Project Taito Pheonix (image warning)

[DYNAGOD]

Well the day has finally arrived,no more looking on enviously at you all as you all make cabinets while i drool on the sidelines.  .  my time has come as my taito egret came in today.

plans so far as as follows:
I have a dell dimension 8100 with Mame .69b loaded, advancemame, dos only, w/ 1.7ghz and 1gb of system ram.
J-pac and Arcade VGA.
I want to replace and keep the jamma harness fully functional.
Complete replacement of the control panel with a large die cut Blue Electro-luminescent sheet backing clear acrylic.
replace entire power section.
replace coin accepter panel, and replace coin mech
paint the base and plastic monitor frame/door. (black,possibly with a flame job if i can find a good custom airbrush guy on the cheap)
replace the overhead light with a hi brite led strip.
and a few other tricks up my sleeve i have yet to finalize but i know your all gonna love...

i just wanted to add also , that this is all your fault..
(who doesn not know i bought this ) i plan on placing the blame squarely on you all 
your all bad ,bad influences.... .lol




 
to begin lets look at what we got today..

the palletizing of the cabinet was ,umm ,how can i put this nicely....creative?!  must be a new technique i wasnt aware of.. the new one and a half, half hanging off pallete technique.   
the unit was hit somewhere in its journey and took at dent and deep gauge to the upper right hand corner caving in the sheet metal and damaging the plastic that surrounds the monitor. I was unable to access the monitor without considerable effort as the door is now way out of allignment... as you can see in the pics, theres an unsightly gap 
theres noticable burn in on the monitor.not bad, but i can see it..looks like it was not a fighting/neo cab, but more likely some sort of quiz game or something due to the pronounced borders.. but i plan on replacing it with a betson 31" so thats a non issue. speaking of burn there are a few cigartette burnins in the cuph olders, but oh well.
I have to admit the Egret is MUCH,MUCH shorter than i imagined..its not small by any means, but it is extremely low to the ground..with the base of the control panel where your knees are supposedly supposed to go coming only a mere 22" or so off the ground.. INCHES! less than 2 feet..it doenst even come up to my knee caps! i might seriously have to consider building a riser for this thing to make it playable.
the control panel needs replacing, the coin mech return does not function, and its missing a lock.
i unfortunetly cannot power up the unit as i dont have a step down converter yet, and it clearly states 100v only.so i cant conclusively say that this is a working cabinet yet.
 it came with a manual, but its all in japanese, so its quite useless.
heres some pics for ya while i go back to scrubbing and cleaning this fiery midget.
 

[NinjaEpisode]

Nice......

Hey regarding the "shortness" of the cab, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the Egrets are actually built to be sit down cabs.  In otherwords, you'd sit on a shortened stool like you'd see in a diner or something that was bolted to the ground to play the game.

They were'nt designed for a standup cab, although a riser would most likely work....

[DYNAGOD]

oh i know...
but its honestly too short to even be a sit down cab..
you would need a stool about 8-12 inches high to sit at this thing..
im 6' tall, I need to get a shot of me trying to crouch next to this midget.
i had no idea the control panel was so low..

[whammoed]

Maybe its meant to be played while kneeling?  

[AmericanDemon]

Actually its meant to be played by me.    So it musta been shipped to the wrong address by mistake.  You can go ahead and forward that too me anytime.  

[ButeLegz-II]

Daamn that's a big monitor! Looks wicked, lotsa personality. Definitely not a stand up cab! I've seen similar in arcades around my town, from memory they've got low, vinyl cushioned two seater type benches to go along with em. You could probably get a panel beater to fix & respray that gash in the metal. For the ciggy burns... I'd cut out some thin sheet rubber or cork board in appropriately sized circles & double side tape them in the 2 top holders. Then again, I'd probably always have a beer in them holders so you wouldn't see 'em anyway!

[DYNAGOD]

Maybe its meant to be played while kneeling?  

yea, its the new sony praystation lol

I like the die cut rubber idea to cover up the ciggy burns.
the area where the dent is , in typical murphys law fashion i cant access the dent form behind to hammer it out, so im going to need to drill a hole,tap it, and thread a bolt into it and pull it out. then just smooth it out by hand.
i hop to get it into paint today, im going to paint the unit black and relpace the blue stripethat surrounds the monitor with a neo geo red stripe.

[JoyMonkey]

Looking good!

My only suggestion is that you reduce the amount of memory in the PC. Even Windows98 and Me have hard times with 1Gb of memory. The DOS memory managers won't know what to do with 1Gb and you'll get better performance with 256Mb or even 128mb of RAM. Make sure you're using DOS 7.1, it has the best DOS support for larger memory (older DOS's only supported a maximum of 64mb)

[DYNAGOD]

thanks for the reminder,ill have to pick up a couple cheap 128mb modules.

im on my way now to go pick up the high gloss black for the cabinet. i shloud have it in the spray booth by 1:00.
ill post up the pics.
that institutional white just isnt doing it for me.
the two chrome plated arms that support the marque are rusted beyond replair. luckily the machien you see behind the cabinet in the pics is the tail end of a YLM 24' 4 axis CNC multi level pipe bender. im going to bend up some stainless replacement arms that will NEVER rust. 

[JoyMonkey]

Wow! I like the Futurama Bender sticker you've got on your bender!
What do you work at?

[DYNAGOD]

im the resident jack of all trades master of none at a precision CNC machine and welding shop.   
I do Computer aided design and manufacturing using solidworks 2005 SP0, i also run the CNC bender,lathes and mills, im also the  IT guy and the webdesigner/webmaster.
im never doing the same thing two days in a row,and thats the way i like it, my mind is always going a million miles a minute.

heres a MS pain idea of what im planning on doing today.

[RayB]

Very nice.
Now who's ass got kicked due to the damage? I didn't realize that "crating" a cabinet meant you just stood it up on a palette with no straps or anything to hold it there...

[DYNAGOD]

i doubt theres anything i can in light of the damage.
no ones gonna take the blame..
just sucks..
noting i can do.

control panel came off very easily.

need to put a 6 button configuration in for all thoes great fighting games.
though im primarily a treasure/cave/psyikyo/atlus/r8zing/etc shmup and SNK fan, i do occasionally like my street fighter.
i also have a ls-30 lying around here that i may have to put in for ikari warriors. ill of course need a rotary interface..
FYI the coin counter was around 27k.

[DYNAGOD]

something else i just realized, there isnt a single vent or fan on this entire unit. if you rubbrized the doors it would be airtight..
alot of heat must build up in that little cab with such a huge monitor in it..
i think im going to need to rectify this.. id like my cab to breathe a little..perhaps one cold air intake with either one or 2 120mm fans near the floor and and the same for hot venting on the top.
airflow is a good thing....and i see none..
no wonder its so clean inside..

[CthulhuLuke]

Two things: first of all: I'M SO FLIPPING JEALOUS!! well I say that with all japanese sit downs, the Egrets are very low but they still rock the casba.  
Second: if you put an american monitor in this thing, if it doesn't have a built in isolation transformer pick up one from bob roberts and just convert this thing to 110v.  I guess if the monitor has a built in voltage thingy like the WG's do then you don't even need to plug it in, but thats just a thought.
   I think one of the reasons they pack these things so tightly together is due to the fact that there is so much smoke in most japanese arcades, the insides of these things would be coated with various residues that could harm the electronics.  By keeping it air tight, you preserve the insides.  Now that its in a smoke free environment *lets hope* you can open it up without any issues.  And another thing, if you're going to add buttons and what not, keep it sanwa.  American sticks wouldn't feel right on a sit down.  the ultimarc J-sticks are sanwas with octagonal bases, along with the joysticks from himura games - http://www.himuragames.com/store_joysticks.php
 - good luck and keep us updated, you can always use www.photobucket.com make a public folder and just link to your photo gallery, might save some of the 56kers

[DYNAGOD]

i want to stay true to the true japanese shmups ,so sanwa it will most likely be..
just not pink

i found my first problem.. the damage is more extensive than i imagined.
i began dissasmebling the cabinet piece by pice and noticed tat the wooden monitor board was freshly damaged, the shock was so much so that the poly wheel on the top that the monitor rotates on had exploded.
i wondered why there where peices of white shards in the bottom of the cab, i even saved them just in case.. now i know where they came from,, my job just got alot more intimidating..
i ll post up pics tonite..

[DYNAGOD]

i kind of like the stripped down look about 3 pics down ..

[CthulhuLuke]

ooo ouch, looks like that cab really took a beating!  btw if you want a translation of that face plate, i'll include it below.  The big red button on the left has characters that are too blurry for me to make them out, but everything else is an easy translation.  

[DYNAGOD]

thanks for the trans
im now quite concernedthat the monitor may be no good..
ifthere was enough force to do that on the top wheel , i hoping the two wheels below are also not smashed as they support the weight of the monitor.. a jolt like that likely did some damage to monitor...  
i can only hope this thing is a tank..
replacing those wheels  is likely going to be next to impossible. luckily i have a lathe department here.. i will fabricate new delrin wheels.

[DYNAGOD]

NEO GEO RED,MMMMMMMM
 
i feel all warm and squishy inside

light is blown.. grrrrr

[froggerman]

It should be no problem to get a new tube for the light if that is what the problem is. You should change the starter at the same time, they are cheap.

Keep the pictures coming!

[ButeLegz-II]

I don't know what I like more... the cab or the workshop! Just wondering what paint you're using for the re-sprays? Car paint... like 2 pack or something?

[DYNAGOD]

could this be used to power up my cab?

http://www.electronickits.com/kit/complete/elec/vek6709.htm

[exibar]

looks like its basically an Infra red switch.  You'll have to have the IR receiver somewhere visable to the remote, just like your TV, but you should be able to turn the whole thing on by remote control with that device :-)

[DYNAGOD]

theres a cutout for an IR port that comes stock in the base of the control panel that is used for.....who knows what...but it is there..i figure i could make some use of it.
be kewl to have a car alrm type thing on my keychain and kick on my cab  

on a painting note, the egret appears to have a vandal/graffiti resistant paint. i began painting the cab and the stuff just rolled off...so i had to wipe it down with a towel and had a horrible mess ..i had to bring it down to bare metal to get any adhesion..

[DYNAGOD]

unrelated but nice..
egret "3" playing what looks like the latest raiden.

 

[NIVO]

hey dyna just curious....you DID have shipping insurance right? I personally wouldnt stand for that, especially with the costs involved. On another note i believe the cab will look great in your scheme. Good Luck to ya.

[DYNAGOD]

1111111111111111111111111

[DYNAGOD]

I don't know what I like more... the cab or the workshop! Just wondering what paint you're using for the re-sprays? Car paint... like 2 pack or something?

for the plastic items im using Fusion Plastic paint.
its bonds very nice!
the metal frame is going to be a black high gloss hard coat. similar to that used on iron railings.

[RayB]

You have much less recourse now that you've taken the cab apart.

 

[DYNAGOD]

nothing thats damaged has been removed.
the only thing ive removed is the three speaker pods,glass, and the plastic bezel,all of which are in good condition.
plus i have quite a grimoire of images from the moment i recieved the cab to thereafter..
not to mention the pics that show the cab not on its original pallete,indicating the "how" this happened.
it was indeed insured for 400$
im certainly oging to take a stab.
i dont know what the cost of the door and monitor internals represents as these parts are irreplacable.



also for the light,i found this..

UPDATE! From Matt Osborn (ozborn@ix.netcom.com): It is an F10T8, which is a 10 watt, 1" diameter, 12" long tube (total length including ends is ~13.5"), with a G13 base (medium bi-pin). Nearly impossible to find in any store, but can be ordered online from http://www.bulbman.com. Current prices are $3.16 for F10T8/CW (Cool White) and $17.37 for F10T8/BLB (Black Light Blue).

http://www.topbulb.com also has a F10T8/CW for $2.25. The black light is kinda cool, but not really worth the money. It looks nice on the "Egret 29" sign but doesn't really illuminate the "Taito" logo. It might look cool with the plastic marquee that goes into the top slot (I don't have one).

The ballast has a setting for 50 and 60Hz. It's set for 50Hz for Japan. You need to move one wire to the 60Hz setting (soldering required). There's a label on the ballast that shows the settings.

And don't forget to pick up a new starter (FG-7P).

http://www.bulbman.com/index.asp?PageAction=PRODSEARCH&txtSearch=f10t8%2Fcw&Page=1

[DYNAGOD]

not to mention my stepdown converter wont be here till the 22'nd, i want to know if the monitor has been destroyed as well before i call.

[DYNAGOD]

well my j-pac and arcadeVGA showed up today from DHL..

crushed to bits...

[gique]

surprise surprise, yet another cabinet arrives from jack tao in shoddy condition....

did you notice when your cab came if the packaging was damaged where that almighty dent was?

I hope youre claiming with the insurance, I sure as heck am with mine.

[SirPeale]

well my j-pac and arcadeVGA showed up today from DHL..

crushed to bits...

I'd really like to know why Andy doesn't ship these in a box.  Mine came in a plastic bag.  Thankfully intact, but doesn't a box make sense?

[JoeB]

Are we talking about the same Arcade-Infinity of LA that was caught selling fake SNK games? (http://www.snkplaymore.jp/information/en_press06.html)

www.arcade-infinity.com seems to be down as well.  Sounds fishy..

[DYNAGOD]

Are we talking about the same Arcade-Infinity of LA that was caught selling fake SNK games? (http://www.snkplaymore.jp/information/en_press06.html)

www.arcade-infinity.com seems to be down as well.  Sounds fishy..

I guess so:
Arcade Infinity, Inc.

[gique]

I just keep hearing bad thing after bad thing about those guys.. countless tales of cabs arriving beaten up,or dangerously wired... incredibly lax communication as soon as youve paid your money,, cabs not matching up with the same old stock pictures they use..

I'm surprised the monitor wasn't screwed after a hit like that, as well as the neon tube...

the overhead speaker on mine was mangled as well as the support bars, and no keys, he tried to charge me $150 for a new speaker/bar setup... then he quickly dropped it to 75 after i complained. i'm still suspicious as i noticed the pictures they mailed me of the one they were going to ship never featured the overhead speaker..... hmmmm

well, if the insurance refund goes through i'm sure i'll end up spending less that I thought in the long run, but it's still a royal pain in the butt to fix all the crap... I spent all day repainting the speakers and surrounds just to get the nicotine stains covered...

there's gotta be a better dealer in the USA, someone could make a killing if they snatched all their potential customers...

*edit* would you be willing to make some more bars for the speaker unit?? i'm loathe to pay that guy any more money...

I'm designing some laser cut alminum 6 button panels to replace the INCREDIBLY bad hack job 6 button mod I paid them $25 to do....... so maybe i could trade ya???

[DYNAGOD]

ill run it by my boss and get a quote for ya on a set of replacement bars..

I'm surprised the monitor wasn't screwed after a hit like that,

i dont know that it does..my stepdown converter arrives tomorrow, and even then ,theres no ground on the cab..
im afraid to plug it in..

[JoeB]

Don't worry about the missing ground.

That's the way it's in Japan.  There's no ground in any outlet!  All outlets in Japan are standard US 2 prong outlets but with a different voltage and different frequency. (50hz vs 60hz).

If this was my cab, I'd rewire the thing for 110v and use a 110v -> 100v iso transformer on the monitor.  It's much cleaner than having an external power converter.