Help With Building a MAME

[bmpres]

Hi all

Very new to the arcade world so still have a lot to learn!

Just bought a four player machine and would like to convert it to MAME/PC and have been talking to a couple of guys, they've been a fantastic help.

In the process of getting the parts I need and putting it together and hoping to have it done over the next couple of weeks so it'd be ready for my boy's birthday party so all the kids can play.
Due to timeframe, concerned I won't get it done in time so wondering if anyone is interested to assist in putting it together?
Happy to throw in a few slabs for the time!

Located about 15 mins from Melbourne (Western Suburbs).
Shot me an email if you can help, much appreciated

Thanks in advance
Steve

[Chris John Hunter]

Bad News: Mate, if I was from your part of Oz I would .

And I love a beer. Even if it is Australian. But I don't think you'll get much luck on here mate. Most of these are Yanks or Canadians and a few of us Brits. There is a guy about called Scott but that's prob about it.

Good News: You could certainly get it playable in that time though mate so as long as its safe and playable you can sort the art afterwards.


Advice?

Get yourself onto
http://www.ozstick.com.au/index.html


You need:

New Joysticks , Buttons & Interface plus wiring. Most of the original cab stuff wont work with Mame and if you spend the time to get it to (it is possible) it will take a long time -

I would go for normal buttons not light up ones, as they take less wiring.

Speak to someone at OzStick and ask their advice on what you need.
You don't need a powerful pc to run Mame which is a result if you have a spare one lying around.

The Mame side is pretty awkward sometimes but you can buy a full dvd of the software you need on Ebay for cheap money.


as for Joysticks & Buttons the wiring is basically this:
Each button and the four corners of the joystick have microswitches that click when you press the button or when you move the stick, all these need a ground wire and each need a wire that goes into the interface.

Basically like a daisy chain, your instructions with your interface will tell you have to wire them up.

For four players you will need an I-PAC⁴
Will give you all the connections you need.

Software:

Front End
Mame

You might know all of this or some of this. Just trying to give you some help.
Goodluck mate

[Chris John Hunter]

http://www.aussiearcade.com.au/

Put your message up on here Stevo.

They're all Oz Arcade people.

[nevbuster]

I'm closer than most guys, but still about 1500km too far north in Brisbane. I'm also building a MAME cab and have some advice from my experience.

- If you want to get it done quick in time for your kids party, hopefully if its a JAMMA machine just dish out $80 for a 60 in 1 multigame card and you'll be running same day. Kids will love it !
- The time it takes for a beginner (like me) to set up a MAME cab, especially if your going to run console emulations as well on a FE like Hyperspin is not the time to set it up, but the time it takes to learn how to set up and use MAME/MESS/UME other emus, front end, grx, video and sound files for front end, utilities to update and manage ROMS, getting the roms and right hardware to use. It's a big learning process and if you set up without doing buckets of reading you'll get yourself in a mess !

Nev.