Single player mini Bartop -EA Sports NHL 94 Theme. Powered by Raspberry Pi2.

[Frank Drebin]

Update for my legion of loyal thread subscribers

Cabinet is primed.  Took notes on OND's 4 part video on getting a mirror shine on timber.  Gotta say the guy makes it look easy.  Luckily I don't have a lot of exposed paint now that I'm going with a marquee, control panel and side art.

Staying with the cheap computer speakers but going to mount them a little different.  I'll update when I do (after paint.)

The ebay kit that I got - the OUYA won't recognize the encoder.  Got an Xin-Mo on order.  Didn't like the look of the buttons so ordered some Chromalites from Groovy Game Gear.

The top and sides will be blue and the front (admin) buttons will be white.




If I can learn how to solder on a control board, I can run a dedicated remote power button to the front of the cab.

If you can see the power button here at the top of the control board:



The top two connections are the power connections:

[Frank Drebin]

Some picture updates:

Plexiglass cut:



Pilot holes drilled in plexi: (I had to peel back the protective layer to see one hole)



Primed and button hole locationS

[Frank Drebin]

And the updated artwork:  I like the all white bezel but the guy doing it for me likes the black/white one.  Thoughts?

[yotsuya]

I agree with you - all white looks better. 

[Karpro]

Love the theme, definitely the white.

[AzureKnight]

I like the white one better too, but the black one makes the NHL pop more.

First rule of graphic design...never send your client an option you don't like as much, they will ALWAYS choose it.

You will be the one looking at it all the time, go with the one you like better.  The white.

[rovingmind]

Was there a model number or a brand name on the encoder that you said would not work with the Ouya?  If your not going to use it in this build, are there plans for it?  I'm interested in it if your not going to use it.

[Frank Drebin]

Was there a model number or a brand name on the encoder that you said would not work with the Ouya?  If your not going to use it in this build, are there plans for it?  I'm interested in it if your not going to use it.

I haven't spent a whole lot of time with it TBH.  Just plugged it in the OUYA and started up the keytest app, nothing was recognized.  I'll fiddle around with it a little more on my PC when  I get a chance.

It's probably not worth it for me to package it up and mail it out, you're better off just buying it straight from China (ebay).  Seller's name is: 1688danielxle. 

[Frank Drebin]

So I think I'm going to run into a lot of trouble with the T molding at these corners:



Should I round them off a bit or is that going to take away from the look of the cabinet?  Do I really have any other option? 

Also ordered some chrome T molding from England.  Couldn't find blue in 1/2", didn't want to go with white or black.

[HaRuMaN]

Getting the T-molding to look good on those corners will be tough.  If they were rounded it would be easier. 

[yotsuya]

I still think an action shot on the marquee would look better than the Cup photo. The Cup photo is very static. An action shot would be preferable.

[Frank Drebin]

I still think an action shot on the marquee would look better than the Cup photo. The cup photo is very static. An action shot would be preferable.

I'm partial to this:



But, the above play was from 1991, and NHL 94 is based off the 92-93 season.

Really the most iconic moment from that year is the picture of Roy hoisting the cup, he tried to get it to work but it didn't fit in the logo that well.  I'm happy with the cup photo, I think it fits the theme of the game pretty good.

[JDFan]

So I think I'm going to run into a lot of trouble with the T molding at these corners:

Should I round them off a bit or is that going to take away from the look of the cabinet?  Do I really have any other option? 

IF you look back at the plans you used for this they have the corners rounded - so shouldn't take away from the look if you liked the look of the plans 

[yotsuya]

I still think an action shot on the marquee would look better than the Cup photo. The cup photo is very static. An action shot would be preferable.

I'm partial to this:



But, the above play was from 1991, and NHL 94 is based off the 92-93 season.

Really the most iconic moment from that year is the picture of Roy hoisting the cup, he tried to get it to work but it didn't fit in the logo that well.  I'm happy with the cup photo, I think it fits the theme of the game pretty good.

From the Genesis

 

[Frank Drebin]

Yeh the guy doing it for me is partial to this one,  I think it looks pretty good and I can't complain about what he's charging me so sometimes you gotta pick your battles.

[yotsuya]

Yeh the guy doing it for me is partial to this one,  I think it looks pretty good and I can't complain about what he's charging me so sometimes you gotta pick your battles.

Yeah, I get it, but I also know he's working for you, right? 

Note: I recall you're a Habs fan, so you'd probably want that image as well. 

[Frank Drebin]

Yeah, I get it, but I also know he's working for you, right? 

Note: I recall you're a Habs fan, so you'd probably want that image as well. 

If it was a big deal to me I'd ask him to change it but I'm old enough to remember that SC win and I really like the image.  And no, he's not working for anyone.  He's just doing it because he likes doing that type of stuff as a hobby.  I've offered to pay him but he won't accept.  So that in itself deserves a bit of artistic freedom, as long as I'm not unhappy with it.

[yotsuya]

Just for kicks. 

[AzureKnight]

Also ordered some chrome T molding from England.

A little advice for working with the chrome T molding.  I just finished up putting chrome T molding on my build so I thought I would pass this along.

Due to the really shiny, reflective nature of it you will see every dent you make in it.  The first strip I put in, the groove was snug and while tapping it in in some places it warped a bit or flattened a bit.  With normal T molding you wouldn't even have noticed, with the reflective chrome, you see it.  Others that have looked at the cabinet don't see it, but I do.

I took a sheet of rough sand paper and folded it over a piece of cardstock (just some cardboard packaging that was laying around).  Then I used that to sand out the channel a bit on the other slots.  This loosened them up just enough that the rest of the T molding went in a lot smoother.

[Frank Drebin]

Just for kicks. 

Not bad my man.  Very authentic!   I may print that one off too.

[Frank Drebin]

Also ordered some chrome T molding from England.

A little advice for working with the chrome T molding.  I just finished up putting chrome T molding on my build so I thought I would pass this along.

Due to the really shiny, reflective nature of it you will see every dent you make in it.  The first strip I put in, the groove was snug and while tapping it in in some places it warped a bit or flattened a bit.  With normal T molding you wouldn't even have noticed, with the reflective chrome, you see it.  Others that have looked at the cabinet don't see it, but I do.

I took a sheet of rough sand paper and folded it over a piece of cardstock (just some cardboard packaging that was laying around).  Then I used that to sand out the channel a bit on the other slots.  This loosened them up just enough that the rest of the T molding went in a lot smoother.

Solid Advice, thank you!

[yotsuya]

Just for kicks. 

Not bad my man.  Very authentic!   I may print that one off too.

NP. I don't plan on making any more comments on the art - I just wanted to show you that if you did want to change things, and the artist didn't want to do it, there are other options. 

[Frank Drebin]

NP. I don't plan on making any more comments on the art - I just wanted to show you that if you did want to change things, and the artist didn't want to do it, there are other options. 

I will keep that in mind.  Thank you.


Now, I've got the 5 vent holes in the back...what does everyone think about finishing them off in chrome?  Too much?




https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/192757023/100pcs-27mm-silver-round-grommet-eyelet?ref=sc_3&plkey=c2b9c51868b538f77c074c96c63c20b9da0aab02%3A192757023&ga_search_query=15mm+grommet&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

[AzureKnight]

Unless you can think of a clever way to put a vented hockey puck over them the chrome sounds like a good second option.

[rovingmind]

if its the one listed as "zero delay" i'll probably order the Xin Mo myself.  (provided it works after you test it for us )

[Frank Drebin]

So now that I've decided to spend a bit more time and money on this cabinet than originally planned on this little cabinet, I found that the idea of hacking up a pair of cheap computer speakers was kind of bothering me.  They didn't sound very good, at all.  They were OK for the classic games but I put a movie on XBMC and they sounded like absolute crap, almost unlistenable.

Did a quick bit of shopping and found this set on sale for $40.  Edifier Aurora MP300 plus.  The speakers are a bit larger than a golf ball and the Subwoofer tube is 10" long.  So I guess I've got a bit in common with Aurora speaker designers (ha ha)

It kind of sucks now because I'm on days off and have some time to work on completing the cab but I have to wait to see how I'm going to integrate these things.  The volume control and sleep buttons (push both volume buttons) are on the top of one speaker, so I hope I dont' have to wake them on power up or thats going to make things tricky.  Anyways cabinet is pretty much on hold till I figure that out.

From this:



To This:

So update on this:

The speakers were kind of an impulse purchase.  I've been stuck on the idea of a set of speakers with a volume knob that I could disassemble and use on the exterior of the cab. 

After reading on the Edifiers (after buying, of course) I found that the volume was controlled by two tiny buttons on top of one speaker:



And even worse yet, they had to be woken up after every power out by pushing both VOL+ and VOL- at the same time.  I didn't like the idea of having to open the cab every time I powered up and then again if I wanted to adjust the volume so I decided on going with the original design and re-selling the Edifiers.

That was until I powered them up at home here.  If you gave normal desktop speakers a 10/100 and $100 logitech set a 100/100, these would probably score around 85.  They sound amazing for the size.  Not a whole pile of bass or volume but a really nice full clear sound, perfect for a tiny arcade machine.

I decided to risk wrecking them to open up the speaker with the switches to see if they could be rewired:


Jumpered Red to Grey: Volume +
Jumpered Red to Green: Volume -

I can use arcade buttons to adjust the volume.  Pretty excited about that!  Going above the screen.

[Frank Drebin]

IF you look back at the plans you used for this they have the corners rounded - so shouldn't take away from the look if you liked the look of the plans 

Sorry I missed this post earlier.  You are absolutely right.

[Frank Drebin]

Decided to sand the corners.  I don't know what I was thinking when I grabbed the jigsaw but thankfully common sense took over.




Pic of the Sub in the cab (11'long, should be lots of room for everything in there with the sub.



Finished painting.  I think next time I'll save some money on paint and just vinyl wrap the back instead.




Now that paint is done I can start working on electrical and components.  Speakers first.  Also going to try the DIY smart power strip (actually an outlet)  Let you guys know how it goes.

[ChanceKJ]

...Now, I've got the 5 vent holes in the back...what does everyone think about finishing them off in chrome?  Too much?

Route a bevel into them, and put a piece of black wire mesh across them inside.

[Frank Drebin]

...Now, I've got the 5 vent holes in the back...what does everyone think about finishing them off in chrome?  Too much?

Route a bevel into them, and put a piece of black wire mesh across them inside.

Yeah, never thought of that, would look pretty good I think.  Too late now, cab is painted and those chrome rings are ordered.  I think they'll look pretty good on the back.

Did some soldering tonight, speakers and OUYA power buttons will work!

No pics of the speakers, but here's the decased OUYA:



And don't be too hard on my soldering skills, main thing is that it works!  When the green buttons are pressed together it simulates the power button on the OUYA.  I'm open to tips, I found that a bunch of resin? piled up at the bottom of the job when I was trying to solder.  You can see the brownness in the bottom pic.

[mvolke1]

I saw your note about having trouble with the t-molding on those corners. When you're installing it, use an exacto knife and cut out a little section of the T-molding's inside groove. It'll help eliminate that bubbling you could get from the molding bunching up.

Does that make sense?

[PL1]

I saw your note about having trouble with the t-molding on those corners. When you're installing it, use an exacto knife and cut out a little section of the T-molding's inside groove. It'll help eliminate that bubbling you could get from the molding bunching up.

Here's a pic.



Scott

[Frank Drebin]

I saw your note about having trouble with the t-molding on those corners. When you're installing it, use an exacto knife and cut out a little section of the T-molding's inside groove. It'll help eliminate that bubbling you could get from the molding bunching up.

Does that make sense?

I saw your note about having trouble with the t-molding on those corners. When you're installing it, use an exacto knife and cut out a little section of the T-molding's inside groove. It'll help eliminate that bubbling you could get from the molding bunching up.

Here's a pic.



Scott

Thanks guys, did a test run with the original black T mold.  Really wraps nicely without the "T"

[Frank Drebin]

I need help on the side art.  Just want to keep it simple.  I had thought it would have been cool to have the old Conference logos (Prince of wales/Campbell) on the side somewhere, along with the EA sports and NHL94 logos, but I think due to the shape of the sides it just looks too cluttered if you try to fill up the empty space.

Heres a couple drafts my guy sent me and a couple (lol) MS paints I did.




The image doesn't necessarily have to be P.Roy

And a couple simple ideas that I did.  I will learn Photoshop in the new year.  I promise.





Input and ideas are more than welcome!

[AzureKnight]

I like the blue outline better than the red.

I am curious how the scratched ice look with blend with the shiny ice background of the CP.  If you like the scratched look you might want to soften it some more.

Overall, I like going with the logos better than the cup image.  I also like the idea of going with the old conference logos, I think that is really cool.

I would drop the small NHL logo, shrink the EA Sports logo and put it down by the CP.  Move the NHL 94 up to the top near the marquee so it sort of mirrors the front and slide the conference logo down some.

[Frank Drebin]

I like the blue outline better than the red.

I am curious how the scratched ice look with blend with the shiny ice background of the CP.  If you like the scratched look you might want to soften it some more.

Overall, I like going with the logos better than the cup image.  I also like the idea of going with the old conference logos, I think that is really cool.

I would drop the small NHL logo, shrink the EA Sports logo and put it down by the CP.  Move the NHL 94 up to the top near the marquee so it sort of mirrors the front and slide the conference logo down some.

Ya I prefer the smooth CP art to the scratched ice myself.  Going thru souldraw so I can easily print out both.

I do like the NHL 94 logo at the top.  I don't know about anything at the front by the CP because I have a button there.  I'm asking him to work with this draft, remove the small NHL logo and to try and incorporate the conference logo and the NHLPA logo in the empty space.



I actually prefer the old EASPorts logo for the side and prefer the new for the front.  How about this at the top, "Its in the game" at the bottom and the conference logos and NHLPA logo in the middle?

[Frank Drebin]

And the updated artwork:  I like the all white bezel but the guy doing it for me likes the black/white one.  Thoughts?

Here's what we are looking at with the side art.  Shrinking the conference logo and the NHL94 logo, possibly moving the conference logo closer to the bottom and removing the small NHL and NHLPA logos under the CP (because of the side buttons).  I definitely like this background better.

[ChanceKJ]

Adding those Confrence logos on the sides was a good call!

[Frank Drebin]

With much help from the fella from BurdBros Arcade (Thanks Adam!) I have the Xin-Mo configured for the OUYA.  I will edit this post with some notes on what and what not to do.  An IPAC with software this is not!

[rovingmind]

With much help from the fella from BurdBros Arcade (Thanks Adam!) I have the Xin-Mo configured for the OUYA.  I will edit this post with some notes on what and what not to do.  An IPAC with software this is not!

Awesome news on the Xin-Mo.

I like the latest side art background better than the cracked ice look also.