My very first arcade cabinet has been purchased!

[miserere01]

Well ladies and gentleman, the lucky day has finally arrived!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=001&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=&item=110096035485&rd=1&rd=1
157.50 and a 20 minute drive away. :) A BEAUTIFUL capcom jamma cab if i do say so myself! Now that I have my own cab, obviously, I have some questions.

What's all the CPS II A and B boards stuff, and how do those work/what would mine be able to use?

What would be a GOOD price on games such as Marvel Vs. Capcom and X-Men Children of the Atom?

I haven't got to pick the cab up YET, does that look like a 25 inch monitor to you guys? Does to me. :)

and finally, any comments, questions or suggestions are encouraged and being waited for.

I'm wanting to definitely change games here, and switch to MVC and X-men CotA each with the Marquee up for the respective game. :) There are some more I'm wanting to pick up, but those two are top of the list for now.

[dcescott]

I'd keep it! That's a great fighting game. Price for your request. They can get get pricey. Fair Warning!
Nice cab! Do some research on it, try to figure out what it was converted from.

[Technosis]

I'd keep it! That's a great fighting game. Price for your request. They can get get pricey. Fair Warning!
Nice cab! Do some research on it, try to figure out what it was converted from.

Yeah, I wouldn't be too quick to switch titles. BTW, I'm guessing that Vampire Warriors is a version (or derivitive) of Dark Stalkers????

[Borman]

MvC1 should only run you around 100-170 max for the CPS2 board and the game. Its quite fun :)

[50s Brawler]

Congrats!
:band:

[Flack]

Now that, my friend, is a decent deal. I know a vendor right now who is selling reconditioned 25" monitors for $150. Getting an entire game for $157, especially with a 25" monitor in good working condition, is a good deal. Congrats!

CPS2 A and B boards are a lot like Neo Geo boards. The "A" board is basically just a JAMMA board, and the "B" board is really just a cartridge, except instead of looking like a cartridge, the two pieces kind of snap together. There's a good explination of it on Wikipedia, complete with a list of all CPS2 games.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPS-2

[miserere01]

Now that, my friend, is a decent deal. I know a vendor right now who is selling reconditioned 25" monitors for $150. Getting an entire game for $157, especially with a 25" monitor in good working condition, is a good deal. Congrats!

CPS2 A and B boards are a lot like Neo Geo boards. The "A" board is basically just a JAMMA board, and the "B" board is really just a cartridge, except instead of looking like a cartridge, the two pieces kind of snap together. There's a good explination of it on Wikipedia, complete with a list of all CPS2 games.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPS-2

So the "A" board can be used for ANY CPS2 game then right? All I really need is the "B" board of a game...right? because on ebay some people like this guy:
http://cgi.ebay.com/X-MEN-CHILDREN-OF-THE-ATOM-ARCADE-JAMMA-PCB-A-BOARD_W0QQitemZ180091638847QQihZ008QQcategoryZ1371 8QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
are selling games as "A" boards? I'm confused, or maybe this seller is the one thats confused, I'm not sure. But yeah, if what this guy is selling is actually the USA blue B board and he just has it listed wrong, let me know, I'd like to pick it up. :)
Thanks for all the comments and support you guys! Me and the girlfriend have worked on the cab for hours cleaning it, fixing the inlays up, cleaning the sticky buttons, clearing the cobwebs and whatnot and once i get it all nice and clean I'll be sure to post some pics of it in action. :)

Also to answer this:
"I'd keep it! That's a great fighting game. Price for your request. They can get get pricey. Fair Warning!
Nice cab! Do some research on it, try to figure out what it was converted from."

Found a little index card that looks like some sort of invoice where someone has signed for it on 3/5/97, when it was a Street Fighter Alpha cab, so I assume it was originally that.

Also for some fun notes, the coinbox counter readings show that the cab has generated 27 GRAND in quarters over time @_@.

Also like to say that after playing the game through again, I must say I really liked it :) I'm holding onto it, but I still wanna switch games sometimes. :) Also, I CAN'T figure out how to set attract mode and all that fun stuff...:( Really hoping the solution isn't TOO stupidly simple, haha.

[VACRMH]

Yeah, I wouldn't be too quick to switch titles. BTW, I'm guessing that Vampire Warriors is a version (or derivitive) of Dark Stalkers????

Correct, 3rd in the series I believe.

[miserere01]

http://www.jammaparts.com/cps2services.htm

Wow, @_@ this service seems like a MUST for CPS2 boards. Anyone else tried this/had it done by these guys?

[XYXZYZ]

Congratulations, I know you'll love having a cabinet. But beware, once you get one game, it's not enough. You'll soon be desparate for more, more, more!

[Flack]

I'm confused, or maybe this seller is the one thats confused, I'm not sure. But yeah, if what this guy is selling is actually the USA blue B board and he just has it listed wrong, let me know, I'd like to pick it up. :)

That seller is confused; that's a "B" board.

[shawnbo42]

Also like to say that after playing the game through again, I must say I really liked it I'm holding onto it, but I still wanna switch games sometimes. Also, I CAN'T figure out how to set attract mode and all that fun stuff... Really hoping the solution isn't TOO stupidly simple, haha.

Should be on the A board, you'll have three blue buttons, vol.up, vol. down, and test. Put the game in test mode, I believe it's #4 maybe? for attract sounds. Anyways, once you get in test mode, there are 9 options, i/o (input/output, to test if joysticks/buttons are working correctly), monitor test, price settings, sound options, etc. Just take a minute and look through the different options you have there. BTW, if I am correct, all B boards have basically EXACTLY the same test menu, so once you learn one, you've learned them all. Enjoy the game!!

[Technosis]

Also for some fun notes, the coinbox counter readings show that the cab has generated 27 GRAND in quarters over time @_@.



@_@. That seems like a high number...has anyone else seen numbers like this????

[PSerge]

I just wanted to say CONGRATS!!! Nice Find.


Arcade machine buying is addictive, so be careful...

[miserere01]

Heh thanks.:) Also Technosis, I just noticed when I added it all up, I added it up as if 1 credit = 1 token, as that was how the machine was set when I received it. It was most likely lower, so instead of cash value, heres the quarter count.
108,020.

(WHOO beat Vampire Savior with only 1 continue last night! Heheh.)

Though, it looks like I've ran into my first problem. It seems my 1P joystick is becoming more and more unresponsive. I've cleaned it the best I can but it hasn't seemed to be much of help. Does anyone have an idea of what to do in this situation? I've looked around the forums for some sort of guide on disassembling a joystick and putting it back together for more extensive cleaning with no luck. I'll also note that I've never soldered anything before, so if buying a new joystick is the solution, I'm totally new to soldering. :( Is that gonna be easy to ruin my arcade cabinet if I mess up on the solder job? Also, I'll probably go ahead and get two joysticks if i have to get them so that it won't be a problem anymore, any good recommendations?

[miserere01]

Apologize for the double post, but I have photos! Not the best photos however, the camera on hand is probably near the age of the cab itself, hah. Here's what I got though.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v695/miserere01/myarcadecab001.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v695/miserere01/myarcadecab002.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v695/miserere01/myarcadecab004.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v695/miserere01/myarcadecab005.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v695/miserere01/myarcadecab006.jpg


Sigh...looks so lonely, needs a Neo-Geo MVS cab next to it, doesn't it? :D

[Flack]

@_@. That seems like a high number...has anyone else seen numbers like this????

That would certainly be one profitable game. I have several that show 27,000 coins, but $27,000 would be 108,000 plays, and that's a lot! At 10 quarters a day it would take 295 years; then again, at 100 a day it would only take 2.95 years.

[freckledpeas]

Though, it looks like I've ran into my first problem. It seems my 1P joystick is becoming more and more unresponsive. I've cleaned it the best I can but it hasn't seemed to be much of help. Does anyone have an idea of what to do in this situation? I've looked around the forums for some sort of guide on disassembling a joystick and putting it back together for more extensive cleaning with no luck. I'll also note that I've never soldered anything before, so if buying a new joystick is the solution, I'm totally new to soldering. :( Is that gonna be easy to ruin my arcade cabinet if I mess up on the solder job? Also, I'll probably go ahead and get two joysticks if i have to get them so that it won't be a problem anymore, any good recommendations?

If your joystick is unresponsive, it's quite possible it's just a microswitch that's going bad. It'd be cheaper than buying a whole new stick (not that they're that much $ anyway). Is there a certain direction that is unresponsive?

[Arcade Antics]

Though, it looks like I've ran into my first problem. It seems my 1P joystick is becoming more and more unresponsive.
Completely unresponsive, or only in one (or more) particular direction(s)?


Does anyone have an idea of what to do in this situation? I've looked around the forums for some sort of guide on disassembling a joystick and putting it back together for more extensive cleaning with no luck.
Lots of different sticks out there, but typically you'll have either a leaf switch or micro switch setup.


I'll also note that I've never soldered anything before, so if buying a new joystick is the solution, I'm totally new to soldering. :( Is that gonna be easy to ruin my arcade cabinet if I mess up on the solder job? Also, I'll probably go ahead and get two joysticks if i have to get them so that it won't be a problem anymore, any good recommendations?
You most likely don't need new sticks, and you probably don't have to solder anything in there either. Unless you already looked inside and saw the they have soldered connections. Even if they do, it's an easy job. And if they don't, just disassemble everything and swap out the bad part(s).

[miserere01]

Yeah it has microswitches inside, and come to think of it, only back/down-back seem all that unresponsive. I checked the control panel, each microswitch has metal parts, which have been soldered all around. Is it weird for them to be soldered? How else would the machine know what the joystick is doing?

[freckledpeas]

Yeah it has microswitches inside, and come to think of it, only back/down-back seem all that unresponsive. I checked the control panel, each microswitch has metal parts, which have been soldered all around. Is it weird for them to be soldered? How else would the machine know what the joystick is doing?

I wouldn't say it's "weird" to have the wires directly soldered to the microswitches, but it is certainly inconvenient. As you replace the microswitches, you could always buy some female connectors from Radio Shack to connect the wire to the microswitch. Not only do you avoid soldering, but it'll be easier to replace them in the future.

[miserere01]

I wouldn't say it's "weird" to have the wires directly soldered to the microswitches, but it is certainly inconvenient. As you replace the microswitches, you could always buy some female connectors from Radio Shack to connect the wire to the microswitch. Not only do you avoid soldering, but it'll be easier to replace them in the future.

Ah yeah that would be very nice. :) Do you just have to solder the end of the wire to the female connector? Argh I'm so new to all this stuff. :(

[freckledpeas]

Ah yeah that would be very nice. :) Do you just have to solder the end of the wire to the female connector? Argh I'm so new to all this stuff. :(


Actually, you just crimp the connector to the wire, so no soldering is required at all. If you buy a wire stripping tool, most have a crimping tool built in, but even a pair of dikes (a.k.a. "wire cutters") works fine if you don't squeeze too hard.

In regards to being new at this stuff, we all have to start somewhere... :)

[XYXZYZ]

Sigh...looks so lonely, needs a Neo-Geo MVS cab next to it, doesn't it? :D

Told ya! :wink 2:
They need to make a 12 step program for this stuff.

[miserere01]

Err, hope I'm not asking entirely too many questions, :( but I have a bit of a weird problem here. I received my X-men Children of the Atom Marquee, and it's a bit bigger than the size my cabinet holds, which I wasn't expecting at all, I figured they'd all fit to some uniform size. its just a bit larger though, I was wondering if I trimmed it down to size if that would damage the artwork or anything? Any idea on what to use to cut it? Also, next time I get the chance I'm gonna get a ton of female connectors for those wires and redo the control panel from the crappy soldering job it has. Anything specific I need to ask the clerk for? Does just "female wire connector" explain enough of what I'm talking about? As always, thanks for all your support guys. :)

[XYXZYZ]

Err, hope I'm not asking entirely too many questions, :( but I have a bit of a weird problem here. I received my X-men Children of the Atom Marquee, and it's a bit bigger than the size my cabinet holds, which I wasn't expecting at all, I figured they'd all fit to some uniform size. its just a bit larger though, I was wondering if I trimmed it down to size if that would damage the artwork or anything? Any idea on what to use to cut it? Also, next time I get the chance I'm gonna get a ton of female connectors for those wires and redo the control panel from the crappy soldering job it has. Anything specific I need to ask the clerk for? Does just "female wire connector" explain enough of what I'm talking about? As always, thanks for all your support guys. :)

I had a Street Fighter EX 2 marquee that had been cropped to fit into a Killer Instinct. Just use scissors to cut off the sides, in whatever way looks best to you.

Or do you have one of those marquees that's one solid piece with the plexiglass?

[miserere01]

I had a Street Fighter EX 2 marquee that had been cropped to fit into a Killer Instinct. Just use scissors to cut off the sides, in whatever way looks best to you.

Or do you have one of those marquees that's one solid piece with the plexiglass?

Yup, unfortunately so. :( It's no problem though, me and my brother devised a little plan, we decided on either using a really sharp blade to just score, and snap. Or if that doesn't wanna work out, he has a saw he was using to cut vinyl that will probably do the trick also, I was just gonna check with you guys first to make sure I won't screw anything up if I try, heheh.

[freckledpeas]

Err, hope I'm not asking entirely too many questions, :( but I have a bit of a weird problem here. I received my X-men Children of the Atom Marquee, and it's a bit bigger than the size my cabinet holds, which I wasn't expecting at all, I figured they'd all fit to some uniform size. its just a bit larger though, I was wondering if I trimmed it down to size if that would damage the artwork or anything? Any idea on what to use to cut it? Also, next time I get the chance I'm gonna get a ton of female connectors for those wires and redo the control panel from the crappy soldering job it has. Anything specific I need to ask the clerk for? Does just "female wire connector" explain enough of what I'm talking about? As always, thanks for all your support guys. :)

You should be able to trim back that marquee without damaging anything. If it's plexiglass, I've used a tablesaw to cut back a plexi-marquee and it turned out fine.

Regarding the "female wire connector", they should know what you're talking about. However, they do come in different sizes. You could always take one of those microswitches in with you to show them what the connector is getting connected to. That way, you'll be sure you get a size that fits.