A 1990 Aliens cabinet I found, turning into an Overkill(band) theme. Completed!

[bearzilla333]

This is my first post and I want to say first off, that this forum is awesome, and a big thanks to the guys/gals that submit information here. I have to admit I gathered a lot of information on here in the past couple of years, things from how to run games in MAME to compiling MAME instructions, and the enjoyment of checking out some of these awesome builds a lot of you have done. I do have a nice collection of MAME games and other emulators and games, I been playing here and there just on my PC with a standard Logitech controller. I have always wanted to build a cabinet or MAME an older cabinet.
This past week I picked up an arcade cabinet on Craigslist for a very cheap price. I could not pass up the deal on this cabinet. I have a few concerns about my next steps I should take before I jump in and take everything apart to start the rebuild process (because it does need some TLC). The cabinet works great and there is no burn in on the monitor.
Not completely sure where to start, do I leave all the stuff in there and just convert the inside using the JAMMA connections for my MAME system? Will vertical games look ok on this horizontal tube? I am kind of leaning towards no, and if that is the case, I think I want to no use the monitor. Do I have a professional come to discharge it and take it off my hands. Not sure, about this monitor, I know if not handled properly they can be very dangerous, that is perhaps the biggest reason. Is it worth to sell? I have to admit I do not know much at all about these arcade tubes. I think I would feel l more comfortable just taking it out and putting in an LCD monitor. (Sorry for my ignorance on this).
Next thing I was wondering about was the control panels, I wonder is there enough room to have four buttons for each joystick and possibly have a spinner in the middle without expanding the control panel as it sits (I like the old school games like Centipede, gold games, ect,)?
What would you so with this cabinet or perhaps think I should do to fit my needs? I only ask some of these questions in hopes to get and suggestions or ideas to help with my summer project (school is kicking ---my bottom--- this semester and I plan to do this project during this summer).
Any replies are greatly appreciated. I am a noob please be gentle, and sorry ahead of time if I posted in wrong area.

[Yvan256]

Nuke the cabinet from orbit - it's the only way to be sure.

edit: just kidding!

[Le Chuck]

I'd decide if you want to play vert or horz games on this cabinet then rotate the monitor accordingly and have it as a dedicated setup.  You could do a great vert classics cab with this.

For the cp I think you could do a 2 1/4" trackball with four buttons for each joy without getting too cramped if the buttons are 2x2 like

oo
oo

if you want them like
             
oooo

I think it might be pushing it. 

[Yvan256]

For the cp I think you could do a 2 1/4" trackball with four buttons for each joy without getting too cramped if the buttons are 2x2 like

oo
oo

if you want them like
             
oooo

I think it might be pushing it.

Looking at the control panel, I think there is enough room for the Neo Geo buttons setup.

[BadMouth]

I have no experience interfacing real arcade monitors, but you should keep it.
The games will look better on it.  People go to great lengths trying to get their LCDs to look like an arcade monitor.
There is a monitor forum here where you can ask questions.

It looks like a contra cab.  That game originally had a vertical monitor so it's probably possible to mount the monitor horizontally without too much hassle.  (looks kinda low the way it is currently mounted).

I'd use the CP you have and just add the extra buttons.  You could add another above and below the current ones so they are in a diamond pattern or just plate underneath the current holes and drill new ones.

That cab will look sweet with fresh paint and some new t-molding.
I think you got a good one. 

[bearzilla333]

LOL @ nuking it into orbit. Thanx for the quick reply's, yes New paint and new T-molding it definitely in the plans. I just have a big question mark about the monitor though.

[Drnick]

You want to do everything in your power to keep that monitor.  The difference between LCD and proper arcade monitor is huge.  Yes there are some nice effects available nowadays for LCD's but they need a bit of horsepower in the GPU department, that and you have to configure each game how you want it.  Whereas with the arcade monitor and the right software and or hardware everything will look just how it should.

[Endprodukt]

I don't get why people even consider replacing a working arcade monitor with a cheap LCD. I don't get it. People want the arcade experience but skip one of the main components. A monitor won't kill you by looking at it. Decharging isn't rocket science. Neither is doing a cap kit. People pay a fortune in Europe to get their hands on the real deal. I've got a nos hantarex polo imported from Italy and used TV sets with rgb scart. The work to set them up is equal to fiddling around with hlsl to try to copy that.

Please don't get me wrong. I know that some people don't feel good with working on high voltages. But with some research you will not kill yourself.
Replacing the good old tube with an LCD for me is like taking the soul out of the cabinet. Too many people ignore that around this forum. Please don't take this as an attack... In the end it's just my opinion. If you want the real deal do some research. Its worth it.

[bearzilla333]

I am back, it been a while (like a year since I bought this), I sold the guts to this cabinet. All I have is the cabinet decals which I just removed (heat gun fun) now I am sanding it down (long process  ), This sanding is tedious work, thinking of just sanding smooth surface with the some paint left on it and then just primer over it before I put the finished product on? (any suggestions here?) 

[bearzilla333]

I been trying to compile a list of things I will need. I finally got a budget of about 800$ but I still want to things that help maybe lower the budget as well.
 I am most concerned with my control panel, I been mulling it over about putting a track ball on this panel however with the limited space I do not think it is possible. I know I would have to redo panel with new wood ect., on the other hand I was wondering is it possible to use the panel I have, and just add more holes for buttons and ditch the trackball idea? (I think this is would be a good alternative to save extra money as well) This used to be a contra converted to aliens cabinet. Are there eight way sticks that can actually fit the precut holes this panel already has? I also been reading a bunch of stuff on these forums about certain buttons are better than others, I am a huge shoot’em up fan (like Raiden) them are the games I will most likely be playing on this, though I will be running mostly MAME  with other classic games and fighting games. I would like this current panel to have 6 buttons per player, and what buttons would I need 2 coin buttons, 1 and 2 player buttons plus a pause and an exit? And I a missing any?    If I could get any recommendations on set joy sticks and a set of buttons (brand/type) it would greatly be appreciated.

[jLid]

If you were to add a trackball, you'd be better off making your own CP, unless you use filler on some holes. I have a metal CP with barely enough room to squeeze a trackball in the middle, so I got lucky, with about an inch on both sides to spare. Your CP doesn't look to hard to recreate. A spinner would easily fit.

Look forward to seeing progress

[bearzilla333]

I will definitely be diving into this project in the upcoming weeks, I think I could recreate the panel no problem. I just wonder if there is enough room for it. I am a newbie at this, please forgive me ignorance lol. I am not sure if I want to or not, and just maybe stick with the original panel and add more buttons, a trackball would be fun though, I got a few weeks to decide.

[jLid]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LED-2-1-4-Trackball-MAME-PS2-Arcade-Pc-Not-HAPP-/120966914183?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c2a30a087

2 1/4" PS/2 Trackball, about the size of a billiard ball. It's width and length is  about 4".

For $30, it's not bad either. If you don't like the LED, take it out and/or replace the transparent trackball. I have the exact dimensions on a PDF on my laptop at home.

[PL1]

Sparkfun has the same trackball for less.   


Scott

[jLid]

Go with the link above! $22 with shipping included for me, $8 less than the eBay link.

[Drnick]

Cut a new panel move the joysticks a little closer to the buttons and you will be able to get the trackball in there.  Cut a piece of cardboard same size as the panel, Go to http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html and find a good layout, Personally I like the standard japanese layout. Cut off the excess buttons so you only have 4 , stick it to the panel and from there you should be able to make sure that it will all fit comfortably.

[bearzilla333]

Thanks for the tips, I think I might just go that route and use that trackball. I think there should be room and a new panel I can make (lol or have my buddy make  ).

[bearzilla333]

ok be while but I am slowing coming along cabinet is painted,  my hyperspin MAME set up is coming along good with no problems yet, however as I am getting some of my parts delivered I got the 2 1/4" PS/2 Trackball as mentioned above, I can not get it to work on my MAME computer, I can get it to work on my main desktop I use. The green light comes on but the ball will not move the cursor on my MAME machine...  Been trying to fix this problem with no luck at all. the motherboard is a EVGA 132-CK-NF78.

[stellarola]

still have the original pcb from the cab?

[BAMBOO]

Nuke the cabinet from orbit - it's the only way to be sure.

edit: just kidding!

“You secure that $hit, Hudson!”

[bearzilla333]

still have the original pcb from the cab?

Sold it already. I got my trackball working, its coming along paint is done, PC about done, control panel mock up runs good, going to cut the final piece tomorrow, will have pictures soon, only thing I really need to get is the art work, any suggestions for that???

[bearzilla333]

progress pics

[bearzilla333]

primer and first coat of paint

[bearzilla333]

buttons and joysticks arrived... made a mock up and tested...

[bearzilla333]

second coat and painting all done.

[bearzilla333]

The control panel piece is done, after a few failed attempts, my step father that is 67 insisted on cutting it all for me lol he wouldn't let me do any of the work.... It works, but I know there are some imperfections with it, but he is like father to me and I accepted the final piece he made for me, after all its all his tools lol and It does work 

[bearzilla333]

T-molding on, new marquee light.

[bearzilla333]

New power switch, yup its from the smart power strip.

[bearzilla333]

Cheap old 10$ speakers I jerry rigged near the marquee where the old old was. made a mount for the 19 inch LCD monitor I had. The artwork finally arrived!

[bearzilla333]

started to apply the first part of the artwork on bezel and control panel.

[bearzilla333]

took a look at what the parts would look like so far...

[bearzilla333]

Applying more art work, the kick panel was not quite right, but I used what I had to make it work.

[bearzilla333]

Monitor in, tested my patients here    spare computer found a new home, with a huge wire mess 

[bearzilla333]

Mostly all done here.

[bearzilla333]

Finished on 3-19-14, only gripes I have is the time it takes to load into my intro, and out of the dozens of times I have played my games so far, I come across a black blank screen    trying to figure out why its doing that. I know there are some mistakes I made with this project, it was a fun to do I would like to build another one again. here is a video on of it. any comments or suggestions are welcome, and thanks to some of you that helped and thanks to this forum  . 

[EMDB]

That came out very nice.   

I like the theme. The custom HyperSpin intro is REALLY cool. Especially the War Games computer voice.

It's a pity you didn't put in a bigger monitor, it seems a bit out of proportion with the cab.

[bearzilla333]

That came out very nice.   

I like the theme. The custom HyperSpin intro is REALLY cool. Especially the War Games computer voice.

It's a pity you didn't put in a bigger monitor, it seems a bit out of proportion with the cab.

I agree I wish I had a bigger monitor its a 19 inch lcd, I tried to have it as high as possbile as I am a tall person, but I wish I had a bigger screen, maybe something I change later on down the road, thanks for the reply

[yotsuya]

It probably would have looked better if you would have centered the monitor. The expanse of bezel below it seems to throw it off.

I like the t-molding and kickplate artwork. Good job for your first. Your second will be even better. 

[bearzilla333]

It probably would have looked better if you would have centered the monitor. The expanse of bezel below it seems to throw it off.

I like the t-molding and kickplate artwork. Good job for your first. Your second will be even better. 

yea it probably would look better if it was centered, I m just so dam tall, it felt better for me being as high as I got it, thank you for the compliments, I cant wait to do another one, I know its not as good as some other ones in this forum, but I i love skimming over everyone projects, a lot of good ones here