craftygeek

Space Duel is up... Two Tigers is on deck!

2008-12-16T13:56:00.005-05:00

Before thanksgiving, I received prototype #2 of the metal control panel and after a quick test fit on the cabinet, I began the arduous process of installing the controls and wiring them to the GP-Wiz interface. After an hour or so of wire stripping and cutting I was done. The wiring job didn't look pretty, but everything was connected. **I will post before and after photos of my wiring cleanup later**

I attached it to the cab and voila! It was perfect! Everything fit and was arranged where it was supposed to.

That's quite a few controls squeezed into 24"

I also printed out a temporary marquee using the graphic that I had designed on some glossy Kodak photo paper that I had sitting around. (I got tired of the marquee light shining in my eyes) There are two seams that you can see, but it looks good for a temporary fix till I order the Marquee and Control Panel Overlay from mamemarquees.com.

not bad for plain 'ol photo paper, huh?

I was having some problems with the monitor a while ago... the red was flickering out and back. I was afraid that I damaged something when I took the monitor out of the case, but after some detective work, I found that it was just a bad monitor cable. Gotta love nice, easy fixes! :)

I still have some tweaking to do to narrow down the lists of games, get screenshots working for the n64, genesis, nes, and snes games, as well as other software tweaks. Although there are a few little things to do, the machine is up and running and is already a hit at parties.

Space Arcade up and running... but wait! who is his friend?

So now that the fun stuff is finished, its time to start another project, right? You bet! My wife's uncle, who manufactured the metal control panel, told me that he would be interested in having an arcade cabinet of his own. So off to the forums and classifieds I went to find myself a new cab. I have casually been looking for the past month or so, and last week I wondered onto the buy/sell/trade forums at Build Your Own Arcade Controls and found a cabinet within an hour of my house being offered for free! I jumped on the deal and picked it up this weekend. It was originally a Two Tigers game that was converted into a P-47: Phantom Fighter. The cabinet is in great condition, and with a little love and elbow grease, it should make a fine MAME Cabinet.

This project will only move as fast as I get money from Jeff to work on it, so I don't know how long it will take to finish, but regardless, it should look pretty awesome when it's done.

Questions? comments? suggestions? drop me an email!

Be back soon with another update...

look ma, I have an interface gui!

2008-10-16T12:08:00.004-04:00

Since I installed my monitor last month, I have been working on the graphics for my interface, setting up emulators, tracking down screenshots, etc. I am still configuring the other emulators that I plan on using, but MAME is finished... and so is my interface design.

Without further ado:

blank arcade layout

arcade layout up and running

they came bearing gifts of new control panels...

2008-10-16T11:39:00.006-04:00

On my way out the door to work this morning, I was met by my wife's uncle, Jeff, who has been working on a new metal control panel for me. He had stopped by to give me the first prototype. One thing that I noticed right away, it that this new aluminum panel weighs half as much as the steel original. After a quick test-fit, it looks like one of the bends needs to be bent in a bit more and the top and bottom rows of buttons need to be placed closer together. Other than that, it looks good. I will find out more tonight when I try to fit some controls in the panel.

I snapped a few quick photos of it this morning (bear with the quality as all I had time to use was my cell phone camera):

prototype #1

old and new, together for the first time

Hopefully after a few tweaks, I will have a shiny new panel to install!!

An update... Now With Actual Progress!!

2008-09-18T08:17:00.005-04:00

After a busy summer, and a few missed deals on monitors, I am back with some progress. The other day, I was scouring Craigslist for deals on 20 or 21 inch CRT Monitors. I emailed a few of the sellers, and got a response from one guy, Rick, that said he still had his for sale. It was a 21" IBM monitor that wasn't too far away, and the best part... he was selling it for $10.00!! He said it was in excellent condition and the photos looked good as well, so I promptly contacted him and arranged to pick it up. Thanks for the great deal, Rick!!

After I got home with my shiny new monitor, I tested it to make sure that the picture quality was good, and then I started to install it in the cabinet. First, I took the monitor out of the plastic casing. I wanted to see if I could get it to fit onto the existing shelf that was in the cab. After some slight modifications to the cab and a lot of elbow grease (the monitor weighs a ton) the monitor was finally in the cabinet!

calling this a tight fit is an understatement!

(As an aside, if you ever take the casing off of a TV or CRT monitor, discharge the tube. Even after sitting for a few days, you can still be electrocuted and its enough juice to kill you! Luckily, mine had a metal cage around the guts so I could safely handle it.)

I then put the smoked glass on the cab and the old control panel on to see how it would look, and here are the results:

starting to look like a real arcade machine!

Other Progress:

Also, I hacked up a pair of powered computer speakers and wired the four speakers that came with the cab to the circuit board and they all sound great. As I understand it, most computer speakers are 4 ohms and usually the speakers in arcade machines are 4 ohms as well. So all I had to do was remove the old speakers and solder the new ones to the board. Some people use car speakers in their cabinets, and those are usually 8 ohms, so you cannot directly connect it like I did.

Also, I have changed my mind about what front end to use. I may switch to Hyperspin later, but I would rather stay with the Space Duel themed art, so I am designing my own layout for the frontend MaLa. I am almost finished with it, as soon as I am, I will post what it looks like and make it available to anyone that wants to use/modify it.

I think thats all for now... I will be back with more progress soon!

my next project

2008-05-13T14:27:00.003-04:00

I just stumbled across this on twitter...

NES Controller Coffee Table

That would make a great addition to the game room. That may be the next project that I tackle after I find a good condition 21" monitor that fits my cab so I can finish this beast!

frontend fun

2008-04-17T10:09:00.003-04:00

I have finally decided on what frontend or interface I want the machine to have. I found one that is currently being developed and looks awesome. It is called Hyperspin and here is the thread on the BYOAC forums that explain what its all about. Alternatively, you can go directly to Hyperspin's website at http://hyperspin-fe.com. I have signed up as a beta tester for the front end, and all that I am at liberty to say right now is WOW! :)

Side Art update

2008-04-17T09:41:00.002-04:00

I just got news that Eric has completed some serious detail on the Space Duel sideart project. Check out the progress at Rotheblog.

Side Art project

2008-04-01T09:53:00.001-04:00

A while ago, I was contacted by Zorg(Eric), a member on the BYOAC forums. He asked if I was interested in scanning the side art of my Space Duel Cabinet. I gladly agreed, because the side art on Space Duel is really fantastic, and is unavailable anywhere online. So I carefully tipped my cabinet on its side, and used a regular flatbed scanner to scan 8.5"x11" sections until I had the entire artwork scanned. Eric wanted the scans so he could vectorize the artwork so the artwork would be preserved and also so full-sized reproductions could be made.

I just got an update from Eric on his progress that he has made since I sent him the scans a couple of months ago. Here is what he has done so far:
Looking good, huh? Feel free to check out his website at: http://vectorzorg.free.fr/vecto/ He has vectorized the artwork from several classic arcade games. Also, this project was featured over at Rotheblog, a classic arcade gaming blog, as well.

I will post updates on the side art project as I get them. The art on one side of my cab is damaged, so I may order a reproduction after this is all completed to replace the damaged art.

Marquee Finalized

2008-04-01T08:34:00.003-04:00

Just a little update... I finished my marquee design. Now I just have to finish the control panel overlay, and I can get my graphics printed. I think that I am going to use mamemarquees.com to do my printing. I have heard that they do a fantastic job, go check them out!

Well, without further ado...

slow moving...

2008-03-21T09:40:00.002-04:00

Wow. Almost two months since my last post... dang, I have been slacking. I have been working on things, but don't have anything cool to show for it. Lately, I have been working on finalizing the graphics for the marquee and the control panel, finalizing a control layout, setting up the software that will run on the computer, and doing a little troubleshooting on the PC that I plan on using. I also picked up a couple new coin mechs that will accept tokens. The ones that came with the cabinet were set up for quarters, and only one of them worked properly. Next on my to-do list is to remake the metal control panel, and find a good deal on a 21" CRT monitor to put in the cabinet. After I take care of those two things, the rest of the project should fly by.
Hopefully I will be back soon with an update.

The Space Duel has come home...

2008-01-30T09:07:00.000-05:00

My friend Ryan and I went to get the cab on Saturday! The cabinet gods did try to prevent me from getting the cabinet by making me find another truck to do the hauling at the last minute, but fortunately I was able to find one, and all was good. We were able to find the place easily and made it home with no problems. Luckily the guy that I was getting the cabinet from was not a frail old man, as the cabinet would have been a pain to load with just the two of us!

Of course, both of us forgot to bring a camera, so the only photos that I have are ones that I took of the cabinet after it was already in my basement. So without further ado...

This is the cab sitting in the basement where I will be working on it.

This is the control panel... its a bit chopped up, but that doesn't matter. I know someone who works at a metal shop and he is going to use the original to make a new one for me.

Here are a few detail shots of the coin door, coin mechs and plate on the bottom front

Coin mechs... they accept quarters, and both of them still work!

Looks like its #2491 in the production run... I wonder how many of these were made?

And finally, here is a photo of my test bench. That control panel was made with a hand saw, some spare screws I had laying around and some wood from an old computer desk... quality!

That's all for now. I will update as soon as I get some more done on the cab... gotta get some big kid stuff out of the way first...

The Space Arcade Lives!

2008-01-24T12:08:00.000-05:00

I forgot to mention in my previous post that I have come up with a name for my machine: "Space Arcade"... real original huh? What? A space-themed MAME cabinet? Thats never been done before! :P

Well my reasoning behind it was that I wanted it to be "Space ______" since the machine was originally "Space Duel".so I did some brainstorming and came up with Space Arcade. Its short, simple, fits the theme, and will fit in the space that I have on the marquee. So off to photoshop I went... ah, glorious photoshop! After a few revisions, I settled on a design. Here is what I have so far... it still needs some clean up work and finishing, but it is looking pretty good!

If you are curious, and have never seen the original, here it is:

I am also working on a custom control panel overlay, but it still needs some work before I upload it here... keep an eye out for the next update... should be a good one!

The Controls Have Arrived!

2008-01-24T11:25:00.001-05:00

While waiting to get the cabinet, I have been doing research and have come to a decision on the layout of my control panel. I have decided to get the following:

2 Happ Competition joysticks
12 Happ horizontal pushbuttons
1 Happ white "Player 1" start button
1 Happ white "Player 2" start button
1 Happ 3" White Trackball
1 Turbo Twist 2 Spinner with Interface board from Groovy Game Gear
1 GP-Wiz Eco 32 control interface from Groovy Game Gear

The trackball I got used on ebay for $37. The spinner and GP-Wiz I purchased directly from GroovyGameGear.com, and the rest of the Happ controls I purchased from a seller, divemaster127 on the BYOAC buy/sell/trade forum.

I hooked up a joystick and 6 buttons last night on a test panel to try them out and they work great! I cant wait to get the cabinet and start work on the final control panel. I will put some photos up later tonight when I get home... all I have is a lousy camera-phone picture and I won't subject you to the "fantastic" quality of that one!

Things are also pulling together so it looks as though I will FINALLY be able to pick up the cabinet on Saturday... yes thats right, 01/26/2008!!!

Here is a photo of the cabinet before it was gutted:

I will make sure to bring the camera along and document the adventures of bringing the cab home... should be entertaining to say the least! :)

Be back soon with an update!

A Cabinet is Found!

2008-01-04T11:02:00.000-05:00

I have been waiting to make this post until I actually had the cabinet in my possession, but I wanted to get an update on this page. I finally found someone within an hour's drive that has an empty cabinet that is in great condition. It is an Atari Space Duel from 1982.

Space Duel entry on the Killer List of Video Games

I finally found this cabinet by posting a message on the following two usenet groups.

rec.games.video.arcade.collecting
rec.games.video.arcade.marketplace

Within a day, I had a couple of offers, and I picked the one that I liked best. I received the offer on December 4th, and since then I have been trying to coordinate a convenient meeting time and find someone that I can borrow a pickup truck from. Every time that the guy is available, my friend falls through with the truck, and vice-versa. Fortunately, he is in no hurry to get rid of the cabinet, and is willing to hold on to it until I can come get it.

Also, in the time since my last post, I have been frequenting the BYOAC forums and trying to learn as much as I can. I think I have decided on a control panel layout, but I want to wait until I have the cabinet so I can make some measurements.

I have also been experimenting with ideas for the artwork. I plan on keeping the original side art since it is in good condition. For the marquee, my original plans were to modify a scan of the original marquee and change the words from "Space Duel" to something different, but I am having second thoughts now, mainly because I cant think of a good name for my machine! Since it will be a two-player cabinet, and I am keeping the original side art, I may keep the original marquee. I do plan on making my own custom control panel overlay though. I want to base it on the original design, but make it look good with the two player layout and possible addition of a trackball.

Thats about it for now. I will probably place my order for the controls soon, and one of these days I will get around to picking up the cabinet to house it all!!

Project 1: MAME Cabinet

2007-12-03T08:43:00.000-05:00

We are setting up a game room in the house and just purchased a pool table/air hockey table. What goes great with pool and air hockey? Arcade Games!!! So my first project to document will be the creation of a MAME cabinet for our game room.

What is MAME, you ask? Well let me give you the quick run-down... It is a program that you run on a regular computer that lets you play just about every arcade game ever made. Just check out the main website if you want some more specifics :)

http://mamedev.org/

What I am going to do is take this regular computer that is running MAME and put it into an upright arcade game cabinet so it looks just like an authentic arcade game!

I was originally going to build a cabinet from scratch, but I liked the idea better of taking an old abandoned cabinet and breathing some new life into it. So thats where I am at right now... calling around and emailing every Amusement company in the Pittsburgh and Johnstown areas looking for an empty cabinet.

I have been looking for one for about a month, and I am actually surprised at the difficulty that I am having. I have found two places that have them, but the prices are a little steeper that I had planned... $130.00-$350.00 so far. I looked around on the net beforehand and people said that you can usually pick up an empty cabinet for under $50 and often times free... so I'm going to keep looking...

Well thats all for now... I will return when I have chased down a cabinet and I will be sure to bring some pictures!!!

come along for a ride...

2007-11-30T14:10:00.000-05:00

I guess I should start out with an introduction... Hi I'm Chad. I am currently a full time computer geek working and attending classes at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. I am a senior, but don't ask what year senior I am... I have even lost count!

Well, anyway... I have always loved to tinker with things... take stuff apart, see how it works, and then put it back together again... sometimes doing it right so it works again too! So I have decided to set up this page to document my various attempts at being a weekend-do-it-yourselfer. Both for your amusement (all two of you who might actually look at this page) and so you all (myself included) can learn from my mistakes.

Now on to the first project...