Cocktail Monitor choice help Needed

[gonzobrian]

I have been reading this forum, Saints book, and else where over the past few months.  I have decided to build my first game cabinet and have decided to build a cocktail cabinet.

I had thought I would use a regular PC monitor primarily due to cost.  Price is a big concern.  I have been saving for the past 4 months as I research.

Recently I saw after reading a post that I can get a CGA monitor from Happ for $150. Part # 49-1329-VP2. This is comparable to the price of a PC monitor and it looks to be easier to mount in a cocktail.

So my questions.  How does a CGA monitor connect to my PC?  Do I need a special video card?  Is this a good monitor?  Does anything special have to be done to the monitor to be able to use it in a Cocktail cabinet?

Thanks to all that care to answer.
Brian

[daeven]

You have a couple of choices.  The easiest is to buy an ArcadeVGA card and hack a VGA cable to connect to the arcade monitor.  Look for details on how to wire it on http://www.ultimarc.com/monfaq.html - They also sell the ArcadeVGA card. You'll need to spend some time with a multimeter and possibly a soldering iron to do it, but it is rather easy.  With the ArcadeVGA card, you can use Windows MAME or DOS MAME, or just about any version but AdvanceMAME.

Another choice is to use nearly any VGA card with Advance MAME.  The Trident Blade T64 is often preferred, and is available new for less that $40.  I like the SiS 6326 card because I can find them used cheap.  There are many other VGA cards that will work.  See http://easymamecab.mameworld.net/ for a great way to get started with Advance MAME.  If you have (or can get) the compatible hardware, their "Easy Cab" CD is the easiest way to get Advance MAME up and running.

I have made a couple of cocktail cabinets.  Mounting the arcade monitor was the least documented problem I had to solve.  On my Midway-style cabinets, I used pine 2x4's to hold the monitor away from the side of the cabinet, and hardwood 1x2's to hold the monitor the correct distance from the cabinet top.  Thick washers were inserted to adjust the spacing, and large lag bolts were used to hold everything securely.

BTW, you can also get a refurbished Wells Gardner 19" monitor for $145.

[gonzobrian]

Thanks daeven for the imput.  I will look at the links you provided.
Brian

[MonitorGuru]

If you use AdvanceMame you can get by with the bottom of the barrel PCI or AGP 4 meg video cards, for the most part.

Some don't display all the resolutions or color depths, but most do, and most of these cards are cheap (sub $10 shipped) if not free from old donor systems.  Try a few old cards you or friends have laying around before you spring for a new "old" card.

[gonzobrian]

Thanks MonitorGuru I am currently playing around with a TNT2 Vanta I had laying around the house with dos mame and arcade os.  So I will try out AdvanceMame and my vid card after I get the monitor.  If it does not work I will look at one of the other vid cards mentioned.

So what is the diffirence between a CGA and VGA monitor?  Besides not being able to plug a CGA directly into the vid card with out hacking the cable.
Brian

[rchadd]

take a look here for photos of how i mounted my monitor in my cocktail cab

it was pretty easy using 1/2" steel box tubing.

good thing is that arcade monitors have mounting tabs

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=25687

[gonzobrian]

Hey cool rchadd.  Nice work!  Thanks for the inspiration, I had not seen you cab yet.  I think I am going make my cab with a fold down monitor tray but I really like the way yours turned out.
Brian