MA^rME^r

Planned Parts

Control Panel

General Suppliers

Happ Controls
Lizard Lick
Ultimarc
Wico
IL (Industrius Lorenzo)
Suzo
Mikes Arcade
Video Game Parts
Playdium
Quarter Arcade
Dream Arcades

Buttons

Leaf switch buttons are generally preferred for their silence and more authentic feel. Lighting them is another story. Lighting is done via a bright LED (or two) under the button. It requires careful wiring, but the results are often stunning.

Authentic leaf-switch buttons can be found but are uncommon. Lighting can be done, see http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,30565.0.html.

Depending on supplier, you may need to purchase the leaf switch, pal nut, and a long button (to get through 3/4" wood panel) seperately, but often they are sold as a unit.

I am choosing a simpler, more effective, and perhaps slightly more costly approach. Purchased end of May, 2007, the IL Translucent Pushbutton with Horizontal Microswitch a translucent cherry switch, with the leaf-switch bracket add-on (not yet purchased).

Mid-June, buttons finally arrived - blame the bored and lonely border cops. Lizard Lick sent them right away, well packaged, etc. Highly recommended. Not a big fan of the shipping cost (blame USPS) or duties (blame...I dunno, the gov't i guess). But overall, quite happy - pay him a visit: Lizard Lick
· So thats USD$29.50 for the blue, USD$29.50 for the red, USD$18.60 to USPS, C$14.33 duty.... well, lets not spoil the fun by considering costs. (LED's are on the way too....)

Button Suppliers

Lizard Lick	IL Translucent Pushbutton with Horizontal Microswitch use with: Leaf-Switch Brackets for Micro-Switch Pushbuttons
Ultimarc	Standard selection, opaque
Happ	Wide selection
Wico	Out of business

Joysticks

Many options here. The general suppliers have many options, some suppliers specialze. The question is: 2-way, 4-way, 8-way, analog, ....
Bear in mind an 8-way can confuse 4-way games like PacMan. You may think you are pressing up, but the game thinks you are pressing life, and your little Pac buddy is sent packing. Some joysticks have restrictor-plates which let you switch. Some analog stick are programmable...It all comes down to preference. For the first time MAME cabinet builder, this is a tough call. I am still trying to figure it out.

Some options include:

Happ

	Super
	Competition

Ultimarc

Mag-Stick Plus at $29

Lizard Lick

They carry a selection from Happ, Sanwa, etc

Trackballs

I was considering: Happ in particular, the 3" Highball Trackball (blue transparent): http://www.happcontrols.com/trackballs/560110xx.htm
Mounting kit: http://www.happcontrols.com/trackballs/55110100.htm
However, (late Aug 2007) found some Betson-Imperial 3" trackballs at Active Surplus, for C$9.95, so got two of those:

Star Wars Yoke

Build one
Hack a dual-strike for the interface with 5K pots.

(two of which just arrived today - Sep 5 2007)
Or connect via Joystick port - but people seem to prefer not to go that route for some reason.

Coin Doors, Mechs, etc

Trackalls, Marquee holders, Coin doors/mechs, Etc.: http://www.happcontrols.com/

Trackball mounting kit: http://www.happcontrols.com/trackballs/55110100.htm
Various (sticks, spinners, keyboard encoder, ...): http://www.ultimarc.com/

Spinners

Top of line, supports the up/down motion of Disks of Tron

Blackhawk Up/Down Spinner (Read a review)

Another solid choice::

SlickStk Tornado Spinner

Keyboard encoder

options include:

AfterBurner (Read a review)
http://www.hagstromelectronics.com/
http://www.ultimarc.com
http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/

The optional Metal Kickplate: http://www.cutsmetal.com/
because it's got really big tracts of land...
A cabinet with such a device can be seen here.
Note that Cuts Metal seems dead, but there are other sources, I just need to add links here. I've found some doing aluminum diamond plate - should be good enuf.
Speakers:

Just some cheap PC speakers.
Need a decent looking speaker grill