noiseredux' cheapo mini-cab project

[noiseredux]

so I had a brainstorm today. I think I'm going to try to build a mini-cab. Something the table-top, sort of like what the iCade looks like. But the big thing is this: I'm going to try to put it together for as close to $0 as possible. This means using shit I already own and making the best out of it.

here's what I'm thinking so far:

15" Acer LCD monitor -- my old one that I have collecting dust in the attic. I'd put it vertically obviously so I can plate TATE shmups. I assume I can also set the monitor resolution to Portrait so I could still play other games on it?

Hori Tekken 4 arcade stick -- use the buttons/stick from this with my PS2-USB adapter.

My father-in-law has a lot of spare wood, and is very handy so he can help me build the actual case.

I have my eye on the mini-PC on seven's list. Plan to buy/trade for that.

I have a spare HDD in my attic -- not sure how big (probably 80-120GB)



Help me brainstorm if you wish, though keep in mind ultimately I'm aiming to not really spend $ on this. It's more a project to see how much I can do without spending money.

I'll update this thread as the project progresses.

[girlracer]

all i can say is i can't wait to see the progress

i myself am getting ready to build a mini visual pinball machine.

[dsheinem]

the first thing you should do is go look for plans for similar cabs...


don't cut a thing until you have measured several times. test out the electronics config before you try installing it in the cab...


great idea...something I have considered doing next summer! keep us posted!

[CRTGAMER]

so I had a brainstorm today. I think I'm going to try to build a mini-cab. Something the table-top, sort of like what the iCade looks like. But the big thing is this: I'm going to try to put it together for as close to $0 as possible. This means using shit I already own and making the best out of it.

here's what I'm thinking so far:

15" Acer LCD monitor -- my old one that I have collecting dust in the attic. I'd put it vertically obviously so I can plate TATE shmups. I assume I can also set the monitor resolution to Portrait so I could still play other games on it?

Hori Tekken 4 arcade stick -- use the buttons/stick from this with my PS2-USB adapter.

My father-in-law has a lot of spare wood, and is very handy so he can help me build the actual case.

I have my eye on the mini-PC on seven's list. Plan to buy/trade for that.

I have a spare HDD in my attic -- not sure how big (probably 80-120GB)



Help me brainstorm if you wish, though keep in mind ultimately I'm aiming to not really spend $ on this. It's more a project to see how much I can do without spending money.

I'll update this thread as the project progresses.

It looks like you have almost everything you need. If that PC is small enough mounted inside, the Desktop Arcade can be a transportable like a Vectrex. Better then a Frag Box computer since the monitor and controller is already part of the package!

Throw in extension USB ports in the back to handle the keyboard and mouse for configuration adjustments. Couple of gutted amplified speakers mounted inside.

You could go nuts and have an auxiliary VGA port to plug in other consoles with VGA adapters too. Dreamcast and your Nintendo VGA setup comes to mind. A simple VGA mechanical Switchbox can be bought for under twenty bucks. Gut the box and mount the VGA select switch and one input port at the back of the cab. Throw in an audio switched in input port too.

[noiseredux]

@CRT: yeah, I like the idea of it being somewhat portable.

As far as adding add-on ports for DC, etc -- I do plan to do that but not right away. That's more an upgrade for after the fact.

[noiseredux]

Amazon.com Product Description
The IBM ThinkCentre A50 809011U ultra-small form factor desktop system bring the best blend of essential features and technology to businesses small and growing at an affordable price, including a wealth of security features and Intel's Extreme Graphics 2 video card with Dynamic Video Memory Technology. It features a 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 processor, a 40 GB hard drive, 256 MB of built-in RAM (which can max out at 4 GB), Windows XP Professional, included keyboard and optical wheel mouse, floppy drive, and CD-ROM drive.

The Basics

* Hard Drive: The ATA-100 (Enhanced IDE) 40 GB (7200 RPM) hard drive is small in comparison with other desktop PCs in this price range, but it's understandable due to its classification as a business professional computer (where much data is shared and stored on networked servers).
* Processor: The 2.8 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor offers the speed you'll need for today's demanding office productivity software and multimedia presentations. It features a fast 533 MHz front-side bus (FSB), which measures how fast a processor and the main memory communicate, and a 1 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance.)
* Memory: The 256 MB of installed RAM (PC2700, 333 MHz) will get you started, but you'll want to add more to handle any kind of multimedia application and today's processor-intensive business productivity suites. This desktop has a 4 GB maximum RAM capacity.
* CD/DVD Drive: This desktop comes only with a 24x CD-ROM drive.
* Keyboard & Mouse: The ThinkCenter A50 comes with an IBM Preferred Pro full-size keyboard (PS/2) and an IBM USB optical wheel mouse.

Screen, Graphics and Sound
The integrated Intel Extreme Graphics 2 based graphics will be fine for business productivity software suites, Web browsing, and general purpose computing. It will produce a maximum resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels and up to 16.7 million colors. It also features integrated SoundMax Cadenza audio and an internal mono speaker.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
This A50 model has a good assortment of expansion capabilities for the office. It features a 3.5-inch, 1.44 MB floppy drive, and has the following external connectivity ports:

* 6 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
* 1 serial port
* 1 parallel port
* 1 VGA monitor port
* 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack
* 1 audio line-in and 1 audio line-out

It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.90) and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10Base-T/100Base-TX Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems).

[noiseredux]

when I throw in a new HDD, should I keep XP on it or format it? Does MAME or whatever front-end just use a linux build instead?

[dsheinem]

most frontends are made w/ XP in mind

[noiseredux]

most frontends are made w/ XP in mind

if I wanted to -- are there linux based ones? I mean, I know a lot of media player front-ends are small linux kernel and not much else...?

[dsheinem]

most frontends are made w/ XP in mind

if I wanted to -- are there linux based ones? I mean, I know a lot of media player front-ends are small linux kernel and not much else...?

Yes, there are - but if you don't use/know Linux in the first place than you might find setting that up to be more cumbersome...