Simple vs Complex Bartop Build (warning: newbie post)

[djhoarder]

I have been a reader of the forum for a bit, but this is actually my first post. It amazes me how so many of you have acquired skills in programming, woodworking, design, and electronics. However, I only have the skills to setup and configure hyperspin. But, I have all the passion in the world to build a bartop cab and a budget of about $1k (US). My hyperspin setup is on an external drive and ready to find a home in a cab

Of course, I'd love to customize my cabinet as much as possible, but what things should I consider without having woodworking or limited electronics skills? I also have my wife's sony vaio pcg-384L laptop running vista that she said I can completely wipe as she no longer uses it.

Most importantly, I would like the setup to be 2player with side buttons for pinball, decent sound, instant access to hyperspin (no windows or keyboard needed).

Some of my questions are:

-what is the downside of using a laptop vs new (separate) parts?

-are there any iPac-like devices that don't require soldering?

-is it recommended to use a kit if I have zero woodworking experience? If so, which would you recommend (us preferred to not have to pay shipping)?

-can Windows Vista be shelled as well as XP?

-is my budget reasonable for a solid internal/external build?

-is it easy to add a headphones jack under the front panel? I have a baby and would need to keep things quiet the apartment until he is old enough to join me.

I understand that newbie posts can be annoying for the veterans on here so I really appreciate your help.

[JohnPaulV]

if you rocking mostly older systems and low resource mame games may I suggest a Raspberry Pi, its $30 and has gpio header so you won't need to spend the money on an ipac, as well as it being its own computer with hdmi output and multiple emulator support as well as frontends available

you can cut a countertop cabinet out of one 4'x8' sheet of melamine, which is $30 bucks at menards

if you have no tools harbor freight has routers, circular saws, bits and blades which you might spend $150 on

t-molding might run you $40 since your buying a small amount

two player happ controls setup is going to be about $40

wiring is $20 with the .187" disconnects and 18awg wire

decent 22" led monitor with hdmi should be $120

so like $450 should get you a cabinet built with the computer, controls, screen, materials. you could just use that extra 500 on a core i5, 16gb ram, mobo with integrated gfx and scrap the rpi idea

laptop seems like a bad choice

[joeyjojojjjjjj]

if you rocking mostly older systems and low resource mame games may I suggest a Raspberry Pi, its $30 and has gpio header so you won't need to spend the money on an ipac, as well as it being its own computer with hdmi output and multiple emulator support as well as frontends available

you can cut a countertop cabinet out of one 4'x8' sheet of melamine, which is $30 bucks at menards

if you have no tools harbor freight has routers, circular saws, bits and blades which you might spend $150 on

t-molding might run you $40 since your buying a small amount

two player happ controls setup is going to be about $40

wiring is $20 with the .187" disconnects and 18awg wire

decent 22" led monitor with hdmi should be $120

so like $450 should get you a cabinet built with the computer, controls, screen, materials. you could just use that extra 500 on a core i5, 16gb ram, mobo with integrated gfx and scrap the rpi idea

laptop seems like a bad choice

No hyperspin on the pi. If your going to build an arcade you gots to have hyperspin!

[HazzardActual]

2 new guys in one thread?! Welcome to the boards fellas! If your looking to do Hyperspin on the cheap, you'll need a PC and not a Pi.

check out this thread for Pi stuff. http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/forum/showthread.php?38365-Raspberry-Pi-Setup-Guide

Im still draggin my feet on starting my bartop build. Ive got an old HP laptop that ran crysis at max video settings back in 07, so im hoping I can run some decent emulators on it without issue. I plan to use this cnc file when it gets posted http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/forum/showthread.php?38022-*now-whats-this*/page3 Ive got an IPAC set aside for it. I thought about ordering a Howler board, but his production schedule is really weird.

If you look around on the build threads a bunch cabs with the same style audio amp, and they have headphone jacks right next to the knob asembly. Or if you're going to use that laptop, im sure you could get a jack extension and run it to a keystone or something.

JohnPaul is right about harbor freight, that place is a gold mine for cheap ass tools

[JohnPaulV]

I was suggesting the pi because he had mentioned a IMO huge budget and asked if it were reasonable

I am in the middle of my stand up cabinet build, which I used a 40" led as a base for building. I went to Menards and grabbed 3 sheets of 3/4" black melamine and used lucid flashback cabinet plans as a reference. Since my cabinet need not be so deep with a flat panel I just ran 2' off the top of one sheet, cut here in half then length wise for my two sides which left me enough material on the second sheet to complete the body (no back door) without touching the third sheet. Now I am considering doing a super cheap countertop cab with that third sheet cause I am far too lazy to drive to Livonia to return it (crazy heavy stuff and theres too much rain/snow/winter for hauling particle board in the truck)

Since I have already gouged my pockets on my sweet standup (buying saw, router, bits, 250 extremely unnecessary feet of 3/4" tmolding, etc) I am justifying the second cabinets cost as severely subsidized with the first one, which is why I am going rpi on it. Of course HyperSpin makes more sense for the full experience but the countertop is going to be far more casual

I drilled out two players for the standup cab's control panel, and am totally disgusted with how it looks so I will probably donate those sticks and buttons to the countertop and do a fancy four player panel instead, as she deserves. This further convinces me to do a countertop.

djhoarder's questions just really hit home for me so I felt compelled to reply to this thread. I actually find the woodworking less stressful then the hyperspin configuration and I am extremely untalented with tools (and the garage I am building it in has been a comfortable 20 degrees Fahrenheit

If I had considered the total costs I may not have started in the first place

hazzard, thanks for the welcome; totally chill board ya'll got here

[joeyjojojjjjjj]

I was suggesting the pi because he had mentioned a IMO huge budget and asked if it were reasonable

I am in the middle of my stand up cabinet build, which I used a 40" led as a base for building. I went to Menards and grabbed 3 sheets of 3/4" black melamine and used lucid flashback cabinet plans as a reference. Since my cabinet need not be so deep with a flat panel I just ran 2' off the top of one sheet, cut here in half then length wise for my two sides which left me enough material on the second sheet to complete the body (no back door) without touching the third sheet. Now I am considering doing a super cheap countertop cab with that third sheet cause I am far too lazy to drive to Livonia to return it (crazy heavy stuff and theres too much rain/snow/winter for hauling particle board in the truck)

Since I have already gouged my pockets on my sweet standup (buying saw, router, bits, 250 extremely unnecessary feet of 3/4" tmolding, etc) I am justifying the second cabinets cost as severely subsidized with the first one, which is why I am going rpi on it. Of course HyperSpin makes more sense for the full experience but the countertop is going to be far more casual

I drilled out two players for the standup cab's control panel, and am totally disgusted with how it looks so I will probably donate those sticks and buttons to the countertop and do a fancy four player panel instead, as she deserves. This further convinces me to do a countertop.

djhoarder's questions just really hit home for me so I felt compelled to reply to this thread. I actually find the woodworking less stressful then the hyperspin configuration and I am extremely untalented with tools (and the garage I am building it in has been a comfortable 20 degrees Fahrenheit

If I had considered the total costs I may not have started in the first place

hazzard, thanks for the welcome; totally chill board ya'll got here

I was suggesting the pi because he had mentioned a IMO huge budget and asked if it were reasonable

I am in the middle of my stand up cabinet build, which I used a 40" led as a base for building. I went to Menards and grabbed 3 sheets of 3/4" black melamine and used lucid flashback cabinet plans as a reference. Since my cabinet need not be so deep with a flat panel I just ran 2' off the top of one sheet, cut here in half then length wise for my two sides which left me enough material on the second sheet to complete the body (no back door) without touching the third sheet. Now I am considering doing a super cheap countertop cab with that third sheet cause I am far too lazy to drive to Livonia to return it (crazy heavy stuff and theres too much rain/snow/winter for hauling particle board in the truck)

Since I have already gouged my pockets on my sweet standup (buying saw, router, bits, 250 extremely unnecessary feet of 3/4" tmolding, etc) I am justifying the second cabinets cost as severely subsidized with the first one, which is why I am going rpi on it. Of course HyperSpin makes more sense for the full experience but the countertop is going to be far more casual

I drilled out two players for the standup cab's control panel, and am totally disgusted with how it looks so I will probably donate those sticks and buttons to the countertop and do a fancy four player panel instead, as she deserves. This further convinces me to do a countertop.

djhoarder's questions just really hit home for me so I felt compelled to reply to this thread. I actually find the woodworking less stressful then the hyperspin configuration and I am extremely untalented with tools (and the garage I am building it in has been a comfortable 20 degrees Fahrenheit

If I had considered the total costs I may not have started in the first place

hazzard, thanks for the welcome; totally chill board ya'll got here

The cost always gets away from you when building a cab. I just gather supplies here and there until I have enough stuff to start. Last build I ended up with 6 extra joysticks lol. Now I have to gather supplies to build another cab or two. I have built 6 cabs in the last year, 3 bartops 2 full size two players and 1 full size 4 player. Every time it cost more then I though it would. $1000 is easy to run through when building a 4 player cab imo. I found it frustrating to setup hyperspin at first too but once you have it all setup its easy to transfer to a new cab. A platinum membership here and at emumovies coupled with hypersync will make hyperspin setup much easier but if i remember right it will set you back about 100$. Its worth it though.