The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: LeedsFan on March 17, 2012, 04:25:28 pm
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I've been meaning to do this project for some time. It's going to be a 50% size bartop to be as close as possible to the original. Of course there will be some compromises here and there with the size, but I will attempt it to be as close as possible.
I got the artwork from Scott at Gameongraffix before Christmas. I just got the marquee and control panel overlay printed at 50% size. I find it better to get the artwork first and then build the panel and cabinet around it. The bezel I will be printing myself as I had to make one or two tweaks in Microsoft Paint to get the monitor aperture to accurately match the monitor I will be using.
The monitor will be a 10" CRT which in fact is the exact same model that Leapinglew used in his mini Galaga bartop. Because it's a CRT of course the depth of the bartop will allow me to add sideart. I'm aiming to get the full "2084" graphic down the side which will need to be reduced in size to get it to fit (and other tweaks), as of course the "2084" artwork is normally the full side of the stand up machine.
The controls will be 2x Ultimarc U360s. These are excellent for Robotron with the round restrictors fitted. I have built a panel on a previous project (Defender bartop) using genuine 8-way Wico leafs with which I fitted brand new grommets. However I did find them quite stiff whereas the U360s take a lot less effort to play the game with. So although I'm veering away from original controls I will still be very happy with the U360s I'm sure.
I've already started work today on the control panel. I felt this was gonna be the most awkward part of the entire project. Getting the dust washers to fit just under the artwork and modifying the U360s so that they fit in the 50% sized panel took some working out. But I've managed it and promise to get some pics up asap. I didn't have my camera with me today.
Only real issue I had was one of the aluminium standoffs for the PCB on one of the U360s snapped off. So that one will only have three standoffs now. Shouldn't affect anything though, just a shame it snapped. It also needs lubricating a bit which I will sort out later. The left stick is silky smooth but the right stick feels like it's snagging slightly. It is only slight but it's there, and with the left stick being perfect I want the right stick to feel the same.
Again, sorry for lack of pics but this will be rectified asap.
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Excited to see this build!
Only real issue I had was one of the aluminium standoffs for the PCB on one of the U360s snapped off. So that one will only have three standoffs now. Shouldn't affect anything though, just a shame it snapped.
Had the same thing happen to one of my U360s. Still need to get after it with my left hand drill bits...
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Excited to see this build!
Only real issue I had was one of the aluminium standoffs for the PCB on one of the U360s snapped off. So that one will only have three standoffs now. Shouldn't affect anything though, just a shame it snapped.
Had the same thing happen to one of my U360s. Still need to get after it with my left hand drill bits...
I kinda blame myself really. I've had issues in the past where a standoff is stiff or doesn't want to screw in easily. I took a pair of small pliers to it and it was winding in OK. Then it got a bit stiffer and..... snap! You have to get them all to screw in the same or the PCB won't sit perfectly flat. I should have messed about a bit more, swapping the standoffs around etc. etc. I reckon it will be fine with three.... even just two opposite each other would be OK.
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Yea, I've been running mine with 3 stand offs for months with no ill effects, but it bugs me knowing it's there.
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Glad to see some love for the U360's and Robotron.
I'm anxious to see how this turns out based your other builds. Should be awesome. :cheers:
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Pictures would be awesome.. Totally on board with this idea, bet it turns out just great.
- Zeosstud
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As promised here are some pics of where I am up to with the control panel. Firstly we have the artwork from Scott at Gameongraffix. Awesome quality as per usual! Thank you Scott. :applaud:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0865.jpg)
When it came to planning the panel I realised that the stock U360 and mounting plate simply would not fit correctly. I'm using 18mm MDF and where the joystick shafts come through the panel there would not be enough room behind the front panel for the joystick body to sit. So I had to make some alterations to the way the U360s mount. I basically trimmed the mounting plate so it was square with the plastic housing and then drilled through the housing in each corner and down through the mounting plate itself. Looks a bit rough and ready but it works a treat.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0858.jpg)
I also had to route out behind the front panel to that the joystick shafts could come through the holes correctly. The bottom of this panel still needs trimming to the correct height.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0866.jpg)
When it came to mounting the sticks I wanted something strong and sturdy because by moving the mounting holes closer together you can lose some strength. I'd seen these "nut inserts" before (that's what Screwfix Direct call them anyway) but I'd never used them. I wasn't sure how they would work but they are excellent. You just drill into the panel without going right through and then wind in the insert with a hex key. Getting them straight is easy as you just pull them straight after the first turn or so. Then they wind in perfectly.
I'm using 30mm furniture bolts to fix the U360s in. They have nice large heads and are the perfect length for the U360 body + nut insert. Again, these just wind in with a hex key.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0856.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0857.jpg)
The only thing to watch for is that you must get the insert to perfectly match up with your holes. I simply stuck the U360 with some strong double sided strip to the underside of the panel with the shaft perfectly centred in the hole. Then I drilled down gently through the mounting holes I'd made to make four small pilot holes. Then I removed the joystick and drilled with the correct 8.5mm bit to wind the nut inserts into. Doing it this way ensures the nut inserts will line up properly with the bolts.
Here's a close up of the inserts when they are in place.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0862.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0859.jpg)
I wanted to get the top of the panel looking like a regular Robotron panel. Which means getting the dust washers to be just below the artwork. On an original Robotron panel the washers sit in a recess in the top of the Wico joysticks. When the stick is bolted up to the underside the washer then appears directly below the artwork. So to replicate this I routed out two levels into the upper side of the panel. The washer sits in the lower part and then I placed a small piece of 2mm plexi on to the upper part which traps the washer in between. The washer does move smoothly though, it doesn't rub against the plexi. At the moment the plexi is just glued into place flush with the top of the panel. The little gaps around the plexi will be filled with wood putty and sanded smooth.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0861.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0860.jpg)
Here's a pic of the panel with both U360s installed. The left stick in the pic is actually the right stick which was snagging slightly. This pic was taken just after I'd disassembled it and lubricated with some grease. It feels much better now. It's still not silky smooth like the other stick but the slight snagging has gone. I can move the stick in all directions even slightly and it feels good and returns to centre. Before when moving it slightly there would sometimes be a slight jerk or roughness to it's movement. All sorted now though.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0867.jpg)
This is a side on pic of the panel showing that there is a built in slope to the top of the panel. Having looked at many pics of a Robotron cabinet I was never really sure if there was a slope or not. Some look like the top panel is flat but others don't. So anyway, I've gone with this slope which I'm sure is correct.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0868.jpg)
I'm still not sure what buttons to use for Player 1 and Player 2. On an original Robotron these are illuminated blue. I'm thinking of using some tactile momentary LED buttons which are about 7mm in diameter. I will need to think about how to mount them though, although I do have an idea in mind. To add credits I will utilise a shift function on the U360 so that I can Press P2 while holding P1. I would add a separate credit button like I did with my Donkey Kong bartop, but I can't think of a good place to put one with this artwork.
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Looks as good as I expected it would.
- Zeosstud
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Just ordered some tactile momentary LED buttons for P1 and P2. These should arrive this week and I will get some pics when they arrive. They have clear caps on the buttons which veers away from the original blue. But when illuminated they are blue.
I also had to work out the resistor needed to sit in series with this pair of LED buttons. R=(Vs-Vl)/I Knowledge is power! (lol I had to learn this new but it was fun working it out)
Anyway, the upshot is I need a 250 ohm resistor and the nearest standard is 270 ohm. Which my local Maplin sells for about 26p. ;D Shame the buttons, caps, postage and VAT was £21. :P But I'd spent ages looking for blue LED buttons on the internet this weekend and these were the closest to the end result I wanted.
I've also been working on the bezel which I'm gonna get printed myself. I took the original bezel image and resized it to 50%. However I found I needed to resize to 43% in order to get the aperture to fit my monitor screen even close. And then I had to make further tweaks as the original bezel isn't exactly 4:3 ratio to the screen. You can see here the comparison. On the left is original bezel image. On the right it's been tweaked slightly. Again, not totally original but I dunno if anyone would even notice the slight adjustments.
EDIT: Sorry for the poor quality of this pic. Looks crappy. But the original is at 300 dpi and looks lovely on screen. Just hope it prints out as nice. ;)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/robotron_bezel-43comparison.jpg)
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Nice work on getting those bases mounted! Those sticks don't look like they're going anywhere, but I'll throw the question out there anyway. If strength is a concern, are the inserts better off on the top of the panel, or do the outside ridges themselves provide sufficient support?
I'm thinking along the lines of a T nut. If that doesn't work with inserts (because they'd unscrew themselves or something like that) feel free to set me straight.
Either way, keep up the progress. Minis with CRTs make my iCade hide in shame. :)
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Nice work on getting those bases mounted! Those sticks don't look like they're going anywhere, but I'll throw the question out there anyway. If strength is a concern, are the inserts better off on the top of the panel, or do the outside ridges themselves provide sufficient support?
Well to be honest with you it's the first time I've used these. And I've never used T-nuts either. I'm not sure how you mean mounting in the top of the panel though. The whole point is that the top of the panel is flush with no signs of any mounting at all. The nuts are 13mm long going into 18mm MDF. As you say, they aren't going anywhere! It really is a solid setup. The outside ridges work really well into an 8.5mm hole. Obviously had I made the hole much larger then yeah, the ridges would eventually have no wood to bite into. I did practice on a some scrap wood first to see what size hole was best fit to screw them into.
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Love all your builds... looking forward to this one as well! :cheers:
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I'm not sure how you mean mounting in the top of the panel though. The whole point is that the top of the panel is flush with no signs of any mounting at all. The nuts are 13mm long going into 18mm MDF.
Thanks for the clarification. I saw the pictures all at once, so inserts from the top made sense to me, as they'd be under your plexi squares. But with the routing and plexi having been added to solve the dust washer clearance, 'top' wouldn't have seemed like an option originally.
The way it would have worked is to drill all the way through with a bit sized to the bolt, then 13+plexi mm down from the top with the bit for the insert. (Something to try next time you have to suspend a closet rod instead of a joystick I guess)
Anyway, stop reading and go make more progress for us to be jealous of.
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Update time! :D
The LED buttons I plan to use have arrived. Here are pics of them:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0873.jpg)
I bought three buttons (one a spare) and the caps came in a pack of ten. So a few spares there then :P
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0869.jpg)
Couldn't resist a quick test to see what they looked like lit up.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0896.jpg)
It wasn't until a bit later that I hit upon the idea of spraying the caps blue with some of that lens tint that boy racers use. Those spare caps came in handy... if it didn't work out I'd still be OK. But as you see they came out very nice. Look more in keeping with a real Robotron now. They light up a little darker than in the above pic but somehow it's nicer. More of a deep blue.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0901.jpg)
Here's the little board I put together for the final circuit. My soldering skills still need some work, it's not exactly professional under there. :P But it all works fine. I also wired in the button wires and earth so I can just tap into them later. In hindsight I wish I'd lengthened the wires to the 12 volt molex for when the control panel is ever opened, but that can be sorted out later.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0877.jpg)
I was thinking of various ways to cut out the holes in the artwork. I had to be as neat and accurate as possible. No dust washers or button shoulders can hide any bad cuts here. I eventually used a circle stencil and a Stanley knife with a new blade to cut them out. I'm pleased with how it turned out. Had this come out badly I'd either have to live with it or get new artwork printed.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0897.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0898.jpg)
The two pics above are one stage of the panel build. You can see I routed out as neat as I could to get the joysticks to fit. But this was prior to getting the PCB button board or the locking latch installed.....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0904.jpg)
.... so here's where I'm at now. Not so neat as before. :-\
I fitted the circuit board in position and then padded out the underside of the board with adhesive rubber strip till it was slightly proud of the underside of the panel. Then I screwed the small metal strip over this to hold it firmly down. I had to use a different bracket on the right of the pic in order to fit the PCB in. I also had to fiddle around a bit to get the latch in place positioned perfectly. To lock the panel you just put the latch in place through the hole in the base and pull it down closed. It's not spring loaded like an arcade latch so it needs locking in place with a small bar or padlock through the hole. But when locked the panel is firmly secure and does not wobble or move at all.
Again, you can see that everything isn't perfectly neat looking. It was a case of routing out bits and pieces to get things to fit. Brackets and screws don't match as I'm making do with stuff I have lying around from previous projects.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0903.jpg)
Here's the top view of the panel with the buttons installed. This panel is now finished and just needs artwork installing. Not doing that till the end though.
I've also had to make a change of direction as regards the monitor. I cannot use the CRT I intended to use as it simply won't fit in the project well enough. The depth is just way too large. It would mean extending the depth of the cabinet by around 70-80mm which would just make the side profile look odd. I could get away with 10-20mm but having drawn out the side profile necessary it instantly looked silly. So I'm gonna go with an LCD, but this does have some advantages. It means more room to get the other bits in, a lighter end product and I can also use the original bezel art albeit at 50% size.
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This build is looking great!
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This is gonna be good.
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Love what your doing here, and with your other builds. :applaud:
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Here's an update on what's been done on this last weekend. I started to make the side panels:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0907.jpg)
Now I searched high and low for plans or dimensions of an upright Robotron cabinet. Couldn't find anything anywhere except for a few tidbits of information. I know what the width of my bartop will be because I'm sticking to the artwork Scott printed. I asked for 50% size of original so I must be confident that his full size art is spot on. I'm sure it is.
I also found out the depth of the full size cabinet on two different forums and both measurements were the same, so I'll take that as accurate. Then I found this template of a side on profile. No measurements came with it but I just adjusted the image so that the depth was half the size of original. Those curves look accurate to me so I went with this template.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0908.jpg)
Here's one side cut out. I just roughly cut the second side out a couple mm larger. Then I put the two sides together squaring up the back and bottom edges and used the flush trim router bit to get two identical sides.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0911.jpg)
Here's the sides installed with a temporary piece in between. Yes... it's spring and we need to do some weeding. :lol
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0909.jpg)
Here's the monitor I intended to use. I have three of these! Shame I couldn't use it.....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0910.jpg)
..... and here's why. It just sticks out too far. I could extend the side panels but the finished cab would look silly. The monitor would even stick out further than in this pic because the monitor needs tilting for the screen to match the slope of the bezel. In this pic it's just sitting flat. I've got a nice Dell 15" monitor I got cheap on eBay that will be fine. May need to turn it to portrait mode though.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0912.jpg)
Here's the top panel temporarily installed. I switched to 12mm MDF for this panel and the speaker panel for reason that will become apparent later. I want this top panel to be removable so that I can easily get to the marquee lights and speaker etc. I just put it in like this to make sure that everything is square before I put the wood bits in I will eventually screw it to. The back of this panel has been chamfered off at 45 degrees so that it will meet the top rear panel (also chamfered) perfectly. Well.... maybe not perfectly. I do have a degree of tolerance with my build techniques. :P
I also had to put those two heavy duty angle brackets in there to help keep the side panels square. The smaller brackets alone weren't up to the job.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0913.jpg)
And here are the bits of wood glued in place after checking everything is square. The brackets will be removed once this has dried and is screwed in place properly.
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Did a bit more this afternoon. I basically wasn't happy with the way the inside of the cabinet looked with all those different brackets. I wanted it to look cleaner so set about it. I know I'm not doing anything ground breaking with this project, but I want to push the envelope a little further as far as my own work is concerned. I want things to look neater inside as well as out.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0916.jpg)
Much cleaner now but still not professional by any means. I will probably place a piece of hardbaord over those wooden bits to put the motherboard on later.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0918.jpg)
This is the marquee section I cut out. It's stepped in by 6mm each way. I did this because on previous projects it was so easy to just place the marquee up against the MDF and have marquee holders top and bottom. But of course by doing this the top and bottom of the marquee don't get any light as they are pressed up against the MDF. Depending on what thickness panels you have it can make the marquee look poor when lit. I definitely didn't want this with Robotron as there is a blue line that runs across the top and bottom. So long as all this is lit up then I'll happy with it. Marquee will be sandwiched between two pieces of 3mm clear plexi and then sit in the recess. 10mm corner trim from B&Q will act as marquee retainers overlapping the edge of the art by around 3mm... easily enough to hold it in place.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0919.jpg)
Couldn't resist a test fit of the marquee just to make sure it sits in there nice and square in all the corners. Marquee did need trimming a couple of mm or so at each end to fit the recess. Marquee art was slightly wider than the control panel but I don't mind trimming a bit here or there. Better than being too small. :P
Not sure what to do about speakers yet. Might just fit one mono one as per the original. Dunno how that would sound from a PC though.
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Shame you could not fit in the CRT that would have been awesome. You would have added some needed extra weight. What are you going to use instead, so it doesn't move around when you play it?
I like the build, and you are doing a great job :applaud:
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Shame you could not fit in the CRT that would have been awesome. You would have added some needed extra weight. What are you going to use instead, so it doesn't move around when you play it?
Some extra grippy sticky rubber feet. 8)
The U360s are very light to control compared to the original Wico's. I don't think it will be a problem really.
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What if you de-case the TV? Is there enough space to get it in there without the plastic?
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What if you de-case the TV? Is there enough space to get it in there without the plastic?
I actually had to take the casing off to remove the touch screen overlay that was fitted. These monitors came from a bowling alley I was told. Once the case is off though there isn't any way to save more room. So it's the LCD now utilising HLSL effects in Mame.
More updates of what's been done.....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0922.jpg)
These are the speakers I've decided to go with. iLuv Boom Boxes... yeah right! :P But I'm sure they will be ample good enough for this little bartop. They were only £13 from my local Argos and the very square design helps with installation. I've cut the wires and removed the little pcb inside so I can have volume adjustment on the back of the cab. Just need to solder stuff up later when the PC goes in.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0920.jpg)
Here's the speaker panel cut out together with a sheet of perforated aluminium which will form the cover for the entire panel. The original was like this too, except of course that had a single mono speaker in the centre.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0923.jpg)
Here's the inner side of the same panel. The aluminium has been trim fitted. I routed out about 5mm for the speakers to sit into. When the panel is in place there is about 3mm or so between the top of the speakers and the top panel. But this will be taken up with some double sided sticky pads on both the front and back face of the speakers. This should help reduce any vibration or resonance that you can sometimes get with speakers mounted directly to the wood in cabinets.
The front side of the speaker boxes will also have a piece of perspex running the width of the marquee to which the cold cathode tubes will be attached. Yes... these little cube speakers do help with other stuff in their design. 8)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0925.jpg)
Here's the perspex cut to size and sitting in place together with marquee retainers. I've not decided whether to use tinted perspex or not for the "inside" piece. (Bezel artowrk will be sandwiched in between). I got three pieces cut anyway (one tinted) so I can go either way with this decision later. I've got to paint these retainers because I wanted "L" shaped trim at 20mm x 10mm so I had room to install the screws - remember I took out 6mm step for the marqee plexi so 10mm up top would have been too tight. And B&Q only stock this trim in white. :dunno
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0924.jpg)
Here's the cabinet upside down with the speaker panel now in place. Screws heads will be covered with those little screw caps. Once I was happy with the installation I then removed the speaker panel and retainers and got them primed ready for spraying satin black tomorrow.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0921.jpg)
Here's the short rear panels between the door. I've tried to copy how a real Robotron looks at the back too. Not exact of course. Those holes will be covered on the inside with the same perforated aluminium as the speaker panel. I've still got to fit the power switch and volume control and they will sit between the cut outs on the upper panel. On a full size Robotron this space had a handle fitted to help when moving the cabinet around. But I have to put the power and volume somewhere and that panel section is only narrow so I don't want to give the impression that someone could pick the cabinet up with any handle I may have put there.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0926.jpg)
Last thing I did today was to get the door fitted up. Still need to drill and fit arcade lock with will go up centre top.
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looking very good!, real shame about the screen but HLSL is still going to look good.
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Nice work so far :)
quick question where did you get the perforated sheet from and how much,if you don't mind me asking ??
am planning my own bartop ( haven't worked on it for a few month yet tho) based in the uk.
Cheers
Firedance
What if you de-case the TV? Is there enough space to get it in there without the plastic?
I actually had to take the casing off to remove the touch screen overlay that was fitted. These monitors came from a bowling alley I was told. Once the case is off though there isn't any way to save more room. So it's the LCD now utilising HLSL effects in Mame.
More updates of what's been done.....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0922.jpg)
These are the speakers I've decided to go with. iLuv Boom Boxes... yeah right! :P But I'm sure they will be ample good enough for this little bartop. They were only £13 from my local Argos and the very square design helps with installation. I've cut the wires and removed the little pcb inside so I can have volume adjustment on the back of the cab. Just need to solder stuff up later when the PC goes in.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0920.jpg)
Here's the speaker panel cut out together with a sheet of perforated aluminium which will form the cover for the entire panel. The original was like this too, except of course that had a single mono speaker in the centre.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0923.jpg)
Here's the inner side of the same panel. The aluminium has been trim fitted. I routed out about 5mm for the speakers to sit into. When the panel is in place there is about 3mm or so between the top of the speakers and the top panel. But this will be taken up with some double sided sticky pads on both the front and back face of the speakers. This should help reduce any vibration or resonance that you can sometimes get with speakers mounted directly to the wood in cabinets.
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Nice work so far :)
quick question where did you get the perforated sheet from and how much,if you don't mind me asking ??
am planning my own bartop ( haven't worked on it for a few month yet tho) based in the uk.
Cheers
Firedance
You can use modder's mesh... http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l3/g43/c12/s450/list/p1/Case_Parts-OEM-Misc_Case_Parts-Modders_Mesh_Panels-Page1.html (http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l3/g43/c12/s450/list/p1/Case_Parts-OEM-Misc_Case_Parts-Modders_Mesh_Panels-Page1.html)
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Here in the uk B+Q have a selection of mesh sheet its over by the bondage section, sorry the chain section.
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thanks for the advice, will check out B+Q ;D
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http://www.diy.com/nav/build/building-materials/materials/metal_sheet_material/-specificproducttype-steel_panel/Round-Perforated-Steel-Steel-Coloured-L-500mm-x-W-250mm-9284158 (http://www.diy.com/nav/build/building-materials/materials/metal_sheet_material/-specificproducttype-steel_panel/Round-Perforated-Steel-Steel-Coloured-L-500mm-x-W-250mm-9284158)
seems expensive for a small sheet ???
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B&Q don't have the mesh in small enough hole sizes.
This is where I got the mesh from.......
http://www.greatart.co.uk/PERFORATEDALUMINIUMSHEET-modelling.htm (http://www.greatart.co.uk/PERFORATEDALUMINIUMSHEET-modelling.htm)
Bear in mind that this website states "UK's largest range of art materials" but in actual fact my mesh came from Germany, delivered by DPD courier. This added £8.00 for the postage which at first I thought was for guaranteed next day delivery. Not until I checked the tracking did it dawn on me where it was from. DPD being a German courier I probably should have known. ::)
But this mesh is with very nice and is easily cut with scissors. I bought the second one down in the list (80013) which has 1.5mm holes. I received two sheets as well, not just the one you see in the pic.
That B&Q sheet you linked to is steel which will be a little harder to work with. Won't cut with scissors anyway. ;D
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thanks for the link, will look into it :)
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Managed to make a bit more progress, but it is slowing down now as I reach the detail and painting stages.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0929.jpg)
Here the top panel is trimmed in satin black vinyl together with the upper rear panel. I hate painting as I don't have the patience, so I only painted the inside edges of the side panels. Rest of the cab will be trimmed in satin black like I did with the Star Wars mini. It still doesn't come out perfect as the vinyl is thin and any imperfections in the panel can be seen. But I still think it's better than painting.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0930.jpg)
Front view of cab with speaker panel now installed after painting. Speakers are not yet fixed in because I need to solder up the wires etc. The front face of the speaker enclosures (as you see in the pic) will support a piece of plexi or hardboard to which the cold cathode tubes will be attached. I also ran some wood putty over the slight edge of the front of the control panel. This will need sanding and cleaning up before the artwork gets put in place.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0932.jpg)
Close up of the top. Speakers are padded out with some rubber strip so that when the top panel gets screwed down they are gently pressed in slightly. As you can see MDF dust is everywhere! Gonna need a good clean up soon.
The volume control is sitting on that brace across the cab which will be tie-wrapped down securely. It needs to be set back like that because I need to plug in a phono lead for the other speaker and that would otherwise have fouled the power switch. I had to make an extension of sorts with some aluminium tube for the volume control.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0927.jpg)
Here's the only bit of PC internal hardware I had to buy - Geforce 6200 PCI graphics card. The donor PC was given to me by a mate for services on his Mame project. It's only a Dell Dimensopn 2400 which is plenty good enough for the Robotron. However the onboard graphics chip doesn't support Pixel Shader 3.0 which is required for HLSL support in Mame. So I had top get this second hand card from eBay.
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Gonna bump this as its a fav wip, and I keep wondering how its going to look?.
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Gonna bump this as its a fav wip, and I keep wondering how its going to look?.
This project is on hold for the time being, although it will definitely be finished off with the progress posted here. I basically got into another bigger project which was juicing up the Anglia van (can see it in the background on some pics) with new engine, suspension etc. All non arcade related of course, but it has taken a lot of my time and money over the summer.
I will be exhibiting again at Play-Expo in Manchester in a couple of weeks and I was even asked to bring this along in it's current state as a "work in progress" for the home brew section. They seem to think people may be interested to see what one looks like part made. If I've got room then I will take it along. Dunno if peeps would be interested in seeing it though. :lol
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As promised here are some pics of where I am up to with the control panel. Firstly we have the artwork from Scott at Gameongraffix. Awesome quality as per usual! Thank you Scott. :applaud:
Hey there LeedsFan,
Great work!!
How much did the CPO and Marquee run from Scott at Gameongraffix? What size are they? Again looks awesome.
Jigenjuke
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Gonna bump this as its a fav wip, and I keep wondering how its going to look?.
This project is on hold for the time being, although it will definitely be finished off with the progress posted here. I basically got into another bigger project which was juicing up the Anglia van (can see it in the background on some pics) with new engine, suspension etc. All non arcade related of course, but it has taken a lot of my time and money over the summer.
I will be exhibiting again at Play-Expo in Manchester in a couple of weeks and I was even asked to bring this along in it's current state as a "work in progress" for the home brew section. They seem to think people may be interested to see what one looks like part made. If I've got room then I will take it along. Dunno if peeps would be interested in seeing it though. :lol
Yay, LeedsFan! Long time no see!
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Gonna bump this as its a fav wip, and I keep wondering how its going to look?.
This project is on hold for the time being, although it will definitely be finished off with the progress posted here. I basically got into another bigger project which was juicing up the Anglia van (can see it in the background on some pics) with new engine, suspension etc. All non arcade related of course, but it has taken a lot of my time and money over the summer.
I will be exhibiting again at Play-Expo in Manchester in a couple of weeks and I was even asked to bring this along in it's current state as a "work in progress" for the home brew section. They seem to think people may be interested to see what one looks like part made. If I've got room then I will take it along. Dunno if peeps would be interested in seeing it though. :lol
Cool, I was worried you had lost inspiration when the monitor did not fit, glad it`s not over!.
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Your stuff is great mate :notworthy: If only I had the time... :hissy:
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/DSCN0898.jpg)
First off, This project is awesome. I'm glad someone else has thought of doing a Robotron bartop and if I ever get around to making one I'll be following your lead!
Secondly, I was struggling with how to do the dust washers to mimic the original Robotron set up for my Retrotron project. And this is an excellent idea! I think I'll need to borrow this from you. :cheers:
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Project Resurrection!!!
Time to get back on with this project. I always intended to get it finished, but another project got in the way. Much bigger and much more expensive, and no... it had nothing to do with arcade games.
Anyway, got quite a bit done recently and I do have some pics. Just not uploaded them yet as my phone battery is dead. Will post soon.
Got the software side of things sorted out on the donor PC. I did intend to use HLSL on the latest version of Mame but unfortunately that has turned out to be a no-go. The Geforce 6200 card I got earlier simply cannot handle it. Yes, it does support Pixel Shader 3.0 but the performance of Mame with HLSL enabled is simply awful.
So... a step backwards. But I will just use scanlines as of old. I do however have the very latest version of Mame with the latest Blue patched ROM and updated Williams drivers. This makes Robotron as close as possible to the original arcade. The brain stages aren't as hectic (ever noticed how manic Robotron was in Mame compared to the arcade version?). Also the "shot in corner" bug is fixed. Some will cry foul at that and say it should still be there, rather like the PacMan split screen and Donkey Kong kill screen. But those games are 100% consistent with their bugs. We all know them and there's no way to avoid them (assuming any of us are good enough to get that far. I'm not!). But with Robotron it's not like that at all. And I don't want my game resetting on me if I ever got that good at it.
You can read more about this Blue patched Rom here:
http://www.robotron2084guidebook.com/technical/gameplatforms/mame/ (http://www.robotron2084guidebook.com/technical/gameplatforms/mame/)
Got the donor PC stripped down and placed in the cabinet now. All wired up and ready to test. But..... I then found out that the mains plug socket I'm using is a silly one with an obstruction in it, and so none of my power leads will fit! :hissy:
I will be replacing this plug tomorrow and have a preliminary test of the installed PC. And pics will be forthcoming soon!
I still have a way to go. U360s need to be wired in and software installed and tested. Marquee lights and artwork. So plenty to do.
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OK as promised here are some pics of the progress to date.
Here is the motherboard located in the base of the cabinet. There's just enough room in there and the ports had to be placed facing inwards. I'm using a powered USB hub anyway and the graphics card has a flexible lead for the VGA plug. I did have to plug in one USB for the hub and a 3.5mm jack for the speakers prior to fitting. The board had to be orientated in this manner as it was the only way it would fit.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0260_zps848038b4.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0260_zps848038b4.jpg.html)
This is the shelf above which hosts the hard drive, PSU and USB hub. Most things were fixed in position using strong double sided sponge strips (like that used for car number plates). Even the shelf itself is sat on brackets using these strips. It really is quite strong stuff and there's no danger of the shelf falling out.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0264_zps9cd89031.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0264_zps9cd89031.jpg.html)
Marquee lights installed, again using that sponge strip. These are cold cathode tubes which run from the PC power supply. Same as the ones I used in my mini Star Wars.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0265_zpsc4b26ae2.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0265_zpsc4b26ae2.jpg.html)
And here is the test (once I'd swapped out the dodgy power socket for the correct one!). Cathode tubes light up when switched on and the speakers give decent sound for their size.
I do have one issue though, as seen in the pic below. I forgot about this... and it was a problem with my Star Wars project earlier. When using the slider controls in the TAB menu of Mame the screen cuts off when lowering the image in portrait mode. You can see the game image has cut away at the bottom but yet there's plenty of screen to go. Why does this happen? Does anyone have a solution?
On the previous project when I had this issue I was able to reposition the monitor. But this time I'm not gonna be able to do that. Or I could, but it would spoil the way the cab has been designed thus far. I'm gonna start Googling for a possible solution to this. It might be something really simple (I hope!). :dunno
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0266_zps032e77da.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0266_zps032e77da.jpg.html)
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Yay, LeedsFan! Long time no see!
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Looking good ! I'm also in the process of building a Robotron Bartop and will be watching here for ideas.
Here's a render of what mine was going to be based on :
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc189/JDFanning_bucket/RobotronCompilation_zps35e31f76.jpg?t=1368640315)
And the current state of completion :
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc189/JDFanning_bucket/PICT0059-2_zps340be6f3.jpg?t=1368640411)
Made a few adjustments to the concept as I didn't like the overhanging CP but it is coming along -- Good to see another build based on Robotron as it is one off my all time favorites.
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JDFan that looks cool! The compromise with the sideart looks very neat. Of course with bartops we can't have the full sideart. I would agree about changing the overhanging CP panel.
What joysticks are you planning to use? Thing with Robotron is you need decent sticks and I chose U360s because they have a lovely circular motion with no microswitch clicks. The originals were leaf switch joysticks but were quite stiff. For a bartop you may end up moving the thing around on the table with those sticks! With U360s you can be accurate yet have fingertip control and still keep the circular gate of the originals.
As for my earlier problem with the screen cutting off... I did find a solution. And that was to open up the NVidia control panel and move the desktop down as far as it would go. This cuts off the taskbar and loses about an inch of the desktop in total. But when Robotron starts the image is now low enough to not be a problem. It's quite central now and when it comes to fine adjustments with the bezel artwork in place I foresee no problems.
Now onto installing the U360s and getting this baby playable!
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Thanks -- I'm building it on a tight budget for now so went with the Happ competitions since EBay had a set of 2 with 14 Happ buttons for $44 shipped and also went with the ZD encoder for $11 shipped from Hong Kong for the same reason ! (but will probably switch them out later if the gameplay seems to suffer too much.) - and the Marquee, bottom art and screen plexi are 1\2 inch plexi I got for free from the local Hockey rink since they had a couple panels that got broken during a hockey game laying out back ! :laugh2:
Now onto installing the U360s and getting this baby playable!
LOL - I actually threw together a temporary CP as soon as the buttons and encoder came in just to play through on my desktop -- spent several days playing around with Robotron and Smash TV on it before actually getting any work done on the build so now I'm waiting till the cabinet is fully complete beffore reinstalling the joysticks so I don't stop building !!
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Well an update... and I did take pics but there's not much point as I will explain.
I got the game playable with the U360s plugged in and everything seemingly going perfect. But on a rare occasion I noticed that the sound would stutter very slightly. This annoyed me and I played around with the settings in mame config file.
I needed to have waitvsync to be ON as I was getting some screen tearing on the graphics between levels. The game does a little sequence of coloured boxes between levels and these were looking choppy with waitvsync OFF. With it ON it's smooth as silk and the game seemingly plays fine. But when I pressed F11 for the games speed I saw it was blinking between 99% and 100%. This may be good enough for some people but I want this to run 100% all the time. No tearing OR sound stuttering. For the specs of this PC it should be able to run Robotron at full speed.
I played around with the mame specs and couldn't get it to run 100% unless waitvsync was switched OFF... which meant tearing between levels. Then I decided to try something.....
I removed the Geforce 6200 card and tried the onboard Intel graphics instead. This cured the problem! I can run with waitvsync ON and use scanlines and the games runs at 100% all the time. Needs more thorough testing but it seems to be OK now.
Strange that the Geforce 6200 would perform worse than the onboard graphics. I know it's an old card but even so I thought it would have been an improvement.
The MB is an Intel D845GRG using Intel Extreme graphics... whatever that means.
I also dicovered that the USB hub I was using has developed a fault where four of the the seven ports now don't work. So I'm swapping it out for a different one. Gotta admit the hub did look extremely cheaply built. All fancy flashing LEDS in a clear plastic case with the ports actually wobbling and rattling about in their housings! Cheap ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---. Once this is swapped out and everything tidied up more pics will be uploaded.
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Nice work on the build so far, looking forward to seeing this completed! :cheers:
Love Robotron and it gets a lot of play on my cab and I had no idea about the blue patch...so reading about that now thanks!
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Bit of an update. Fitted a new USB hub and re-orientated the motherboard now that the graphics card is not being used. The only problem this gave me was that the VGA cable didn't have enough room to be plugged into the port as the MB was a tight fit in there. I did get the cable to plug in but only after chopping away at the plastic that surrounded the plug itself. I had to "thin it down" so to speak. I did buy a 90 degree VGA adaptor.... but when I plugged it in I found it bent the wrong way! It pointed to the floor of the cabinet instead of pointing upwards which is how I expected it to. My mistake it seems... had it pointed upwards it would have blocked out the parallel port. Not something I care for here, but I can now see why it bends that way.
Here I've installed the USB front panel (from the donor PC) to the project. This was a bit of an afterthought in all honesty which is why it doesn't look as neat as it could. I wanted to be able to plug in USB sticks or a gamepad at will without having to open up the back door. That would be too clunky. The ear socket jack could come in handy if anyone wants to wear headphones. The mic socket won't be used at all.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0274_zpsb084fd14.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0274_zpsb084fd14.jpg.html)
Here is the control panel now finished off. Forgive the odd coloured ball tops, they will be changed to the correct red ones soon. The panel here is locked down using the correct sized allen key which I cut down using a grinder. It fits in the locking tab underneath nicely and holds the panel tightly closed under play conditions. I also got the T-molding slot out out as well.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0278_zpsbe38451f.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0278_zpsbe38451f.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0279_zpsbb671aaf.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0279_zpsbb671aaf.jpg.html)
Next things to do are get the side vinyl applied and fit t-molding. Basically I'm on the home straight now and just finishing off.
I've still yet to decide if this project should play other games than Robotron. The obvious ones that spring to mind are Smash TV and Total Carnage. These games would require the use of a gamepad if played in two player mode and I'm not sure of the view P2 would get considering the joystick positioning is set purely for a single player game on this small bartop.
I also tried those two games on this system and they won't run at 100% without the use of some frameskipping in Mame. Robotron seems fine at 100% speed with zero frameskip, but not these other two games. So I dunno whether to bother with them.
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Almost there now. 8)
Got the side vinyl applied. I decided on vinyl again because basically I just hate painting. With vinyl you do get to see little imperfections in the wood, but the finish is constant throughout. No runs, brush marks or areas where the spray hasn't applied evenly. I went for the closest colour of the side of a Robotron as I could remember. It's a silvery grey IIRC. I wasn't as OCD on this colour match as I was with the DK bartop paint as the sideart I have planned isn't arcade original either.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0280_zpsa987909b.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0280_zpsa987909b.jpg.html)
The back door is now finished along with a proper arcade lock fitted. I went for as close a detail as possible for the back of the cabinet (even though you don't really see it). Anyone who's seen the rear of a real Robotron may well recognise the oval cutouts with the gauze mesh in there. There is also a large toggle switch on the original which I think switches on/off the marquee light. Here it's the power switch on a momentary toggle which resets back to rest. Alongside is the volume control.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0283_zpsdc1fcddd.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0283_zpsdc1fcddd.jpg.html)
Got the bezel and marquee fitted along with the top cover. Bezel art I tweaked myself in Microsoft Paint and got it printed out at a local Staples store. Marquee is a 50% size of the original printed by Scott at GameOnGraffix, as is the CP art. Control panel overlay was a lot easier to fit than I imagined. The work I'd done before to make sure everything fit just right paid off here at the end.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0290_zps9b36821a.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0290_zps9b36821a.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0286_zpsa469fc54.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0286_zpsa469fc54.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0289_zpsa5239d23.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0289_zpsa5239d23.jpg.html)
Now I'm on to the final touches. I still need to shell Mala/Mame and fit some cabinet feet. I also need to cap off the screw heads that are visible and fit a black strip along the top of the CP where it meets the screen.
I also need to apply the final sideart and then give it a decent test. I may need to come back and fit a vent fan on the rear door, I shall need to see.
Next pics will be the finished item. ;D
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Cool cab. Too bad you're on the other side of the pond. I have a pair of 30mm red balls (insert many jokes) not being used that you could have for the cost of postage.
good day.
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Cool cab. Too bad you're on the other side of the pond. I have a pair of 30mm red balls (insert many jokes) not being used that you could have for the cost of postage.
I'll take your balls!
That was a joke, I have no need for them
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Awesome bartop !
Shape is nice and so is the decoration !
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OK got this finished today. There maybe one or two really tiny things I might tinker with, but nothing so important to mention here. It is basically completed now.
I got the software shelled within Mala and I decided not to bother with the other games. It's a dedicated Robotron bartop now. I figured that to play two-player Smash TV or Total Carnage simply wouldn't do the games justice with one player using a gamepad. Especially as their view of the screen would be compromised.
The controls are fluid and it plays Robotron lovely, but I expected nothing less from the U360s. Very slick and you don't have to rag the controls about. I'd need to see a real Robotron player have a go at this though.
I think they may still rag the controls around being totally used to the arcade counterpart and I dunno if the CP would stand up to much of that. It is well built but there's only one lockpin holding the CP shut.
I took plenty of pics and picked out the best ones: (A lot of pics were discarded for glare and just generally being crap)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0303_zpsb92891d2.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0303_zpsb92891d2.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0304_zps209b1584.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0304_zps209b1584.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0306_zpsb4b200d8.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0306_zpsb4b200d8.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0307_zpsa138082c.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0307_zpsa138082c.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0311_zpsa5a9e43b.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0311_zpsa5a9e43b.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0315_zpsad7bab37.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0315_zpsad7bab37.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0317_zps15c0634d.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0317_zps15c0634d.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0320_zps77a38b1b.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0320_zps77a38b1b.jpg.html)
I'm really pleased with how this turned out. I've not broken any new ground with this project except I've not seen anyone do a Robotron with U360s before. Some people will still say that only the arcade original controls will suffice, but I would have to respectfully disagree. Just because something was the "original" does not mean it can't be improved upon. It's only because back in the day there was simply no choice. You played the arcade and got used to it and that was that.
The control panel was the hardest part of the build which is why I tackled that first. Cramming the U360s into a 50% size panel that still flipped for access was a bit of a trial. Other than that the rest of the build was quite straight forward.
Think I'll get to playing these games a bit more and see if I can get something resembling a respectable score. Donkey Kong is the only game I'm any good at. The rest I'm just a novice in all honesty, but I love their gameplay and classic status which is why I chose to build them.
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Man, this looks really great !
The bezel gives the bartop a very genuine feel !
:applaud: :applaud:
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Nice ! :applaud:
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Wow, super tiny footprint. Looks great, well done :applaud: :applaud:
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Thanks -- I'm building it on a tight budget for now so went with the Happ competitions since EBay had a set of 2 with 14 Happ buttons for $44 shipped and also went with the ZD encoder for $11 shipped from Hong Kong for the same reason ! (but will probably switch them out later if the gameplay seems to suffer too much.) - and the Marquee, bottom art and screen plexi are 1\2 inch plexi I got for free from the local Hockey rink since they had a couple panels that got broken during a hockey game laying out back ! :laugh2:
Now onto installing the U360s and getting this baby playable!
LOL - I actually threw together a temporary CP as soon as the buttons and encoder came in just to play through on my desktop -- spent several days playing around with Robotron and Smash TV on it before actually getting any work done on the build so now I'm waiting till the cabinet is fully complete beffore reinstalling the joysticks so I don't stop building !!
Any help I could be John, you let me know. I love Robotron myself. :) Awesome
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OK got this finished today. There maybe one or two really tiny things I might tinker with, but nothing so important to mention here. It is basically completed now.
I got the software shelled within Mala and I decided not to bother with the other games. It's a dedicated Robotron bartop now. I figured that to play two-player Smash TV or Total Carnage simply wouldn't do the games justice with one player using a gamepad. Especially as their view of the screen would be compromised.
The controls are fluid and it plays Robotron lovely, but I expected nothing less from the U360s. Very slick and you don't have to rag the controls about. I'd need to see a real Robotron player have a go at this though.
I think they may still rag the controls around being totally used to the arcade counterpart and I dunno if the CP would stand up to much of that. It is well built but there's only one lockpin holding the CP shut.
I took plenty of pics and picked out the best ones: (A lot of pics were discarded for glare and just generally being crap)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0303_zpsb92891d2.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0303_zpsb92891d2.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0304_zps209b1584.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0304_zps209b1584.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0306_zpsb4b200d8.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0306_zpsb4b200d8.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0307_zpsa138082c.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0307_zpsa138082c.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0311_zpsa5a9e43b.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0311_zpsa5a9e43b.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/DBrown67/IMAG0315_zpsad7bab37.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DBrown67/media/IMAG0315_zpsad7bab37.jpg.html)
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I'm really pleased with how this turned out. I've not broken any new ground with this project except I've not seen anyone do a Robotron with U360s before. Some people will still say that only the arcade original controls will suffice, but I would have to respectfully disagree. Just because something was the "original" does not mean it can't be improved upon. It's only because back in the day there was simply no choice. You played the arcade and got used to it and that was that.
The control panel was the hardest part of the build which is why I tackled that first. Cramming the U360s into a 50% size panel that still flipped for access was a bit of a trial. Other than that the rest of the build was quite straight forward.
Think I'll get to playing these games a bit more and see if I can get something resembling a respectable score. Donkey Kong is the only game I'm any good at. The rest I'm just a novice in all honesty, but I love their gameplay and classic status which is why I chose to build them.
This is fantastic as much as it pains me to praise a fan of Leeds. Well done very impressive :D :cheers: :cheers:
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Looks great! :cheers: I'd prefer 25 mm balltops myself, but I'm not sure you can use Japanese ones on the U360?
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Looks great! :cheers: I'd prefer 25 mm balltops myself, but I'm not sure you can use Japanese ones on the U360?
I just went with the Sanwa 35mm ones as the red is a nice deep colour that matches the original. I could have used 30mm Sanwa ball tops but I just decided that gameplay was crucial and tried to stick to the closest "feel" even though it is a 50% sized bartop.
Seimitsu do the same sized ball tops but their idea of "red" is totally different. Both manufacturers do use the same thread though so the choice is there. U360s are based on Sanwa JLWs so there is plenty of choice in ball tops.
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LeedsFan, Lookin' great! How does it play and more importantly what's your current high score on this little cab?
Jigenjuke
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LeedsFan, Lookin' great! How does it play and more importantly what's your current high score on this little cab?
Jigenjuke
Haha... don't laugh. I've not had too much time to spend playing it but my highest score is only around 145K. :P
The brain stage nearly always gets me. I can spot Mikey quickly and then I try to protect him. I always end up doing something silly though like getting to the last few mobs and killing them before picking up all the Mommy's. :angry:
My current screen I get stuck on is the first tank wave where those round things bounce from the sides. I suppose practice will in the end make "perfect". Or maybe not.... LOL! :laugh:
I suppose someone at Replay in October will fill the scoreboard with unattainable scores. I might need to remove my Hi folder in Mame before that event. I remember not removing it on the DK bartop at one show and someone put up a score I've still not beaten on that cab. But I don't mind that one as my highest is better than that score so I know I have it in me to beat it.
With Robotron that would never happen. There was one guy there last year that was brilliant on the arcade machine. He was racking up a huge score but the event came to a close on the first day and it had to be switched off. I want him to be there this year and have a go on this. Even if he only plays for a short time (say a few hundred K) just to give his opinions on it.
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Resurrecting this to get hold of JDFan - any off the shelf joystick you found that works good with Robotron while still working with fighters etc,,? IL Euro suck for Robotron.
Thank You in advance
Thanks -- I'm building it on a tight budget for now so went with the Happ competitions since EBay had a set of 2 with 14 Happ buttons for $44 shipped and also went with the ZD encoder for $11 shipped from Hong Kong for the same reason ! (but will probably switch them out later if the gameplay seems to suffer too much.) - and the Marquee, bottom art and screen plexi are 1\2 inch plexi I got for free from the local Hockey rink since they had a couple panels that got broken during a hockey game laying out back ! :laugh2:
Now onto installing the U360s and getting this baby playable!
LOL - I actually threw together a temporary CP as soon as the buttons and encoder came in just to play through on my desktop -- spent several days playing around with Robotron and Smash TV on it before actually getting any work done on the build so now I'm waiting till the cabinet is fully complete beffore reinstalling the joysticks so I don't stop building !!
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geeeeeeee I wonder who approved a 6 year old necro bump as a first post.
MrMike, why not post in a thread that he posted in this WEEK instead? http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,160202.msg1686439.html#msg1686439
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I'm loving this resurgence of Robotron enthusiasm as of late.
Even though this project was fantastic, Mal is right, JDFan is still active here. No need to necro bump finished project threads for your hardware questions.
I don't know what the post requirements are for noobie members, whether you can start your own thread or not, but in any case I've created a thread for you to discuss this in. :cheers:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,160253