What's new
By:
Filters

newbie trying to get a checklist of parts

S

saucydaddy

Student
Joined
Aug 18, 2021
Messages
51
Reaction score
16
Location
Illinois
Hey everyone,

I've been searching around here but having a hard time feeling confident buying a bunch of stuff. I'd like to get a second opinion on some of the things I plan on buying. I'm staying away from JVS systems like taito type x or ringwide/edge which I want but I don't understand how to interface with it.

So here's a list of what I think I need:
  • Game PCB
    • Thinking either MS Pacman, Tekken 3, TGM with zn board, cps3 from proxy shipper (eventually darksoft it since third strike is impossible to find)
  • Control panel components like sticks and buttons (I have a bunch of spare parts from old fight sticks)
  • Control panel wiring harnesses?
  • Arcade Power Supply
  • Cab
    • I just plan on building this myself since I don't think I'll find a candy cab anytime soon here in Illinois, plus I don't think it'll fit through the door to my basement
  • Speakers and amp
    • Anyone have recommendations?
  • Monitors (This is the hardest thing for me)
I'm not sure what harnesses, interfaces, adapters I really need to connect most of these things. Do I need to build the minigun supergun or can I avoid that? I'm not really interested in emulating this stuff and would like to try and recreate that authentic experience without a bunch of adapters.

Appreciate any advice and if anyone has a guide or something to follow along that would be great, thank you!
 
tekken 3 is like $50 and if you blow something up, no biggie. Pac is not jamma. TGM and cps3 are pricey. Start with tekken. It’s my test pcb. (One note, tekken3 has both 240p and 480i settings in the test mode, and actually has its own jvs-compatible dsub output on it, but you can use the jamma edge/harness too)

the psu is fine to start.

Jamma is a wiring standard basically. Connector for the pcb on one end, bunch of wires on the other that go to the psu, the monitor, the controls, the speakers. A supergun is just the same connector for the pcb but the rest is tailor made for a non-arcade-cab — the audio is attenuated to line level stereo usually, the video is converted or processed for consumer equipment, the controls are condensed to some connector (usually neo Geo style)

Monitor is certainly the tough decision. Do you need the original CRT aesthetic? Answer for yourself. Jamma sends out RGB and sync from the pcb, and you need to get that into whatever your video solution is.

if you get an original monitor then you’ll be able to wire directly to it. The jamma harness will plug into your pcb on one end, and a few of the wires will go into the monitor chassis. powering (and potentially isolating) the monitor are additwiring.

That Arcooda thing has an optional converter that seems to make it easy. It takes the signals and relocates them to a dsub/vga socket.

a consumer TV will only work if you’re converting from RGBs to composite or whatever it accepts, which will take some extra pcb/supergun. Profe$$ional video monitors (PVM/BVM) will accept RGB directly and look great, but you’re gonna shell out a small fortune for one.

the easiest way to start is a supergun and a power supply, then it’s nearly plug and play with whatever cable you need for your supergun->TV. If you have no crt, then you add a scaler like an ossc

If you’re set on building a starter box/cab, I’d say buy that psu, buy a jamma harness, buy some arcade buttons and joysticks, and get that arcooda thing and make your first build a simple one. Then you can decide to mess with CRT and all the maintenance that goes with it, later.

but you can’t really go wrong, have fun
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the input, yeah thats the biggest concern with the CRT is the maintenance and it seems like that arcooda monitor is so new that no one really reviewed it yet. So the hunt for the tekken board starts now while it probably takes like a month to get the monitor from China.
 
I guess even tekken got more expensive than last time I looked! T1 & T2 for decent shipped prices here
 
Ok cool, PMed that guy. Another question about that adapter since I don't think it's available yet and I can't seem to find anymore info about it.

https://www.amazon.com/BLEE-Arcade-Converter-Single-Monitor/dp/B01MTKPWBW
Does something like this work well to convert the JAMMA RGB to VGA? Also wonder if this would be helpful for testing since I think the Arcooda monitor would take a long time getting here, could test on a PC monitor in the meantime I think.
 
Honestly I think the arcooda takes RGBs on a dsub connector - so it’s not really converting to VGA (which is usually higher res and H+V sync), it’s just sending the right signals to the right pins. The monitor may expect less voltage, which is why there are resistors in line, but that’s about all that little pcb is doing from my POV.

but that pcb would convert to vga if you want to use a pc monitor. You’d be best using alternate firmware with it https://www.retrorgb.com/gbs-control-installation-overview.html
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top