I just got one as a gift and I don’t have an iPad. I was thinking of putting in all happ parts and fitting a mini LCD screen into it and plugging my PS3 into it. Thoughts? Can it be done?
The buttons are (I believe) Tiawanese Happ clones. Similar (or possibly identical) to the ones that paradise arcade sells and that Qanba uses for the non essential buttons in their lower end sticks. They are pretty much identical in quality to Happ or iL competition buttons and have extremely strong springs in them (either a plus or a minus depending on preference).
the buttons in the icade are shorter than Happ competition buttons. can’t close the icade with happ buttons
Yeah, that’s the company, I couldn’t remember the name. They use those very distinctively shaped screw in buttons.
Thanks for the heads up. This is in stock locally. Still need an LCD! What about a portable DVD player? Is there something easy with composite/component inputs?
I just picked one of these up from Bed, Bath, and Beyond at the sale price. I got iMAME up and running but don’t know how to map the buttons to my liking. Anyone know how?
I am actually working on my MAME and emulator iCade conversion. I found this monitor online.
http://www.lilliputweb.net/index.php?Controller=User_Product&action=Index&category_id=22
I am combining it with a fit-PC2 computer.
Imame was taken off the app store otherwise I’d put that on my Girlfriend’s ipad and try that. That 7" LCD is dope. I’m thinking since I don’t have good pad hacking or soldering skills I will gut a brawl stick from gamestop and try to put the guts in the icade somewhere then wire it up, switch out the button colors (But keep the same brand) and get a bat top for the stick.
THEN, I’ll redo the exterior of the cab to look like a Street Fighter 2 cab. OK!
Just finished Putting my Bartop all together. I am using Maximus Arcade for my Front End.
Hello NeoMatt, Can you please help me out with where I can buy the cable terminal thingin you have for the joystick wires to work without soldering? Anyone that knows what that thing is call please help… I have been googling trying to find that thing since I am not good with soldering.
Also another silly question regarding the JLF-TP stick… do you need a different mounting plate since there are a few different versions of the JLF-TP, I am just trying to figure out what exactly I need to order so I dont mess up modding my iCade. There is the JLF-TP-8S, JLF-TP-8S-SK, JLF-TP-8Y, and JLF-TP-8Y-SK… Can anyone tell me what the differences between these are as well? sorry for so many questions…
<— N00b here… :-/
Thank you!
iCade just announced two new controllers at CES: http://www.theverge.com/ces/2012/1/8/2692579/two-new-icade-controllers-debut-at-ces-2012
So not as cool as the big iCade.
agree… it looks cheap compare to the big iCade.
That gamepad-alike looks pretty good… but it is OBSCENELY long!
The terminal thingy, sorry, I’m French, I’m not sure about the term. It’s a wire connector (we call it “domino” in my family), but I’m pretty sure any hardware store can help you (with the picture if needed).
For the mounting plate, I used none; since the default stick is a Sanwa knockoff, the holes are in the same place. So, you want the 8Y.
Wil: not sure if you saw it yet, but pressing coin + start together pops up the MAME menu; you can remap buttons (except the 2 left ones) there.
rtdzign: woah, that’s a great mod!
Otherwise, I didn’t touch mine much until recently. Last week-end, I finally routed the sides so that I can put the iPad in landscape mode:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/27482871/IMG_0523.JPG
I went with a Dremel + router bit, but handheld, so there was a bit of a mess.
It’s however pretty stable and a nice fit.
For those interested, wood is you regular MDF: lots of dust when you route it.
Next steps: filling a bit the new trenches (with wood putty + a bit of sanding), making the bezel, the marquee, and adding a small iPod dock to the marquee.
The true plan is to have:
- stereo sound (mono x2 actually) with the dock dismantled in the marquee + 2x2" speakers coming out of it.
- a detachable cable for AC power (I’ll probably go with a dock that allows this, but has no rechargeable battery)
- soldering one of my old iPod/Phone/Pad cables on the dismantled dock, and digging a hole on the side to plug the iPad.
I’ll probably go with a Octiv mini for the dock: http://www.alteclansing.com/ae/us/ipod-iphone-speakers/octiv-mini-m102/invt/m102/
No buttons, one speaker (too big for the marquee however), detachable cable for AC.
I do agree with Kikimaru24 that it’s kinda cute, however the newer more utilitarian design kinda misses the boat altogether for me assuming a tatsunoko controller with a wiimote works with an ios device.
Doubt I’d get one for myself at any rate since even though I think more buttons is safer for those few games that might utilize them, i can’t help but think a six button layout would’ve been better for this small scale application. As things are, they look a little cramped up next to the joystick.
However looking at it I can’t help but wonder is that thing big enough to fit a commodore 1084s or some other vintage R.G.B. C.R.T. monitor if you cut out a hole in the back to make up for the difference in depth. My guess is probably nooot but it’d be pretty nifty if you could.
Also I looks like it’d pair perfectly with a PSOne underneath.
Neomatt: Digging your work. The side slots for proper landscape are genius. I mainly want to do this, and some light control customization. Im going to try to leave the stock buttons, but replace the switches with Happ switches (noticed someone else here did that with good results). Hopefully this will make the buttons quieter (the loudness/tightness of the clicking is driving me insane). Don’t mind the stock joystick, but want to throw a Sanwa 4/8-Way adjustable restrictor on there (assuming it will fit) so I can get true 4-Way action.
I was lucky enough to get iMame before it got banned, but I might have to JB down the road if iCade compatibility improves. It’s good now, but the fact that the two red buttons are basically useless is very annoying (they’re like hard-coded to have special functions for the emulator and don’t work properly when trying to reassign commands to them in mame). This prevents a good comfortable neo-geo style four button position using the two reds and top two black buttons. As it stands my fingers are like gnarled into a triangle on the black buttons for anything using more than 2 buttons.
It’s a cool little piece of hardware though.
Thanks man! Good luck with your customisation.
As for the controls, I actually modified and compiled my own version of iMAME4All a while ago, to change the buttons (the 2 at the right were the function ones).
Seleuco, the dev for iMAME4All, would however prefer an option to set those. I need to find a way to re-compile and add this (right now, it’s failing), but he’s not totally against it.
Tonepoet: actually, I thought about the buttons, since the last 2 are option buttons (no game/emulator uses them).
After the rest is done, I may try 2-3 things:
- add a smaller “start” button (the “1-player” logo) on the top right, in place of the ION logo,
- replace the 25c light with a rectangular pushbutton with similar art and light. This way, you get the “insert coin” feel.
- plug the holes and re-do a proper panel template, more NeoGeo.
edit: also, for the screen, you probably could (depending of how much you let it “float” in the back, and only add the tube), but search a 10" screen, not a 14" like the Commodore; that won’t fit.
To give you an idea, the iPad has a 10" screen in my picture above.
Ben Heck basically made a controller like the one announced at CES out of the iCade which is fairly interesting from a “rip it apart and see what we can do” perspective.