My first hurdle. This is how each side of the monitor looks when it is placed next to where it will be mounted. You can see that the brackets will not clear the cabinet sides.

I only have 19 and 1/2 inches of space, and the monitor frame is about 1 inch too wide.

I decided to take a saw to the monitor frame. I made some aluminum brackets that bolt through the cabinet top, then I made some steel reinforcements to attach to the brackets and the frame. I also created a raised platform to get the monitor to sit at the right height.

I used the original bolts to hold the 2x4's to the side panel, then 4 screws hold the monitor to the plywood platform. I used the original monitor mounting bolts to hold the aluminum brackets to the top.

Control panels with new graphics, reunion joysticks and buttons.

I am not going for a "like new" look with this cabinet, so I didn't strip and powdercoat the metal panels. When done, it will still have the original "much loved" appearance of a well maintained but used cabinet.

The PC I'm using is a Dell Optiplex GX150. It is a desktop system that happens to have a small motherboard configuration. I am using a Turtle Beach Montego soundcard, and will be getting an Ultimarc ArcadeVGA video card.

This is a shot of the PC test. I took all of the PC components out of the case and hooked them up to make sure they would work. I also used a 300W power supply instead of the 90W that came with the PC (yes, I said 90W). I will be running a couple extra fans and the cabinet lights, so I didn't see any point in stressing the stock power supply.

It is now up and running! I am using Cocktail FE. I still have to weed out the games I will never play, and set the games up for cocktail mode. Cocktail FE does not have a universal switch to set all games to automatically flip, so I have to go into the dip switch settings in MAME and set it there.

Note that the control panel and coin door lights are hooked up to the PC power supply and working great!

Here is a shot of Galaga running in demo mode. The blur is from not using the camera flash. The usual digital choice of blurry pictures without a flash or a dark looking screen with flash.

The white thing in the lower left of the picture is the remote screen adjust. I haven't decided where to permanently attach it yet. I think I may rig it up so it's on a hook on the cabinet just inside the coin door, so it can be pulled out if adjustment is needed.

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