Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: heemid on June 06, 2010, 01:23:46 pm

Title: USA Lowboy
Post by: heemid on June 06, 2010, 01:23:46 pm
I really like the look of lowboys so I'm making my own.  Taking a lot of inspiration from, RXII and Holdennut.
(http://i49.tinypic.com/wkiicx.jpg)
It has a decased toshiba 27" flat CRT at 30 degree angle.  I have the general mock-up to see how it feels.  The plan is to interchangeable control panels.
(http://i48.tinypic.com/1rzoyr.jpg)
Title: Re: USA Lowboy
Post by: orchidius on June 06, 2010, 01:58:26 pm
Looking good!

How do you plan on making the CP's interchangeable?
Title: Re: USA Lowboy
Post by: emphatic on June 06, 2010, 02:10:44 pm
Looking very good. If there's still time though, make room for a rotate mechanism for your monitor.
Title: Re: USA Lowboy
Post by: drventure on June 06, 2010, 02:52:50 pm
Nice design. +1 for the rotating monitor.

And I'd love to see the plans for the swappable CPs too.
Title: Re: USA Lowboy
Post by: heemid on June 06, 2010, 02:56:48 pm
Player and admin buttons will be right under the screen and won't be interchangeable.  The whole cp will attatch from underneath on a shelf. I'm working on the sketch up design I'll post later.  A rotating monitor would be nice but it weighs 100lbs, seems like a lot of engineering to add a couple inches to PAC-Man.  I also want to make it as small as possible, it's 26.5" wide and ~30" deep, still deciding on final height.
Title: Re: USA Lowboy
Post by: emphatic on June 06, 2010, 05:56:50 pm
Actually, as you have the monitor facing pretty much straight up, rotation would be very easy. Just make a rest for it that is disc-shaped and won't catch the walls of your cabinet. Put some hardwood under your disc-shaped monitor support and make a bezel for your monitor that makes it totally square. This way, the outer dimension for the monitor is now the same in both orientations.

You could make the speaker/marquee be one solid piece surrounding the bezel and have a hinge in the back so that it flips up if you want to rotate the screen.

(http://www.pici.se/pictures/ZESSEredY.png)
Title: Re: USA Lowboy
Post by: heemid on June 06, 2010, 08:55:50 pm
Thats cool, I'll look into it.  Here is the idea for interchangeable panels.  The panels will just drop in and use thumb screws on the bottom.  One will be the normal fighter setup and the other will be 4-way, trac-ball, spinner.
(http://i49.tinypic.com/8xrl93.jpg)
(http://i50.tinypic.com/t6bed1.jpg)
Title: Re: USA Lowboy
Post by: Ond on June 06, 2010, 09:06:11 pm
I like the idea of the screws underneath to hold the panel in place, what type of cable connectors are you planning on using for your interchangeable panels?
Title: Re: USA Lowboy
Post by: drventure on June 06, 2010, 10:45:45 pm
Quote
what type of cable connectors are you planning on using for your interchangeable panels?

Given the panels so far, a single DB25 looks like it'd do the trick (and be a pain to wire up initially, but that's another story).
Title: Re: USA Lowboy
Post by: heemid on June 08, 2010, 04:21:41 pm
DB25 is the plan, here is a little update made the panel for under the screen, it is covered with black formica.  PLaying around with the bezel, cut poster board doesn't look too bad under 1/4" plex.  The final will be shop-cut vinyl.
Title: Re: USA Lowboy
Post by: DillonFoulds on June 08, 2010, 08:35:44 pm
I'm liking the look of this beast! These cabs always intrigue me, but I've yet to see one in person.
Title: Re: USA Lowboy
Post by: Generic Eric on June 28, 2010, 05:42:40 pm
How timely.  I finally decided on a lowboy.  What is the radius of that curve in your sketch-up model? 
Title: Re: USA Lowboy
Post by: heemid on June 30, 2010, 11:17:33 am
I broke one of the cardinal rules: made the thing playable before the cabinet is done.  I did decide I don't want the swappable panels so here is the new design.

Does the CP seem crowded with trackball that close to player 2 joystick?  What is the typical spacing for around a trackball?

Here is the sketchup file http://www.mediafire.com/file/jzzmktmmnym/lowfinal.skp (http://www.mediafire.com/file/jzzmktmmnym/lowfinal.skp)
Title: Re: USA Lowboy
Post by: Generic Eric on June 30, 2010, 05:49:46 pm
I don't have a trackball yet to know for certain, but concerning the bottom area, where they are mounted, it looks like they might be too close.  Do you have the controls on hand to mock up the bottom of your control panel?
Title: Re: USA Lowboy
Post by: XNIF on July 04, 2010, 07:26:02 am
nice design. I am working on something simular.  I was wondering what the measurements are from ground to controlpanel, and what is the viewing angle ?

And why don't you make those buttons on the bezel ? isn't it more "clean" to have those on the front or on the controlpanel?
Title: Re: USA Lowboy
Post by: heemid on July 04, 2010, 08:25:01 am
I'm going a little higher on the CP, ~35"  I'm 6'2" and i only let tall people come over.  Monitor is at 30 degrees which is the slimiest profile for that monitor.  I was thinking that with the bezel, but now I decided I want all the buttons in one plane.