My two builds. Inspired by Blip, Mimic, and Flashback

[PAFhumbucker]

Hello there.  First time poster, long time lurker.  I just want to say thank you to this forum as a fantastic resource for arcade builders and enthusiasts.

I don’t have in progress pictures of my two builds, but I do have pictures of the end results.  My first cab built in 2023 is a hybrid wall mount cab inspired by Flashback with a Frankenpanel base.  Three monitors for that build with a dynamic marquee, a controls/artwork screen below the main monitor, and a 32 inch display for the main monitor.  LED buttons controlled with LEDBlinky, a hacked together Midway/Ultrastik, spinner, and 4 way joystick in addition to the regular two player controls. 











My second build was based on the shape of Centipede with a dynamic marquee with the main monitor being an LG DualUp knock off.  This one is inspired by Mimic and Blip with swappable control panels.  One CP is a jack of all trades CP much like Blip but with the Midway/Ultrastik added.

[Crazy Cooter]

Great work!

I'd be interested in more info on attaching the yoke?  At first I thought you did something similar to the auto-eject car seats from the fifties, but I don't see any traces of that.  How does that stay on?

[javeryh]

These are really great. What kind of monitors did you use for the marquees? They look like they go side to side without being too tall...

[markc74]

Nice work!

I'm liking how you did the marquee on the first one - is that a normal monitor with half hidden?

I had considered using the LG dualup for a build once but for me it made more sense to use a 42" sideways as it gave me oled blacks/colour and variable refresh.

Nice builds 

[PAFhumbucker]

Great work!

I'd be interested in more info on attaching the yoke?  At first I thought you did something similar to the auto-eject car seats from the fifties, but I don't see any traces of that.  How does that stay on?

Thanks!  The yoke mount shown there was a GRS mount from buy stuff arcades.  Since then I’ve bought the official GRS mount which is a bit less bulky.  There is a lip/overhang on the control panel for the yoke to clamp to.

[PAFhumbucker]

Nice work!

I'm liking how you did the marquee on the first one - is that a normal monitor with half hidden?

I had considered using the LG dualup for a build once but for me it made more sense to use a 42" sideways as it gave me oled blacks/colour and variable refresh.

Nice builds 

Thanks!  The first marquee is 1920 x 540 monitor I ordered from eBay direct from China at the end of 2022.  The build was actually based around that as a starting point for the sizing.  I worked out the top half of the build with all three monitors first and then designed the base around the three monitor display section. 

[PAFhumbucker]

These are really great. What kind of monitors did you use for the marquees? They look like they go side to side without being too tall...

The first is a 28 inch display I bought off of eBay from China at the end of 2022.  The second for the Centipede inspired build is actually a Spanpixel I snagged off of eBay for cheap in 2021.  I really lucked out on that one.  I got it for just over 100 bucks and the only issue is a dead pixel.

[PAFhumbucker]

A handful of more recent photos.  The lighting is a bunch of light bars from Govee and everything turns on with the press of one switch.  Both pcs boot on power and I have WiFi plugs for the pcs and everything so I can turn them on with a switch or an app on my phone or tablet.

Both of the coin doors work with tokens.  For the first/larger build I have hidden buttons below the control panel for credits and volume.  For the second centipede build inserting a coin or pressing the coin return adds a credit.  Hitting the coin return button when browsing the front end also starts a game.

[ArtistTheGeek]

Love this. I've been on this forum for what feels like 20 years and am FINALLY getting around to planning my first build. (collecting pics of anything I like, ideas, colours, cabs, control panels etc) - and your second Centipede cab includes A LOT of what I've been thinking about!! Centipede shape (love that shape), dynamic marquee, 3:4/square screen for dynamic bezels, swappable control panel... I love it! It's like you've gone into my brain and pulled out everything where I've been quietly thinking "hmm.. I'd like this and this and this" 

I know you've already got the cab in place there, but I don't suppose you have any pics that are less in a pitch black room? Or maybe close up showing some details? Don't worry if you haven't. Great work.

[PAFhumbucker]

Love this. I've been on this forum for what feels like 20 years and am FINALLY getting around to planning my first build. (collecting pics of anything I like, ideas, colours, cabs, control panels etc) - and your second Centipede cab includes A LOT of what I've been thinking about!! Centipede shape (love that shape), dynamic marquee, 3:4/square screen for dynamic bezels, swappable control panel... I love it! It's like you've gone into my brain and pulled out everything where I've been quietly thinking "hmm.. I'd like this and this and this" 

I know you've already got the cab in place there, but I don't suppose you have any pics that are less in a pitch black room? Or maybe close up showing some details? Don't worry if you haven't. Great work.

Thanks for the praise!

Here are some pictures in better light which will show the imperfection, of which there are plenty.  Please forgive dust (the arcade is next to our litter robots) and the guitar neck.  The overlay for the CP is made from opaque acrylic.  I had to hand sand bevel and polish the edge to match up as close as possible with the beveled edge of the CP.  Despite having a roll of black Formica in the attic, I painted the cab.  I used an oil primer and an acrylic black paint. 

There is a lot of weird about this build which is difficult to explain.  It is actually two pieces based on what I could fit in my car and where I could fit the build in my house.  Essentially it is a bar top that sits on a base.  The top is all 3/4 ply.  The base is 3/4 ply except for the front of the base which is only 1/4 ply with some reinforcements.

The acrylic CP allowed me to hack together a Star Wars yoke mount secured via suction cups.

The joysticks are Ultrastik 360s and I’m using LEDBlinky to handle the maps for the joysticks.  Since the controller panels are swappable I have everything on the CP connected to a USB hub attached to the CP and then that CP connects to another USB hub which connects to the mini pc running everything.  Both CPs have their own barrel power connector and a CAT-5 jack specifically for the coin door.

I have a Sinden light gun in there too which I’ve only setup for Duck Hunt so far.  Eventually I’ll get around to it.





































The unused control panel is stored on the back/top of the cabinet.  I got this idea from Blip.  Good artists borrow.  Great artists steal.  The top is completely open since no one at all can see above the top.



The view from the couch.

[ArtistTheGeek]

amazing, thanks so much for the extra detail and the photos. I can see the two-part design now. That works so well (and I guess makes it easier to move around if needed!) - I like it! 

is that velcro I saw on the sides holding the CP down? I couldn't quite tell.

Also how are you finding the DualUp knockoff? How much did that set you back? (I'm swinging between something like that or a 1080p TV on it's side)

[PAFhumbucker]

amazing, thanks so much for the extra detail and the photos. I can see the two-part design now. That works so well (and I guess makes it easier to move around if needed!) - I like it! 

is that velcro I saw on the sides holding the CP down? I couldn't quite tell.

Also how are you finding the DualUp knockoff? How much did that set you back? (I'm swinging between something like that or a 1080p TV on it's side)

Thanks!  Yup.  That is velcro helping hold the cp down on the sides.  I have a square dowel screwed to the bottom front of the cp as a stop and the velcro keeps it from lifting up.  There is actually velcro in other places just so things are accessible.  The base front is only 1/4 ply and it is secured with velcro.  The PC for the other arcade on the other side of the room actually resides in the base for this arcade, as well as a power strip for this arcade and other items. 

 I think the LG Dual Up knock off is great.  It set me back about 350 back in April of 2024.  It is now 599 on Amazon.  Yikes!

[ArtistTheGeek]

yikes indeed! Although I suppose that's about the same as a mid range 1080p TV to put vertical so... you takes your choice I guess. Yours looks great though! Good to hear about the velcro, I'd be choosing between this that I've seen on a few on here, and those under CP clamps that you can get. Good to know both work. I've saved some of your pics in my reference/inspiration folder for when I eventually get around to my own build. I like the idea of a Centipede cab but also one that's in two halves. (easier for moving) - thanks for showing!

[PAFhumbucker]

A few pictures of the “modern” cab without the side neon lights.  The pc powering the cab has a video card powerful enough to run low demand polygon and Steam games.  I have an Arcade Remakes category setup in BigBox for some remakes released on PS3 and Steam like the Atari Recharged series.