My Galaga cabaret build/resto

toolguy

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I've always wanted a Galaga cabaret, so when I found an ebay lot of Galaga cabaret parts, everything but the monitor and cabinet, I jumped on it! I figured why not build my own and it would be pretty much new. The lot also included screws, brackets, wiring, speaker, and latches for the cabinet.

The parts arrived and were in nice original 30 year shape. The marquee for example, just needed to be cleaned up, it was damage free.

For the monitor, I had an old Sanyo 13 inch TV sitting around. And for the board, I did get the original boards but did not know if they worked but with no monitor, I could not do much with them. So I decided to use an old Nintendo NES system my brother had sitting around. The NES Galaga is pretty close to the original, so it seemed like it would work perfectly.

It feels good to bring back one from the dead and was parted, back to most of its original glory.

So anyway, I'll use this thread to show my progress.

Here goes!

EDIT: The cabinet was hand bult by me and dimensions from members here. I'll announce who they are once the project is done! :)

First pic of white wood and a few parts loosly installed. Second pic is the monitor mostly installed.
 

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Dry run pics with the electronics and LED bulb marquee parts test fitted.
 

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Where did the cabinet come from? Was it a donor, built from plans, cloned from another cabinet?

Oh Yeah, I built the cabinet from dimensions gotten from members here that own one. I never did have a pattern, I just used their dimensions and the LxWxH from Midway.
 
Primed and one coat of color. Marquee socket/bulb panel came with the parts I bought as luck would have it.
 

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Damn that's mighty fine work for having only dimensions to start with!

Thanks! I usually work better with metal than wood and the only panel I messed up on and had to re-do was the front, so I amazed myself too.
 
Looks great! Might I suggest that you ditch the NES and switch to Namco Museum Vol. 1 (I think that is the right one) for the PS1. The great thing about it is that you can set the game to run in vertical mode, and it is 99% accurate emulation, I dare say better than MAME. This way you can have the game run with the TV oriented vertically.
 
Looks great! Might I suggest that you ditch the NES and switch to Namco Museum Vol. 1 (I think that is the right one) for the PS1. The great thing about it is that you can set the game to run in vertical mode, and it is 99% accurate emulation, I dare say better than MAME. This way you can have the game run with the TV oriented vertically.

Thanks!

Humm, did not know about that but than again, I'm not into the gaming world. I also did have a PS1 sitting around for years and just sold it two years ago because it just sat. I only had a handful of games for it too. So crap, I could have used it if I still had it!

I ended up going with the NES just because it was free and also sitting around at my parents house.

Oh well, possibly for V2 I can do it and look for a used set up in the mean time.
 
Thanks!

Humm, did not know about that but than again, I'm not into the gaming world. I also did have a PS1 sitting around for years and just sold it two years ago because it just sat. I only had a handful of games for it too. So crap, I could have used it if I still had it!

I ended up going with the NES just because it was free and also sitting around at my parents house.

Oh well, possibly for V2 I can do it and look for a used set up in the mean time.

I can see you a PS1 for REALLY ($10 + shipping) cheap. I have a bunch if you want one.
 
The monitor viewing angle looks off....If I remember correctly, the monitor sits at a more upright angle. The back of the machine has a area on the back that allows for the tube to protrude beyond the backdoor. Mine is in storage do I can't go look right now.
 
The monitor viewing angle looks off....If I remember correctly, the monitor sits at a more upright angle. The back of the machine has a area on the back that allows for the tube to protrude beyond the backdoor. Mine is in storage do I can't go look right now.

Yes you are right.

In my case it's off because it's a donor TV monitor. It's also 13 inch all the way around; like most TV dimensions are. The original Midway Galaga was 13" one way and longer the other, thus why it protruded out the back door. So my back door will also fit flush to the cabinet.

I'm using stuff I had laying around the house to build it.
 
I can see you a PS1 for REALLY ($10 + shipping) cheap. I have a bunch if you want one.

That's tempting and I appreciate the offer but I'm already into this using the NES for now, I'll just stay the course.
 
roger...that explains that!:)


Yes you are right.

In my case it's off because it's a donor TV monitor. It's also 13 inch all the way around; like most TV dimensions are. The original Midway Galaga was 13" one way and longer the other, thus why it protruded out the back door. So my back door will also fit flush to the cabinet.

I'm using stuff I had laying around the house to build it.
 
My power brick partially wired, made from the PCB holder from the original Galaga. The ground wire is not necessary for what I need, but I figured since I had the wire from the parts and ground junction block, I added it. Besides, I might need it in the future if I ever change the configuration. It also has a 3 amp fuse for protection.
 

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What's left of the Nintendo NES, it's final resting place and the monitor chassis.

And a pic of the monitor and don't forget, this was a TV monitor. I gutted it from the plastic case, made a chassis board holder, monitor holder, then unsoldered some wires and rotated the board the way I wanted it and resoldered the wires. I'm trying to make this as close to a real arcade as possible with the look in every way and had to ditch the TV case of course. I did salvage all the stickers such as the chassis sticker and put them on the new chassis as identifiers.

The black metal bracket was one of the original monitor brackets I got in the lol of parts. I screwed it in place there as a guard, to protect the suction cup and somoone possibly touching it. What else was I going to do with it!

The original cabinet switch will power ON everything at once, just like the original.
 

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Nice replica Mini

Good job. My thought is why waste your time with a NES or a PS1. Make the monitor vertical and put a 60 in 1 in there so Galaga is proper. The 60 in 1 boards are as little as $60 and have a VGA output or RGB. You could also buy an adaptor to use your TV rotated with composite out but why bother. There are lots of cheap 14" PC monitors out there.

Michael
 
Good job. My thought is why waste your time with a NES or a PS1. Make the monitor vertical and put a 60 in 1 in there so Galaga is proper. The 60 in 1 boards are as little as $60 and have a VGA output or RGB. You could also buy an adaptor to use your TV rotated with composite out but why bother. There are lots of cheap 14" PC monitors out there.

Michael

Thanks,

I do hear you but I had this stuff sitting around, so I figured why not use it for something. Plus, I can't bring myself to do a 60 in 1 or MAME it. I'm too much of a purist to deviate. Maybe one day I can or will, but I just want to build a dedicated and always wanted a Galaga machine.

I think once people see the finished product, you'll all be impressed at how much a clone this will look like. More reliable then an original too.
 
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Cabinet all painted and decals applied.
 

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