Project Retrocade Complete

[jedimason]

Well, my cocktail project has been finished since May, but I actually just got around to taking a picture of it.  I just wanted to say thanks for all the people who helped me with your posts.  I was on a pretty tight budget and for what it cost me I think it turned out awesome.  It helped that I got the 21'' computer monitor for $26 bucks off ebay and alot of the other parts for Christmas and my birthday.

-jedimason

[rchadd]

good job!

does the cab have custom dimensions to allow the 21" monitor to fit, or is it standard midway cocktail dimensions?

I am also in process of builiding a cocktail cab with 21" monitor - watch this space....

I scaled up the original dimensions because figured that midway cab originally took a 19" monitor and 21" would be too big.

i cant see if you have a monitor bezel. Did you make or purchase one? I haven't been able to find a bezel that fits a 21" monitor yet, so figure i will have to make one.

[Apollo]

Very professional job, gotta say big ups for you on that project. My next project is going to be a cocktail and I hope it ends up looking half as good as yours. Primo boy!

[jedimason]

The dimensions of the cab are a little different than a standard midway.  A couple inches wider and longer.  The monitor is about 6 years old and is a beast so there isn't much room inside.  I also wanted a little more elbow room for the two player side.   In fact the neck of the monitor is about 1/2 inch away from the top of the video card at the bottom.  I'll try to take a picture of the inside of the case if I can steal someone's camera.  I actually have as my amp an old aiwa bookshelf cd player.  I gutted that sucker and what remains are two circuit board pieces and the tiny amp.

The bezel is the one thing I will redo when I get around to it.  I'm too lazy, if it looks good why change it.  Right now I'm using stick on vinyl.  It actually looks great since I have the top piece beveled at a 45 degree angle.  I have a door on the backside of the table if I need to get into the machine.  Modeled after the ones at www.gamecabinetsinc.com.  I didn't want to deal with mounting the monitor the original way with a piano hinge.  This way if I ever need to move the table i just open up the top piece and just pull out the monitor that is resting on four braces.  

I too was concerned about buying the 19 inch bezel.  Check your monitor's screen dimensions though.  It usually is around 20'' for a 21'' monitor.  I've seen them sometimes as low as 19.2 which would be perfect for the Happs 19'' bezel.

-jedimason    

[rchadd]

sounds like you've gone through same issues as me

never thought of using stick on black vinyl for the bezel

will try it - i'll have same spare when i've finished covering my CPs that i made out of mdf (just couldnt justify the cost of metal cps)

just ordered my glass today - after a lot if consideration i'm going for grey tinted - so hopefully should help hide the monitor tubes sides anyway. i just hope it doesn't affect the appearach of games graphics too much. will white appear grey??? i think it should just act as a filter.

[atog]

How are the street fighter type games with two people sitting side by side there?  Are you guys cramped?  

I am not putting the side panel on my cocktail I am building now.  It seems like you would be too crowded in there.

[jedimason]

The street fighter games are just a little cramped.  Usually both players have to sit a couple inches the other way than normal, but it's not bad.  It really doesn't effect your play at all.  Looking back, I wish I had built the side panel with the joysticks and buttons angling away from each other, like a "V".  That way each player would have plenty of elbow room and could have also straddled their respective corners.

I'm really glad I added this side panel and I don't even play very many fighting games.  It's just great for a little two man joust, '88 games, and every stupid side scrolling game.  Not to mention the battles in R.B.I. baseball and Baseball Stars for O.G. nintendo.   It's also nice to play with the whole screen on every game, whether vertical or horizontal.  And the joysticks are perfect for a little Crazy Climber and Robotron(my fav).

[rchadd]

rather than duplicate the controls with a CP on the 3rd side - i have made the P1 & P2 CPs on the ends to be detachable. Then when we want to play streetfighter we simply detach them and move to 3rd side for side by side fun.... well thats the plan - so far haven't finished the cab so dont know how well it will work in real life!

i also have made a trackball and spinner CP which can be mounted on either sides to enable play of vert and horiz games

however not sure what best menu system will be for such a system. any ideas? ideally i would like FE that can support and switch between a horiz and vert menu at press of a hot key.