Restoring a New Astro City

[niark]

Hello everyone,

This is a historic moment for me: I just bought a New Astro City arcade cabinet! I'll be picking it up during my vacation and restoring it with my students.

My plan is to install a MiSTer FPGA inside, along with a Philips 29PT5305 screen. I'm hesitating between two options: either plugging everything into a power strip (MiSTer, TV) and connecting the 2-player control panel via USB, or going for a MiSTer JAMMA setup.

For now, I’m leaning towards the first option, as it would also allow me to connect consoles like the Neo Geo CD and use the panel via a USB converter. However, I’d love to hear your thoughts: what are the pros and cons of these two setups? I'd also like to use the coin mechanism to add credits via MiSTer, but I don't see how to do that without JAMMA wiring. If anyone has a solution, I’d really appreciate it.

Before bringing the cabinet to class, I also need to restore the exterior. If anyone has tips, especially regarding the paint color reference, varnish, or the best way to remove and reapply the side stickers without damaging them, I’d love to know. I’m also open to any advice on common mistakes to avoid.

I'm planning to upgrade the 2-player, 4-button panel to a 6-button layout and might take the opportunity to replace the buttons as well. Since I mostly play shmups, I was thinking of going with Sanwa buttons and a Seimitsu stick, but I’m not an expert. If you have any recommendations for specific parts, let me know! Also, can I modify the panel directly?

If I go with USB, I’ve seen that a Raspberry Pi Zero can help reduce input lag. Is this a good option, or are there better-performing boards available?

Anyway, if you have any advice or experiences to share, I’d love to hear them! Thanks in advance!

[PC Engine Fan X!]

There are two Mister jamma setups:

1.) Irken Lab's Mister Jamma Expander: https://irkenlabs.com/product/jamma-exp ... cvLKuDm19d

and

2.) Mister Add-On's variant here, Mistercade v2: https://misteraddons.com/products/miste ... k1yUB3KILI

As for the Raspberry Pi-based jamma pcbs, here are two good examples:

Recal RGB Jamma; https://shop.recalbox.com/products/reca ... mplete-kit This particular jamma pcb kit is shipped internationally from France and payable with PP. You can use either a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 setup with this jamma pcb kit.

and

Crown Arcade Jamma pcb for Raspberry Pi 4: https://crownarcade.co.kr/products/jamm ... hLthaEMMuI I bought one of these Crown Arcade jamma pcb for Raspberry Pi using an Raspberry 4 with 8gb of ram that's been overclocked and uses a USB keyboard to coin up/credit up a selected arcade rom using Final Burn Neo emulator to play the cool Cave arcade stg roms such as Donpachi, DoDonpachi, DoDonpachi Dai-Ou-Jou, DoDonpachi Dai Fukkatsu v1.5 & Black Label and even DoDonpahi Sai-Dai-Ou-Jou as well. You'd press the Right Shift key to insert a credit with a USB keyboard hooked to the Raspberry Pi 4 itself rather than using the candy cab's coin slot to credit an arcade game rom. What's nice about using a USB arcade spinner and/or USB arcade trackball with the Crown Arcade jamma RPi setup is, they provide the right controller to play said arcade roms such as Tempest, Arkanoid 1 & 2, Breakout, Centipede, Millipede, Marble Madness, etc with the correct arcade controls just like how they were originally played back in the "Golden Age of Arcades" era -- the 1980s. I use a "Tornado Spinner with USB 2.0 interface" myself and it has two ball bearings pre-installed + the properly weighted flywheel combined for silky-smooth rotary spinning action at it's best.

Here's a GRS manufactured USB arcade trakball + spinner combo: https://www.amazon.com/tsticks-GRS-Trac ... 193&sr=8-4

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As for the choice of proper Japanese arcade parts, either go with Sanwa Denshi or Seimitsu manufactured ones -- Sanwa arcade joysticks are primarily preferred for use with fighting games whereas with Seimitsu arcade joysticks are preferred for use with stg based games.

There are three major websites that sell Japanese arcade parts all based in the USA:

https://arcadeshock.com/

https://focusattack.com/

https://paradisearcadeshop.com/
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In addition to playing arcade jamma pcbs, either Mister jamma or a Raspberry Pi jamma pcb set, you can also hook up your favorite old-school gaming consoles via using a Euro Scart cable, a Brook Retro and/or Ultimate Board (for two-player capability, you'd need to have two Brook Boards) + the appropriate RJ-45 cord to retro gaming console used with an Arthrimus Console JAMMizer V2 pcb setup: https://arthrimus.com/product/console-j ... pre-order/

Brook Ultimate Board with Neo-Geo compatabilitiy on Arcade Shock site: https://arcadeshock.com/collections/bro ... etro-board

Brook Retro Board on Arcade Shock site: https://arcadeshock.com/collections/bro ... etro-board
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PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[niark]

I'm waiting to see if the existing buttons are functional, but in any case, I'll have to replace at least one joystick. I’ll occasionally play fighting games, although I'm clearly more into shmups, beat 'em all, and hack 'n' slash. I already know these two brands, but I'm not familiar with their models. Browsing through the forum, I noticed that the Seimitsu LS-56 model comes up quite often, even though some people mention that modifications are needed. I play a lot on the PC Engine using a Mayflash F500, so I'm not overly demanding. However, since it's an arcade cabinet, I'd like to have something that really holds up.

While searching through various European stores, I found that none of them offer the same Seimitsu LS-56 model (Seimitsu LS-56-MS, Seimitsu LS-56-01, Seimitsu LS-56-SE, etc.), so I'm a bit lost. Regarding the Sanwa buttons, are there different categories, or is it just the size that varies?

As for the screen, I have a Philips 29PT5324/01R with RGB Péritel. When I opened it up, I noticed a board at the top with a plug-in connector. Does anyone know what it's for? The board is connected to the panel with several soldered cables. Would the simplest solution be to use a Jamma-to-Scart board, I suppose? This is the first time I'm converting a TV screen into an arcade monitor, so I'm open to any information. If I have the opportunity to get a Nanao MS8 or MS9 board, will they be compatible with my tube? And what should I check for regarding compatibility?

The idea of using a Raspberry Pi doesn't appeal to me, since I don't have one and I have easier access to computers with a 3rd or 4th generation i5, which are probably more powerful than a Raspberry Pi. Therefore, for software emulation, I'll more likely opt for salvaged PC parts

[PC Engine Fan X!]

On the Arcade Shock site, they sell the Seimitsu LS-56 arcade stick here: https://arcadeshock.com/collections/sei ... 6-joystick

Since you're based out of Europe with your retro RGB monitor, it'd be more easier to buy an Euro Scart cable for use with your Neo-Geo CD console straight up without the need to use an Arithrimus Console to JAMMizer setup (but if you want greater retro gaming console compatability, it's a very nice option to have on-hand).

As far as the Sanwa Denshi push buttons go, they're sold in either the smaller 24mm & larger 30mm sized ones -- you'd want the larger 30mm sized buttons on your New Astro City candy cab's control panel setup -- OBSF type Sanwa push buttons work great.

Yes, some retro arcade gaming hobbyists have a retro PC gaming rig running Mame, RetroArch, Final Burn Neo, etc, the right low-resolution 15.7kHz graphics card (the Arcade VGA setup is one) + using "Soft 15K" utility program to get the PC retro rig to properly output correctly with the right cable and hooked up to your retro RGB monitor, you'd be all set.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[MKL]

If I have the opportunity to get a Nanao MS8 or MS9 board, will they be compatible with my tube? And what should I check for regarding compatibility?

No. The Nanao chassis work with a tube that has a horizontal deflection coil of 0.3 mH while that of the A68ESF002X111 is 1.23 mH. It's a big difference that makes it incompatible. It would work with other 15KHz arcade chassis, notably the Italian ones like Hantarex Polo or Intervideo VP.

Also, the A68ESF is flatter than the original Astro tube so its curvature won't match the curvature of the bezel.

[niark]

Thanks for the info. Is getting a Hantarex Polo or an Intervideo VP worth it, or would it make no difference? Apparently, I can already adjust quite a few things, including the geometry via the remote control and setting up a switch to activate the menu. I haven't tried it yet.

If there are any easy improvements I can make to my screen, I'm open to suggestions. Also, does the empty connector at the top serve to connect a control panel directly to the TV?

[MKL]

You already have a TV so try that first and see if you're satisfied. If you're not you know there are other options.

That connector is just an alternative for connecting the wires on the deflection yoke. Sometimes they are soldered to the tabs as in your case, other times they use that plug:

https://postimg.cc/8JQ3yrck

In other words the connector is useless and you should leave it alone.

[niark]

I'm asking this now because I need to remove all the dust first. The TV had about 2 cm of dust when I got it. So, I’ll have to open it up, and I’m hesitating between replacing all the capacitors right away and making all the useful modifications at the same time.

[niark]

Here I have recovered the terminal.

I'm going to have to make all the stones. Looking at, it is quite simple to make the Jamma wiring in any case it is to document well. On the other hand, I find it difficult to understand the wiring for the neon, the cointer and for the speakers.

When I look at the diagram, the neon is supplying directly with 100V of the diet. But when I read the doc, it is indicated that the power supply has +5V rails, +12V and -5V.

I thought I could feed everything from a PC power supply and since I am in Europe the sector is 220V. I have a card that allows me to connect the power supply directly to recover the points +5V -5V and 12V that I will connect to the Jamma.

For the speakers, I see where they are connected, that I can recover the mono sound of the Jamma. Apparently to access the stereo, you must add a stereo amp which you advise me. And how to feed the speakers? If I have an amp it will be the amp that will take care of it via a connector at the panel but for the Jamma?