Main Restorations Software Audio/Jukebox/MP3 Everything Else Buy/Sell/Trade
Project Announcements Monitor/Video GroovyMAME Merit/JVL Touchscreen Meet Up Retail Vendors
Driving & Racing Woodworking Software Support Forums Consoles Project Arcade Reviews
Automated Projects Artwork Frontend Support Forums Pinball Forum Discussion Old Boards
Raspberry Pi & Dev Board controls.dat Linux Miscellaneous Arcade Wiki Discussion Old Archives
Lightguns Arcade1Up Try the site in https mode Site News

Unread posts | New Replies | Recent posts | Rules | Chatroom | Wiki | File Repository | RSS | Submit news

  

Author Topic: Restoring or Converting My MAME Cabinet.  (Read 2971 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

BarontheFirst

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 243
  • Last login:April 11, 2023, 07:42:07 pm
  • Locked out of the gameroom again!
Restoring or Converting My MAME Cabinet.
« on: February 03, 2019, 09:58:28 pm »
I have been putting this day off for a long time but the time has come to swap my cabinet over to an LCD screen and to for the most part GUT it. I mean I still have a PC inside my case and a Hagstrom KE72 with trackball support inside my control panel and the mess of wires running to two breakout boards.
 
So have many of you recently undergone this task? My MAME cabinet is about 14yrs old if that helps put it in perspective. Thinking of going the Raspberry Pi 3 B+ route as long as they don't drop a 4 on us soon. I see they also have USB encoder board kits really cheap. With it just for the time saved. Really looks like I can clean my wires up.

Now I am really exploring my options to convert from the 27" TV it had to a 27" monitor. Looks like taking full advantage of the VESA mount is going to be my best option. Do any of you have any suggestions that might help? Going to finish stripping my cabinet down tonight. Tomorrow while everyone is out of the house I will be slimming my cabinet way down. I mean it will no longer have a Tube TV or full PC tower inside. Sure that will make my wife happy. I will post pictures if you all would like.

Again any thoughts on adapting to LCD in a full size cabinet that was designed with a shelf to hold the weight of a old TV would be wonderful. I mean going from a design that had to hold 60 to 70lbs down to something that only needs to hold 9 to 12lbs. What a difference it is going to be.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Mike A

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 5884
  • Last login:Today at 11:57:30 am
  • This plan is foolproof
Re: Restoring or Converting My MAME Cabinet.
« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2019, 10:04:11 pm »
Why ditch the CRT and the PC? They provide a better arcade experience than an LCD and a Pi.
« Last Edit: February 04, 2019, 11:17:37 am by Mike A »

BarontheFirst

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 243
  • Last login:April 11, 2023, 07:42:07 pm
  • Locked out of the gameroom again!
Re: Restoring or Converting My MAME Cabinet.
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2019, 11:33:20 pm »
Well the CRT is dead and I was dealing with the loudest whistling noise from it for the longest time. I enjoyed the picture but not everything lasts forever. As far as the Pi. Just seems for what I look to actually play it will be more then enough for my retro gaming. Not looking to emulate anything recent. I am kind of old school that way.


Now if the Pi falls short of my needs I am not against going back to PC down the road. Can always toss the Pi in a portable control panel if need be. The downsize of my cabinet isn't that extreme. LOL


Basically minus control panel it will be like 30" deep instead of 40". Again it was built with weight in mind so I can only take off the fluff. Not much else. Will remain 74" tall and 32" wide. So room for a PC will always be there.
« Last Edit: February 03, 2019, 11:35:50 pm by BarontheFirst »

BarontheFirst

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 243
  • Last login:April 11, 2023, 07:42:07 pm
  • Locked out of the gameroom again!
Re: Restoring or Converting My MAME Cabinet.
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2019, 11:14:49 am »
Well it has begun. Sadly my Arbor on my slot cutter decided it wanted to bend so looks like I got to get a new one. That shouldn't slow me down right now.

BarontheFirst

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 243
  • Last login:April 11, 2023, 07:42:07 pm
  • Locked out of the gameroom again!
Re: Restoring or Converting My MAME Cabinet.
« Reply #4 on: February 04, 2019, 11:16:02 am »
Just to give an idea of what was removed.

BarontheFirst

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 243
  • Last login:April 11, 2023, 07:42:07 pm
  • Locked out of the gameroom again!
Re: Restoring or Converting My MAME Cabinet.
« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2019, 11:19:31 am »
I know you can't see it here but thanks to my wonderful fur balls my control panel hit the floor and was damaged. Was looking for a reason to redo it anyway. 

daywane

  • Trade Count: (+4)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2504
  • Last login:February 11, 2022, 07:18:07 am
  • GRRRR!
Re: Restoring or Converting My MAME Cabinet.
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2019, 09:16:32 am »
I enjoy the pie. No pie 4 planned till 2020.