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Space Invaders Half Scale Cab Build


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I am nearly finished a half scale Taito Space Invaders cab project that had been brewing for a year and a half. It’s been a side project that I got back to now and again, but it has dragged out long enough so time to get it finished. It started when I saved an old 9 inch colour security monitor from going in the bin at work, then a few months later an AA member deep in the Redlands of Brisbane had a couple of tinted glass pieces on offer for free. With the monitor and glass I thought this could be the start of an SI cab and it shouldn’t be too hard to replicate the reversed mirror image with a moon backdrop.

 

After a post here @WOKA let me measure up his original Taito cab and as I was leaving, he gave me a UV light that would be perfect for this cab. Cheers mate! Mocked up a cab from the measure up that was scaled to fit one of the glass pieces, so it ends up being 55% the size of a full cab.

 

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Started on the template and layout and was able to fit it all on one 2400x1200 MDF sheet. Found a designer in the Sunshine coast with a CNC machine and got it cut for about $160. I filled out the rest of the space with extra control panels and bracing pieces.

 

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Now to get the video setup. There was only a composite video input to the 9 inch monitor so got a RGBS to compositite convertor to get from the 60 in 1 board to the monitor. I could then invert the image by reversing the horizontal input on the deflection connector, but didn’t get that far as it suffered a vertical collapse not long after getting an image up.

 

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I then tried a 10 inch LCD/DVD combo, the converted image looked really poor on this and it wasn’t bright enough. Next in line was a old Sanyo 10 inch colour TV, needed an RF modulator for this, image looked great but again the reflection on the glass wasn’t bright enough. I also really didn’t want to deacase it.

 

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I have ended up using a 10 inch VGA monitor, simple but the image will be reversed. The left and right inputs will be swapped so will play fine. But if anyone knows how to invert a VGA signal I would like to know.

 

Am going through a similar process with the mirror/glass in the cab to get the right look. The first piece of glass was smoked. It reflected well and could see the background at the same time, but it gave a double image by reflecting off the front and the back.

 

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Got a clear piece of glass cut and tried a few window tints. This have removed the double image but the tints are to dark and the background is barely visible. I picked up some 75 VLT tint today to try. It’s the lightest tint you can get so am hoping this looks good. The moon backgrounds are photocopies I used in the mockup, so will see how they look once the glass is sorted. Might need to get some orange UV paint to get the moon looking like it should.

 

Cab was painted ages ago, art was done by @MamePatrol and install a couple of weeks ago.

 

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Internals:

Speaker is from on old TV and the speaker grill is a piece of gutter gaurd painted black. ATX power supply runs the 60 in 1, monitor and fan. Power board for the ATX and UV light.

 

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With the coin doors I want to print up decals to finish them off. So if anyone has a an SI with nice coin doors I would appreciate a few pics that I could use to make up the decals.

Not to far off being done, but deadline is Christmas.

Edited by poidapoida
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Its going in my boy's room. They are 5 and 3 and its a perfect size for the 3 year old. It may take the sting out of being told to go to your room though.

 

 

Sent from my SM-G925I using Aussie Arcade mobile app

 

Awesome build, lucky kids. I have a NES with a 14 inch CRT and a bunch of games in my son's room, he loves Mario and Duck Hunt.

 

Gotta start them young :)

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I dug out my NES a few months ago Pat when the 5 year old startng telling me about this guy called Mario [emoji1787] Yeah they absolutely love it.

 

But the cab in their room is just a ruse mate. I can easily fit 4 pins in there if one of them sleep on the floor under them.

 

Sent from my SM-G925I using Aussie Arcade mobile app

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I have got the background sorted. Tried another couple tints but couldn't remove the double image and see the background clearly with either. So have ended up putting a single led facing down onto the moonscape and using a darker tint that removes the double image.

 

 

Drilled out the control panel tonight. Got some extra CPOs made up to use as a template. 1573905828887.jpeg.9f683dd3e060c4c77a44285dd806dc52.jpeg1573906139556.jpeg.4e4a1a7118f2ae776b14cbb5c80104e2.jpeg

 

Sent from my SM-G925I using Aussie Arcade mobile app

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  • 2 weeks later...

Finished off the control panel. Joystick is an old style 4 way, made up a restrictor plate so is now a 2 way. Ball to is 19mm nylon ball that was drilled out, had a few sizes as order them for another project. The player buttons are from a Space Stranger cocktail and are the perfect size and colour and the fire is a MCA. All done apart from the door decals and really happy with how it turned out.

 

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Sent from my SM-G925I using Aussie Arcade mobile app

Edited by poidapoida
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