pinballs.com/index.php?cPath=1_146 ?

[dekar24k]

Unfortunately I don't. I have been looking for a short while. eBay has them from time to time.

Ok. I'm also trying to get one from Sweden though. Sweden has more arcade enthusiasts than Norway, unfortunately.

Hi, it's you who wrote that want-ad for one of these @ Arkadtorget? Have you thought about going with a 29" low res from www.arcadegames.se instead? They do have Panasonic tri-sync monitors as well, but I would personally go with a low res only, as geometry issues are bound to exist on tri-sync monitors.

Edit: You are aware of this Norwegian shop: http://www.parts4pinballs.com/index.php?cPath=1_146 ?

Hey, that's me indeed.

29" is too big for the cabinet but I'm aware of those two sites. I don't have any experience with any of the monitors they're offering though.

Do you know if this is any good? http://www.parts4pinballs.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_146&products_id=3083 (Intervideo 25" Dual Frequency 15-25Khz)

[emphatic]

Hey, that's me indeed.

29" is too big for the cabinet but I'm aware of those two sites. I don't have any experience with any of the monitors they're offering though.

Do you know if this is any good? http://www.parts4pinballs.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_146&products_id=3083 (Intervideo 25" Dual Frequency 15-25Khz)

I believe that Intervideo is a quality brand, so I think that they're very nice. Don't know if it has the OSD of the WG's though. I really like dual-syncs, and that one has a curved tube which will probably give you a very nice geometry. I'm currently using my dual-sync Nanao MS9 in 24khz mode, and it's gorgeous.  I had a Wei-Ya tri-sync, but the constant need to tweak it made me quite unhappy.

Perhaps emailing parts4pinballs and asking them of the quality of the Intervideos compared to the WG's would give you a better picture of what they're capable of.

[dekar24k]

Hey, that's me indeed.

29" is too big for the cabinet but I'm aware of those two sites. I don't have any experience with any of the monitors they're offering though.

Do you know if this is any good? http://www.parts4pinballs.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_146&products_id=3083 (Intervideo 25" Dual Frequency 15-25Khz)

I believe that Intervideo is a quality brand, so I think that they're very nice. Don't know if it has the OSD of the WG's though. I really like dual-syncs, and that one has a curved tube which will probably give you a very nice geometry. I'm currently using my dual-sync Nanao MS9 in 24khz mode, and it's gorgeous.  I had a Wei-Ya tri-sync, but the constant need to tweak it made me quite unhappy.

Perhaps emailing parts4pinballs and asking them of the quality of the Intervideos compared to the WG's would give you a better picture of what they're capable of.

Thanks a lot for your advice. I'll try calling/e-mailing them tomorrow and ask them some questions.

[dekar24k]

Version 1 of the marquee:



As I did with my last marquee, I found some nice vector graphics on the net which I've used for the background (clouds and rainbow). I tried 20 different fonts before I decided to go for this one, which I think goes nicely with the cloudy background. Also notice the classic game characters on the right side of the rainbow.

[drventure]

I like it. Got that retro vibe going. Though, it seems to me there's something not quite right about the clouds. Their shape just doesn't seem to fit in to me.

But I'd be hard pressed to suggest something to make it better.

[mwong168]

Nice marquee, but I have a question regarding your bartop you completed.  How come you mounted the track ball and plate over top of your nice control panel artwork?  Was it a last minute decision to add the track ball?

[dekar24k]

Nice marquee, but I have a question regarding your bartop you completed.  How come you mounted the track ball and plate over top of your nice control panel artwork?  Was it a last minute decision to add the track ball?

Thanks guys! Well, it was simply because the control panel was cut to fit the 2 1/4" ultimarc trackball and it requires a top mounting plate. I thought of routing the plate down into the wooden panel, but I had no idea how to do that. On this cabinet I will use a flushmount 3" trackball, so it won't be an issue here.

[mwong168]

That's really too bad, all you would have had to do is make a template and a route it out to the correct depth.  Unfortunately the template I made for my 2.25" track ball was a one time use thing but my HAPP one I made to route from under the panel worked like a dream again for me 2 weeks ago when I did my bartop control panel.  Can't wait to see some pics of this project when you start it.

[dekar24k]

That's really too bad, all you would have had to do is make a template and a route it out to the correct depth.  Unfortunately the template I made for my 2.25" track ball was a one time use thing but my HAPP one I made to route from under the panel worked like a dream again for me 2 weeks ago when I did my bartop control panel.  Can't wait to see some pics of this project when you start it.

Yeah, but I would have to tear off the CP artwork and then I'd have to order a new one. Plus I got tired of that cabinet pretty fast, as it was too small and only a single player cab. I won't get tired of this new one though (I hope).

[dekar24k]

Ok, I'm finished with the marquee:

http://arcadeforum.com/gfx/marquee_final.jpg

Now to start working on the CP overlay (the hardest part IMO).

[mustafab1]

Ok, I'm finished with the marquee:

http://arcadeforum.com/gfx/marquee_final.jpg

Now to start working on the CP overlay (the hardest part IMO).

Wow that looks cool (and rainy )!

[dekar24k]

Ok, I'm finished with the marquee:

http://arcadeforum.com/gfx/marquee_final.jpg

Now to start working on the CP overlay (the hardest part IMO).

Wow that looks cool (and rainy )!

Thanks! Hoping to order the prints tonight, if I can only finish the CPO.

[dekar24k]

Just finished the control panel:

(WARNING: Huge image!)

http://www.arcadeforum.com/gfx/cp_final_with_outline.jpg

It might look a little messy, but I think it'll look cool underneath the controls and buttons.

[Namco]

Wow, great theme and panel. I would never think of using bright blues and greens myself, so I'm really drawn to the bright wispy theme. Very nice!

[Gatsu]

thats very awesome work. Can't wait to see how it all fits together.

[solid187]

I agree.  Very, very cool.  Got sum talent.

[dekar24k]

Thanks alot! Remember I've cheated with the rainbow though, it's a vector I've downloaded. Oh and, of course, I haven't drawn the Burger Time character either. Wish I could draw characters like that though.

BTW, I found this awesome site with tons of free arcade artwork (all vector). Don't know if you already know about it, but it's still pretty cool:

http://vectorlib.free.fr/

[dekar24k]

Ok, now my first "problem" has come up. I decided to get a WG D9800 27" for the cabinet but the only place I can order it is from xgaming (didn't find any other retailer closer to Norway). This means two things: 1. The shipping is hella expensive (almost more expensive than the monitor itself) and 2. Xgaming does not refund any potential shipping damage caused by FedEx (FedEx will cover this, but I'm not sure if they cover anything but the monitor itself). Therefore, if the monitor is damaged in transit I will have to pay for the shipping of a 2nd monitor.

I'm really leaning towards getting a PC CRT now, but I can't seem to find any bigger 4:3 monitors than 21" (are there bigger?).

If I could only find a retailer in Sweden, Denmark, Germany or whatever who sells WG monitors it would be so awesome. Any tips anyone?

Edit: What the heck. I'll order the WG D9800 from XGaming. What are the odds of FedEx breaking it? I've heard they are carefully packaged.

[Kman-Sweden]

Unfortunately I don't. I have been looking for a short while. eBay has them from time to time.

Ok. I'm also trying to get one from Sweden though. Sweden has more arcade enthusiasts than Norway, unfortunately.

Hi, it's you who wrote that want-ad for one of these @ Arkadtorget? Have you thought about going with a 29" low res from www.arcadegames.se instead? They do have Panasonic tri-sync monitors as well, but I would personally go with a low res only, as geometry issues are bound to exist on tri-sync monitors.

Edit: You are aware of this Norwegian shop: http://www.parts4pinballs.com/index.php?cPath=1_146 ?

Hey, that's me indeed.

29" is too big for the cabinet but I'm aware of those two sites. I don't have any experience with any of the monitors they're offering though.

Do you know if this is any good? http://www.parts4pinballs.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_146&products_id=3083 (Intervideo 25" Dual Frequency 15-25Khz)

Does anyone of you know how wide/high the 29" is at arcadegames.se? There's info about that on the 25"-er but nothing much on the 29"..
edit: I like all the artwork as well. 

[emphatic]

Apparently, the stock over at arcadegames.se is dropping fast. So you should hurry up as they say it's the last ones they'll stock. They have Panasonic tri-sync ones that might be very nice.

Edit: The raindrops and other circular details in your marquee seem stretched into ovals, is this intentional? The same (rainbow piece) on the CPO has perfect circles. I thought I'd mention this now, and not when the artwork comes back from the printers in case you'd done this by mistake.

[dekar24k]

Apparently, the stock over at arcadegames.se is dropping fast. So you should hurry up as they say it's the last ones they'll stock. They have Panasonic tri-sync ones that might be very nice.

Edit: The raindrops and other circular details in your marquee seem stretched into ovals, is this intentional? The same (rainbow piece) on the CPO has perfect circles. I thought I'd mention this now, and not when the artwork comes back from the printers in case you'd done this by mistake.

Yeah I screwed up a little bit as I started working with wrong proportions when doing the marquee. As you can see the logo is not affected, so I don't think I'm going to correct it as I'm sure it won't be visible when printed and inserted into the marquee retainer. I can always re-do the marquee at a later time as well. Thanks for letting me know though.

[dekar24k]

So I finally decided to go for the real thing and ordered a WG D9800 and an ArcadeVGA2 on Friday. Can't wait to see if it's as good as (almost) everyone say it is.

[dekar24k]

So, finally an update!

Day 1 - T-molding and assembly of the bottom part of the cabinet

So I received the UAII Kit a couple of days ago from Mameroom. The MDF were in perfect condition,









.. but unfortunately, the monitor plexi and control panel plexi had taken a beating.





When I e-mailed Scott @ Mameroom about this, he instantly replied that he was sending out replacements ASAP. I'm very impressed with Mameroom! I mean; how many companies practice such great service nowadays? Not many. Not at all.

Anyways, as the plexi weren't crucial for the beginning of the assembly, so I started putting the cabinet kit together.



First I applied t-molding, which went pretty fast as I've done it a couple of times before. A rubber mallet and a razor is all you really need for that process.



After t-molding was applied, together with all required pins and inserts, I started assembling the bottom part of the cabinet. This was an easy task, as the MDF is cut to perfect precision and the instruction manual is easy to follow.





When I finished assembling the bottom part I started realizing how big this cabinet really is. It is at least three times as big as the mini cabinet I've previously built.



The funny (and worrying) thing is, my girlfriend has no idea how huge this cabinet is. I wonder how she'll react when I bring this baby home.

--

So.. That was all the time I had for today, tomorrow I will assemble the upper part of the cabinet.

[dekar24k]

Posting another update right away!

Day 2 - Assembly of the upper part of the cabinet

I'm posting another update right away. This time I am assembling the upper part of the cabinet.

Once again, applying t-molding and pin inserts to all the MDF parts:



The upper part of the cabinet was just as easy to assemble as the bottom part and after a little while it was assembled:



When I started planning this cabinet I was thinking of using the biggest 2.1 Stereo speaker setup I could find, but I ended up with a "decent" set of Creative Inspire T3130 2.1 speakers (with subwoofer). The reason was because I had the chance to listen to them first at the electronics store and for a mid-range set of computer speakers, these were really good. The sound is very crisp, loud and the bass is pounding just right for an arcade cabinet. They also feature a wired volume control, which is good for integrating into the cabinet. Also, the speaker wires are long enough to go all the way from the marquee and down to the bottom part of the cabinet (where the computer will be put).



I attached the speakers using what we in Norway call "patent strips", I have no idea what you call it in the US. Very solid, stable and easy way to secure the speakers to the cabinet.



(Spot the dog)



As you can see, the speakers fit perfectly.



Also, the speaker wires are more than long enough to reach all the way down to the PC in the bottom of the cabinet (spot the dog).



That's all for this update. I'm still waiting for the replacement CP plexi and I can't start working on the control panel until I receive it, so there might be a couple of days until my next update.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

[Erik]

is that a garage or an operating room?

[dekar24k]

is that a garage or an operating room?

It's one of the rooms in a triple garage. My dad doesn't use it so I've occupied it with my arcade building stuff.

Edit: It's definitely not an operating room. 

[Gamester]

Hrmmm... it's hard to judge the exact depth of everything in the photo, but those speakers sure look like they're going to be problematic to me.  I'm trying to figure out how you're going to light your marquee with those sticking up so far?  It doesn't look like there's room to put the light(s) in front of them, and if you put the light behind, I would think the speakers are going to create large shadows.

Hope I'm wrong...

[dekar24k]

Hrmmm... it's hard to judge the exact depth of everything in the photo, but those speakers sure look like they're going to be problematic to me.  I'm trying to figure out how you're going to light your marquee with those sticking up so far?  It doesn't look like there's room to put the light(s) in front of them, and if you put the light behind, I would think the speakers are going to create large shadows.

Hope I'm wrong...

It's hard to see in this picture, but there's plenty of room above them.

[dekar24k]

I'm still waiting for the replacement CP plexi and the WG D9800, but here's a quick artwork update!

My friends over at CopyCat printed the artwork on adhesive, laminated vinyl while I waited.



The marquee might look a little washed out on this picture, due to the light, but it's really crisp and colorful:


The CP artwork:



I also received a box full of toys from Ultimarc



As soon as I receive the replacement CP plexi I will start working on the control panel. Expect a new update with tons of pictures very soon. Happy Holidays everyone!

[dekar24k]

Day 3 - Monitor mounting and control panel assembly

Sorry for the slow updates, but I've been sick all New Year's weekend, so I haven't had the time to party or work on the arcade.

I was actually going to use second-hand hardware, but I figured I could might as well buy everything new (since everything else on the cabinet is new).

The hardware specs are as follows:

- Intel Core 2 Duo E7600 @3.06GHz w. a Scythe Kabuto fan for maximum noise reduction (I might overclock this one a little)
- Some Kingston DDR2 valueRAM I don't remember the specs on
- Mist 500W ATX PSU
- Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM SATA 320GB HDD
- ASRock 4CoreDual-SATA2 R2.0 S-775 (S775 mb with AGP and PCI-Ex sockets)
- Ultimarc ArcadeVGA2 (AGP, they didn't have PCI-Ex in stock, hence the dual-motherboard)





The ArcadeVGA2. Too bad I had to get the AGP version (the PCI-Ex version were out of stock and I wasn't patient enough to wait)



As you can see, it's got regular VGA and DVI inputs.



I mounted the PC inside the arcade cabinet using bolts and wooden screws. Very secure.



Every arcade cabinet needs a powerstrip and this powerstrip was something I accidentally stumbled upon while shopping for some other stuff a few days ago. It is not an ordinary powerstrip and it's perfect for arcade cabinets. Why? - I'll tell you all a little later.



Top and bottom parts of the cabinet mounted. Had to get a little help from my dad on this one, heavy stuff!



Marquee light mounted. Fits nicely.



.. And here's a close-up to show that it is not interfering with the speakers in any way. Plenty of room.



Dad's working on a way to mount the huge 27" Wells Gardner.



It wasn't easy to mount the monitor to be honest. It's damn heavy and there's not much space on the sides for fingers/hands when trying to slide it inside the cabinet.



This might not be the most pretty looking way to mount a monitor, but I can ensure you that it's rock solid.



Securing the top frame of the monitor (I have added more screws and bolts after this picture was taken).



We had to build up the bottom part a little. Again, this doesn't look too pretty, but it is very secure.



Then it was time to start working on the control panel.



Attaching the artwork was painless and luckily, every hole turned out where they were supposed to be.



Plexi mounted and secured with a few buttons.



The last thing I had time to do that day was mounting the marquee. It's really starting to look like an arcade cabinet now and I can't wait until it's done!  

--

So, that's all for now. Another update will follow shortly. Thanks for watching!

[njay]

Sweet work dude

[Kman-Sweden]

Nice. Well done. 

[Gamester]

Looking really good!

My concern with the speaker/marquee light clearance was that if you had to mount the light source way off center (as you did), that the marquee would be lit unevenly.  I see you have the marquee on now.  Were you able to test it?  Hopefully I'm wrong...

Not sure what types of games you're planning to play, but your computer performance is going to be bound by the video card pretty substantially.  Playing modern PC games like SFIV will likely be out of the question.  I assume you got it with the thought of running native resolutions to your monitor.  Anyway, down the road, if you find the AVGA to be inadequate, you should be able to get a good standard ATI-based card and use Sailorsat's Soft15Khz to get pretty much the same end result. 

Coming together nicely.  Can't wait to see the finished product!   

[dekar24k]

Thanks everyone for your comments!

Looking really good!

My concern with the speaker/marquee light clearance was that if you had to mount the light source way off center (as you did), that the marquee would be lit unevenly.  I see you have the marquee on now.  Were you able to test it?  Hopefully I'm wrong...

Not sure what types of games you're planning to play, but your computer performance is going to be bound by the video card pretty substantially.  Playing modern PC games like SFIV will likely be out of the question.  I assume you got it with the thought of running native resolutions to your monitor.  Anyway, down the road, if you find the AVGA to be inadequate, you should be able to get a good standard ATI-based card and use Sailorsat's Soft15Khz to get pretty much the same end result. 

Coming together nicely.  Can't wait to see the finished product!   

Yeah, I see what you mean now and the light might be a little stronger on the top middle than on the bottom, but I tested it yesterday and it really looks nice. The 'Burger Time' character sort of lights up more than the rest of the marquee because of it's color, which looked pretty cool.

I'm only planning to play MAME and 8/16-bit emulators. I'm honestly not a big fan of SFIV and other newer PC-games are out of the question (I can play those on my PC instead). This cabinet will be for pure retro gaming only.

Thanks again for your comments. I almost finished wiring the control panel today and I will post another update tomorrow with loads of pictures!

[dekar24k]

Day 4 - Wiring the control panel

So here goes another update. I am now finished building and wiring the control panel and I'm starting to see that the end of this project is not too distant.



I just had to power on the D9800 to make sure it worked. There is a weak blue shadow in the upper right corner (very visible on the picture) but I'm sure a degauss and a little OSD tweaking will take care of that, or what? 



I like circular restrictor plates on my 8-ways, therefore; off with the square ones.



The iPac4, strategically mounted in the middle of the control panel on four plastic feet.



All buttons, joysticks, spinner and trackball attached, ready to be wired.



.. and a few hours later the wiring is done! I know this is not the tidiest wiring out there, but it'll do.



.. and it got a little messier after all the switches were grounded. Still, not so messy that I can't live with it.



I attached hinges to the front of the control panel so I can have easy access to the wiring. Now I can just flip open the lid if I need to check anything.



So there it is, the finished control panel! The spinner knob was missing from the Ultimarc shipment but Andy told me he'd ship it right over, so hopefully I have it in a few days. I'm quite happy with the result on this one. Feedback appreciated!



So it finally starts to look like an arcade cabinet. What's next is to clean up the wires inside the cabinet, attach speaker grills and take care of some minor cosmetic changes.

What I'm not looking forward to is to haul the cabinet from my dad's garage to my apartment in the city, but hopefully it'll survive the trip. 

Stay tuned for the next update and thanks again for reading and commenting!

[mwong168]

Wiring job looks good to me    I'm also glad you hid the trackball mounting plate under your control panel artwork too. 

[dekar24k]

Wiring job looks good to me    I'm also glad you hid the trackball mounting plate under your control panel artwork too. 

Thank you! The U-Trak from Ultimarc doesn't require a mounting plate. It's awesome.

[dekar24k]

Day 5 - Transportation and configuring

Time for another update folks! I am 97% done with the cabinet now, only a few minor touches until the project is completed.



Speaker grills mounted. Looks a lot better than only having the drilled speaker holes.



Back panels mounted. I have attached the D9800's OSD-panel in the bottom part of the cabinet, so it isn't necessary to make the upper (monitor) part of the cabinet easily accessible.



I mounted hinges on the lower panel, so I can have easy access to the hardware. I have also drilled holes for the PC's power button and the electrical plug.



So, I was done working in my dad's garage and it was time to haul this beast home to my apartment! We managed to squeeze it into a Peugot Expert and we were 4 people in total, lifting it up two stories and into my apartment. Hell, it was hard! The cabinet weighs in at approximately 270 pounds (without the control panel).



I wired the PC's power switch to an arcade button..



From left to right: Power cable, PC power (to start the system), AC power (to turn on the monitor and marquee). A smart powerstrip is hard to get in Norway so I had to do it like this. The rightmost power button is wireless, which is pretty cool, so I could've attached it anywhere, but I decided to attach it on the lower back of the cabinet. Works great.



Time to start installing and configuring the system. First off was an nLite'd version of Windows XP Pro SP3. It boots in less than 10 seconds, which is great for an arcade cabinet.



Programming the iPac is as easy as ever. WinIPAC is truly a great application.



Every arcade cabinet needs an internet connection, right? I'm using a D-Link wireless-N USB dongle. Rock stable, wireless internet/network connection!



Copying over emulators ... sigh ..



.. and approximately 150 gigs of roms ..



.. then finally it was time to test the monitor. I've configured all MAME games using AVRes and ... IT LOOKS SO AMAZING! Seriously, you can't tell it's emulated. I'm so glad I went for the WG D9800 instead of a TV or PC monitor. It's definitely worth the extra cost!

Thanks to BYOAC user Epyx for his great AVGA2 video tutorial/review!



So that's it for this update. I am still working on configuring stuff and fixing bugs, but I assume I will be finished in a day or two.

The next update will most likely be the final one, where I will try to take some decent shots of the final cabinet and some video footage as well.

So, thanks again for reading and check back soon for the next update!

[Kman-Sweden]

Sweet! 
If you live near the border you could pick up a Powerstrip at a ClasOhlson in Sweden.
Hey! Look what I found. They have them in Norway as well. --> http://www.clasohlson.no/Product/Product.aspx?id=135949753
It's the one I use in my cab. Just plug your PC in the "blue" socket and everything else in the others.
Too bad you drilled the holes already. 

[dekar24k]

Sweet!  
If you live near the border you could pick up a Powerstrip at a ClasOhlson in Sweden.
Hey! Look what I found. They have them in Norway as well. --> http://www.clasohlson.no/Product/Product.aspx?id=135949753
It's the one I use in my cab. Just plug your PC in the "blue" socket and everything else in the others.
Too bad you drilled the holes already.  

Ergh ... I was at Clas Ohlson here the other day and asked about it, but the guy who worked there had never heard of such a device...  

I've only drilled one hole for the power button and I still need that power button after getting a smart strip, so no harm done yet. The wireless AC power button (to the right) is only fastened with mounting tape, so it's easy to remove. Maybe I'll pick up a smart strip tomorrow then. Thanks a million for the tip.

Edit: Just ordered a smart strip. Thanks again!

[Kman-Sweden]

NP. 
Where about in Norway are you?

[dekar24k]

NP. 
Where about in Norway are you?

Oslo!

Argh, I'm having some issues now with some games. E.g. Final Fight only covers 50% of the screen and if I try to expand it using the D9800's OSD then it looks blown up and the geometry gets messed up. I have used AVRes for all the games which looks great on some older lo-res games, but higher res games like Final Fight and Dungeons & Dragons doesn't fill the screen. I hope I don't have to set all those games' resolutions manually. 

[saleem]

and i was going to ask you about avres also now you seem to be having probs with it,thought i would run it on my mame cab also.think i will just stick with what i got,dont want to be running into graphic probs.

like the cp i just wish i had nice big cp area so i could do more with buttons and such,i know what you mean about winipac,great little programme for the configuration of buttons and such.i struggled at first till i realised to sit and chill out a bit more and absorb what was happening in front of me.i just wish i had like loads of room though for all the extra buttons but,the shift fuction that uhid (in my case) has is pretty usefull.i am running my spinner from an optipac though,i got it on ebay for like £3 or something,what a steal.i did not have the harness for the spintrak that fits rotary devices to the uhid.

if i aint mistaken you got a spintrak there?i am finding mine takes a bit of getting use to,its been a long time since my younger arkanoid days.

makes me want to build my own now,happy gaming.

[Kman-Sweden]

Oslo!

Argh, I'm having some issues now with some games. E.g. Final Fight only covers 50% of the screen and if I try to expand it using the D9800's OSD then it looks blown up and the geometry gets messed up. I have used AVRes for all the games which looks great on some older lo-res games, but higher res games like Final Fight and Dungeons & Dragons doesn't fill the screen. I hope I don't have to set all those games' resolutions manually.  

Cool. I live aprox half way to Stockholm from you, along E18.

I replied to your problem in another thread.
Good Luck.

-EdIt-
What are the small holes for in the corners of the CP? It doesn't look like you have bolted down the Plexi?

[dekar24k]

Oslo!

Argh, I'm having some issues now with some games. E.g. Final Fight only covers 50% of the screen and if I try to expand it using the D9800's OSD then it looks blown up and the geometry gets messed up. I have used AVRes for all the games which looks great on some older lo-res games, but higher res games like Final Fight and Dungeons & Dragons doesn't fill the screen. I hope I don't have to set all those games' resolutions manually.  

Cool. I live aprox half way to Stockholm from you, along E18.

I replied to your problem in another thread.
Good Luck.

-EdIt-
What are the small holes for in the corners of the CP? It doesn't look like you have bolted down the Plexi?

Thanks for the reply!

BTW, I have bolted down the plexi yet. Of course the buttons are holding it secure, but maybe I should bolt it down as well? It doesn't "fold" up anywhere so it's not really necessary, but I might do it just in case.

I don't see any small holes in the corners of the CP plexi. On what picture do you see that?

[Kman-Sweden]

No not oin the plexi.. on the inside of the CP lid.
You don't need to bolt it down.

[dekar24k]

No not oin the plexi.. on the inside of the CP lid.
You don't need to bolt it down.

Aah!

Well, the CP was actually (according to MameRoom) supposed to be assembled using inserts and cam fasteners, but I'd rather have a CP where the controls can easily be accessed, hence why I used hinges. The holes are for the small inserts that were supposed to be attached with the cams, but I didn't use them.

[dekar24k]

Ok I solved the issue I had with MAME resolutions. I deleted the 50hz/51hz modes from the ArcadeVGA.txt file before I ran ArcadeVGARes and now every game looks awesome (at least those I've tested so far). I wasn't aware that ArcadeVGARes read resolutions from the ArcadeVGA.txt file (but now I do).

Now I can continue working on the rest of the cabinet. The next update shouldn't be too many days away.

[dekar24k]

.. and here's why I'm glad I went for the WG D9800 instead of a PC monitor or TV:

[dekar24k]

Mounting the plexi/bezel

Hey guys. A quick update here as I just finished mounting the plexi/bezel and it looks pretty good imho.

What I did last time was painting the bezel directly on the plexi myself, which worked okay, but this time I wanted it to look even better.



So, first I carefully measured exactly where I wanted the bezel to be ..



Then I took the plexi to a shop nearby who normally do car styling/deco and got them to laminate the bezel directly on the plexi with black foil. It was a little bit more expensive than painting with acryl paint, but it looks perfect, I promise. (The pic was taken before I cleaned the plexi, so it looks a little greasy).



Plexi attached and it fits the monitor perfectly. It's hard to see in this pic but I promise to take some better shots of the entire cabinet when it's 100% done (is it ever really 100% done?).



Another shot of the cabinet. The D9800 keeps impressing me.

So, there's not much work left to do now. I have some tweaking left and I'm still thinking of replacing the AVGA2 AGP with an AVGA2 PCI-Ex, as the AGP-version doesn't seem to run Future Pinball very good (and I love FP, so I need it to run flawlessly).

See you in the next update!

[emphatic]

That is a sweet looking monitor. 

[Epyx]

Wow great job dekar24k...I like the theme a lot and of course im partial to the monitor. I agree with emphatic and personally love my D9800...almost the 1 year mark for my owning it and it has performed like a champ.

[dekar24k]

I'm glad you like it!

Yeah, the D9800 keeps on surprising me. Also, playing SNES/NES at their native resolutions really look great as well. When I'm done with the cab I'll take some better pictures and some video, so you can see how it looks.

Thanks for the feedback!

[Xiaou2]

The monitor looks good.

 Can you take 2 pics for me?   Spyhunter, and Turbo (sega).

 Thanks

[dekar24k]

The monitor looks good.

 Can you take 2 pics for me?   Spyhunter, and Turbo (sega).

 Thanks

Will do tomorrow. Going to bed now as I have to get up real early tomorrow morning.

[DCsegaDH]

Nice job on the cabinet, the monitor looks fantastic! 

[Kman-Sweden]

From where did you buy the monitor?

[dekar24k]

From where did you buy the monitor?

Xgaming.com. I checked everywhere but those were the only one I could find who shipped it to Norway. Yes, it was very expensive and I was afraid that I'd waste my money, but luckily I'm very happy with the monitor and it's definitely worth it's price.

[Kman-Sweden]

Really? I actually did some calculations about that today. $400 for the monitor and then $350 for shipping.
That's about 5000 - 5500 SEK. To steep for me at the moment.
I've emailed acradegames.se asking for more info on their monitors but haven't got any reply yet. I'd really like to upgrade my 21" to a 25" or 27" if it fits in my cab... 

[dekar24k]

Really? I actually did some calculations about that today. $400 for the monitor and then $350 for shipping.
That's about 5000 - 5500 SEK. To steep for me at the moment.
I've emailed acradegames.se asking for more info on their monitors but haven't got any reply yet. I'd really like to upgrade my 21" to a 25" or 27" if it fits in my cab... 

Yeah I was considering those monitors as well, but I don't think they were tri-sync, hence why I went for the D9800.

[emphatic]

Really? I actually did some calculations about that today. $400 for the monitor and then $350 for shipping.
That's about 5000 - 5500 SEK. To steep for me at the moment.
I've emailed acradegames.se asking for more info on their monitors but haven't got any reply yet. I'd really like to upgrade my 21" to a 25" or 27" if it fits in my cab... 

Arcadegames.se just changed owners, so that might be the cause of the delayed reply. I know that they've sold a big chunk of their monitor stock, and also that the storage is now in the Stockholm area and not Linköping like before. Easiest way of getting a nice monitor in Sweden is getting an account at arkadtorget.se and ask in the buy/sell section. The owner of arcadegames.se is known as "johanmarsta" at that forum and is quite easy to get hold of there.

[dekar24k]

The monitor looks good.

 Can you take 2 pics for me?   Spyhunter, and Turbo (sega).

 Thanks

Wow, you picked the possibly two worst-looking games on the D9800. Neither of the resolutions were supported. Screen got cut off at the top/bottom + geometry was really bad.

I'm pretty sure there will be a more supported res for these games though.

[emphatic]

Wow, you picked the possibly two worst-looking games on the D9800. Neither of the resolutions were supported. Screen got cut off at the top/bottom + geometry was really bad.

I'm pretty sure there will be a more supported res for these games though.

But those games are both vertical, right? And as you're displaying them on a horizontal screen, they get their resolution cramped down even more. You should rotate the screen in MAME (at least while taking the picture) to get a proper idea of what they look like.

[Kman-Sweden]

Arcadegames.se just changed owners, so that might be the cause of the delayed reply. I know that they've sold a big chunk of their monitor stock, and also that the storage is now in the Stockholm area and not Linköping like before. Easiest way of getting a nice monitor in Sweden is getting an account at arkadtorget.se and ask in the buy/sell section. The owner of arcadegames.se is known as "johanmarsta" at that forum and is quite easy to get hold of there.

Man! You're just full of good new aren't you?
I e-mailed them about the possibility to pick up the monitor my self, instad of having it delivered. If they're in Sthlm now I might pick it up after work.   
I've tried to embrace Arkadtorget but I have to say that the site sucks. There's not the flow and structure we have here.
How do people respond to the "Mame crowd" there?

[emphatic]

I've tried to embrace Arkadtorget but I have to say that the site sucks. There's not the flow and structure we have here.
How do people respond to the "Mame crowd" there?

^^This is completely untrue. I've not been to many forums with that kind of friendliness. Give it another shot. The site is coded from scratch, so it is a bit peculiar, but the maintainer implements cool features all the time.

Re: arcadegames: I've heard that local pickup of items is welcomed. Be sure to get installation advice while you pick the monitor up though, as these monitors don't come in a box with English papers like the Well Gardners do. It would be a shame if you fed the monitor 230V and it wants 110V for example.

[Kman-Sweden]

Point taken.

[Xiaou2]

 Opps,  I should have mentioned to please rotate them in mame.  Sorry about that.

[dekar24k]

Opps,  I should have mentioned to please rotate them in mame.  Sorry about that.

I should've figured. I'll take a few more shots later today.

[dekar24k]

Just did some quick artwork for the top and bottom of the monitor plexi/bezel:



Side art is also in the making.

[Kman-Sweden]

Sweet! 

[dekar24k]

Quick side art finished (the red border will not be visible on the print of course):

[dkssprs]

Lovely sweet artwork!!!!!!

[emphatic]

I would go with "Rainy Days" on both sides of the cabinet, as you can't see them both at the same time once they're applied.

[Ond]

I would go with "Rainy Days" on both sides of the cabinet, as you can't see them both at the same time once they're applied.

+1 on that.

[Gamester]

I would go with "Rainy Days" on both sides of the cabinet, as you can't see them both at the same time once they're applied.

+1 on that.

+1

[Kman-Sweden]

Yeah... what they said up there. 

[dekar24k]

I would go with "Rainy Days" on both sides of the cabinet, as you can't see them both at the same time once they're applied.

Hmm .. You guys don't have tentacular eyes? 

.. No seriously, I thought about it, but it might be too late now anyways. I'll ask Scott if he has printed yet, if not I might make a revision. Thanks for the feedback!

[dekar24k]

Just finished the intro video for Maximus Arcade!

Tune made in SkaleTracker and the intro with OSDM (I don't have a lot of coding skills I'm afraid).

I love old cracktros and scene intros, so I wanted to make an intro vid that resembles an old Amiga cracktro.

[mustafab1]

I think the intro video is way to busy..
Your cabinet design is really good. I wouldn't use this video for such a great design.

[dekar24k]

I think the intro video is way to busy..
Your cabinet design is really good. I wouldn't use this video for such a great design.

Thanks for the feedback.

Hmm, maybe I'll just skip the intro video all together. On my last cab it was only annoying and I skipped it every time I booted up the machine.

[njay]

Yo Dekar,

why dont you use hyperspin as your frontend way better then maximus.
the forums are more alive and the team is still making improvements i had huge issues getting someone from the MA to respond to my questions

also do you where to buy those plastic spacers under the ipac you got? the risers?

[dekar24k]

Yo Dekar,

why dont you use hyperspin as your frontend way better then maximus.
the forums are more alive and the team is still making improvements i had huge issues getting someone from the MA to respond to my questions

also do you where to buy those plastic spacers under the ipac you got? the risers?

I've tested Hyperspin but I prefer MA (Hyperspin looks too messy imho).

I got the plastic spacers from ultimarc (look for "PCB Mounting Feet" here: http://ultimarc.com/JShopServer/section.php?xSec=2 ).

[dekar24k]

Well, still waiting for the side art from mamemarquees.com. It's not printed yet, as I haven't placed the order, because I'm waiting for Scott to check some shipping rates to Norway. So, I guess there will still be a few weeks until I receive my side art prints.

BTW, does anyone know if Scott at mamemarquees.com is on vacation or something? It's been more than a week since I sent him an e-mail and I he hasn't replied yet..

[Mysteriozone]

Impressive, I have the same exact cabinet.

[Charlie97L]

Well, still waiting for the side art from mamemarquees.com. It's not printed yet, as I haven't placed the order, because I'm waiting for Scott to check some shipping rates to Norway. So, I guess there will still be a few weeks until I receive my side art prints.

BTW, does anyone know if Scott at mamemarquees.com is on vacation or something? It's been more than a week since I sent him an e-mail and I he hasn't replied yet..

did you hear back?  he got back to me on a question after about 2-3 business days.

also, what happened to all the pictures! 

[dekar24k]

Well, still waiting for the side art from mamemarquees.com. It's not printed yet, as I haven't placed the order, because I'm waiting for Scott to check some shipping rates to Norway. So, I guess there will still be a few weeks until I receive my side art prints.

BTW, does anyone know if Scott at mamemarquees.com is on vacation or something? It's been more than a week since I sent him an e-mail and I he hasn't replied yet..

did you hear back?  he got back to me on a question after about 2-3 business days.

also, what happened to all the pictures! 

Yeah he got back to me a couple of days ago. I guess he just had too much work and too little time.

More pictures (and videos) will follow as soon as I receive the side art and can show you the finished cabinet!

[Charlie97L]

cool.

i meant i can't see any of the build pics anymore.

[dekar24k]

cool.

i meant i can't see any of the build pics anymore.

Oh, that's right. I have changed servers. I will fix it tomorrow. Sorry.

[Billy_Goatfeet]

Just finished the intro video for Maximus Arcade!

Tune made in SkaleTracker and the intro with OSDM (I don't have a lot of coding skills I'm afraid).

I love old cracktros and scene intros, so I wanted to make an intro vid that resembles an old Amiga cracktro.

  As an old Amiga user I love the old school cracktro, nice job!! 


 

[dekar24k]

Just finished the intro video for Maximus Arcade!

Tune made in SkaleTracker and the intro with OSDM (I don't have a lot of coding skills I'm afraid).

I love old cracktros and scene intros, so I wanted to make an intro vid that resembles an old Amiga cracktro.

  As an old Amiga user I love the old school cracktro, nice job!! 


 

Cool, not too many Amiga freaks here (like myself) I believe. I'm no coder though, so the intro is made with OSDM, but I used to do ascii and tunes for different release groups. Back in the days..

[Gamester]

cool.

i meant i can't see any of the build pics anymore.

Oh, that's right. I have changed servers. I will fix it tomorrow. Sorry.

This is why it's best to just host the images here on the forum using this thread: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=90051.0 (at the very top of the projects section)...  Then there's no worries about image hosting issues or changes killing the thread contents down the road.   

I realize it's a little late now, but thought I'd mention it for future reference.

[Charlie97L]

cool.

i meant i can't see any of the build pics anymore.

Oh, that's right. I have changed servers. I will fix it tomorrow. Sorry.

ha no worries man, i was just curious.

amazing job.  this and your bartop were a huge inspiration for me to finally get cracking on a project of my own. 

[dekar24k]

All pics should be back now.

Thanks for the kind words Charlie!

[Charlie97L]

how sturdy did you find the UAII kit to be?  was any extra bracing required?

that would be my choice when i build a full size cab later this year.  i don't have access to a space where i can do the kind of carpentry required to build from scratch anymore.  plus it's going in my basement and i could assemble it down there.

[dekar24k]

how sturdy did you find the UAII kit to be?  was any extra bracing required?

that would be my choice when i build a full size cab later this year.  i don't have access to a space where i can do the kind of carpentry required to build from scratch anymore.  plus it's going in my basement and i could assemble it down there.

I've inserted 2 extra bolts (on both sides of the top part) just to make it even sturdier, but I don't really think it was necessary. It's extremely sturdy actually.

[dekar24k]

Heya guys. Just a small update.

I just got the side art from mamemarquees.com and the print looks a w e s o m e !

Applied the right side and I had to take a quick photo to show it off:



I will upload some nicer pictures later when I'm done applying both sides of the side art + the plexi art. Stay tuned!

[Malenko]

i really like that side art (marquee too!), so original and refreshing.

[dekar24k]

i really like that side art (marquee too!), so original and refreshing.

Thank you!

[Charlie97L]

how sturdy did you find the UAII kit to be?  was any extra bracing required?

that would be my choice when i build a full size cab later this year.  i don't have access to a space where i can do the kind of carpentry required to build from scratch anymore.  plus it's going in my basement and i could assemble it down there.

I've inserted 2 extra bolts (on both sides of the top part) just to make it even sturdier, but I don't really think it was necessary. It's extremely sturdy actually.

thanks, that makes me feel better about my decision to go with that kit for my upright later this year.

what kind of joysticks are you using?  did you drill the CP yourself or was that a custom option that Scott worked out for ya?

[Kurt]

Awesome, love the art best ive seen in ages 

[dekar24k]

how sturdy did you find the UAII kit to be?  was any extra bracing required?

that would be my choice when i build a full size cab later this year.  i don't have access to a space where i can do the kind of carpentry required to build from scratch anymore.  plus it's going in my basement and i could assemble it down there.

I've inserted 2 extra bolts (on both sides of the top part) just to make it even sturdier, but I don't really think it was necessary. It's extremely sturdy actually.

thanks, that makes me feel better about my decision to go with that kit for my upright later this year.

what kind of joysticks are you using?  did you drill the CP yourself or was that a custom option that Scott worked out for ya?

I'm using Sanwa JLW-UM-8's, where the middle (top) one is set to 4-way mode. The CP is pre-drilled (Mameroom's Classic Controller Kit), although I modified it a little to make the Ultimarc SpinTrak fit.

[dekar24k]

Awesome, love the art best ive seen in ages 

Cool. I'm glad you like it!

[dekar24k]

Ok this baby is finally completed!

Please go to the first post of this thread for lots of pictures and a quick demonstration video.

[Kman-Sweden]

Sweeet! 
The only creative feedback I can give is that your joysticks look a bit short. Everything else is top notch. Contratz.
I could toss my router in the trunk and take a roadtripp to norway some weekend if you'd like to adjust the hight of 'em.   

[dekar24k]

Sweeet! 
The only creative feedback I can give is that your joysticks look a bit short. Everything else is top notch. Contratz.
I could toss my router in the trunk and take a roadtripp to norway some weekend if you'd like to adjust the hight of 'em.   

Heya neighbor.

Well, I have shaft extensions and I tried fitting them on when building the CP, but I found out that I prefer shorter joysticks so I decided to leave them the way they were.

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it!

[mustafab1]

Heya guys. Just a small update.

I just got the side art from mamemarquees.com and the print looks a w e s o m e !

Applied the right side and I had to take a quick photo to show it off:



I will upload some nicer pictures later when I'm done applying both sides of the side art + the plexi art. Stay tuned!

It looks really great! Nice side art! 

[dekar24k]

Thanks!

Picture of the completed cabinet here:



Youtube video here:

[Santoro]

Wow, very nice work.... spotless, unique art, etc. Congrats!

[Vebbo]

Sweet machine and super sexy artwork. Hey, see that u live in Oslo, thats a 10 min. drive from home (Lørenskog). Would love to see it live and in action!!