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I want to build an arcade machine...where do I start?

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CheffoJeffo:
First off -- Welcome !


--- Quote from: The Monkey Man on October 16, 2008, 01:51:48 pm ---
--- Quote from: shardian on October 16, 2008, 01:35:51 pm ---It is very simple, you start by clicking the link below:

Project Arcade

--- End quote ---
I was kinda more expecting an answer that wouldn't cost me money...LOL
--- End quote ---

You were going to drop $5K+ on a cabinet, but are too cheap to buy a $20 book ?  :dizzy:

Boy, did you pick the wrong hobby ....  ;)

My advice is to start here:

Before Asking For Help, Read This First! Link to FAQ and bookmarks of interest

Then have a look at the Examples pages in the wiki to see what piques your interest.

And order the book ... it's full of useful information organized into a central resource. Sometimes working through the eleventy brazillion posts here can be a little overwhelming and it's nice to have things laid out clearly.

 :cheers:

Flake:
Yea dude you really cant ask a question like that around here and expect to get someone to lay it all out for you because just as Shardian explained the cabinets built by the members here are all wonderously dissimiliar.  But because I know what its like to just get involved in learning about all this (and compared to other members on here I dont know jack) I will throw you a bone.

Disclaimer:  The information posted below is based solely on my particular project needs and cannot be expected to hold universally true for all projects.

Your basic needs for a project are as follows:

1.  Cabinet - you can obtain one of these by buying a pre-made kit from Mameroom.com or go to a local auction and buy a cheap, pre-existing cabinet that needs a little TLC to look good (this is what I did) or finally build one from scratch (there are many examples of cabinet designs//plans on this site and in the Project Arcade book).

2.  Computer - your needs will vary depending on what kind of games you want to play.  I will not go into details here as I am certainly nowhere close to knowledgeable enough to truly advise you.  Search the forum to find your answers on this.

3.  Control panel - again your needs will vary on what you want (see the general theme hear about your needs being dependent upon what you want out of your machine?).  You can build your own arcade controls (hehehe) and control panel or have one built by Arcades R Fun (what I did) or Mameroom.com.  There may be other options for control panel like X-Arcade panels but I would probably recommend going another route than this.

4.  Monitor - There are three options here:  1) Real Arcade monitor (most expensive option if you buy a new one)  2) Television (cheapest solution that provides good PQ in my opinion (this is what I used - and make sure you get one with component inputs)  3) Computer monitor (can be very expensive if you go over 21" but is the easist one to hook up to your computer for obvious reasons).  I would not recommend a computer monitor just because I like larger displays but as stated earlier......depending on what you want......

Forgot to menton - you will most likely want to get the cabinet first as this will impact what your control panel and monitor options will be.  The computer you can get at any time and start loading it up with a mame version and frontend software while you are working on the getting the cabinet put together.

There are several other pieces you will likely need to accumulate as you move forward in your project but these are your main components.  To find detailed information on each of these seach the forums.  It is packed with more information than will ever be able to soak up and there's a 99% chance any problems you encounter along the way have alreay been addressed by someone in the past and is documented here.

Happy trails

Todd H:
Flake, you have any pictures of your cab? I did a search but didn't see anything.

TAG:

--- Quote from: shardian on October 16, 2008, 02:12:43 pm ---You can spend as little as $100 on a fully functional cabinet, or as much as $3k on a bells and whistles cabinet.

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And it's more likely than not that the bells and whistles one you build at the upper price range will be much nicer than the one you'd buy in a store for the same price.

Flake:

--- Quote from: Todd H on October 16, 2008, 02:42:43 pm ---Flake, you have any pictures of your cab? I did a search but didn't see anything.

--- End quote ---

I didnt do a project thread but I do have a few pics of the finished product assuming this is what you want.

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