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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: SammyLJ on October 07, 2012, 09:21:32 am

Title: To those who use a TV as a monitor
Post by: SammyLJ on October 07, 2012, 09:21:32 am

the TV power switch is connected right to the board. I have done plenty of soldering before but never soldered a board. How do you guys do your TV on/off switches for your mame cabinets? Do you use the remote or do you rewire a switch?

Title: Re: To those who use a TV as a monitor
Post by: drventure on October 07, 2012, 10:45:53 am

Generally, most people try to find a tv with a "power resume" feature, meaning that if the tv is on, and the power goes out, when it comes back on, the TV "comes back on" too.

That way, you just hook the tv and the PC up to a smart power strip, with the PC as the master. Then when you turn the PC on, everything else on the strip automatically powers up.

Clean, simple, cheap, no rewiring.

Title: Re: To those who use a TV as a monitor
Post by: Well Fed Games on October 07, 2012, 11:13:34 am

I did what drventure described, but it can be a bit frustrating as power resume/return is rarely an advertised feature, even in the manual. Some TVs will turn on if the power button is pushed in when it is plugged in, so some folks wedge or glue the switch down. Others have successively wired the switch to the outside of the cabinet.

Title: Re: To those who use a TV as a monitor
Post by: xefned on October 07, 2012, 02:34:57 pm

Here's how bigbuffs did it:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,122957.msg1305921.html#msg1305921 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,122957.msg1305921.html#msg1305921)

Title: Re: To those who use a TV as a monitor
Post by: Jack Burton on October 07, 2012, 03:24:36 pm

Alternative:

1. Purchase an IR universal remote and program it to turn your television on and off.

2. Remove the front casing and rubber pads from the PCB to expose the bare contacts.

3. Solder wires to the contacts on the power on/off button and run them to a pushbutton on the top of your cabinet.  Install the remote PCB in an inconspicuous location within the cabinet. 

Now you have your on/off switch without modifying any of the original hardware.  Replace the batteries every few months to prevent corrosion.  If you feel confidant you may choose to solder a DC power adapter in their place.

Title: Re: To those who use a TV as a monitor
Post by: SammyLJ on October 08, 2012, 04:26:59 pm

Quote from: xefned on October 07, 2012, 02:34:57 pm

Here's how bigbuffs did it:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,122957.msg1305921.html#msg1305921 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,122957.msg1305921.html#msg1305921)

beautiful!! it worked perfectly

Title: Re: To those who use a TV as a monitor
Post by: xefned on October 08, 2012, 08:51:48 pm

Quote from: SammyLJ on October 08, 2012, 04:26:59 pm

beautiful!! it worked perfectly

Good to know. I'm planning to try the same thing!

Title: Re: To those who use a TV as a monitor
Post by: SammyLJ on October 11, 2012, 07:29:32 pm

The screwdriver test did not work for me so I tested using a wire and just jumped the terminals.

Title: Re: To those who use a TV as a monitor
Post by: Malenko on October 11, 2012, 09:22:33 pm

I only needed 2 wires for mine:

(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=174567;image)