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RealMFnG

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Viola!!

JammaTestSwitches.JPG


Photo snapped with a quarter laid on it for size referencing. Necessity is the mother of all invention.

I find myself making some side cash these days helping ppl out with their arcades machines. I really need a test bench to be portable and flexible. I don't want to lug around with all kinds of crazy stuff. I also don't want to spend too much on a test bench.

I find a great many unsalvageable arcade cabs. Often, the monitor ISO transformer, switching PSU, line filter, fuse box, JAMMA harness are fastened down on a 12"x15" wood plate. I just remove the plate and it makes for a perfect portable starter test bench with all the wiring. But now I need to to navigate to the test menu because the same test bench I use to calibrate my monitors (CPS2's test patterns are my go to for calibrating colors). No point wasting one of my arcade sticks for that. I had even thought, maybe using a spare cut corner CP' I have laying around. But no point wasting that either. Plus it isn't very portable.

So for about $7, about a 2 week wait for the switches to arrive from China, and a short trip to Home Depot to pick up an electrical junction box later, I think I have what I need. Whatch guys think?
 
Works for me, for years ago used to have the exact same setup but used a project box from DigiKey, along with some DB9 connectors and cables. Then I kept breaking switches and went with a cheap megadrive repro controller :P
 
Hello you also have this for option too. With built buttons and v meter. Buttons are not good quality.

https://riddledtv.com/arcade/jamma_testers.html#TesterButtons
I was thinking of getting one of these things too. But dissuaded myself for these reasons:
  1. I have a Fluke meter and I feel that is much more accurate thant the volt meter on the tester, which I wouldn't trust at all
  2. I am not always going to be comfortably situated on a bench, so using that tester while the board is still hooked up to a cab is going to suck. I am going to have to awkwardly position myself sometimes reaching for those buttons while trying to get a readout on the monitor. With this remote board for navigation, I can have the PCB in one spot and have enough lead wire to be staring right at the monitor.
  3. Also, it requires that the PSU works in the cab. That isn't always going to be the case while on the road doing troubleshooting
  4. I want to spend less money on specialty tools and focus on playing arcade games. Between the the Fluke DMM and spare parts laying around, I can accomplish the same things
And now that you say it, those buttons are cheap. Having done QA and RMA'ing before, we used to replace those types of buttons all the time on our tools. I'll pass :)
Ahemm, I hope you meant voila cause... Viola is a kind of big violin, but also means (he/she/it) raped in French.
Anyway your joystick hack is also an easy way of swapping games for the 2-in-1 Raiden boards:
http://arcadefixer.blogspot.com/2018/11/raiden-ii-new-seibu-1996-repair-log.html
LoLoL. I should have typed "whollah" instead. Another example of us Americans ruining the English language.

I just picked up a Raiden II board. Does that work on the regular Raiden II board? If not, is there a way to convert it?
 
I have a Fluke meter and I feel that is much more accurate thant the volt meter on the tester, which I wouldn't trust at all
yes i have test also when i get it months back. Is off but same off over large range enough.
reWK0iF.jpg
 
And now that you say it, those buttons are cheap. Having done QA and RMA'ing before, we used to replace those types of buttons all the time on our tools. I'll pass :)
LoLoL. I should have typed "whollah" instead. Another example of us Americans ruining the English language.
I just picked up a Raiden II board. Does that work on the regular Raiden II board? If not, is there a way to convert it?
English language? True if you consider the French words you've stolen as part of it (JK). :P

The trick works only on the "new" version boards of Raiden II and Raiden DX cause they are 2-in-1, ROMs contain both games.
But as discussed before, and given the "new" versions are the exact same hardware, I'd think it's possible to convert the "old" Raiden II to the "old" Raiden DX.
I had a Raiden II board but I sold it since then, should have kept it a bit for experiment.
 
English language? True if you consider the French words you've stolen as part of it (JK).
Apoc and I have had this conversation about us stealing French words and ruining them already. LOL.
 
Finished it off. Works great. I am able to hold it in my palm and navigate with one hand. That it is wired and not bound to the JAMMA edge gives great freedom of movement. Perfect for test bench purposes. Red button is the TEST button. Will add a cover plate to this later.

RemoteBoardTop.JPG
RemoteBoardBottom.JPG


Harvested a TV speaker from one of my CRT tube swaps for this purpose and it works perfectly too. Will figure out how to mount it cleanly on this board as well. Salvaged an AC switch from a damaged cab too. Allows me to turn the thing off and on as needed. Last thing I did was removed unused JAMMA pins from the edge connector (2nd player, counter, etc). Keeps all the wires nice and clean.

I might even add a handle to this so I can lug it around to and from site locations.

TVSpeaker.JPG
 
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