Stingray...

[EricDeLee]

I may be asking for your help here sometime within the next few months. I've completed moving, and took my Tempest cab with me. So now I want to turn this into the machine I always wanted and could use your help in doing that.

 

(i.e. Will need help with designing a CP and try to keep this thing as authentic looking as possible to not ruin my Tempest Cab)

 

And I would like to of course keep everything to where I can reverse it if need be. I'll shoot you an email before too long if you don't mind giving me a hand! Thanks!

[Stingray]

No problem. Will work for games.

 

-S

[EricDeLee]

How abouts' working for a Vectrex and 7 games (or is it ?

[EricDeLee]

Crap... where's the edit button? I think there are 8 games... I'd have to recount.

 

Let me get back with you sometime soon. I've got to figure out what I really want on the control panel, send you a drawing or something and figure out when I want to do it. Of course I will be asking you to help me when you can... on your schedule not mine. LOL I'm not in a BIG rush to have it completed. I'm just going to start buying some items for it (the PC and stuff of that nature).

 

I'm guessing you'll need to pop over sometime to get measurements of the current control panel. Or I could bring it to your work on one of my days off. I'll look around online at arcadecontrols.com. There is a Centipede cabinet someone re-did that used a control panel that I liked. I'll have to find the picture of it. If possible, that is what I'm looking for when it comes to my cabinet.

 

I should have had you take a look at it a while back when you stopped by for the Space Invaders... but that's okay. Anyways... any help (and ideas) would be greatly appreciated. I was thinking of buying a new PC and putting in there.... but was going to also buy another monitor or something and have it networked/connected so that I can possibly have someone playing games (like my son) and I can do my writing and stuff from the other monitor. Not sure if that can be done or not... but I guess I could always just link up my laptop for my writing and stuff. I'm not even sure if that can be done. I'm just brain storming.

 

Speaking of brain storming... I recently saw a Surround sound system that was wireless. Made me think of a wireless internet network in the apartment. That would be pretty cool.

 

Talk to you later... I'm going to try to locate a pic of the cenipede cab that I liked.

[Stingray]

If I'm working for a Vectrex, I'm pretty sure I can find time to stop by and check out your cabinet, take measurements & so on. Let me know when a good time for you is and I'll come by and we can discuss specifics of what you want to do.

 

-S

[EricDeLee]

Cool! I'll figure out a good time or something when we both have time off of work or something. I'll invite you (and the family if you would like) over for dinner or something.

 

Here's the Centipede cab that I liked.

http://www.control-click.com/mame/index3.html

 

I was kind of wanting something like this fabricated for my control panel: http://www.control-click.com/mame/pictures...s/IMG_2732.html

 

If it can be done out of metal... and can hook up to my cab without having to alter the cabinet... I'd prefer to do it that way. But I'm open for any suggestions!

 

Talk to you later... I got to go running now. 5 miles. ICK!

[Stingray]

Building it out of sheet metal is what I had in mind, wouldn't do it any other way. If you want one that extends out beyond the area where the original CP fits I can build it for you, but IMO it doesn't really look right. I can build one for you that will fit exactly where the old one fit, which would make it much more authentic appearing. In the picture that you linked to:

 

 

It seems that he extended the CP for no reason other than just to extend it. There aren't any actual controls in that area. Of course this is for you and not for me, I'm only tossing in my two pennies for your consideration. I'll be happy to build whatever you decide on.

 

What kind and how many controls did you have in mind?

 

-S

[EricDeLee]

Well… I was thinking of just making it a one player machine. I know that limits some of the fun, but I don’t host too many people at my place and normally play one player games.

 

So… I’m looking at just one joystick, the recommended amount of buttons (7 or so… perhaps a few towards the top or so that could serve as a pause button and credit button—or I could get your help to rig the coin door for tokens). I’ve also got the original lighted cone buttons that I’d like to use with this. Perhaps they can serve as the function buttons. I was wanting to get a trackball in there and a spinner. If I must do without one… I guess I’d rather have the spinner so that I can play Tempest in my Tempest cabinet! 

 

But if we can get all of it on one panel, I’ll gladly take that (as long as it doesn’t look TOO crowded). Also… I’m up for suggestions. I agree with what you said about the control panel sticking out that far. I was looking at that last night and was wondering why he did that. Especially when the controls are still towards the top of the control panel. Perhaps he wanted room to rest his forearms or something. LOL

 

Another thing… I don’t play games like Street Fighter, Mortal Combat, etc. So if I don’t really need the 7 buttons… we could trim that number down. I don’t want to REALLY limit myself as I won’t be building another system (unless it is for my son at his mom’s house… but that would be a cocktail table or a mini arcade cab). But I guess we can figure out what to do. This gives you an idea of what I want.

 

I was considering linking the PC to a monitor so that I could use it as well, but I’m not sure how to go about everything when it comes to that. I would need to do a little research. Here is the PC I will be using: Or at least this is the one I plan on getting:

 

IntelTM PentiumTM 4 processor 550 with HT® Technology (3.40GHz, 800 FSB, 1MB L2 cache)

Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition

512MB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz

80GB3 Ultra ATA Hard Drive

128MB PCI ExpressT x16 (DVI/VGA/TV-out) ATI RadeonT X800 XT

 

I will be using a PC monitor in the Tempest Cabinet. I just consider that the easiest (and safest) way to do it. Anyways… there’s my ideas and what I’m kind of wanting. I’ll chat with you later to schedule a date we can meet and talk about everything (and in order to figure out which items I need to buy for the cab). BTW… one last thing. I’m a Pacman freak… but can’t stand using an eight-way controller to play it. Should we use a dedicated 4-way and an 8-way stick? Or have they developed a joystick yet that I can switch between the two without having to get into the control panel?

[Stingray]

Well… I was thinking of just making it a one player machine.  I know that limits some of the fun, but I don’t host too many people at my place and normally play one player games.

 

Not terribly limiting. I have a two stick control panel, but I really only use it to play Robotron. Almost always when I have people over we end up playing games where the players take turns (Galaga, Pac Man, etc classics in other words) rather than both players at the same time.

 

So… I’m looking at just one joystick, the recommended amount of buttons (7 or so… perhaps a few towards the top or so that could serve as a pause button and credit button—or I could get your help to rig the coin door for tokens).  I’ve also got the original lighted cone buttons that I’d like to use with this.  Perhaps they can serve as the function buttons.  I was wanting to get a trackball in there and a spinner.  If I must do without one… I guess I’d rather have the spinner so that I can play Tempest in my Tempest cabinet!  

   

But if we can get all of it on one panel, I’ll gladly take that (as long as it doesn’t look TOO crowded).

 

I have a panel that has one joystick, a trackball, a spinner, and four player buttons +the two player start buttons and two admin buttons on it. I managed to fit it all on a 23 inch standard Midway sized panel. It can be done and it doesn't seem crowded at all to me. Of course a lot of this is dependant on the shape of the original panel.

 

Regarding the coin door, that's not a problem. You connect the switches in it to your encoder the same way you connect the switches in your buttons & joysticks. It's also not a problem to rig up the coin reject button to serve as a credit button if you don't always want to use coins or tokens.

 

Another thing… I don’t play games like Street Fighter, Mortal Combat, etc.  So if I don’t really need the 7 buttons…

 

I agree, you probably don't need that many. I have four buttons on both of my panels. More often than not I only use one or two of them. Nothing that I want to play uses more, but I really only play late 70's/ early 80's classics.

 

I was considering linking the PC to a monitor so that I could use it as well, but I’m not sure how to go about everything when it comes to that.  I would need to do a little research.  Here is the PC I will be using:  Or at least this is the one I plan on getting:

 

IntelTM  PentiumTM  4 processor 550 with HT®  Technology (3.40GHz, 800 FSB, 1MB L2 cache)

Microsoft®  Windows®  XP Home Edition

512MB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz

80GB3 Ultra ATA Hard Drive

128MB PCI ExpressT x16 (DVI/VGA/TV-out) ATI RadeonT X800 XT

 

If you're only interested in the classics, that PC is way overkill. If it were me I'd leave that one on the desk and get a cheapie P3 400-500 mhz machine somewhere and stick that in the cab. MAME doesn't really require a whole lot of horsepower. As far as the software goes, you may be on your own, but I'm willing to help if I can. My cab runs on a Mac, which is what I use and understand. I do know that there are a huge number of really spiffy front ends available for the PC version of MAME which can make the fact that what you're playing is actually an arcade cabinet with a PC inside almost invisible.

 

I will be using a PC monitor in the Tempest Cabinet.  I just consider that the easiest (and safest) way to do it.

 

So do I, which is why I used a PC monitor as well. TV's produce a more authentic video output and should be pretty easy to set up if your video card has TV out. Arcade monitors of course provide the most authentic solution, but require a special video card and as you know, can be dangerous to work around. They can also be pretty pricey

 

one last thing.  I’m a Pacman freak… but can’t stand using an eight-way controller to play it.  Should we use a dedicated 4-way and an 8-way stick?  Or have they developed a joystick yet that I can switch between the two without having to get into the control panel?

 

Here you're in luck. The Omnistick Prodigy is a farily new stick that does have an above the panel 4/8 way switch. It also comes in a few different colors. I have one and think it's a fantastic stick. I belive there are a couple of other switchable sticks out there, but this is the only one I have personal experience with.

 

-S