Mortal Kombat I - First cab

[Mr. Gone]

Hey...

I'm new here, seems like a great place though.

Just picked this up, never owned a cabinet before, and couldn't be happier with what it happens to be. I'm no judge on quality. There are a couple very obvious problems: The molding on the left hand side of the CP is gone, and there are some chipped bits on the CP itself, and some scratches in general, almost all of which are just on the plain black surface below, and not on the side art. I'm going to get some red happ competition joy sticks, and I'm in the process of replacing the pushbuttons.

I was having a 'problem' with the monitor doing a quick crackle type sound around once at each start up. It seemed to do it a couple more times if you hopped on to the controls right off the bat, but could be coincidence. It seems to have stopped all this behavior in the last day or two.

I'm getting MK2 and UMK3 boards to swap in. I still need to pick up a kick harness. Is my understanding correct? As follows:

1.MK, MK2, U/MK3, MK4 have the same wiring for high punch, high kick, block.

2.MK2, U/MK3, MK4 have the same wiring for low punch, run, and low kick, though run is not present in MK2, the others 'line up'.

3.MK1 has the low punch and kick wired to different pins.

The immediate plan is to simply swap a new board in every once in a while (marquees too), do our best to master the respective title, and then move on. It'll be a while still before we soak up all the MK1 even, we want to savor it. And I've yet to beat the game with everyone on normal, let alone hard with anyone.

But the long term goal is to get a MultiJamma setup.

I know that everyone seems to go for Clay's hardware, and I've chatted with him a little. (He actually happens to be an owner of an arcade I've recently gone to, it turns out).

But I don't need 8 boards, and I would rather not deal with them all being on, all the time we play. (Electric bill, having to get a new PSU, etc). Plus he seems to not produce much anymore.

http://www.jammaboards.com/store/6-in-1-multijamma-switcher-pcb/prod_250.html

As long as we don't switch them while it's on... it sounds okay. My concern is the controls. I can't really understand how they would be wired up to all work whenever the switch is flipped, and I'm really stumped as to how I could possibly get MK1 working in the mix without swapping anything when I want to play (which wouldn't be the end of the world).

Oh, and though I'm researching, none of this is going to even be considered until I get myself an MK4 PCB. (My ears are open, hehe. And I'll post in the BST forum at some point.)

Thanks!

[Mauzy]

Nice looking cabinet. As for the Switching, as far as i know (Ive only owned an MKII PCB in the past), the low kick and punch on the MKI PCB is via the kick harness. If the kick harnesses are different amongst the games, you could splice a single wire from each board to the corresponding button. you wouldn't necessarily need to buy 4 or 5 kick harnesses to get it to work properly, and you wouldn't need to worry about interference between the boards as only one will be engaged at the same time.

It makes sense to me, hope it does to you 

[Malenko]

the kick harness in MK1 is the odd man out, I know because I have it and tried to put it in my MKII cabinet.
Do the world a favor and DONT drill a run button hole in the MK1 CP. if you're local I have an extra MK3/UMK3CP that I'd love to trade for an MK1 (it'd complete my set)

I'll break it down simpler:
MKII, U/MK3, MK4 all use the MKII kick harness
MK1 uses a different kick harness (might even be a SF-esque harness)
the rest of the buttons are the same in all of them


Also, that side art is in AMAZING SHAPE. you might wanna take some high resolution pix for mamemarquees or anyone else who prints side art.

[RayB]

It's not an arcade.

[Mr. Gone]

First arcade machine?

Fine... first cabinet.

That's pretty much what I figured with the kick harnesses.

I'll try to take some pictures of the side art. Need to figure out a way to not get any glare from the flash. I did see that mamemarquees had Johnny Cage on there, but with some black dragonless background.

[ToplessZ]

You have to use diodes if you want to connect the kickharness all up at the same time.  I tried it with MK1 and MK2 at the same time and it would cause all kinds of button issues.  this was with one of yatons dual jamma harnesses so it only has one game powered at a time.  I'll bet the others that have all the boards powered at the same time will really need diodes....

[Jdurg]

That artwork on the side looks PHENOMENAL!  Almost as if that cab never saw the light of day!   

[MK3FAN]

Here is the connector/harness layout for all the Mortal Kombat LP/LK harnesses....



And if you want to replace your "Midway" CP sides, you can have these printed off at any local digital printing shop...( I attached the actual Adobe Acrobat file below)

[MK3FAN]

That artwork on the side looks PHENOMENAL!  Almost as if that cab never saw the light of day!   

I was going to say the same thing! Mine's all faded...

[Mauzy]

You have to use diodes if you want to connect the kickharness all up at the same time.  I tried it with MK1 and MK2 at the same time and it would cause all kinds of button issues.  this was with one of yatons dual jamma harnesses so it only has one game powered at a time.  I'll bet the others that have all the boards powered at the same time will really need diodes....

Crap. Forget my theory. Hundredth post wasted I guess.
 

[Jack Burton]

WOW!  That sideart is kickass.  I actually thought that they came in black and white.

[Mr. Gone]

Wow, thanks for the kind words, advice, and images. MK3FAN, I've seen a lot of your posts before (searching around before I registered). It's weird, that image threw me off. It almost looked like my own apartment, same corner the MK is in. Of course, the spontaneously generating MK4 would have been nice.

What do you guys think about this one?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=230237538568

Of course, I emailed him a few questions days ago, but no response yet. Usually they're MK2-4 friendly or MK1 friendly. So, I could be misunderstanding.

And thanks for the midway CP sides. I saw that (I think) mamemarquees had it in stock. I'm certainly going to get it printed eventually, as the one you can't see is even worse. There are more scratches and dings and chips in the side art than you guys can probably see. But, yeah, it's still quite nice and not really any fading! Red tends to do that, I suppose...

Was there originally any plexiglass or anything over the CPO?

[MK3FAN]

Wow, thanks for the kind words, advice, and images. MK3FAN, I've seen a lot of your posts before (searching around before I registered). It's weird, that image threw me off. It almost looked like my own apartment, same corner the MK is in. Of course, the spontaneously generating MK4 would have been nice.


Was there originally any plexiglass or anything over the CPO?

Yes. Here is an exapmle of how a the control panel should look...













And a custom front panel decal...

[Mr. Gone]

Thanks! Those CP pictures look much more like what I remember from years back. Explains why mine is a bit chipped up. What do you call those black discs that go around the base of the joystick?

What you can't really make out in my photos is the fact that there is the melted in mark of a penny on the top left of the control panel. I don't know why... but it pretty much sucks.

[GAJoe]

Thanks! Those CP pictures look much more like what I remember from years back. Explains why mine is a bit chipped up. What do you call those black discs that go around the base of the joystick?

They're dust washers.  They're supposed to keep debris from falling down into the joystick housing.  There is a never-ending debate about whether they should go on top of the CP or underneath it.  You may have them on your MK, just mounted under the panel.

[Mr. Gone]

Yes, it seems I do!

[Malenko]

Yes, it seems I do!

thats how they come from the factory. as for the CPs, not all are vynil, my dedicated MK3 and 4 panels are metal. Im sure my MKII is vynil just never bothered to check

[CheffoJeffo]

It's not an arcade.

[Mr. Gone]

It's not an arcade.

It was an abbreviation, for arcade machine or arcade game. Short hand...


Well... I already edited it. No retroactive applause allowed.

[CheffoJeffo]

It's not an arcade.

It was an abbreviation, for arcade machine or arcade game. Short hand...

Well... I already edited it. No retroactive applause allowed.

EXCEPT that you shouldn't use an existing term as an abbreviation for another item ...

 

[Mr. Gone]

Clearly my point was that this is such the perfect machine to own, that it (for me personally) completes all needed requirements of an arcade. No more games are really necessary, it is complete as is. I kind of wish this was true, as I wouldn't have spent that money on the games for the other boards.

Half credit?

[CheffoJeffo]

Don't mind me ... I'm just jealous that you live near Ground Kontrol ...

 

[PsychoAU]

I'm just jealous that you live near Ground Kontrol ...

Can you hear me, Major Tom?

[CheffoJeffo]

I'm just jealous that you live near Ground Kontrol ...

Can you hear me, Major Tom?

I'm floating in the most peculiar way.

[MK3FAN]

I'm just jealous that you live near Ground Kontrol ...

Can you hear me, Major Tom?

I'm floating in the most peculiar way.

Don't you have to "Step... through the door" first?

[Mr. Gone]

http://roflsaurus.com/users/public/i38054101_1474b33.jpg

For its current ghetto state. Going to try to get an mk3 or mk4 control panel with the run button spot actually in place. Right now start is run and the other button is start. Also replaced the joysticks, push buttons, and t-molding (left side).

Not sure the control panel is original. Took it apart to take out the old dust washer things. The metal plate w/art came off and the board under it had the logo for some other game painted on it. Not sure what it was, as it was only partial. But "Wolf" was definitely part of it.

[Malenko]

http://roflsaurus.com/users/public/i38054101_1474b33.jpg

For its current ghetto state. Going to try to get an mk3 or mk4 control panel with the run button spot actually in place. Right now start is run and the other button is start. Also replaced the joysticks, push buttons, and t-molding (left side).

Not sure the control panel is original. Took it apart to take out the old dust washer things. The metal plate w/art came off and the board under it had the logo for some other game painted on it. Not sure what it was, as it was only partial. But "Wolf" was definitely part of it.

I have a UMK3 I'd swap ya for the MK1 or if your worried about the exact button placement I have like 4 UMK3 control panel woods I'd send you for the MK1 metal

[Mr. Gone]

I appreciate it, but I'd really like to hang on to the MK1 stuff.

Thanks though!