Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Zeosstud on May 18, 2005, 05:24:39 pm
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Hello,
Getting down to the nitty gritty on my new driving cab and I have a question. How do you turn your TV on? If it doesnt work with the Smart Strip which mine does not, and its behind a monitor bezel, which mine will be, how do you turn it on? The Toshiba TV everyone talks about is basically not available anymore unless you get a refurbished one from online so I am pretty much stuck with what I have. I can certainly drill a small hole in the bezel so the remote control will work and turn the TV on and off but is that my only solution?
Rodney
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I have been told that, generally, on your TV's control panel there is a power relay that the "power" button is connected to.
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The Toshiba 27A34 is still listed for sale on bestbuy.com. I'm planning on picking one up this summer, once I've finished my cab that is.
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I did the small hole in the bezel.
(All you need is a VERY small hole... NOT the size of the IR sensor on the tv.)
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There are quite a number of good "auto power-on after restart" TVs. I have a daewoo that I bought from Target for $89.
That being said, what I ALSO did, was to de-case the TV, remove the remote IR, and wire it up into the marquee for easy remote control access.
You could also easily detach the power on button and rewire it someplace convenient... use a momentary switch or something... make a hidden switch under the control panel somewhere, or accessible throught the coin door.
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Or, you could use the "kill a fly with a shotgun" technique and get an ir transmitter for your computer. Set it up behind the bezel, and schedule a task to make it fire when the machine is ready.
I haven't done this, but it sounds fun (at least to me) :)
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Is power-on the only issue?
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I just use the remote that came with the TV. I leave it on top of the cab. This also allows me to turn off the TV (to save on electricity) and leave the PC on (or in suspended mode).
The issue I have with my TV is that when it is powered on, it ALWAYS default to "antenna in" (the coax connector) as opposed to "video in" (the RCA connector from my cards video-out). So not only do I use the remote power on, I also use it to switch from antenna to video.
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I do it the simple way, keep TV on at all times use the on/off switch on the power strip to power up the speakers, pc, tv, marquee light.
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Thanks for all the input. I am lucky in one way, the tv does always go back to whatever input you used the last time, so thats not an issue. I like the idea about shorting the normally open switch and making it work the the smart strip I have, I mean thats what the damn thing is for in the first place. The Toshiba 27A34 is not the monitor I was speaking of, the 27A33 would be the perfect one for me, because of its width and depth. I will know this weekend what I am gonna end up doing, heading to St Louis for my friends Birthday, he is the electronics guru, will most likely take the TV and smart strip up there and see what we come up with, BEFORE we get hammered. Drilling the small hole is certainly the easy solution and behind the smoked glass I doubt anyone would see it anyway. I will let everyone know what solution was implimented along with a photo or 2 if I get the chance.
Rodney
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Isn't the 27A34 simply the next year's version of the 27A33? ???
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FYI, I have a sharp 25" TV. It also remembers what input it was on after power up. The only problem I am facing is how to power it up automatically.
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FYI, I have a sharp 25" TV.
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very cool
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I know one guy one the board here jammed a paperclip in beside the power button of his TV to hold it in. Quick, cheap, easy to do, easy to take out without wrecking anything.
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Durabrand and Symphonic televisions from Wal-Mart are super cheap and remember the to set themselves back on the previous input when you power back up. They also remember they were on when you use a smartstrip, and come on automatically weith it. Thought you guys might be interested in this.
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I usually show my TV Cabinet pictures of decased TV's or pictures of TVs with some of their circuits showing. That usually turns it on pretty good.
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(http://img261.echo.cx/img261/2292/clapper5tw.jpg)
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Good News, even after applying the monitor bezel and smoked glass I can still use the remote, I gotta kind of aim in just right but it does work. For now that will be the solution.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v214/Zeosstud/000_0268.jpg)
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Just a quickie but couldn't you buy one of those replacement remotes, set it up to work your TV and simply remove the casing, hack the standby button and run the wiring to a switch on or under the cab, then just mount the remote out of sight inside your cab somewhere?.
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Durabrand and Symphonic televisions from Wal-Mart are super cheap and remember the to set themselves back on the previous input when you power back up. They also remember they were on when you use a smartstrip, and come on automatically weith it. Thought you guys might be interested in this.
I'll have to check those brands out. I looked at a Magnavox today in Meijer, and the annoying thing about the packaging for televisions is that it never tells you detailed features like that. I really want to avoid having to purchase, test, and return something.
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Durabrand and Symphonic televisions from Wal-Mart are super cheap and remember the to set themselves back on the previous input when you power back up. They also remember they were on when you use a smartstrip, and come on automatically weith it. Thought you guys might be interested in this.
I'll have to check those brands out. I looked at a Magnavox today in Meijer, and the annoying thing about the packaging for televisions is that it never tells you detailed features like that. I really want to avoid having to purchase, test, and return something.
Yeah I actually found this out by accident. I normally purchased Sony televisions and decided to try and skimp out on a hundred dollars and got a Durabrand from Wal-Mart. For cabinet purposes, it worked out better in almost every way. 27" with S-Video input and it remembered to turn itself back on with a Smartstrip. Not bad for $158. (Plus it came from Wal-Mart so if it breaks two years down the road take it back and get store credit for the full amount, even without a receipt) heh
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$158 isn't bad. I may spend a bit more to get component video though. Of course, if I do that, then I get to spend $60 for the vga to component adapter. ::)
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I know one guy one the board here jammed a paperclip in beside the power button of his TV to hold it in. Quick, cheap, easy to do, easy to take out without wrecking anything.
That sounds like a very nifty idea. If I have trouble getting my TV to power up automatically, maybe I
'll try something like this. :)
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A budy of mine who has a 27inch TV (can't remember what brand). Shoved some tooth picks in his and broke off the ends so they are jammed in there. Not it powers on everytime. I bought a Sharp TV 27 inch, and I need to test it out, but I am going to leave it in the box until I am ready to build.
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When you say to jam in a paperclip or toothpick you are basically keeping the power button pushed in right? I tried this on a number of models at Best Buy by holding the power button in and then had a friend unplug the tv and plug it back in after a few seconds (the equivalent of using power strip right?). None of them turned back on when plugged back in that way. ???
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I might try the paper clip method. i have a decased Toshiba Tv in my almost finished cab. Now the TV will 'remember' if its in standby mode, even if i unplug it from the wall, but what id doesnt do it turn on when i plug it back in, just does to stand by. Now im woundering if a tap the channel up button down, when i plug the TV in again will to notice that the channel button is being held down and turn on, the other problem i my face is that it might keep changing the change up all the time. Another option my be via the scart socket, im not sure but the TV may power itself up if theres a signal going to the scart socket (when the PC gets turned on)
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You could also easily detach the power on button and rewire it someplace convenient... use a momentary switch or something... make a hidden switch under the control panel somewhere, or accessible throught the coin door.
I have a 27" durabrand from walmart as well and it works great. I did what mahuti suggested above, but it ended up being even easier than I ever could've imagined. I just took off the case (not as dangerous as many say - well, yes it could kill you, but it's really pretty easy to steer clear of the little box that you aren't supposed to touch).
I just located the little power switch on the board and then soldered in two wire leads and ran them back out through one of the gazillions of little vent holes towards the back of the TV and then up the side of my cabinet to the top right where I connected them to a momentary contact switch. So it's located right next to my master power that controls everything else.
Super easy, and no messing with holes in bezels or remotes (though perhaps not quite as challenging/fun as some of the other methods offered here, I'll readily admit. ;) ).
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When you say to jam in a paperclip or toothpick you are basically keeping the power button pushed in right? I tried this on a number of models at Best Buy by holding the power button in and then had a friend unplug the tv and plug it back in after a few seconds (the equivalent of using power strip right?). None of them turned back on when plugged back in that way. ???
Yup, the toothpick just holds the power button down. It worked great for me allowing me to have one button to power on and off my entire system (speakers, marquee light, tv, computer).
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Hi, your cabinet looks very similar to my breaktime sitdown cabinet. I dont know if this has been said or not cause I didnt read every post but I just turn my tv on with the remote. Two steps. Turn xbox on then turn tv on with remote...i can control volume or change channels through the smoked plexi....nothing fancy.
On a side note
I am also working on some fancy stuff with the fanatec wheel , the same one that you are using. Hang in there and I'll do a writeup. Im taking the wheel out of its plastic casing adding the wheel into my control panel and already added arcade pedals and a arcade shifter to it. If you are interested I'll get back to when done updating the website.
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I have a horrible confession to make. Before I worked up the hacked remote control mentioned earlier, I actually set up a sort of periscope and bounced the signal off some mirrors. I brought the IR down from the back (off a very classy Budweiser mirror) to a couple of mirrors inside the cab. I would not recommend this but it was fun setting it up with the laser pointer.
I will say that once I got it set up it was pretty reliable. Had some fun setting it up to but that may have been the beers.
Still with your setup you could easily add this
http://webpages.charter.net/rbecker5/plans.html#wiring (http://webpages.charter.net/rbecker5/plans.html#wiring) from Talking Octopus
which is what I ended up with.
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My first cab used a 27 inch TV. Here's what i did. I made my bezel from plexi
and stuck a piece of painters tape over the area covering the infrared sencor or what ever its called. Then i sprayed the border black with krylon fusion. when it was dry I removed the piece tape and sprayed over the area with a light coat of fusion paint. That way it was black like the rest but the paint was light enough for the remotes signal to go through. :)
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What I read somwhere on this site to do was just find a way to make sure the power button is always depressed. I would try it a few times to see if your TV will work this way, but mine if the power button is pushed in it will turn on when power is applied.
So I have my PC setup to come back on power and my TV. So I just plug in my cab and away I go.
The way I forced down the button was with a paper clip. Just jam it in.
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For what it's worth the JVC 27530 model TV has component/s-video and stays on Video-1 channel when powered off/on. AND when unplugged and plugged back in will power back on. So it will work with the smart strip.
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I am similar to some above in that a small hole in the bezel allows the TV remote to work normally. However, I just plugged the TV into the "control" outlet of the Bits Ltd strip, and set my PC to come on after power fail. Now I just use the TV remote to power up the TV and everything comes on. No power buttons at all... my cab has a remote control!
On shutdown I have to shut down the computer through software, then use the remote to power down the TV, which takes everything else with it - so no "one press" power off. But them's the breaks.
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Instead of the smart strip I got the Sears unit, which does the same thing, for $20. I has one master plug, and two slaves that switch on/off depending if the master plug is drawing any current. I think Sears is positioning this for people who has a workstop and want their shop vacuum to autostart when a miter saw, or any other tool, is started.
On my coctail I brought the TV to an electronics repair shop and they opened the TV and connected a pair of wires and a switch to the on/off button. After mounting the TV I replaced their switch with a arcade button which I placed on the side of the cab. To start the machine I hit one button, wired to the motherboard, to start the computer and a second button to turn the TV on.
Lastly. I just got a 27" Goldstar off of craigslist with an add that said "looking for a used TV, with an s-input jack and if powered off and back on it remembers to stay on the same input". I paid $50 for it.
-Rudi
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To power up I am using the Smart Strip with the computer plugged into the "control" outlet. The computer is positioned right behind my coin door (which is not functional and only cosmetic). I simply open the coin door and press the power button on the PC to turn everything on. My TV will power on and remembers it's input mode after power loss so it goes on with the PC along with all of the other cabinet accessories.
To power down, I simply shutdown the PC via software or Windows, the Smart Strip will detect that it is off and then shutdown everything else automatically.
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for what it's worth, on my cab I took the remote apart, cut off the IR LED and extended it with some cable. I mounted the LED next to the TV IR receiver, and the remote sits next to a control panel that has dials for fan speed, volume control, coin counter/reset, and cpu power/reset. They both sit right behind the upper coin door, so its not a hassle to reach in and power on the cpu and tv at the same time. I thought about making a custom panel out of the remote, but its not worth it and I want to still be able to change channels and stuff.