Unmame MVS-4-25 (ver. 3) restoration

DaveyDarko

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Good news everyone!

I've just aquired an MVS-4-25 ver. 3 cab from craigslist that had been gutted to be a mame machine!

Neo-Geo_CLc.png

When the ad said it had been modified to play sega games, I had high hopes that perhaps someone modded it with sega's naomi arcade hardware, but no such luck. At the heart of this poor gutted cab was a sega dreamcast.

I know that many of you have picked up complete working cabs at the price I will end up paying at the end of this restoration, but its a hobby and I will only be spending a little here and there. Besides, my heart went out to this poor cab when I saw it. Like a little boy with a 3 legged puppy I fell in love xD

11078232_10203902653146828_3725426581140989095_n.jpg

I always wanted a dreamcast, but not like this! NEVER like this!

The mod was well done at least, you can see here how he soldered the Neo Geo's arcade control to the contacts on the dreamcast controllers

controllers.jpg
 
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DaveyDarko

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The coin doors were switched, and the coin mechs were locked away inside of the coinbox. He did this so he could have easy access to the dreamcast from the front I am guessing.

IMG_20150418_180320_012.jpg

Took out everything that did not belong there. One of the screws that held the dell pc speakers in place was WAY shorter than the others so while unscrewing it, it fell behind the cab with a thunderous :THUNK: I grit my teeth and prayed to the retro gods that it did not damage anything on its way down.

Oh and if anyone is interested in purchasing a dreamcast let me know! The seller included a
book full of bootleg games. The VGA break out box was modded to output a lower signal for the arcade monitor, but all he did was cut one wire, I can easily fix this.

IMG_20150419_102600_904.jpg

I removed the assembly and switched it back the way it was supposed to be. Surprisingly the lock was not broken, it was simply disassembled and all the parts were still there!

IMG_20150423_174923_170.jpg
That crack was already there. Wish he would of patched it from the BACK! :/

And yes! The coin mechs still work!!
Just need to replace the lock and get a coin bucket! Saw some guy on ebay selling them for 5$ +shipping but I am saving my money for more important parts like MidnightMonkey's MV-IC board.. Mmmmmmm

::Edit::

I did end up snagging one of those coin buckets xD

IMG_20150505_051415_590.jpg
 
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DaveyDarko

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This is my rats nest! There are many like it but this one is mine!
Gonna have to test that power supply and make sure it outputs 5v, attach that panel to my coin box, and sort out those wires.
Im not using that scary looking 1 amp transformer in the pic, I have a much better looking one already in the cab!
That coin counter reads 84930! Thats over $20K! From what ive seen from other people's restoration projects this is not uncommon, but still surprises me non the less.

$_57 (3).JPG

System Wiring Diagram.png
 
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DaveyDarko

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Sad news everyone.

While taking a nap I missed out on what I believed to be a great deal on a 4 slot MVS board.

Untitled.png

::update::

Possible good news everyone!

I contacted the seller and let them know my situation, and they offered to sell me a working board for $110! And that is with shipping!

Only thing is... The seller never sent me the invoice. I am hoping that they just dont do business on the weekends, and they will perhaps get back to me today. (Monday)

They did not respond to any of my emails over the weekend :(

I posted in the Neo Wanted section ::crosses fingers::

The hunt continues!
 
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hyper

fresh out of fucks
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nice, keep up the good work

be patient 4 slots can be had between $90-110
 

gusmoney

Unsure if You Asked, For a custom Rank, But Hell,
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Nice pick-up, congrats and good luck on the restore.

I too need a coin bucket for my big red, do you have a link for the ebay auction you saw? I cannot find it when searching.

Anyway, looking forward to seeing your progress.
 

DaveyDarko

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::UPDATED UPDATE::

The ebay seller finally got back to me today, she said she had a death in the family-

Oh my...

Anywho!
I had to avoid a troll or two, but I did indeed manage to get a good deal on a 4 slot MVS board in the buying section of the forum! The seller was very friendly and said it will be shipped tomorrow! I will finally have all of the pieces to bring my frankenstein monster to life!

Well, I still have to rebuild the 2x 15pin molex connectors for the control panel. (Thanks MidnightMonkey!)
That will probably be in my next update.
 
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xsq

Thou Shalt Not, Question Rot.,
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DaveyDarko

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Those were no trolls. They were right to point you to the market rules...
also if you think that is trolling, you don't know the power of the trolling on this site.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/oiS3-5_ZTxg?rel=0&start=148&end=154

Im glad you mentioned this because I wanted to explain my actions a bit xD
I have a cab, questions, answers, and money for parts. What else are the neo-geo forums for? Its not like I was cutting in line to get a 4 slot mvs board, they are far from rare. Besides. Those guys were not even moderators, they were just boy scouts thirsty for their next achievement badge. If they were not interested in doing business with me, they should not have posted anything at all. There are exceptions to rules and it is a moderator or an admin's job to tell me if and when I violate their rules. No one else.

This brings me to that # of posts rule. All that has done is caused lurkers to reply to EVERY post, most of the time its negative, just so they can increase their rank above their avatar.
Click their names and look at their most recent posts. They are all 2-5 words long and almost all of them are negative and don't contribute a thing. Its like they came home from work in a bad mood, logged into the forums, and dumped on every new post they saw. Im not doing that. I will only post relative information and updates.
Lurking threads and posting negativity does not necessarily entitle you to a spot in line or seniority. It should be based upon a combination of positive contribution, kindness, and professional business ethics.

I have read some of the "best of neo-geo" threads and I find the behavior of all parties involved appalling. It would appear that some member's purposes on this forum have slowly devolved from arcade repair to "lets troll people until they snap so we can all have a laugh."
In order to avoid being ridiculed, anyone who is rude to me will be simply ignored.

it seems to me that there are people who paid alot of money for their cabs in the late 90's/early 2000s on this site, and now they are upset to see that their hobby has become affordable to others, and they are seeing an influx of unwanted members.
To them I would say, "Sorry but you guys were not the only ones who loved the Neo Geo MVS as a kid in the 90's."
I have been shopping around for a cab for a long time, just never jumped on one for one reason or the other mostly due to availability and price. Here recently I happened to have the space, finances, and time to finally pull the trigger so I made an account here at neo-geo.com
If I am truly that much of a thorn, there are other arcade restoration sites I can post my progress to, and other collectors I can do business with. I just assumed this would be the best place to start.

I have also read complaints from long time members that new members fix their cabs, and then stop posting/disappear. Im sorry, but life goes on. If they are looking for long term relationships maybe they should look somewhere other than a video game repair forum.

I do understand that videogames/arcade repair brings out the worst kind of people, however to assume that every new member is a socially awkward 12 year old with their father's soldering iron, a scammer, or a troll is a bit absurd.

All that being said-

The majority of everyone here has been VERY kind to me! Thank you everyone for all of your help and positive feed back!
 
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xsq

Thou Shalt Not, Question Rot.,
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Well, welcome to neo-geo.com

just a couple of quick thoughts:
this place is pretty much selfregulating, the mods mostly don't (need to) get involved - people here watch each others back, and the market place has benefitted from it. It's also what makes this board great: (almost) no censorship.
The guys you encountered in your WTB were being very civil as well, no one told you not to make the deal (or gtfo), just that you should look up the rules... which you did apparently. Have a read here if you haven't already: This is a community first, market place (and tech support) second kinda board. Lots of vocal people on here that will tell you what they think, especially in the market, deal with it or leave.

There is no "# of posts rule" btw. If there was you couldn't have opened a thread in WTB at all for example. And nobody cares about the postcount or ranks associated with it, what is cared about/noticed is wheter or not somebody is known around here and participates in a 'meaningful' way. All those guys "dumping"/boosting are making fools of themselves in front of the regulars. Once you lost your market privileges that kind of behavior certainly will not help you get them back. And the people doing it, come on, nobody has enough stamina to keep it up long (not even SNKorSWM, it seems), so they'll all be gone in about half a year or so.

As to the drama: Yep, this is the place to be. But (as you seem to have experienced so far) you can keep yourself out of it, just play nice and don't fuck around (too much) in the war room. But then the best fun is to be had in the war room, so....
 

DaveyDarko

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this place is pretty much selfregulating, the mods mostly don't (need to) get involved - people here watch each others back, and the market place has benefitted from it.

The loonies have taken over the asylum? Oh my-

And the market benefiting from it? Perhaps this has something to do with high prices on ebay? Maybe people don't want to mess with the community's negativity and loops to jump through. This is just an assumption on my part as I am only going off of the posts I have read here. Like I said my personal experience here has been nothing but pleasant so far!

This is a community first, market place (and tech support) second kinda board. Lots of vocal people on here that will tell you what they think, especially in the market, deal with it or leave.

I'm not really interested in the community, making enemies or otherwise. Don't get me wrong friends are always welcome, but an added bonus as far as I am concerned.
I came here to repair my cab, and share the information. Nothing more. If I wanted to be a part of a social community I would join a group on facebook.
Im not about to introduce myself, post of bunch of topics that have nothing to do with Neo Geo, make enemies because lets face it, you can't please everyone all the time, and pretend to be friends just so I can get a little help working on an arcade machine. Thats dirty. I'm just trying to be an honest business first kinda guy, and there shouldn't be anything wrong with that. I will not step on any toes and I refuse to partake in any arguments on this forum, and as for "deal with it or leave," I will take option #3. "Shut up and take my money!" ;D

Oh and if you are still interested in the dreamcast PM me with an offer! I just gotta weigh it in the box to figure out how much shipping is going to cost me.
 
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xsq

Thou Shalt Not, Question Rot.,
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Posts
7,414
The loonies have taken over the asylum?
from what I can tell, it never was different... also all current mods where ordinary members in the past... I guess this never was an asylum, just another back alley of the net. It may not be much but it's ours ^^



And the market benefiting from it? Perhaps this has something to do with high prices on ebay? Maybe people don't want to mess with the community's negativity and loops to jump through.
Not sure I get your point... prices on ebay are fucked up, prices here a civil - and since the flippers and leeches have been weeded out, a lot of carts stay in the community or are introduced to it, effectively creating a separate (and a little saner) market here. This place is (pretty much) free of price jacking and scams. I'd call all that desirable.



I'm not really interested in the community, making enemies or otherwise. [...]
I came here to repair my cab, and share the information. Nothing more. [...] Im not about to introduce myself, post of bunch of topics that have nothing to do with Neo Geo, make enemies because lets face it, you can't please everyone all the time, and pretend to be friends just so I can get a little help working on an arcade machine. Thats dirty. I'm just trying to be an honest business first kinda guy[...]
It really doesn't take that much to become accepted here, you make it sound like an awful chore and whoring yourself out - nobody is asking for that. Just stay a little, take an interest in some topics or, like you said, share information. Being honest is always welcomed and respected as far as my experiences go (and take all I post with a grain of salt, cause I'm still a noob here).
If "shut up and take my money ;D" is your only approach, I don't think it will get you far... but feel free to prove me wrong. Just saying if your handle is known - not for boosting/spamming and getting into useless arguments to make a name for yourself, but for contributing to the community - you will get help and good deals for sure. Swooping in to try and take all you can get and then leave on the other hand, that will get you into the flames. There is a middle ground for sure and I'm not saying you're on either side of those extremes, only sharing what I have learned and observed.


[I'll keep that Dreamcast in mind btw., but my guess is I can pick up one on this side of the Atlantic for cheaper, shipping considered... thank you for your offer though.]
 

DaveyDarko

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Sorry for being so defensive!

Anyway, got lots of parts in the mail so there are alot of updates coming soon!
before I get too carried away I want to replace some missing frame work in the top of the cab, here is a sneak preview-

IMG_20150516_173402_695.jpg

Just a few more cuts to make and it will be ready to go in the cab!
Its not going to be completely perfect I know, but I'm trying my best ;x
 

werejag

Galford's Poppy Trainer
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DaveyDarko

stick in here. there are some assholes and trolls but there are plenty of good members also
 

DaveyDarko

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Thanks werejag!
Everyone here has been very kind to me so far, and I am very thankful to be apart of the neo-geo community :D

I finished rebuilding the framework in the top of the cab today!
I used reference pics I could find online along with the surviving left over piece of the original panel that someone cannibalized to make a shelf for the dream cast to make a rough trace and made the cuts with a jigsaw. Used a 3.5 inch hole cutter on my electric drill for the speaker holes and spray painted the area around them black so the wood grain would not show through the speaker grill. I replicated the original panel to the best of my ability with the tools I have available. I knew it was not going to come out perfect, but in the end it works and I am happy with it :D

The speakers are some generic arcade speakers I found on ebay for $5 a piece that matched the part description in the owners manual. They were simply listed as:
Speaker, 4" Dia., 8 Ohm 5 Watt
If I am not satisfied with the sound quality when I get the main board hooked up, I will switch them out for some better quality car audio speakers.
IMG_20150518_143426_617.jpg

IMG_20150518_150727_154.jpg
The mounting screws are a bit off because the wood was cracked on one side :(
not a big deal, just OCD
IMG_20150518_145714_257.jpg

It is going to remain unlit for the time being. I want to get this baby up and running before I start worrying about the "whistles and bells." also the parts are a bit pricey. In the meantime Im going to shop around for some more games and mini marquees! Anyone know where I can get a nice repro of the mini marquee for The King of Fighters 98? (US/English)

My copy of Super Dodge Ball is a boot but its a good quality boot according to the seller, and he was selling it for a great price. (Thank you mikejmoffitt!)

I think I am going to tackle the control panel next. I got a really nice replacement overlay from quarterarcade.com and I cant wait to install it! :D
 
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DaveyDarko

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Thanks xsq!

Today I disassembled the control panel and took a wire brush to the underside where there was some rust. I also filed down the extra holes the original owner cut with a round file to make sure they were nice and smooth. I don't want the new control panel overlay getting scratched up. That was one expensive piece of plastic @_@
Once I was done I masked all the holes and the memory card/audio front plate with some masking tape and gave it a single coat of flat black rustoleum.
Here are the before and after pictures:

IMG_20150519_100856_432.jpg
Before

IMG_20150519_140320_864.jpg
After

Im going to wait 24 hours for the paint to set before I reinstall it and the new overlay because I need some smaller wire crimpers to rebuild the two 15 pin molex connectors for the control panel. I tried to manage with what I have, but it was just too much of a pain in the ass. You know how it is, gotta have the proper tool for the proper job. I have no objections to adding a new tool to my collection! I just could of sworn I had a smaller pair of crimpers already..

I guess that is all for today!
Tomorrow I will head to Harbor Freight and pick up some new wire crimpers as well as some odds and ends I may need, then I will reassemble he control panel. Still cant wait to see that new overlay in action!
 
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DaveyDarko

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Thanks Mr. Arcade Game!
I was going to mention you in an up coming post! Spoilers! ;D

Had a BIG day today!
First, I had to rebuild the molex connector that had been cut. HUGE Thanks to MidnightMonkey for helping me find the proper pins and connector I needed!

molex rebuild.png

IMG_20150520_122207_027.jpg

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After rebuilding the molex connectors, I completely rewired the back of the control panel following the wiring diagram. Once that was done I cleaned all of the contacts with contact cleaner. I don't need anyone claiming their buttons are not working properly when I am beating them at Super Dodge Ball ;]

20150520_163019s.jpg
Done!
Theres that sexy overlay from quarterarcade.com!
The original overlay looked ok, the paint was cracking and flaking off the back which didnt bother me too much, but the previous owner cut 4 holes into it in order to add more buttons for the dreamcast controls.

Now its time to put it back in the cabinet!
 
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DaveyDarko

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20150520_163823s.jpg
After re-installing the control panel I was ready to call it a day, but I had a friend over who was helping me out. This sped things up a bit and he egged me on to keep going, so the next thing I did was install the main board and wiring harness.

11212642_10204015360644445_3991389367114368312_o.jpg
Special thanks to Arcade Game for giving me a great deal on this beautiful 4 slot board! He really went out of his way to make sure that I had what I needed, and for that I am very thankful. My crappy cell phone camera does not do it justice, but I promise to post plenty of HD photos in the Big Red Owners Club thread once I am done ;D
This board showed up super fast, and was SPOTLESSLY clean. No dust, no dirt, no bad repair jobs. I was really lucky to get it!

IMG_20150520_182559_480.jpg
I will tidy the wires up later, I just wanted to hook it all up and test it out. I made sure that the +5 volt rail was indeed outputting 5 volts with my multtmeter by adjusting the nob on the powersupply. The 12v rail was only showing 10v but I assumed less is safer than more and I was told that the 12v rail is only used for the audio. So I thought that worst case scenario, the sound would be low, or maybe crackle.
I didnt want to power it up to test it today, it had been a long day, but after much coaxing from my friend who had been helping me...
 
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DaveyDarko

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*DING DONG*

Hmm? Oh ya! Mail Man is here!
Whats this? My copy of King of Fighters 98 complete with Shock box!
I paid $35 and yes it is legit!
20150520_125636.jpg
 

DaveyDarko

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Ok ok enough stalling..
The power supply did not have an external switch, so I had to cross my fingers and plug it in to the wall. Which I did and...

20150520_182136.jpg
ITS ALIVE!!!

It took a few seconds for the monitor to warm up, but that sweet sweet Neo Geo tune could be heard through my $5 arcade speakers, which actually sound really good! By now my friends girlfriend had stopped by to join in the fun and we all screamed, "OH MY GOD!" When it fired up for the first time.
Man THIS is the moment it is all about, when the hard work pays off and you almost feel like a kid on Christmas morning!

IMG_20150520_182353_153.jpg
Christmas morning with a friend hogging up your new game more like it! Hey man move over!

Im not done yet! I still have to:
Tidy up the wires inside the cab
Get a proper power supply with an external switch so I can utilize the fuse and power switch on the coinbox panel
Mount the panel to the coin box
Mount the coin counter to the panel
Purchase and install a Uni-Bios chip
Replace the missing back wooden access panel
Purchase the parts to light the mini marquee
Purchase or build the cables to connect the credit indicators
Replace all of the locks
Re-cap the monitor >.<

Thank you so much everyone for all of your help and support. There is seriously no way I could have done any of this without the help of the Neo-Geo.com community!
More updates are coming!
 
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warbucks

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This is awesome.. I am glad you got it up and running..
I almost bought that exact one from that post but wound up passing because the guy said that it couldn't be converted back to a Neo Geo.
 
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