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Kind of Overwhelmed and Unsure of Where to Begin an Arcade Project
SavannahLion:
--- Quote from: Brian B on March 28, 2011, 05:29:32 pm ---Savannah, I have a tempest cab I'm looking to unload! (in L.A.) The ad is in the FS/FT area.
B.
--- Quote from: SavannahLion on March 27, 2011, 03:11:31 pm ---Keep searching Craigslist. I picked up a few cabs, some for free, and I'm still kicking myself for skipping that Tempest. The key here is patience. That crappy gutted Metallica cab was listed six times already between $50 TO $75. You couldn't pay me to take it. There was nothing for six months when I started searching then BOOM got a cab. Six months later got another two and missed the Tempest.
Decide what you want in a cab. Pick only one or two such as a big monitor and two players. Then look for a cab that can take that kind of hardware. Since you're starting out, your first cab will dictate the hardware not the other way around.
Be open to the cab. My very first cab is a Hang-On which is virtually pointless to convert. But I got a crazy amount of goodies with it. Quite a bit of it having nothing to do with the cab. Most of that stuff could be sold. Funding the project or put towards a better cab.
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Biggest problem is that I'm all the way up in Sacramento. My only chance to snag that cab is in Seal Beach and I doubt I can convince the future brother in law to fetch it. My other chance is somewhere East of Tulare and she's got a muffin in the oven. Fat chance on that. No way I can bring the truck that far down South without bringing the kidlets and the van is so ---fouled up beyond all recognition--- up I'm not going anywhere with it.
CapriRS302:
DO NOT BUY X-ARCADE CONTROLS!!!!
I have only seen one machine that integrated and x arcade tankstick somewhat seamlessly, all of the others look laughable. Plus, wiring up the control panel is half the fun, its a great experience, and you get to make your own design.
If I were you I would also plan on doubling your budget, if not now, over time. The control panel will cost you between 200-300 bucks alone, plus another 50-75 for the cab, money for paint, decals, marquee...
If you use a CRT monitor it will be extremely cheap ($30 for a 21 inch, if you can find one) and be plug and play.
Remember you can always change things later, BUT you may have regrets if you go cheap. For example, when I built my machine I bought the cheapest trackball I could find, one of the ones that has a trackball that is basically a cueball. For an extra 40 bucks at the time I could have had a Happ trackball just like the ones in all of the modern arcade games. Now I either have to spend the full hundred or so to get one, or just live with my regret.
Good Luck!
Donkbaca:
I bought an x-arcade, yeah slapping it on as a CP looks stupid, but taking the guts of it and using it for a CP is fine, its what I am doing.
Double his budget? The kid is 18 years old! If I was 18 and had 600 bucks, I wouldn't spend it on a cabinet to play 20 year old games.
My sincere advice:
Buy an x-arcade off of ebay. Get a 500 - 2tb external hard drive, whatever you can find for about 60 bucks or less. Set up your FE and all your roms on the external hard drive. There you go, for about 150 bucks you will be set. When you have more time, money and space you can build/buy a cab, use the guts of the x-arcade and have all your software already set up.
Spend the rest of you money on illicit booze or a killer spring break trip. There is plenty of time to get a proper cab when you have the time, space and money to dedicate to one. There won't be another time in your life to spend spring break on the beach with a hundred thousand coeds and fit in...
CheffoJeffo:
Here is my sincere, and better, advice.
* Buy the book.
* Read the book.
* Play some games to see what you like.
Don't take any other advice until you have completed these steps.
If you decide that you don't want a full cabinet, then you have other options, many of which are superior to the aforementioned X-Arcade, but there is no shame in using an X-Arcade as a standalone control panel.
If you decide that you want a cabinet, an X-Arcade typically isn't a good place to start, as Donkbaca may now be realizing. Cabs can be done on the cheap, so don't let anybody tell you what you have to spend. Going cheap typically requires more work, but most of that will be stuff that doesn't require vast woodworking or electrical skills.
Be patient -- you are correct -- there are tons of options and lots to learn. Have a look at some of the projects -- many may seem extravagent, but there are lots of nice, simple and cheap builds out there.
:cheers:
leapinlew:
I bought an X-arcade and returned it. I was new to the hobby and I wasn't a controller snob, but even way back then I knew that the x-arcade just didn't feel right. I attempted to put the guts in a CP I built, and there was a problem with many of the cable groups not being long enough. Furthermore, the encoder is wonky.
I ended up sending it back and they charged me a 10 or 20% restock fee.
I'd recommend a couple supers and an iPac any day of the week.
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