ghetoprobe Posted December 24, 2014 Author Share Posted December 24, 2014 It's time to drill a hole for the "start" button. The button threading wasn't long enough to pass all the way through the black plastic fin and 3/4" MDF. I had to recess the nut pretty far to make it work. Also found my nut wrench from a previous build. Best $2 I ever spent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetoprobe Posted December 24, 2014 Author Share Posted December 24, 2014 Installing the rest of the buttons was a little rough. Each nut needed a 1/3 shaved down so the feet of the button would fully travel up and down. Once the buttons were in and performing well I drilled the four holes for the RAM mount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetoprobe Posted December 24, 2014 Author Share Posted December 24, 2014 Installing the RAM mount... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetoprobe Posted December 24, 2014 Author Share Posted December 24, 2014 It's going to be a tight fit behind the control panel once everything's installed. Feet were installed, LED-wiz+GP installed, wiring for the button mappings installed and tested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetoprobe Posted December 24, 2014 Author Share Posted December 24, 2014 I've wired normal pushbuttons in the past, but I've never worked with an LED-wiz+GP before. Here are some pics of the lights all wired up. I also put in a DC-to-DC step-down converter to bring the 12v from the PC down to 6.3v for the pinball LEDs I'll be using. Doing a quick test with a 9v battery, it seemed to work great. I also tested the LED-wiz+GP and everything worked flawlessly. The button mappings and sequenced illuminated lights all seemed to be working great. I know the pictures aren't the best, but for those who have wired lit buttons before, please critique my wiring/setup and let me know if you see anything amiss - I'm mainly concerned about the connection between the power supply/step-down/LED-wiz. I'll also be putting a fuse in the line after the step-down. Last thing I want to do is burn up my LED-wiz. (The step-down converter is off-center so the voltage display wouldn't be blocked by the LED-wiz's USB cable. I want to be able to pull the back off the cabinet and see exactly what's going on.) Buttons are lit : Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetoprobe Posted December 26, 2014 Author Share Posted December 26, 2014 Tidied up the wiring behind the steering wheel and permanently mounted it to its base. FINALLY! It's been a long time coming and I'm almost ready to actually play-test this thing! Merry Christmas to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeychunkuk Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 Amazing build ! But I have questions What's the led wiz for? What's the radio and arrow buttons for ? Sent from the smut hut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetoprobe Posted December 26, 2014 Author Share Posted December 26, 2014 For now, I just have a Playstation3 in the cab running Gran Turismo 6. Once I get a PC configured with HS, I'll be using the LED-wiz/LEDBlinky to light the buttons associated with the game that's currently running. The arrow buttons are just for controlling HS and in-game view selection for use in games like "Daytona USA". You can see the buttons in this pic : The Radio button is for Midway games like Cruis'n USA, Cruis'n Exotica, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxxsinner Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 I know the pictures aren't the best, but for those who have wired lit buttons before, please critique my wiring/setup and let me know if you see anything amiss - I'm mainly concerned about the connection between the power supply/step-down/LED-wiz. I'll also be putting a fuse in the line after the step-down. Last thing I want to do is burn up my LED-wiz. Looking at your pics, the wiring looks perfect. The wire to the voltage banks on the LEDwiz is not needed in your case as it's used when you are connecting relays or solenoids to the outputs (stops the back emf from doing damage) but leaving it connected certainly wont do any harm. I haven't used the GP version of LEDwiz before, but the inputs seem very straight forward : Ground common and a switch wire back to each input as you have done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetoprobe Posted December 27, 2014 Author Share Posted December 27, 2014 The wire to the voltage banks on the LEDwiz is not needed in your case as it's used when you are connecting relays or solenoids to the outputs (stops the back emf from doing damage) but leaving it connected certainly wont do any harm. Thanks maxxsinner, I really appreciate you taking the time to look it over. I wasn't exactly sure about the bank voltage, I remembered reading about it when I was researching a virtual pin, so it makes sense for the relays and solenoids. Thanks again for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeychunkuk Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Ahhh I see care to share the brand of carbon fibre vinyl you use it looks great ! Sent from the smut hut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetoprobe Posted December 27, 2014 Author Share Posted December 27, 2014 Ahhh I see care to share the brand of carbon fibre vinyl you use it looks great ! The vinyl wrap was from Amazon.com - I got three rolls of it (on three different occasions) from the seller "AC Auto Parts" and I was very happy with every roll. At the time, the price was $4.90/usd. That was only a month ago and they have since increased their price quite a bit. It's a no-brainer at $5/roll, but I would probably invest in a real 3M material if I had to pay more than $6-$7/usd : Carbon Fiber Vinyl Wrap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetoprobe Posted December 27, 2014 Author Share Posted December 27, 2014 Sorry for the terrible pictures, the glass makes photographing this thing very difficult at this stage. The dashboard is now installed, though it won't be lit or even usable until I get a PC in here. I'll eventually have some custom vinyl "start" and "view" decals cut for around the buttons. Should make it look a little more cohesive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetoprobe Posted December 27, 2014 Author Share Posted December 27, 2014 Some of you may have noticed the RAM mount on the right side of the control panel. A little earlier in this thread I had mentioned wanting to get as much racing-sim packed into this cabinet as possible without taking away from the "arcade" look and feel. My solution was to use a RAM mount so I could easily add/remove additional accessories that I would use for the more advanced racing games (iRacing/Assetto Corsa/F1 2014/etc.). When we throw a family party, I just unplug the peripheral and we're ready for the 5-year-olds! If you've never heard of them, Derek Speare Designs (DSD) make some great button boxes that are relatively inexpensive. I guess I could have built my own with a spare iPac, but, meh, I'd rather just buy one and mod it to my liking. Ended up going with the "2014 Track Boss" (since it has the nice bezel included) and I was pleasantly surprised with the construction and materials. Just like everything else in this project, I pulled it apart the moment it arrived. I bolted the RAM mount to the back of the box and tested the fit. It is solid as a rock when mounted to the dashboard and can easily be removed in about 10 seconds. DSD really makes a great product, love it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetoprobe Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 Now, to figure out how to mount the rear speakers... this was a tough one and I may end up changing the configuration a little bit. I have a ton of speaker cable rolled up inside of the seat base so I've left my options open. My original plan was to bring the speakers up next to the driver's head, but they weren't secure at all, too loud (even when turned down) and I was worried a kid would tear them off the side of the cabinet too easily. After a lot of testing with my wife holding the speaker in different positions behind my head (thanks honey!), keeping the speakers lower to the ground and pointed upward really seemed to be the best configuration for the time being. In testing the 5.1 surround, the cars sounded like they were right behind you... slowly creeping up on the corners and then the screeching tires... While not ideal, it sounds great, looks pretty good and is as integrated with the cabinet as possible - while still being sturdy enough to survive a mild kid attack. I grabbed two 1/2" wooden dowel rods and cut them to size. Then found some 1.125" corrugated black tubing, normally used for a washer's drain hose, to hide the speaker cable and dowel rods. I used 3/8" black heat-shrink tubing on both ends of the speaker cable to help it blend better. We'll see where I end up going with them, but for now... acceptable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetoprobe Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 I can't believe it, but the cabinet is practically finished... crazy. Here's the end-result with no DSD button box attached : Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeychunkuk Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 It's looks so good ! What's the DSD button box for ? Sent from the smut hut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetoprobe Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 The button box is for the more advanced racing games like iRacing, Assetto Corsa & F1 2014. For now, I'm just leaving it to the side since I can't use it with a PS3. It lets you control all kinds of settings like "Ignition", "Brake Bias", "Fuel Mixture", "Chat", etc. Here's someone else's that's labeled up : Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetoprobe Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 DSD button box attached : Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeychunkuk Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 WOW thats a great add on! Can you tell me what's the Check board like under foot when you press the pedal? im building a stand up cab and im worried if i fit it to mine it will be or slippy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigodassa Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 I've been following this thread since post #1. May I say this is awesome and inspiring. I have no words to express how brilliant your work is. That being sad, let me suggest something to take this setup to hyperspace. Have you ever heard of butt kicker? I am in no way affiliated to them (just want to make that clear) but I think (with all that space under your seat) that your gear is begging for this. I hope it is not against the rules to place this link here, this is the gaming version of the hardware http://www.thebuttkicker.com/gaming/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetoprobe Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Thank you for the kind words, ricpinto79. Can't wait until I get a PC built with a custom Hyperspin setup configured. Then it will be a "complete" package. Funny you should mention the "ButtKicker". Yes! I definitely want to get one of these (though, they're a little expensive). They've been out of stock for months, but they seem to be available again on http://www.buttkickergear.com/. Maybe in the next month or so I'll be able to pick one up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetoprobe Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Can you tell me what's the Check board like under foot when you press the pedal? The diamond plate actually feels pretty good under your feet. I've had 4 or 5 people try it out and not one person mentioned it being too slippery - they did mention the stock G27 pedals being too slippery, but not the diamond plate. I'd say go for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetoprobe Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 Per ricpinto79's recommendation (thanks!), I've ordered a ButtKicker Simulation kit and some RCA cables for the PS3. Looks like they should arrive sometime next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetoprobe Posted January 2, 2017 Author Share Posted January 2, 2017 It's been a couple of years since I put any work into the racing cab (been finishing my basement), but I finally got around to mounting the rear speakers properly and thought I'd share a few pics. I'm hoping to get a PC setup soon and wire the buttons for some Hyperspin action. The PS3 has been working great, although, Gran Turismo 6 is pretty complicated for young party guests. I'd really like to simplify things to be a bit more self-explanatory. I think Hyperspin and some lit control panel buttons would do the trick. Also, the ButtKicker system was a waste of money for my particular setup. Even when mounted just under the seat there isn't enough feedback. The sub from the Z5500 does way more for the experience. I think the ButtKicker needs to be mounted directly to the seat itself which isn't practical in this application. I may consider placing a small 8" sub in the base of the seat, point it upward, and using the ButtKicker amp to power it. Thanks for looking. I'll post another update once I get the PC and Hyperspin configured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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