Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Arcade Collecting => Miscellaneous Arcade Talk => Topic started by: Shortbus on October 03, 2009, 02:05:55 pm

Title: pinball plunger mechanism for mame/Question
Post by: Shortbus on October 03, 2009, 02:05:55 pm

Can anyone offer links, guides or suggestions on how to build/configure a pinball plunger mechanism for mame. I did a search and came up with nothing. Searched the forum and must have missed it.

I'd appreciate any info you can provide,

thanks,
shortbus :dunno

nevermind, i found some good plunger info, but if you want to add any ideas or new info, feel free....thanks

Title: Re: pinball plunger mechanism for mame/Question
Post by: Billy_Goatfeet on October 06, 2009, 02:45:05 pm

  Hey Shortbus, I was thinking about adding one to my cp as well, can you post a link to what you found?  Thanks.

Title: Re: pinball plunger mechanism for mame/Question
Post by: Shortbus on October 09, 2009, 03:38:13 pm

here is one example:

http://www.johnsretroarcade.com/hardware_pinball.asp

there are lots more if you google Pinball Plunger for mame.....if i find anything better I'll let you know, vice versa.....have a good one.

Title: Re: pinball plunger mechanism for mame/Question
Post by: Hoopz on October 09, 2009, 07:29:54 pm

This was announced a few weeks ago and may be worth looking at:

http://www.nanotechent.com/mot-ionkit.php

Title: Re: pinball plunger mechanism for mame/Question
Post by: drventure on October 09, 2009, 07:53:24 pm

I picked up a true Bally pinball plunger off ebay for about 12$ a while back, really simple to install, and just made a little bracket for a standard cherry switch (although I ended up using a Roller switch from Happ).

Kinda nice since externally it's all metal. I think I'm going to have it brass plated to match the rest of my CP.

But really, setting it up wasn't tough at all.

I just set my WinIPAC so that the plunger is the ENTER key. and set the cherry switch such that when the plunger is just sitting there, the switch is depressed.

Then Wire up the NC connection of the switch to the IPAC (this is backwards from normal pushbuttons, you wire then up to the NO connection on the switch).

That way, when the plunger is sitting there, the switch is pressed in, but there's no connection made.

When you pull back on the plunger, the switch is released, and the NC connection makes contact, and you get an ENTER button press.

What's cool, is the farther you pull back, the longer the enter key is pressed, which for most pinball games controls how far back you pull the plunger.

It's not 100% accurate, obviously, but it works close enough that most people don't notice.

Title: Re: pinball plunger mechanism for mame/Question
Post by: drventure on October 09, 2009, 07:55:48 pm

Wow, that kit is pretty slick. But for 140$, I'd want it to include an accelerometer to detect nudging, and it doesn't look like it does.

That's a lot to pay just to get an analog plunger and a few button inputs.

Title: Re: pinball plunger mechanism for mame/Question
Post by: Shortbus on October 10, 2009, 07:04:46 am

Thanks for the Info , especially the detailed info Drventure. I appreciate that, I'm not gifted like most of these geniuses on here, I can do anything, but at a slower pace......I get there, just not right away.

thanks!

Title: Re: pinball plunger mechanism for mame/Question
Post by: Shortbus on October 10, 2009, 07:33:00 am

Quote from: Hoopz on October 09, 2009, 07:29:54 pm

This was announced a few weeks ago and may be worth looking at:

http://www.nanotechent.com/mot-ionkit.php

Thanks Hoopz, thats pretty cool, I can see spending that money, just gotta sell it to 'da-boss'...lol.....

appreciate the link and help.

Title: Re: pinball plunger mechanism for mame/Question
Post by: Billy_Goatfeet on October 13, 2009, 03:44:43 pm

 +1, thanks for the info!