Swapping out arcade monitor with PC Monitor (Williams Cab)

[codeena]

Hi there,

Anyone have experience in decasing a 19" pc monitor and mounting it into a Williams cab, or other cab(s)? Is this dangerous? Is it hard to do? Could I just remove the front bezel part of the pc monitor and fit it behind the original arcade bezel?

Thanks in advance!

[AlanS17]

You'd have to remove it from the original bezel. I haven't seen a monitor yet where just the front bezel comes off. Usually, the tube is mounted to the front bezel and the entire outer portion of the monitor then just closes behind it (if that makes any sense at all). If it will fit into the existing 19" monitor's frame, that would be best.

Are you putting it into a horizontal or a vertical game? I've found it a true pain in the rear to get de-cased monitors into a vertical position. So much so that I'll never do it again.

[codeena]

Hey AlanS17,

Thanks for your reply. I'm interested in a horizontal monitor swap. I don't have the cab yet, but I'm considering buying one. I'd like to try the AVGA route (which I've never tried, but sounds pretty cool), but I have a couple of older 19" non-flat pc monitors and that route is cheaper (free).

Is it common that a 19" pc monitor could fit into an arcade monitor's frame? If so, I'd have to remove the entire case of the pc monitor I assume.

[AlanS17]

Unfortunately, it's not common to be able to fit a 19" PC monitor into a 19" CGA monitor frame. Never hurts to try, though. Still, I wouldn't count on it.

Depending on the cabinet, using a de-cased monitor can either be a mild pain in the butt or a major frustration. (Of course, some people actually welcome those challenges.)

The easiest cabinet to mount in would be one that uses a horizontal-mount monitor in a horizontal orientation. These provide you with a flat place to set your chassis (since if you de-case the monitor, you'll have a seperate tube and chassis).

The second-easiest cabinet would be a universal-mount, horizontal oriented cabinet because you won't have a sehlf, but you'll be able to build one with little effort.

From personal experience, mounting a 27" de-cased monitor in a horizontal position has actually proved easier then mounting a 19" de-cased monitor in a vertical position.

With any of those methods I've mentioned, it requires completed removing a monitor from its case. If you wanted to avoid that, you might be able to get away with mounting a monitor (case and all) directly into a machine using a shelf if you were to remove the pedestal. I've never tried that route. Of course, you might be able to tell from the outside.

[codeena]

Thanks for your knowledge-sharing and info, AlanS17!