Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Arcade Collecting => Miscellaneous Arcade Talk => Topic started by: ArcadeNoob on August 27, 2005, 10:42:52 pm

Title: Cabinet Cost Question
Post by: ArcadeNoob on August 27, 2005, 10:42:52 pm
Lets say I were to buy a PCB, and just a PCB.......



How much would it cost to construct a cabinet, and built a working game from just that?  I know the question is somewhat vague, but lets just say it was a common PCB.  Thanks
Title: Re: Cabinet Cost Question
Post by: RayB on August 28, 2005, 01:25:53 pm
What difference does the PCB make? The costs of building a cab are the same as any other project on this site...

Title: Re: Cabinet Cost Question
Post by: Effayy on August 28, 2005, 01:44:07 pm
If your PCB is Jamma, just buy a cheap generic Jamma cabinet for $100 or so.  Find one with working monitor and you're golden. 

If you're looking for the cheap route, that's the way.. If money isn't an object and you'd like to build a fancy enough cab, all I can say is after wood and tools and laminate and paint and monitor, I can safely say I've spent enough money on my cab to have my wife seriously questiioning my sanity. :)

- FA
Title: Re: Cabinet Cost Question
Post by: ArcadeNoob on August 28, 2005, 02:08:04 pm
Thats one question Ive had for a while.........so, if I can find a generic jamma cab, I can just plug in one board after another, and play it?  Only problem there I can think is the controls, hmmm....


But besides that, yes?
Title: Re: Cabinet Cost Question
Post by: paigeoliver on August 28, 2005, 07:31:35 pm
Thats one question Ive had for a while.........so, if I can find a generic jamma cab, I can just plug in one board after another, and play it?  Only problem there I can think is the controls, hmmm....


But besides that, yes?

Mostly.

Games with horizontal monitors, joysticks, 2 players, and 3 buttons or less can be swapped all day long in a JAMMA cabinet with no problems.

Same deal for vertical games in a vertical cabinet.

ANything else requires custom wiring.
Title: Re: Cabinet Cost Question
Post by: Stingray on August 29, 2005, 11:25:03 am
Thats one question Ive had for a while.........so, if I can find a generic jamma cab, I can just plug in one board after another, and play it?  Only problem there I can think is the controls, hmmm....


But besides that, yes?

Do make sure that this mystery board that you keep referring to is JAMMA. I'm not sure from reading this thread if you understand what that means. My apologies if you do.

-S
Title: Re: Cabinet Cost Question
Post by: Jon L. on September 02, 2005, 05:20:47 am
paigeoliver is right, cabinet with a controler, there should has 2 joysticks, 2 start buttons for 2 players, and another 3 - 6 control buttons for each player - like normal Jamma cabinet.

cabinet material can be wood, metal or ABS....just replace the PCB is okay when you want to play other games.
Title: Re: Cabinet Cost Question
Post by: nostrebor on September 02, 2005, 02:42:58 pm
Unless you just love to do woodwork, finding a used cabinet is the only way to go. I picked a working jamma cabinet with Shinobi (jammadaptored) in it and working for $40 off of this forum. You should be able to find a decent one for under $100 without any trouble at all. at this point $100 will barely buy the wood needed to build a cabinet.

Just watch for water damage (swelling along the wood edges mostly) and don't pay as much if the wiring looks all hacked up.