Technohat's Dr. Who Widebody Cabinet Build

[technohat]

I've been wanting to build a Dr. Who themed Hyperpin cabinet for some time now, but I don't have the room in my apartment. I'm in the process of looking for a house and when I find one, I'll have room to start building one. Until then, I figured I would at least start acquiring some of the parts piece by piece. I happened to run across an opened box warehouse deal on a Samsung UN46D6000 46-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV [LINK] for $454.60 and couldn't pass it up.

After the screen showed up, I set it up in my spare bedroom and attempted to install HyperPin and Virtual Pinball on a spare duel core laptop I had laying around. It has 3 GBS of ram and a 256 MB ATI video card.

HyperPin seemed to run fine but Virtual Pinball was pretty much unplayable. I broke down and decided to order the PC parts of my cabinet build ahead of schedule.

PC Parts

Gigabyte Intel Z68 ATX DDR3 2133 LGA 1155 Motherboards GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 $147.99 ($127.99 after mail-in rebate)

Intel Core i5-2500K Processor $209.99

Crucial 64 GB m4 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive SATA 6Gb/s CT064M4SSD2 $79.99

Corsair Vengeance Blue 16 GB DDR3 SDRAM Dual Channel Memory Kit CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9B $97.98

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16390[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]16391[/ATTACH]

MSI N560GTX TI TWIN FROZR II 2GD5 OC Graphics Card $199.00 ($179.99 after mail-in rebate.)

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply $109.99 ($89.99 after mail-in rebate)

Belkin Conserve Socket with Energy-Saving Outlet - $23.20

Windows 7 Professional 64-bit - Free (I had a left over license from a previous PC build where I blew away the installed operationg system that the computer came with and installed a different one, leaving me with an unused Windows 7 license.)

Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan $49.99

While I really don't need a computer case, I figured I could use it for now until I get the cabinet built and then possibly re-use it for another pc build down the road.

I'm using a 30" NEC LCD3000 for the backglass monitor that I bought on Ebay for $315 shipped.

I also pre-ordered an orange Vishay LEE-128G032-1 LED DMD with power supply from Virtuapin. The total with tax and shipping came to $299.21.

The Mean Well RS-15-5 (3A) power supply I ordered from Virtuapin to go with the DMD however doesn't come with a power cord to plug it into the wall. A quick trip to the hardware store to pick up a power cord and some spade terminals. The power cord was $3.17 including tax. The 16-14 AWG spade connectors(#4-#6 stud vinyl insulated) were $2.43 including tax for a box of twenty.

I'm using a PinDMD board ($96.61 shipped) to control my DMD.

I picked up 9 SIEMENS 3TH80 31-0B CONTACTORS 24V DC 660V 31E R11846 from an ebay auction for $39.99 plus $14.42 shipping. [LINK]

I picked up four IKU-12 GE 12 Pole Terminal Blocks brand new in the box for $10 shipped off of Ebay. [LINK]

I scavenged a power connector and power switch as well as a couple of nice metal handles off of a large wall mounted LCD display pulled from the trash. Price = FREE!

I purchased a female electrical plug to wire up to the end of the power connector and switch. The female plug cost me $3.71 shipped. [LINK]

I scavenged a whole bunch of 18 AWG wire to use in my build from old PC power cords. Price = FREE! I have a tutorial deeper in the thread for anyone who's interested.

To simplify wiring, I decided to go with Zebulon's amazing LEDWiz Booster Boards. [LINK] I also ordered his shaker and gear motor board as well. [LINK] $458.57 combined including shipping from Canada.

I picked up a CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 600W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply to power my Zebulon boards from Newegg.com for $37.99 after rebates. [LINK].

I picked up a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic SB0460 PCI Card off of eBay for $27.40 shipped. [LINK]

I found a Logitech Z3 2.1 sound system for $10.59 at the local thrift store. Here's an Amazon link for those without an awesome thrift store nearby. [LINK]

Indiana Jones Pinball Launcher Gun.

The total price with shipping and tax came to $137.79.

Pinball Launcher Gun Parts:

1. 21-6692-1 Gun Handle, Right (1 needed) [LINK]

2. 21-6692-2 Gun Handle, Left (1 needed) [LINK]

3. 01-11066 Trigger (1 needed) [LINK]

4. 10-320 Extension Spring (red) (1 needed) [LINK]

5. 5647-12133-12 Miniature Switch (1 Needed) [LINK]

6. 02-4547 Fastner (3 needed) [LINK]

7. 4702-00014-00B Lockwasher #1/4, Int. Tooth (Black) (3 needed) [LINK]

8. 4700-00129-00B Flatwasher, 13/64 x 15/32 x22ga (3 needed) [LINK]

9. 4702-00013-00B Lockwasher #10, Int. Tooth (Black) (3 needed) [LINK]

10. 4010-01097-06B Mach. Screw, #10-32 x 3/8 TR-BH (3 needed) [LINK]

11. (No part numbers listed) Carriage Screws, Washers and Locknuts for mounting the gun (4 of each needed) [LINK]

The trigger I got for free from Aurich as he had a bunch of acrylic replicas made up (if you ask nice he might give you one too) but I added a link to a place where you can order one of the metal triggers if you so desire.

Maxxsinner's Coin Door Interface Board (unpopulated) - FREE! (Thanks Aurich!)

I-PAC2 [LINK] plus 16 High-Performance Arcade Pushbuttons with integral minature gold-plated leaf switches [LINK] - $88.20 shipped from the UK.

Female Disconnect Kit x3 [LINK] - $7.85 including tax.

2-Wire lever-Nut Box of Fifty [LINK] - $14.83 including tax.

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Since the Dr. Who pinball is my favorite pinball machine of all time, I figured I would make my cabinet a Dr. Who cabinet. I would like to have a dalek topper on my cabinet along with the aftermarket Dalek motorization kit. I'm not sure yet how it would need to be wired up to get the game to control it, but I'm sure it's possible. Anybody have a spare Dalek topper laying around they want to get rid of?

I would also like to use either an original speaker/dmd cover or a reproduction and have leds behind each of the seven doctors controlled by the game. That would be sweet!

All of the awesome cabinet build people have made have really inspired me, but the following seem to be some of the best

Mameman's Dr. Who build

Chrisz99's 46" / 30" / 19" widebody Star Trek:TNG cabinet

Chrisz99's Widebody Big Bang Pin Cabinet

There are plenty more great cabinets, but I don't feel like listing them all. Mameman has produced so many that it's hard to keep track of how many he's done. In the time it's taken me to type up this post, he's probably whipped up several more cabinets.

[mameman]

sounds cool cant wait, i am just in the process now of restoring a real doctor who pin. i forgot how expensive it was....

dalek topper, i am also looking for as mine is missing it. very tough to find. the call from the rom is already in place to control this so using the ledwiz should not be an issue. As is the light matrix for lighting the 7 doctors along the dmd panel (i could use one of these also). I already have the artwork done for this from my original machine so i may/you could use this to cover a sheet of acrylic as i did on the first and light it from behind and it should look fine.

i also have the artwork files if you want to tweak them some to do the cabinet.

the 28" hanspress will work fine, you will have around a 2" border on all sides of the monitor in a std head. only issue maybe with the tv model versus the monitor model is not auto powering on.(remember state).

and yes, already cut out the sides for another

[technohat]

sounds cool cant wait, i am just in the process now of restoring a real doctor who pin. i forgot how expensive it was....

dalek topper, i am also looking for as mine is missing it. very tough to find. the call from the rom is already in place to control this so using the ledwiz should not be an issue. As is the light matrix for lighting the 7 doctors along the dmd panel (i could use one of these also). I already have the artwork done for this from my original machine so i may/you could use this to cover a sheet of acrylic as i did on the first and light it from behind and it should look fine.

i also have the artwork files if you want to tweak them some to do the cabinet.

the 28" hanspress will work fine, you will have around a 2" border on all sides of the monitor in a std head. only issue maybe with the tv model versus the monitor model is not auto powering on.(remember state).

and yes, already cut out the sides for another

The only time I saw a real Dr. Who cabinet was at a hotel in Wisconsin and they had it stuck out in the pool area. I just about cried. If they kept it out there, the excessive humidity probably killed it eventually. Good luck on your restoration!

As for the Dalek topper, we may just have to attempt making a reproduction, perhaps with a 3d printer. Now I just wish I knew someone with a 3d printer. :-)

With your artwork files, the DMD panel shouldn't be too difficult. So, yes, if I could get the files from you, that would be great! What format are they in?

The 28" hanpress monitor I linked to is encased in a huge round basketball frame. With that much space to work with, who knows what kind of weird frame the screen might be in. Not to mention the circuit board and power supply. In any event I'll keep my eyes open and if I don't find something better, I may take a chance on it.

[technohat]

OK, I broke down and bought a 30" LCD3000 off of ebay for $315 shipped. I really need to stop buying stuff for awhile. This is an expensive hobby. :-)

[mameman]

That was a good deal and a nice grab for the backglass.

If we can get a 3d model, I shoud be able to cnc the Dalek.

If I coud get my hands on one, I coud also mold it and make another.

[technohat]

That was a good deal and a nice grab for the backglass.

If we can get a 3d model, I shoud be able to cnc the Dalek.

If I coud get my hands on one, I coud also mold it and make another.

Hopefully we can get our hands on one for molding or someone takes pity on us and makes a 3D model. While an original dalek would be nice to have, I would be perfectly happy with a reproduction. If I run across one I'll be sure to let you know.

[ebarlow99]

here is the motor upgrade

http://www.wobbleheadkit.com/Buy_It_Now.html

[chriz99]

welcome aboard, can't wait to see more pics

[technohat]

welcome aboard, can't wait to see more pics

I'll be happy to provide more once I have something to show.

Most, if not all, of the PC parts should show up tomorrow (Friday) and I can start putting that together. Hopefully the backglass monitor will show up in a timely manner.

I'm thinking that instead of using a normal coin mech for my cabinet, I'll get a token coin mech and a bunch of tokens. That way when my niece and nephew come over to visit I can hand them a bunch of tokens and they can have fun until they run out. Help them learn self-control and decision making. With only x number of tokens, which games should I play? I should actually try to play right instead of just screwing around. Every token counts. Later on when I have kids, I can then use the tokens as a reward. Do all your chores and you get a bag of tokens to use. It would be cool to get my own custom tokens made up. It would be neat to have a TARDIS on the backside of the token to go along with my Dr. Who theme. Token Direct and Hoffman Mint will both do custom tokens, but I would have to order at least 5000. Maybe if we come up with a cool design, a bunch of us could go together on an order? It's an idea at least.

[technohat]

The Video card arrived today!

Hopefully the rest of the PC parts show up tomorrow, otherwise I'll have to wait until Monday to start working on it.

[technohat]

The rest of the PC parts have arrived.

I've assembled the PC and installed Windows 7 64-bit. Right now I'm running windows update. The 30" NEC display won't show up until sometime next week, so I'll have to use an old dell monitor I have until it comes in.

[kizam33]

Good idea on going with the pindmd. i want to do the same when i start mine. sounds like your spare room will soon be the man cave drawing board room. if you do start your build before your move, maybe think about putting the hinges on the backbox. easier to go through door ways lol

good luck and we will be watching. oh and thx for the links big help.

[technohat]

Good idea on going with the pindmd. i want to do the same when i start mine. sounds like your spare room will soon be the man cave drawing board room. if you do start your build before your move, maybe think about putting the hinges on the backbox. easier to go through door ways lol

good luck and we will be watching. oh and thx for the links big help.

You're welcome. I like it when other people put in links to where they buy things, so I figured I should do it too. Unfortunately, I live on the second floor of an old house with narrow doors and tight corners. If I built it in my apartment I would never get it out without totally dissassembling it. Oh well, hopefully I'll find a house soon with a nice garage and/or basement where I can work on it some more.

I've got Hyperpin and Virtual Pinball installed along with Dr. Who, Indiana Jones and Black Knight 2000 tables so far. My 30" monitor hasn't arrived yet, so I'm using an old dell 19" for now. The white vertical line in each picture is an artifact of the camera flash.

The replacement Hyperpin wheel I'm using, was created by zebulon and came from this thread.

When I first tried setting up Virtual Pinball on the laptop, I had trouble creating the NVRAM for Dr. Who. I could insert coins but the number of credits wouldn't increase. I ended up grabbing my old NVRAM from a backup and then it started to work fine. When I built the new pc, I just copied over the NVRAM rather than waste time trying to create a new file. In hindsight I suspect the problem may have been related to the directory and all files contained within being marked read only, but that's only a guess. If anybody needs a copy of my NVRAM, let me know and I'll send you a copy.

[technohat]

My 30" NEC LCD3000 backglass monitor arrived today.

It's a really decent monitor and built like a tank too. It's definitely solidly built as you can see from the pictures. I just want to thank chriz99 for clueing me in on both the NEC and the Samsung LED monitor. I think they are both going to work out great for my build! The 46" Samsung LED panel has got to be one of the best looking displays I've ever seen. After seeing it in action, I couldn't even imagine going with a different monitor for the playfield.

Now I just have to pick up PinDMD and a DMD to go with it...

[chriz99]

nice find with the LCD3000, you gonna love it

[wowter]

great find on the LCD3000, it is getting harder to find an affordable 30" monitor.... new ones are at least 1000,-

second hand seems to be the way to go (for as long as it lasts). I personally will probably settle for a 28" ......

[technohat]

nice find with the LCD3000, you gonna love it

I love it already! What resolution do you run your LCD3000 at? I ask this, because I couldn't get the DMD to appear on the backglass on the native resolution, but when I set it to a higher resolution, it appeared. A bit odd, but whatever.

[technohat]

I went ahead and ordered the following power strip for my cabinet.

Belkin Conserve Socket with Energy-Saving Outlet - $23.20

This way when I turn on the pc it will power on the rest of the equipment at the same time.

I should probably also mention that I'm running Windows 7 Professional 64-bit.

Windows 7 Professional 64-bit - Free (I had a left over license from a previous PC build where I blew away the installed operationg system that the computer came with and installed a different one, leaving me with an unused Windows 7 license.)

[chriz99]

1280x768 is the native resolution of the LCD3000

[kronic24601]

To either Chris, or technohat ... on yourLCD3000, when it's on, do you hear a relatively loud fan noise coming from the upper left side of the display? I have bought two from a supplier on eBay (used obviously), and there is kind of a loud fan running up there for both of them. I'm curious if it's common for this model, or if I should tear the thing apart and replace the fan.

Love to hear your thoughts...

[technohat]

To either Chris, or technohat ... on yourLCD3000, when it's on, do you hear a relatively loud fan noise coming from the upper left side of the display? I have bought two from a supplier on eBay (used obviously), and there is kind of a loud fan running up there for both of them. I'm curious if it's common for this model, or if I should tear the thing apart and replace the fan.

Love to hear your thoughts...

Mine appears to have a slight high pitched noise coming from it, but it sounds more like a high voltage hum/squeal and not a fan noise.

[kronic24601]

hmmm ... well perhaps that is it. When I finally get a spare moment I'll investigate further. thanks!

[technohat]

The power strip arrived and seems to work great!

I also pre-ordered an orange Vishay LEE-128G032-1 LED DMD with power supply from Virtuapin. The total with tax and shipping came to $299.21.

[MTPPC]

Target had those belkin smart strips on clearance about 6 months ago and I picked one up for around 14 bucks.

[technohat]

Target had those belkin smart strips on clearance about 6 months ago and I picked one up for around 14 bucks.

My local Target store doesn't have any smart strips at all. I'm glad you were able to find one so cheap. They're really handy.

Also, I ordered the PinDMD to go with my dot matrix display. The total with shipping to the U.S. came to 60.83 British pounds sterling which is roughly $94.39. I'll know the exact amount when I get my credit card bill.