phase One - Planning/Testing/Config Started

Planning - Started thinking about what I really wanted the cab to look like and what not. Still not solid on what I would like but one thing that is being really helpful is SketchUp, which is a FREE 3D modeling tool from Google (well Google bought the company that makes/made it at least). Pretty easy to use and its really helping me visualize my cab and my control panel. I recommend it to anyone, it rocks.

I have decided to use a TV for the monitor to start with and get the super cool/exact replica type arcade monitor as one of my very last things (paying the $600+ later being the main reason). After reading lots of posts on the topic of what TV to get/use and what features it needed to have I decided on these:

• 27" TV
• No more than 26" wide or 21" deep
• Component Inputs (would settle for S-Video if I had too)
• Tube/Rounded TV (No flat screens)
• Power Return feature (TV turns itself back on and remembers channel after being unplugged)

After a week or so of watching craigslist and almost buying 2 or 3 other TV's I found EXACTLY what I was looking for. A 27" toshiba 27A34 with component inputs, power return, 25.5" wide and 19.5" deep. Only $75!! Totally happy about finding it, especially after almost settling for a few that were missing several features!! Here she is:

Testing -I wanted to start by testing some different buttons, switches, joysticks, etc. I figured a good way to do this was to just build a test "box" that I could stick some controls in and just play around with them. This would also let me test out my non existent soldering/wiring/electronic skillz. I put in an order for an UltraStik 360 (with extra spring and longer shaft for testing), 7 Electric Ice push buttons w/ RGB-Drive's, LED-Wiz 32-port USB controller. Also ordered one of GGG micro-leaf switches to test out the differences between normal cherry switches and leaf ones as I really have no feel as to which I prefer.

Pretty much all of the wood working for this project will be done at my father-in-laws house. He has all the tools I will need, actually knows how to use them and loves putting them to use. I knew he would jump at the chance to build something so I let him know what his new project was a few weeks ago when my wife, son and I went down for a visit (He lives in Portland, we in Seattle. Not ideal but we'll make it work).

We quickly set about making the "test box". He had some ply wood already in the garage and I figured this would be a good time to test out using that instead of MDF and see how it would work. I had sketched out the button/joystick layout in SketchUp and had that with me. I did not however have the actual buttons with me so would have to just hope for the best on my layout. The box came out great but I think I want to get a piece of MDF as well and just do some test cuts with it as well (Sorry no pics of box construction). As soon as we got home I was very excited to try out the buttons and see if it all fit. Of course, they fit perfect!!

Config - I've begun gathering ROM files for the various games I hope to play on my cab. Successfully found all Nintendo (NES), Super Nintendo (SNES) and Sega Genesis game roms as well as the current version of MAME (.122b or something like that) and all the ROM files for that (16gigs!!! ouch). So I'm really happy about that. Once I finish configuring my "P1 test box" I'll be able to dive pretty deep on the software configuration side of my cab and a front-end loader program (like Mala).