How do you store your arcade boards?

beigemore · Oct 19, 2010

I'm starting to have a nice, but small, collection of arcade pcboards building up, and I'm in need of a better way to store them. I'd also like to get some antistatic bags, preferably with a way to seal them like a ziploc bag.

If any of you have any recommendations on places to purchase bags like that, or can show how you store your pcboards, I'd appreciate it.

Right now I just keep mine is random laptop boxes surrounded in bubblewrap and what antistatic bags I've got. Ran out of boxes, though..

Jaelus · Oct 19, 2010

I mount my pcbs on acrylic cutting boards to keep them from warping. The cutting boards are light, strong, uniform in size, and have a nice handle. I keep them in antistatic bags, but I'm planning on building a shelf inside a cabinet where I can slide each board into its own channel for storage.

SSS · Oct 19, 2010

I'm lazy, some are in usps boxes, others are wrapped in bubble wrap and stacked inside a rubbermade drawer thing.

JRedmond3 · Oct 20, 2010

That reminds me, it rained today and I wanted to let all my boards get a nice wash, I better go get them.

mmsadda · Oct 20, 2010

I store mine in various cardboard boxes, generally with higher-price boards in anti-static bags, and lower-price board wrapped in newspaper, all of them with layers of bubble wrap.

If money is not an object, here's the BEST thing you can do for 'em: http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail...-1-2-x-12-1-2-x-2-1-2-ESD-Conductive-Shippers (I'm planning to buy these for all my games, plus some spares, soon.)

Testocules · Oct 20, 2010

Jaelus said:
I mount my pcbs on acrylic cutting boards to keep them from warping. The cutting boards are light, strong, uniform in size, and have a nice handle. I keep them in antistatic bags, but I'm planning on building a shelf inside a cabinet where I can slide each board into its own channel for storage.

How do you mount them? Do you use PCB feet, or are they just screwed directly to the acrylic so that you can still get them in the static bags?

Jaelus · Oct 20, 2010

Testocules said:
How do you mount them? Do you use PCB feet, or are they just screwed directly to the acrylic so that you can still get them in the static bags?

I use these - http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=10165911

I drill pilot holes in the acrylic first, then mount the boards with pcb feet. I use large anti-static bags. These boards are more than long enough for any cps-1, and wide enough for sega system 16, so they are good for most boards. Anything larger I mount on workboards, though they do make an acrylic board one size up from these.

Testocules · Oct 20, 2010

Thanks Jaelus, I am going to go by the local BBB and check these out.

beigemore · Oct 20, 2010

The acrylic won't ever build up static electricity?

Testocules · Oct 20, 2010

Yes I suppose it does. All synthetic materials/plastics do to some extent because they are poor conductors of electricity. However, plastics are used to encase electronics all the time - just look at any MVS cart. How much of a real concern is static buildup on acrylic? - I have seen several CMVS mounted to an acrylic base.

Jaelus · Oct 20, 2010

I suppose acrylic could get a static charge, however, I think it's unlikely to be an issue. Also the board is mounted a good ways above it. I've seen many CMVS mounted to acrylic boards similar to this.

Here's what it looks like with a board mounted (Testocules you should recognize this one):

beigemore · Oct 20, 2010

Where do you purchase your antistatic bags that are large enough for something like that?

Electric Grave · Oct 20, 2010

I'd like to see that inside a cab and not just a woody, looks to me like it's too damn big, but hey if it works well I might just follow 'cause that could slide on the cab's wood panel slot that some have to mount PCBs on.

Testocules · Oct 20, 2010

I measured the depth inside one of my Blast cabs and it can take a board up to 21 inches and still close the door. The cutting board doesn't look more than about 18-20". For comparison, Jaelus' CPS1 Strider board mounted to it measures 14.5 inches.

I would also like to see a pic of it inside of a candy if possible.

abasuto · Oct 21, 2010

I keep mine inside large anti-static bags..ie..what motherboards come in..and inside a box for each one.

MKL · Oct 21, 2010

Jaelus said:
I mount my pcbs on acrylic cutting boards to keep them from warping.

Jaelus said:
Here's what it looks like with a board mounted (Testocules you should recognize this one):

If the PCB doesn't have enough supports it will warp even if it's mounted on a rigid board. In this case, that early CPS motherboard only has mounting holes in the corners and it does warp in the middle due to its weight and the weight of the B-board (which is Ghouls'n Ghosts, not Strider, btw). A case of bad design: no wonder Capcom quickly released a new mobo with more mounting holes.

Jaelus · Oct 21, 2010

MKL said:
If the PCB doesn't have enough supports it will warp even if it's mounted on a rigid board. In this case, that early CPS motherboard only has mounting holes in the corners and it does warp in the middle due to its weight and the weight of the B-board (which is Ghouls'n Ghosts, not Strider, btw). A case of bad design: no wonder Capcom quickly released a new mobo with more mounting holes.

Yep Ghouls 'n Ghosts.

Is warpage still a potential problem? Sure, however, a loose unmounted board can warp due to environmental factors. I put a little tension on the board when I mount it - nothing absurd, but I make sure it's not loosely mounted to somewhat counteract the natural warpage due to having only corner mounts. If it's really an issue with it mounted like this, I've thought about putting a support under the board with mounting foam.

Some of my boards (for instance Guwange) have 6 mounting points and feel much sturdier on here. My idea for having them slide into slots in a cabinet was for them to go in with the board perpendicular to the shelf so that there is no force pushing down to warp the board. You'd simply reach in and pull one of the boards out by the handle (like getting a book off a shelf).

I can take some pics tonight with it in a candy, but really, it's not even close. These boards just aren't very big.

MKL · Oct 21, 2010

You could add another couple of feet to the acrylic board so they support the PCB even if they're not screwed to it. Honestly there are other things on that GnG I would be more worried about: PLCC mask roms and CPS-B soldered on the B-board because there's no c-board. If they go bad it will be a pain to replace them. Better get a japanese board.

Jaelus · Oct 21, 2010

MKL said:
You could add another couple of feet to the acrylic board so they support the PCB even if they're not screwed to it. Honestly there are other things on that GnG I would be more worried about: PLCC mask roms and CPS-B soldered on the B-board because there's no c-board. If they go bad it will be a pain to replace them. Better get a japanese board.

Well things will go bad when they go bad. Such is the nature of this hobby, especially long term. I'm more concerned about the longevity of my power supplies and monitors than the games. All you can do is store them as best you can and keep them clean.

Oh yea I forgot to mention before, I get my large anti-static bags from an electronics specialty store. Likely they are intended for full size motherboards. Not sure what I'll be able to do about it when I've got the storage cabinet built for these though.

MKL · Oct 21, 2010

Jaelus said:
Well things will go bad when they go bad. Such is the nature of this hobby, especially long term.

Nah, you don't get how messed up the US Ghouls'n Ghosts is compared to later US releases and especially Japanese releases.

On the US GnG there are five mask roms in PLCC package: small square surface-mount chips. Forget an easy or clean fix if one goes bad. Same goes for the big square CPS-B chip, except that's even more difficult.

On a japanese GnG every rom is a socketed standard DIP eprom and the CPS-B is on a disconnectable PCB:
http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/873/001op.jpg

If it goes bad you can replace it with one from a Street Fighter 2 CE which is compatible and much cheaper than buying another GnG:
http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/1039/002nf.jpg

Capcom Japan released the game again a few years later with an even better board with only 11 eproms:
http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/2962/004gp.jpg

Here you can fix things easily without even soldering while the same faults will make the US board a big door stopper. Considering how rare and expensive GnG is, getting the US version is definitely a risk. I had one and got rid of it, now I have two Japanese ones.

Testocules · Oct 21, 2010

You have two...so jealous MKL :drool_2:

Good info btw. So how do you store your PCBs?

beigemore · Oct 21, 2010

Oh wow.. those gng boards look so freakin' tasty. It seems to be impossible to find ghouls for sale on forums and ebay, and you've got a kit...

Jaelus · Oct 21, 2010

Yea those JP ones are quite interesting and certainly easier to repair. That does make it less risky to own, but ultimately any game will either break or it won't.

EagleTG · Oct 29, 2010

I usually use the packaging that the board was shipped to me in. Usually a USPS priority box and/or bubble wrap and maybe an anti-static bag. If you have a bunch of the same sized-USPS boxes, it makes things really nice. I will then nest them in a larger cardboard box. I found a few that were just slightly larger than the USPS stuff.

Xian Xi · Oct 29, 2010

beigemore said:
Where do you purchase your antistatic bags that are large enough for something like that?

You can get them from the ever so popular ULine:

http://www.uline.com/cls_21/Anti-Static

How do you store your arcade boards?

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