How To: Install a non-PCB joystick in a 5-pin harness

How To: Install a non-PCB joystick in a 5-pin harness

by emphatic1 Comment
Connecting a 5-pin JST-H solution "for dummies" When is this needed? Many Japanese cabinets (or well built console Arcade sticks) use a JST 5-pin connector that will install a SANWA JLF or a Seimitsu LS-32-01 quick and easy (see the picture above) in their control panels. So? Well, sometimes you want to mix it up, and bring in something without that handy 5-pin JST-H connector available. There are some very nice sticks out there, like the SUZO 500 (it's ugly, but very hard to beat for shooting games) that with a custom shaft can blend in like a good weave in your cabinet. I will use my custom built stick for this guide, but any stick using 4 microswitches can be hooked up this way. How do you recommend I do this? I've always been doing harnesses for my non-PCB equipped sticks, but I figured out a way to use a worn out JLF...
Read More
Ultracade Universal Video Converter

Ultracade Universal Video Converter

by emphaticNo Comments
What it does The Ultracade Universal Video Converter, or UVC for short, can convert a high res video signal into an arcade monitor compatible RGBS signal. In 15kHz or in 24kHz. There are other ways of hooking up a high res source to an arcade cabinet like this, but no other can output to 24kHz (AFAIK).  From the manual: " This is a very simple board that has only one function, to allow the display of PC based games on older arcade style monitors. The board needs to be an external device that requires no modification to the software running on the PC. It will handle one of three input resolutions (1024x768, 800x600 or 640x480) with a vertical refresh rate of 60Hz and output to one of two user selectable output modes (640x240@15.72KHz)...
Read More
XBox 360 Cabinet Themes

XBox 360 Cabinet Themes

by emphatic4 Comments
"Cabifying" your 360 dashboard What's that you say? I noticed that you could browse pictures in the dashboard of the XBox 360 and decided to see if this could be utilized to create a "theme" of sorts. I then made an EGRET II theme that worked really well in my cabinet. As I shared this on some arcade forums I frequent, the ball got rolling and now I've made a few more of these. Some have multiple versions with colour variations. How do I install them then? You download these images to a USB device that's compatible with your XBox 360, or if you have a Home network, you put them in a folder that you can browse to from your 360's Picture Library. When you have the image selected, press the Y button to use it as a background. Once you've done this once, a new theme will be created that you can select from your User account. Sammy Atomiswave Sitdown | Click image...
Read More
2011-02-24

2011-02-24

by emphatic1 Comment
A couple of days ago, I fell in love. See pictures below: Hand made, all metal, extremely short throw/engage, super-sweet goodness. Nicer than a tweaked SUZO 500 even. This is my stick of choice now. If these go into production, look no further for that perfect joystick if you're into shmups. I've suggested some (size) changes so it can be a drop-in replacement for that crap HORI put in their sticks. If the maker of the beauty above can get the height down I can put one in my Guwange stick. ...
Read More
2011-01-27

2011-01-27

by emphatic2 Comments
Today I got my hands on something that's very cool. The SLG3000. It's a tiny dedicated unit that produces scanlines for game consoles or emulator setups where you don't have a scanline option in the video settings, or when you don't want to put extra processing strain on your emulator setup. It will accept VGA source video through it's VGA input (female) and output it with added scanlines through it's VGA output (female). This thing doesn't need external power, as the video sources' sync line can make it work anyway. Pretty damn cool. It has some nifty settings that you can access by setting the DIP switches on the unit. For example, you can choose to apply these scanlines to even or odd lines. This comes in handy when you have an interlaced Dreamcast game, as the scanlines can mask this effect leaving you with a flicker/interlace free picture. It can also add that missing "CRT" feeling...
Read More
2011-01-14

2011-01-14

by emphaticNo Comments
Received this awesome RGB Scart to JAMMA adapter today from Australia. A couple of days ago I also got a pair of Akihabarashop's P360 so tonight I finished wiring it (no soldering nor crimping needed) them up like this: The RGB to Scart adapter picture have a nifty ribbon cable that you can move from the screw connector board (where I hooked up the P360, green screw connectors) to the one on the far right with the JAMMA controls passthrough board. I plan on using this setup for my low res only cabinet. I tried some quick PS2 hookup just to see the picture quality. It is brilliant! ...
Read More