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IGNORED

Not really restoration, more awesomification


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Hey,

 

Warning - I have come to realise this is butchering to most of you, this post contains graphic content.

 

So I have been working on this for a couple of months. Started with a Gumtree ad for a 97 arcade cabinet, it is a pedestal setup.

 

Bought for 250, picked it up on a mates Ute an hour away.

 

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160313/ea203862fb8d4f70c5b0f5147cf558ea.jpg

 

It was originally this bowling game that I remember playing at the bowling alley in Parramatta. I use to love watching people hit strikes to see the amazing 3d graphics.

 

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160313/830d78f69dfb60a9dbc85d22bdab900a.jpg

 

I had a computer which I had bought from ocau to be a htpc for in laws a year or two ago, ended up getting them an android standalone for less hassle. I'm into computers so had plenty of components to choose from. My current rig.

 

uploadfromtaptalk1457904466432.jpg.d0852091f86a38bb06164a952c470204.jpg

 

Installed windows and began setting up hyperspin and mame. To be honest I found this really easy taking more time to download than getting it working. I know others struggle so I won't gloat too much.

 

Basically waited a few days for a jpac while I did some cleaning and prep work. Removed the lcd bezel as it is all scratched with plans to make a similar one out of ply.

 

I also got the sound working before the screen by using the powered speaker trick. I will not call this a "hack" because it is literally stripping one cable and connecting it to terminals. I was actually disappointed with how easy this was.

 

My jpac arrived, I then continued two or more weeks of reading everything, frustrated crys of obscenities and annoying posts until I stumbled on the vga split solution which I believe now is an issue with my arcade monitor not being recognised.

 

In the end I have set up calamity drivers for a 5450, 15kz on Windows 7, with hyperspin and rocketlauncher doing the front and back end. I plan on upping the gpu to a 5870 that is lying around for better Naomi/playstation emulation.

 

I re wired the gear it came with, swapping all the switches and got it working with one joy with temperamental left and up and three tired buttons. Cli---ck.

 

uploadfromtaptalk1457905028897.thumb.jpg.7e5e567cf9ee728a52db4300701a7c2d.jpg

 

First game I played, sunset riders, woooohooo!

 

I then bought an ipac and controllers from Ozstik (great service). I went with sanwas sticks jlw and gold leaf buttons. While I waited I started upgrading mame with one of the most unintuitive programs I have ever experienced and started pimping my hyperspin.

 

I wired them up to the ipac as this meant I could play the existing setup while I wired the new 2 player 6 button setup for the first games night and would in the end have enough inputs for a 4 player setup.

 

uploadfromtaptalk1457907011113.jpg.3c2060a0dd72c2ef7ba045880dce41f9.jpg

 

First games night went great but shined a light on needing the extra controls.

 

I bought two guns from ultimarc and got them working pretty quickly out of the box, at roughly 6 feet. With only 2 real playable games, point blank 1 and 2 which I already played to death on the ps, they haven't got the workout they deserve.

 

I added an extra two powered usb through the mobo but I am now all out with the plans to add 4 controllers :-(. Pci-e might be my solution.

 

I then turned my efforts to a new 4 player box.

 

I tried to keep it a similar size to the existing setup. I used a Sega standard layout, measuring everything and moc playing with my wife to ensure there was enough room. I used mdf, glue and form work plates. I luckily have a wood work room and tools because my grand dad was a builder and we are diy renovating.

 

uploadfromtaptalk1457907114180.jpg.9072db7bab350338134b484ff60f26d8.jpg

 

I made the box to accompany it with a piano hinge, all up it cost me about $50 in materials.

 

uploadfromtaptalk1457907302749.jpg.cde1baf1d921be5ad75aefebe281367b.jpg

 

Gave it a coat of sealer primer we have been using for cement rendered walls.

 

uploadfromtaptalk1457907347230.jpg.15358b10c34717de7776e910be9fee2e.jpg

 

Lastly on the weekend a mate printed and helped me wrap it with an image I made in photoshop. The joys are not secured yet.

 

uploadfromtaptalk1457907407890.jpg.e382c83dcd911bf4c6aedff1ac9ef714.jpg

 

In the meantime I got another hard drive cheap, mirrored it and am working on adding emulators, previews and that on my main rig while I play dota at night. Plan is to have the 4 player working with the new emulators by this weekend for my brothers birthday. Fingers crossed.

 

Thanks for reading or just looking at the pictures like I do.

 

James

 

 

 

Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

Edited by redferatu
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You have done exactly what should have been done to this cabinet.

 

Though I would have stuck to x2 controllers only and replaced the trackball with a spinner.

ie.

There are more games that can be used with a spinner (Arkanoid & Driving style games), than Golf & Bowling games that use a trackball.

Likewise there are only a few 4 player games (Gauntlet & .....?) which you sacrifice an uncluttered & intuitive control panel for.

 

 

Great work though, Keep at it.

 

What do you mean by this? Do you have an external amp or something?

I also got the sound working before the screen by using the powered speaker trick.

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I often have a group of friends over 3-5, 3 generally so that makes the 4 of us. Everyone is super keen to play Simpsons, xmen, sunset riders etc so I really want the 4p setup. Plus we will play other 4 player games through emulation.

 

The track ball my wife wants, to be honest I don't really want it at all. Kinda hoping she forgets about it.

 

As for a spinner I'm super keen on a driving cabinet but I thought with the control box I could always add those later if I was really keen by mounting them on the side of the control box with some small wheels.

 

As for the sound I just got a powered usb speaker, disabled the main speaker and stripped the cable going to the second speaker, connected that to the computer and jpac, voil?. It increases the pc signal enough to use the existing arcade speakers.

 

A problem though is a get feed back from the sub when I'm on certain menu screens, any idea on how to solve that one?

Edited by redferatu
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Little update. I have pulled everything apart to install the new panel and sort the cabling out. Has all taken a lot more time than I thought it would. I'll show some before and afters when completed. As for now this is the sound trick to give the signal more power plus I have added the computer on off, reset, etc to the same box. Why make a new one when I can utilise this.

 

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160322/70b77656f23e9cd0e2269698a63d1b9d.jpg

 

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160322/b8ac4795c536c3630db3d9d9b1727dde.jpg

 

I have drilled the back cover into the front door space. This way I can turn everything on and off and control volume from the same space.

 

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160322/c28a024fef30610fb61aa49f614026bd.jpg

 

Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

Edited by redferatu
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Cable management, before and after. The lighting isn't so good where it is so the pictures have shown some places that could use a wipe down rather then a sweep and vacuum.

 

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160322/707665443a0bce6cbea74069293a9bc4.jpg

 

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160322/e43a020ae9d5513442681e8538281eba.jpg

 

 

All I have to do now is the 75ohm resistor trick to fake a monitor signal, cut the power cable and install a power pack and install the new 4p panel. Then I'm ready for the weekend where it will get a thrashing.

 

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Here is the box installed. Lost a nut on the floor, hopefully I will find it later [emoji12] It's only slightly higher than the old one but feels a lot more comfortable. I got rid of the angle to try and make it more ergonomic and because it would be easier to build. I'll do a bit more wiring tonight.

 

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160323/5334b7b44fa9da85a04ac984acbb0794.jpg

 

Also the idea is all the yellow will be wrapped with vinyl stickers in the same way as the control lid. Yellow t mold will be replaced with black.

 

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This is awesome for this type of cabinet.

 

I managed to pickup one of the exact cabinets on Friday, looking to do very similar

 

dont suppose you have the dimensions of your control panel by chance ?

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I can measure it all up and include some better photos if you would like. It's 135cm wide, 18cm high, 40cm deep from memory. Not much larger than the original box and we played on the weekend and there was plenty of room. Some people complained about the 3p and 4p being orientated the same as 1p and 2p but they are a bit special. The rest of us found the controls easy.

 

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I can measure it all up and include some better photos if you would like. It's 135cm wide, 18cm high, 40cm deep from memory. Not much larger than the original box and we played on the weekend and there was plenty of room. Some people complained about the 3p and 4p being orientated the same as 1p and 2p but they are a bit special. The rest of us found the controls easy.

 

Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

 

That would be awsome, thanks for that :)

 

 

I just picked up the remaining half of mine today (picked up the control panel part on Thursday).. This thing is huge :)

 

IMG_0546.thumb.jpg.7401bcc03eda6b6fcc156a77a82b833e.jpg

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What does the plate say on yours? Some company from Singapore?

 

Will try and remember to measure it up this afternoon and I'll take some pictures. I'm sure there are a lot of ways to make it, just the way I did it.

 

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All I have to do now is the 75ohm resistor trick to fake a monitor signal

 

If you're using a 5000 series card, you must be using crt_emudriver 2.0. That shouldn't need the resistor trick, you can emulate EDID to make the monitor whatever you want? For 4000 series cards and below it simply forces detection of a generic monitor.

 

Awesome setup though, that huge CRT and separate control panel are both amazing.

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Using the CRT with the 75ohm resistor trick, currently a 5450 and calamity drivers. Working great but I want to upgrade the video card to something with some more power.

 

Edit: I read other people had the same problem with this model of CRT and had to use similar solutions.

 

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Edited by redferatu
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Measurements/explanation

 

I started with two sheets of mdf, 1200 x 600 and another sheet that was cheap. Roughly 20 thick. Coast $30 all up from masters. I clamped them together and I ripped 160 off. I then eye balled and place paper controls down. Ended up with 215 from the back with a 45 deg cut to the front.

 

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160331/e5d7b93b91dcad65870a60856fe266eb.jpg

 

I then unclamped them and cut the previously 160 piece to foot the front and sides with the back in place.

 

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160331/fb49052a4e440fbbd40874db503bbe45.jpg

 

The other piece that I mentioned before was ripped to match the 160. I then cut this at a 45 on the mitre. I fixed everything with formwork braces and pva.

 

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160331/75660382902b43860fb52b70adc3f780.jpg

 

I routed out a place for the piano hinge which needed to be flush as this will soon be wrapped by another decal.

 

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160331/57107ad10231806753ec4df6d5c707a6.jpg

 

Here is a picture of the inputs from below. The cable management could be better but I'm still in test mode.

 

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160331/66c0692fd9b2865879892112904344be.jpg

 

I also routed out the previously scratched Perspex, gave it a fresh coat of black. Not entirely happy with it but it will work for now.

 

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160331/93b5e8a660e2a0c229fc639aed1d17be.jpg

 

If you need any more measurements hit me up.

 

 

 

Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

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I also routed out the previously scratched Perspex, gave it a fresh coat of black. Not entirely happy with it but it will work for now.

 

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160331/93b5e8a660e2a0c229fc639aed1d17be.jpg

 

Thank you for that, hoping to make my cp this weekend for it. What do you mean by routed out the scratched Perspex btw?

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So, see the Perspex bezel, my clear part was all scratched up. I was going to make a ply version, instead I quickly routed out the scratched part. It is okay but I will make it a bit better.

 

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Yes I am using the new calamity drivers that work on cards above the 4xxx series.

 

http://geedorah.com/eiusdemmodi/forum/viewtopic.php?id=295

 

I have had to use this work around as I have read others have had to with my monitor. My computer doesn't recognise a monitor otherwise and uses a safe setting.

 

 

 

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I have had to use this work around as I have read others have had to with my monitor. My computer doesn't recognise a monitor otherwise and uses a safe setting.

 

What monitor? Not that it should matter because crt_emudriver 2.0 forces detection regardless of whether anything is plugged in or not. Though I'm not sure what happens if it finds an EDID. And I'm banging on because as if there's a genuine problem here you should report it to Calamity so he can fix it :)

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Hey man, too be honest I don't know why you are grilling me in two threads about this, you already got these answers in your thread about the new drivers. I read about the solution in post to calamity and this was the solution he offered, the thread was regarding the new drivers. The point is it works and I am happy with it.

 

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  • 9 months later...

So I have done a bit of work on this one over time.

 

Firstly the CRT was way too big, too close when playing, stuck out from the wall and took up way too much space.

 

Sold that bad boy on. Sold the jpac.

 

Upgraded the computer to an AMD with a bit more balls and got a second hand 580 for cheap as I have been playing games more GPU intensive and need a HDMI port for the LCD I grabbed for $80, which was a steal.

 

Mounted the LCD on the wall. Cleaned up the inside of the cab. Cleaned up hyperspin and added many more systems. Funnily I added about 7 modern systems with all my old games, like tekken 4 & 5 on PS2, these games are huge comparatively however the overall size of the drive shrunk by about 150gb with mame dregs and snaps gone. Used all killer no filler and was super selective with inclusion of games.

 

Anyway this is where it is at currently.

 

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170102/5c29936ef0406cd14c2b74fc319f600a.jpg

 

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170102/826262cdeebbc50726a65ea8ce11bd66.jpg

 

You might note the ghetto tape on the monitor next to the leds. That is actually two sensor bars from ultimarc. I am experimenting to get the best setup. Basically the left one has the right infrared covered and the right has the left (phone cameras can see infrared btw, good way to check if they're working). I did this to hopefully improve accuracy and reduce how far I can stand from the machine. I am experimenting still with positions but this drastically improved accuracy for me. I'll write it up when done.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

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