Kavas' Sega Aero City Restoration

[Kavas]

Don't know how much legwork has been done in regards to the rubber grommets we need for these glass panels but I have spent the past couple hours researching and emailing companies about my dilemma. Thing is every website I go to is American and America uses the standard system whereas I feel these grommets might have been made with metric in mind. I have done rough conversions but still turning up stuff that is just shy of the proper fit for the glass panel or the bolt that goes through it.

I think the grommet we need is 1/4 inch Groove width, but the rest is fishy. 7/16" groove diameter perhaps.

Bore Diameter (A)
Groove Width (B)
Groove Diameter (C)
Outside Diameter (D)
Overall Thickness (E)

Speaking of Standard, I bought a bulb for the marquee from Home Depot but the lighting clerk said since it's Japanese voltage / Hz that it may not light up.

I ordered the JAMMA harness and connectors and will redo the electrical system

 

[KaPH33n]

Ha. I did some of these measurements and was looking for nylon spacers instead of rubber. I was thinking they wouldn’t degrade into sludge over time. Never got a final product though. Do let me know what you figure out as I am just running my bolts through raw dog right now.

 

[Kavas]

Ha. I did some of these measurements and was looking for nylon spacers instead of rubber. I was thinking they wouldn’t degrade into sludge over time. Never got a final product though. Do let me know what you figure out as I am just running my bolts through raw dog right now.

Think @Hatsune Mike said in another thread that these were rubber grommets that melted over time. Funny because rubber grommets tend to have a good temperature rating (~125C) before they are affected. I think if we were to find the right size, we should be good to go as they should last us at least 20+ years and of course we would keep spares. I just don't think it's really safe to put screws in these without some shock absorption. I've had bad experience with glass breaking due to over tightening of screws.

 

[hoagtech]

Hell yeah Kavas. That’s looking amazing. Those lock bar holes are gone forever..

Did you choose a RAL 9016 for the PC?

I knew those mahjong chops were gonna be an issue. I’ll be sure to send you info. You may have to detach or reattach to some points off the CPU block.

I’m sending you a PM regarding the glass border sticker.

I’m not sure if leaving the CP barren is a good idea as open metal is porous and adhesive has moisture. Once it robs the moisture. You could be looking at graphics detachment. But who knows?

Even so. You have one of the nicest Aero City Bodies on the planet. That’s gotta feel good.

Thanks for sharing

 

[Hatsune Mike]

It's not a matter of temperature rating, I think it is just that they've degraded. You see this with many rubber-coated electronics from the '80s to the 2000s. All the Gizmondos are melting, for example.

 

[Kavas]

I’m not sure if leaving the CP barren is a good idea as open metal is porous and adhesive has moisture. Once it robs the moisture. You could be looking at graphics detachment. But who knows?

What are you talking about the CP was a sticker on bare metal to begin with, and a bitch to get off I might add

Gloss white is the color.

I'm just gonna wire the cabinet fresh with a new Jamma loom. Already ordered the parts. This way I understand how everything works.

 

[hoagtech]

I’m not sure if leaving the CP barren is a good idea as open metal is porous and adhesive has moisture. Once it robs the moisture. You could be looking at graphics detachment. But who knows?

What are you talking about the CP was a sticker on bare metal to begin with, and a bitch to get off I might add
Gloss white is the color.

I'm just gonna wire the cabinet fresh with a new Jamma loom. Already ordered the parts. This way I understand how everything works.

huh weird all of mine I had to blast the PC off the CP



I think you’ll be fine. I don’t want to detriment your refurb either.

 

[speedswan]

I think PSU connectors are

455-1186-ND and 455-3992-ND

Pins are 455-1133-1-ND or 455-1319-1-ND depending on the wire gauge

I'm not 100% certain on the leg levelers - I'm going from the Aero Table but most parts are compatible with the Aero City and they also use that size leg levelers on the Blast City

I really like these levelers that they make in a variety of sizes - they're imperial only but fit on metric cabs.

For the wiring harness, @Arcade game & I built our own based on the original using thicker wire but using the original connector types - the main connectors are the Universal MATE-N-LOK series that are also available on Digikey.

For the JAMMA adapter, things are a little more complicated - you might just want to stick with the original but there are also replacement parts for that too.

Good Luck!

Mark

 

[bagheera369]

It's not a matter of temperature rating, I think it is just that they've degraded. You see this with many rubber-coated electronics from the '80s to the 2000s. All the Gizmondos are melting, for example.

Yep.

Ever go to an arcade, and touch a racing steering wheel that was super tacky....like gummy/used coke sticky?? Oils on all the hands, plus coke, popcorn, candy, windex, etc, cause those really nice, racing grip steering wheels to break down. We had to replace them every time a game came in for reconditioning at the shop. There's no way to save them, once the rubber starts sweating like that.

Same thing on my Triton headphones....the soft rubber trim pieces just started oozing, after they'd been tucked away for a year, waiting on a speaker repair. Happens all the time to those rubber/soft plastic pieces.

I had the discussion about having coke all on the underside of mine, but I didn't have any grommets left on mine, they'd been peeled out by the previous owner. Plus mine was brown soda marked all down the front, and not the black tar others had mentioned.

Keeping the cabs inside AC'd houses, with minimal smoke/nicotine/hand grease/soda/etc, will help keep any rubber grommets used, in much better shape, for a longer time.

 

[Kavas]

Started wiring the JAMMA harness. This is the first time I've ever done something as complicated as this. While I read up on this I have some questions maybe someone can answer.

What is this connector called?

I don't think my monitor was connected previously. This is where I attach rgb sync and ground from the loom right? Is sync H not used by the loom?

This translates to reset, test, and bump? What's bump? does this get connected to the Jamma loom?

That third one is degauss right?

What happens if I throw a neo geo mvs in this with no button 4?

Lastly how do you normally wire a candy cab coin #1 and coin #2 when theres only 1 coin slot? Wire them both to coin 1? Will it mess up games with separate coins for different players?

So far only connected player 1.

Going by this diagram

 

[Hatsune Mike]

That 6-pin connector is a common JST connector used on most Nanao monitors (and also Toshiba and some Sanwa) for the RGB signal.

The small three-button panel mounted to your PCB board is just some chickenshit that was put in for the betting / mahjong / redemption / whatever conversion was in the cabinet.

That last panel is the stock Aero one, and should remain.

If you put in a Neo Geo, Button 4 won't work if it's not connected.

It is typical for a candy cab with only one coin chute to only wire Coin #1. Just leave Coin #2 disconnected.

The JAMMA interface is a "dumb" one - other than what is literally needed to boot the game (power) typically the game has no idea nor care what else is or is not missing. The exception is that some Taito games check for the presence of a coin counter or lockout coil before allowing coin inputs to be processed.

 

[GeeDee]

This translates to reset, test, and bump? What's bump? does this get connected to the Jamma loom?

My kata/hira is in an eternal state of rust, but Im pretty sure that last one actually translates to "buku", or just "book" with the stop in between. My first guess would be for accessing something bookkeeping related?

 

[Kavas]

That sounds right. So I will avoid connecting those jank buttons and instead use the ones down below for service and test.

The JST connector is EH series I believe, This one

Apparently there's this switching cable for better sharpness, have to look into that. Also some folks are questioning if this chassis needs an iso transformer. I don't think mine came with anything like that?

My JAMMA harness does not have button 4 wired, need to look into how to add pins to the edge connector.

I DO want to wire my coin counter The coin counter accepts 3 wires, I am guessing +5, ground, and a signal wire? The harness has 5 wires associated with coin counter, will look into this...

 

[opt2not]

Google Translate says:

looks like a standard service panel found in a lot of older cabs. If you could adapt this into the JAMMA wiring, (pin R is Service, pin 15 is Test, and maybe the book button could be a secondary coin button), that could be a nice convenient service panel for you.

 

[Kavas]

I tried using the google translate app, wouldn't work for me. Maybe too dark. Thanks mate.

So it's a toss up if I wanna use these buttons or the ones down below. The ones below are kinda sticking, may need to be replaced.

 

[hoagtech]

That second picture should be disconnected or ignored. That is not factory and may hinder.

Your test panel looks in tact on your PSU block of wood.

That has the settings for service, degauss etc. According to your monitor model you should be able to auto degauss.

I learned a valuable lesson by degaussing a manual monitor degauss by hitting that switch.

 

[Kavas]

I’m not sure if leaving the CP barren is a good idea as open metal is porous and adhesive has moisture. Once it robs the moisture. You could be looking at graphics detachment. But who knows?

What are you talking about the CP was a sticker on bare metal to begin with, and a bitch to get off I might add Gloss white is the color.

I'm just gonna wire the cabinet fresh with a new Jamma loom. Already ordered the parts. This way I understand how everything works.

huh weird all of mine I had to blast the PC off the CP


I think you’ll be fine. I don’t want to detriment your refurb either.

Ok so this has been bothering me. But after some time thinking about it, I think I figured out where I went wrong. Can you confirm if the bottom of these painted panels was unpainted? On mine the sticker was still on top except the edge where yours and mine was rusted. On the bottom side it was just metal unpainted. I am thinking why it was so difficult for me to not only get the sticker off mine but sand and goo gone the shit out of the panel is because I actually was scrubbing off the paint. I left this piece the longest in my bucket of rust remover so I may not have noticed paint. I did however notice some white shit that was milky, that I figured was left over glue residue or it was a thick ass sticker and I just rubbed off the blue. If this is the case and it was only painted on top, then I will have this piece powder coated as well to keep it original. My guy said if it was originally unpainted I should leave it as such. Lemme know on this, I need to see him again as I forgot a small piece to be coated.



Next onto the grommets, I've made some headway.

I emailed out a bunch of companies and the responses have been varied.

Hello Kavas,
Thank you for your inquiry. Seems like you are looking for a few parts for a home project well we are a manufacturer and any of our products are not available in retail quantities.
Thank you and have a good day.

Were too small time for these guys!

Hi Kavas,
Thanks for reaching out! I have a few additional questions for you – can you please provide a phone number so I can give you a call?

No you may not sell my personal information!

Hi Kavas,
Sorry, we won’t be able to help with this request
Regards,

Wow I was shut down hard!





But a couple companies did get back to me!

Hi Kavas,

There is a free sample option listed on the website when you select the part you want if you would like to place the sample order online.

Sweet! I have 4 different grommet sizes coming to me now that I think are a close fit. Remember these are standard sizes, not metric.

Dear Kavas,
Thank you for your inquiry. I spoke with my tech, Larry andthe following item you have requested information on is part #79.This is not the perfect size but is what we have available that would closestmeet your needs. We do not have any metrics but American sides, fractionalsizes.

Thanks Larry! I checked and they do not offer free samples, but if the above 4 grommets don't work out I may bite the bullet and purchase a bag of 50 of these. Kinda pricey so I wanna avoid having to pay for a bag of rubber that may not work.

 

[hoagtech]

I’m not sure if leaving the CP barren is a good idea as open metal is porous and adhesive has moisture. Once it robs the moisture. You could be looking at graphics detachment. But who knows?

What are you talking about the CP was a sticker on bare metal to begin with, and a bitch to get off I might add Gloss white is the color.
I'm just gonna wire the cabinet fresh with a new Jamma loom. Already ordered the parts. This way I understand how everything works.

huh weird all of mine I had to blast the PC off the CP

I think you’ll be fine. I don’t want to detriment your refurb either.

Ok so this has been bothering me. But after some time thinking about it, I think I figured out where I went wrong. Can you confirm if the bottom of these painted panels was unpainted? On mine the sticker was still on top except the edge where yours and mine was rusted. On the bottom side it was just metal unpainted. I am thinking why it was so difficult for me to not only get the sticker off mine but sand and goo gone the shit out of the panel is because I actually was scrubbing off the paint. I left this piece the longest in my bucket of rust remover so I may not have noticed paint. I did however notice some white shit that was milky, that I figured was left over glue residue or it was a thick ass sticker and I just rubbed off the blue. If this is the case and it was only painted on top, then I will have this piece powder coated as well to keep it original. My guy said if it was originally unpainted I should leave it as such. Lemme know on this, I need to see him again as I forgot a small piece to be coated.


Next onto the grommets, I've made some headway.

I emailed out a bunch of companies and the responses have been varied.

Hello Kavas,
Thank you for your inquiry. Seems like you are looking for a few parts for a home project well we are a manufacturer and any of our products are not available in retail quantities.
Thank you and have a good day.

Were too small time for these guys!

Hi Kavas,
Thanks for reaching out! I have a few additional questions for you – can you please provide a phone number so I can give you a call?

No you may not sell my personal information!

Hi Kavas,
Sorry, we won’t be able to help with this request
Regards,

Wow I was shut down hard!




But a couple companies did get back to me!

Hi Kavas,

There is a free sample option listed on the website when you select the part you want if you would like to place the sample order online.

Sweet! I have 4 different grommet sizes coming to me now that I think are a close fit. Remember these are standard sizes, not metric.

Dear Kavas,
Thank you for your inquiry. I spoke with my tech, Larry andthe following item you have requested information on is part #79.This is not the perfect size but is what we have available that would closestmeet your needs. We do not have any metrics but American sides, fractionalsizes.

Thanks Larry! I checked and they do not offer free samples, but if the above 4 grommets don't work out I may bite the bullet and purchase a bag of 50 of these. Kinda pricey so I wanna avoid having to pay for a bag of rubber that may not work.

Right on. I hope you find those grommets. That would be awesome and I would love to group buy with you.

I need them and have the screws so loose that the glass is popping out an 1/8th “ off the metal.

I can confirm that the og CP’s other than the River Service were powder coated on top. If you click the image you can view it in Full resolution and view the lower part of the cp and see the thickness of it.

I can’t for the life of me remember if the undersides were powder coated. Part of me thinks not.

 

[Battlesmurf]

If you guys do source those grommets, I'm in for some as well. I need them for some Sega Swings.

Re: your coin door- have you considered pulling the coin return and plug for the 2nd coin return?\- hit them with a wire wheel or wire brush and some anti rust cream? I've seen rust pressed against fresh paint/powder coat before, it'll stain, if that matters at all.

Re: leg levelers. McMasters I found the right type for the vewlix cabinets. If you take yours to a hardware store and find the thread type- metric- presumably course threaded- I'd wager they'll have something for you.

Good luck!

 

[Kavas]

If you guys do source those grommets, I'm in for some as well. I need them for some Sega Swings.

Re: your coin door- have you considered pulling the coin return and plug for the 2nd coin return?\- hit them with a wire wheel or wire brush and some anti rust cream? I've seen rust pressed against fresh paint/powder coat before, it'll stain, if that matters at all.

Re: leg levelers. McMasters I found the right type for the vewlix cabinets. If you take yours to a hardware store and find the thread type- metric- presumably course threaded- I'd wager they'll have something for you.

Good luck!

I will provide the grommets or link to them if they end up working. The first test samples arrive this Tuesday.

Not sure what you mean about the coin return, are you seeing something I am not?

I ordered a leg leveler for the missing one on my Aero City. It is not original but I hope it atleast works for the time being, will take awhile to get here. Funny enough my Chewlix wheels rubber have worn off from moving it a few times, need to source new ones.



I continued wiring the cabinet today after a Digikey order arrived. I ended up blowing through all of the terminals trying to wire the RGB cable for the monitor They were so small the wire kept tearing. I am ending up ordering some of these pre-crimped wires and will just solder them neatly to the JAMMA wire harness instead. I had a much easier time with the bigger terminals for player 1 and 2. I also wired the power section successfully. It is all looking much cleaner and nicer

I got to the audio section of the JAMMA and it is just two wires, a + and - ... yet my speakers are wired to one of these

Not sure how 2 wires becomes 4 wires, maybe I am missing some middleman connection? Does anyone have pictures of how their audio wires from the JAMMA loom to the two speakers is connected?

I want to keep this cabinet simple, but since I am already wiring it fresh... and as I researched I ran into this schematic online. I then drew up this doodle...

I already have one of these cheap stereo amps and I have most of the RCA cables listed in the picture. Am I right thinking that I can throw any board at this cabinet should I go the route above? Some boards like CPS2 are line level so my amp would be fine for those. And Speaker level boards like MVS and Taito F3 would work with just some RCA cables? Looked at a few forum threads from years past, even some by members of this community. But if it all it takes is soldering some RCA jacks directly to the speaker wires it may be worth it ?

Keep it simple mono or go for the all-in-wonder?