VF4@Home

This is just a post for those that are interested in what
VF4 looks like:

 

apologies for my rudeness but "from which importer?", "how much?" and "u bloody lucky bastard" spring to mind ^_^

 

I don't suppose you're willing to part with how much it cost?

 

ah so you finally got around to it.

 

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apologies for my rudeness but "from which importer?", "how much?" and "u bloody lucky bastard" spring to mind

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Actually, I tried to convince the buyer to not get it but as you can see, he did anyway.

Distro: Betson

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ah so you finally got around to it.

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Yeah, I finally got around to taking pics. I don't have my own digicam yet.

 

Oh my goodness, less than 3G's to setup your very own VF4@home? Does it come with a cup holder? Where could I get one? Betson who?

 

He really shouldn't be running it through video. VGA is the best solution for VF4.
Now, finding a big enough VGA monitor is the next thing to do

 

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He really shouldn't be running it through video. VGA is the best solution for VF4.
Now, finding a big enough VGA monitor is the next thing to do

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It IS displaying video via VGA. The owner's monitor is a 27" Princeton. At my place, we use a 36" HDTV which also has VGA inputs.

 

can you take a picture of the sticks you guys use?

 

Hmm
Crappy looking monitor. Sure looks curved.
I have a 29inch VGA and I have wired PS Namco sticks up to the board. Works really well.

 

Thinking about buying one...questions

Hey guys, I'm seriously thinking about getting one again. Some questions, and I apologize if they sound stupid:

- Is an American kit compatible with a Japanese cabinet?
- Is wiring a kit to a TV difficult? Would it require soldering, fancy wiring, etc.?
- Same with console sticks?
- What was the number of that 2nd hand Astro City cabinet place again Adam?
- Is setting up kit + cabinet a tricky process?
- What's the process like for repairing sticks? Is there a resource somewhere that I can consult on what to do?
- Do you think the fire marshall would consider it a fire hazard if I got one in the commons room of my dorm, heh heh...

Thanks for the help guys...

 

Re: Thinking about buying one...questions

Here are some answers for you
1. The kit is Jamma compatible. It will run on any jamma cabinet. You can select 15 or 31KHz signals your monitor.
2. The Naomi 2 has VGA out, so you can hook it to your PC monitor. It also has a daughterboard that puts out 15KHz, so you can hook it into a TV with an RGB input
3. Sticks are sticks - they are all the same. You can wire *ANY* stick to any cabinet, even the PSX and DC ones. Look up a Jamm wire diagram to see what pins do what. To complete a circuit you need the pin for the action (Punch, kick, guard, up, down etc) and +5volts, which is on the jamma connector. Join them via a switch(ie a button on a stick) and you have a circuit that registers on and off (punch or no punch, for example).
4. FIIK
5. Not really. If you have troubles an arcade vendor will do it for you for a small fee (make sure he doesn't swap the board for VF3 though )
6. Just buy new ones and wire them up. I use the Namco sticks for the PSX. They are very good, have tight stick movements and great buttons. They are nearly out of stock now so look around and you may be able to find some for $10US.

 

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can you take a picture of the sticks you guys use?

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I'll take some more pics tomorrow but the sticks are Shin Virtua Sticks that are originally for Saturn. If you've never seen them before, they look and feel like the control panel of a Sega Astro City cabinet.

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Crappy looking monitor. Sure looks curved.

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While it is one of the lower end models Princeton produces, it's far from crappy and it's better than any monitor used in arcade cabinets.

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

- Is an American kit compatible with a Japanese cabinet?
- Is wiring a kit to a TV difficult? Would it require soldering, fancy wiring, etc.?
- Same with console sticks?
- What was the number of that 2nd hand Astro City cabinet place again Adam?
- Is setting up kit + cabinet a tricky process?
- What's the process like for repairing sticks? Is there a resource somewhere that I can consult on what to do?
- Do you think the fire marshall would consider it a fire hazard if I got one in the commons room of my dorm

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1) The US kit comes with the JAMMA convertor so you can use it with any cabinet that is wired for that standard BUT you have to use the included power supply and not the one in the cabinet.

2) Wiring a control box (aka Supergun in the States) isn't difficult but it is time consuming and a good RGB->NTSC convertor can be costly. The "Saturn" in my picture is the VF4 owner's control box. All it consists of is a switching power supply (that isn't plugged in when VF4 is connected), the JAMMA harness, 2 15 pin joystick ports, and it uses the Saturn's power and A/V out.

3) Joysticks are easy to wire up.

4) I'm not Adam but I think you're referring to Jeffry Tao in LA. He has a lot of cabs but make sure you keep asking for one in good condition.

5) Setting up the cab for play is easy but most of the ones Tao has for sale do not display in high resolution.

6) I'd just get a new set if anything breaks. Tao can supply them, IIRC.

7) At a school out here, I think there's a guy who has a Japanese Neo Geo cab in his dorm room and no one has told him to get rid of it yet.

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Where could I get one? Betson who?

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Any of the major US arcade distributers should have it. Betson is a large vending distro located in Anaheim, CA.

 

Rugal and Shou, thanks for the answers.

Does high rez and mid rez VF4 make a big difference?

 

Ice,
Look up "amusement devices" in your local yellow pages. If you have any distributors located nearby that's where they would advertise in the phone book. Give them a call... they might have extra cabinets available. This is also who you would call for joystick and button parts if needed too.

 

Hey Yupa, thanks for the advice, but I did that already before I posted my first message to this thread. I have price quotes and everything from kits to cabinets to parts. I'm seeking anecdotal input from arcade owners reading this board about their experiences...and I'm looking for Japanese-style cabinets, which Jack Tao may be able to provide.

 

There is only high res and low res VF4. That is 640 by 480 or 640 by 220 (interlaced).
High res is FAR better.

 

Hi shou-sama, can you try taking a pic of the game on your TV without the flash (suppress it; use a tripod to prevent cam shake or position your digicam on a shelf or something and use the self-timer)? I'd like to see what the higher resolution's like. /versus/images/icons/smile.gif