The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: AlanS17 on July 28, 2005, 01:33:21 am
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I've been planning everything for a while now. I've ordered every single part for a Midway cocktail cabinet using the Arcade Depot kit and parts from various sources. The only thing I'm short on is speaker grills. I just need all the parts to get here already. I've still got alot of stuff in the mail. I plan on building it in one day from start to finish, though.
I'm using 100% all new parts - inside and out. It's going to be a classic cocktail machine, but I didn't want to use old, unreliable parts. Instead, I built a PC piece by piece using new low-spec parts. It'll be powerful enough for what it needs to do, though. I'll list the PC specs when I have something more to show.
I'll also be writing up a review for RetroBlast for the Arcade Depot "real wood cocktail kit". So keep your eyes peeled for more to come!
*EDIT*
As of 08/20/2005, this project is complete.
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Sounds like a logistic nightmare. Good luck though!
I look forward to the review.
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Whoops, my bad. I'm apparently NOT using all new parts. The coin door is used. (No biggie.)
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Are the kits put out by arcade depot ok? I'm having a relatively hard time trying to find a used midway-style cocktail in my price range and I was thinking of going with them as an alternative. I'm looking forward to your review but if anybody has any feedback right now I'd love to hear it
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I assume you will be staining/painting the wood before this "one-day"? Or are you really a glutton for punishment. :)
I am very interested in reading your review of their product. Maybe someday I'll add a cocktail to the (yet non-existant) collection.
-Stobe
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The kits have an option to come pre-stained and sealed. I'm going that route. Otherwise, there's no good way to makie that stuff dry in a day. Anybody got a time machine? :)
My machine is scheduled to ship on monday. I'll keep everybody posted.
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I'm pretty satisfied with my arcade depot kit but it's not perfect (I'm anal). There are some definite wavy cuts in the top piece around both the inside and outside edges - hopefully the inside imperfections will be covered by the bezel and the outside ones will be less noticable when the top is painted black and the t-molding and artwork are applied. It does look like someone free-handed with the jigsaw rather than use a router and pattern trimming bit off of a template which is how I would do it. With that said, I am extremely please with the ease of assembly and the kit in general. Everyuthing has lined up great so far. I will probably be building a second cab for my parents by the end of the year and I won't hesitate to order another kit from Arcade Depot.
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Status update:
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Sounds cool.
Where did you get your motherboard from?
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Sounds cool.
Where did you get your motherboard
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new egg is an excellent place for your online computer shopping needs (i've built two rigs in the last 2 years using them). I've never had any issues with their products and they ship out lightning fast. The last computer I built in February took a total of 3 days to get to my house, and this was with the cheapest shipping option (I bought basically everything for it too, new case, mb/cpu, ram, video card, lcd monitor, etc...)
back OT;
did you get your kit in yet alans17?
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back OT;
did you get your kit in yet alans17?
No, I was told last week that it would ship out yesterday, but I never got a shipping confirmation for it. I don't know if that means they sent it without a shipping confirmation or they haven't shipped it yet.
I'm anxious to get it, but at the same time I want to let it slide and see how they handle the situation since I'm doing a product review. As long as I get it by Friday so I can build it this weekend, I really don't care what happens.
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Well the cabinet still isn't here yet, but I had the itch to build. Just as luck would have it, a new Ikea store just opened up in the DFW metroplex today. Fighting traffic was annoying, but I bought 2 new wooden stools to use with my cabinet.
They're chair height and they were only $10 so I can't complain. Plus I got to put them together myself so I got my fix for the night. They're sturdy enough for what i'll be using them for. They're un finished wood so I'll probably do something creative with the seat when I un-lazy-fy myself.
I have to admit that they weren't very well made - even sold in pieces. The pieces didn't fit together very well, and I had to bust out a hammer to make some parts fit together at all. It's my first actual experience with Ikea furniture even though I've always had the impression that it was pretty cheap. I guess my impression was right. Still, at $10 each I guess you get what you pay for.
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Here's the "test panel" I built the other night. It will be mounted just inside the coin door on the right. I did a little more work on it tonight. I don't consider it really part of working on the machine because it only took about 5 or 10 minutes and it's sort of its own little thing. (At least that's my justification for keeping this a 1-day project.)
I call it a test panel, but it's really a power panel:
Red - power switch
Black - reset
round toggle - control panel lights on/off
Yes, I know I don't have a power switch on the outside. Yes, I know that's odd. I have my reasons, though. I didn't want to put a countersunk hole into my shiny new cabinet to hook up a pushbutton. I wanted to have my power button near my lights button, and I didn't want the lights button on the outside of the machine. That would have been wierd.
Also, rather than using a regular coin door lock, I'm using a "keyless lock". It's basically a latch that you can turn rather than using a key. It fits the standard lock's hole. That way my coin door stays closed and I don't have to fumble for a key. It looks very professional like it belongs there, too. It also makes it super simple to power up the machine since the power button is right inside the door.
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Do you have a pic of the keyless lock? I've been looking for something like that for awhile, currently my four player cab has a credit button wired just inside the coin door and i wanted something better than leaving the key in the lock the whole time. If you could tell me where you got it, that'd be cool too ;D
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Do you have a pic of the keyless lock? I've been looking for something like that for awhile, currently my four player cab has a credit button wired just inside the coin door and i wanted something better than leaving the key in the lock the whole time. If you could tell me where you got it, that'd be cool too
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Well the kit never got here on Friday. I'm not getting it until Monday now. :P
On the up side, the PC going in it is 100% ready-to-go now.
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I am curious what the shipping from the UK was on the Arcade Depot kit was....or do they have a US store?
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They are primarily based in the US, but they do have a UK branch.
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It's alive!!!
Well... at least the test setup is. It's a fully functional arcade machine without the cabinet and controls. Everything else should be arriving tomorrow, though.
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There's no way you can see that whole screen if you are hovering over a cocktail table! :)
It should be a killer cocktail. Can't wait for you get get started/finished
-Stobe
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Well the machine is scheduled to show up today. The only problem is... it's raining cats and dogs out there!!!
I'm stuck at work for another 1.5hrs and meanwhile I can totally see that thing sitting on the front step soaking up water. Thank goodness it's real wood. Still, I'd rather not have that happen. I have an overlay that could get damaged, and I have metal control panels.
:'( :'( :'(
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Was it wet?
Two days with no news? Thats not like you. :)
Maybe its all put together and you can't get away from it.
-Stobe
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Well I got lucky. The delivery was late so I got home just seconds before the UPS guy showed up. I hadn't even gotten into the house before he pulled up. So UPS's crappy delivery worked out better for a change.
I've started putting the thing together, but I've been having some back problems the past couple of days that have put me in slow motion. I didn't want to wait for the weekend, either. So I didn't do it in one day like I had originally planned. I'm making slow, steady progress on it. The cabinet, itself was done very quickly. It's all the parts installation that is going to take some time. Tonight my goal is to get the monitor and coin door in.
I'll get some pictures up as soon as I can. I usually just post pictures from my camera phone, but I'm doing these properly for the RetroBlast review so I'm actually using my digital camera for a change. This means I'll have to reduce the file size, though. They would be too big to post here as they are. Anyways, I'll get them up ASAP.
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The darn things are tougher than they look arent they!
I am pretty woodworkingly challenged and it has been a battle for me between no money, no time, and no ability. ???
Anyway, anxious to see pics here.
-Dweebs
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Well the cabinet, itself, is done. It does have its flaws as a kit, but it's better than I could do myself. It'll all come out in the review, thtough.
Anyways, the monitor is now attached. I'm going to reinforce it, though. I'll do that tomorrow.
Pretty much all I have left is the electronics. Everything is configured. It just needs to be installed.
I'm tired, though. I'll add more later.
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Well I bummed around most of the day because I haven't felt well. I didn't make it out to the Super Auction, either. So I got some work done on the machine, but not all that much.
I installed the speakers, wired the player 1 control panel, and installed the coin door. I also finished bracing the monitor. So even though it's not functional yet, it looks like it's complete from the outside. I'll post a picture soon.
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My WIP. (Yup, that's the living room - one of the benefits of being single.)
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Here's a picture of the control panels wired up. It's just like every other picture of a control panel wired up. :)
I need to finish wiring up the CP's and coin door and then I'm done. I'm not going to get to that tonight, though.
I have all the internal parts in place, though. I've got to say it is PACKED in there. I've managed to squeeze a decent set of PC speakers with the sub inside the machine. My cocktail has boom (not that I'll ever need it). We'll see if it does anything nasty to the video or if it wipes the CF card.
I'll try to get a picture of everything packed in there. It's hard to appreciate how tight the fit is while it's open. All the open space gets filled up by the monitor when it's closed.
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interested to know:
1) what OS are you using / what frontend
2) what type of joysticks
I'd love to see larger more detailed images. thanks!
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What type of monitor are you using?
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interested to know:
1) what OS are you using / what frontend
2) what type of joysticks
I'd love to see larger more detailed images.
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What type of monitor are you using?
I'm using a Neotec, but I forgot the model number. I can get it later if it's important to you. It's actually a VGA monitor. I won an auction on ebay for a " 19" arcade monitor ". It wasn't until I received it that I realized it wasn't standard resolution. I guess I sort of lucked out. I won the thing for cheap since the description wasn't very good. It wasn't what I was looking for, but I'm glad I got it.
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How much has this project cost you so far?
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What type of monitor are you using?
I'm using a Neotec, but I forgot the model number. I can get it later if it's important to you. It's actually a VGA monitor. I won an auction on ebay for a " 19" arcade monitor ". It wasn't until I received it that I realized it wasn't standard resolution. I guess I sort of lucked out. I won the thing for cheap since the description wasn't very good. It wasn't what I was looking for, but I'm glad I got it.
Thanks. I'm going to order the Happs Vision Pro II right now for my Midway inspired cocktail cab and yours looked similar...
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How much has this project cost you so far?
Are we talking in terms of actual dollars out of my pocket or in terms of estimated value of parts involved? I got a lot of parts for my b-day, and I had a couple things already like the coin door and monitor.
I will admit I'm going with all the bells and whistles, though. I'm using all new parts where available and I'm being very meticulous (like using heat shrink tubing on the wiring). Both of those mean lots of money.
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How much has this project cost you so far?
Are we talking in terms of actual dollars out of my pocket or in terms of estimated value of parts involved? I got a lot of parts for my b-day, and I had a couple things already like the coin door and monitor.
I will admit I'm going with all the bells and whistles, though. I'm using all new parts where available and I'm being very meticulous (like using heat shrink tubing on the wiring). Both of those mean lots of money.
Estimated value of parts, please ;D... I'm thinking of starting a cocktail project (lol, of course I should really finish my upright first) and I just wanted to compare some of the prices I think I'm going to be paying with someone else who's in the process or has already completed their own cocktail.
Also, is it necessary to use a vga monitor? what's wrong with trying to use a cga monitor? I only ask because most of the projects I've seen so far use the U3100 or some other arcade vga (like your neo tec or the happs vision pro), or they end up using a pc montior.
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I'm hovering around $1,200 right now but I bought everything new including some tools... I think the final cost might top $1,400 if I'm not careful... but worth every penny... ;D
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I haven't spent quite that much, But I'm hovering around $1000. The cost would be higher if I was listing full retail price for the monitor and coin door. Those are the only 2 parts I'm using that aren't brand new.
No, there's no reason why a CGA monitor can't be used. Lots of people just use VGA because they're pretty easy to come by in 19".
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Well I'm off to bed. I made alot of wiring progress tonight, though. The power, speakers, and monitors are wired. The wiring in the control panels is bunched into molex connectors. I also secured the PC power supply, motherboard, power strip, and bass speaker (all using velcro).
I just need to run power leads to the mother board and wire the molex connectors into the IPAC and then I'm done!
Alan's Helpful Handy Hint of the Day:
"You can do just about anything with a staple gun, zip ties, and a square foot of industrial strength velcro."
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Ok here's a picture of the inside. Yes, it's another picture from the camera phone. I was in a hurry.
The speakers, sub, power supply, audio remote, power strip and pc power switches are all being held in place by industrial strength velcro.
Again, it's hard to appreciate exactly how packed this thing is. Once it's closed, it's vey tight in there. I had to do a fair amount of planning to make sure everything fit ok.
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I haven't spent quite that much, But I'm hovering around $1000. The cost would be higher if I was listing full retail price for the monitor and coin door. Those are the only 2 parts I'm using that aren't brand new.
No, there's no reason why a CGA monitor can't be used. Lots of people just use VGA because they're pretty easy to come by in 19".
Yeah, my cost estimates were around $800-$1000 depending on whether I wanted to buy a refurbished/new vga monitor. If i use one of the two CGA monitors I have (one's untested and the other is for a vertical setup, both have some screen burn) I can shave off around $200-250 from the price or spend it somewhere else on the cab. Of course If i'm going the spend $600 might as well swing for a new monitor...
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It's not like you have to shell out the money all at once though - my costs have been spread out over about a year (it takes forever trying to get time with a baby in the house) so it has only been about $100 a month... and since I no longer go out (baby, again) the money was there!
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If you've already got a CGA monitor, that will work fine with AdvanceMAME in DOS. Ultimarc sells a video amp with break-out cabling. You just plug one end into your regular video card. It ramps up the signal and then breaks out all the proper wires to hook it up to the CGA monitor. It takes all the effort out of it, and I think it's only like $15 or something. I'm too lazy to look it up right now.
You might as well work with what you've got to keep the prices low. That's all I did. I worked with what I had. Of course, I just happened to have a VGA monitor, but that's besides the point.
I just wouldn't want to put a 19" monitor into an upright cab if I were building my own so I used it in a cocktail cabinet. Given the choice, though, I'd be just as happy (or happier) if I'd used a CGA monitor. Using a CGA monitor also gives the whole thing a more authentic feel IMO. I still sometimes feel like I have a computer shaped like an arcade machine rather than an arcade machine with a computer in it because of that VGA monitor.
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It's not like you have to shell out the money all at once though - my costs have been spread out over about a year (it takes forever trying to get time with a baby in the house) so it has only been about $100 a month... and since I no longer go out (baby, again) the money was there!
true... but damnit, I want it now!!!
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DONE!
I had a couple of hurdles along the way, but my cocktail cabinet is officially done! I'll get some pictures up when I get it moved upstairs to its final location.
Evdentually I'd like to get the reset button and control panel lights up and running. I'd aso like to get some CPO's. Those are just extras, though. For all intents and purposes, this thing is complete.
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Wake up!!
Pics, pics, pics!! ;)
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congratz, I'm looking forward to your review at retro blast (as well as a bunch of pics)!!! ;D
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I've just got camera phone pics until I can get my digital camera pics downloaded to my PC. If you notice holes below the control panels, it's because I haven't gotten speaker grills yet.
The left money shot.
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I'll likely decorate the stools to match the machine. I picked them up at IKEA for $10 each. They tuck under the control panels and they're a good height (at least for me) for seeing the screen.
The right money shot.
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Notice the lock on the coin door is actually a latch. That's my "keyless lock" (which I still need to get shipped out to a couple people). Yes, I know the pictures suck. I apologize. When I get more up I'll include interior shots.
The left closeup.
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My final control panel layout choice. I think I like it this way.
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FYI, the first game I played was Galaga (followed by Ms. Pac-Man, Juno First, Tetris, Frogger, Mappy, Donkey Kong, and Donkey Kong 3).
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Are we going to have to wait for the retroblast review to get high res pics?
Alan, I know you've been working alot lately but think of the BYOAC'ers here first, and the job second.
(I say this as I am surfing from the work computer). :P
-Dweebs