Mcclain mame informational thread.

[McClain]

Did the cab come with a working monitor? Anyway. Yes, televisions work fine. Not as clear as a computer monitor, but definetely more arcade-like.
My favorite encoder is the Keywiz. If you don't use that go for the IPAC from Ultimarc. As far as your buttons and joysticks, you really can't go wrong. The Happs are always nice and easy to switch from 8-4 way modes. GroovyGameGear offers a js that you can switch back and forth without having to go inside the panel. Kinda' pricey, though.
Buttons are buttons. If you want the true arcade feel go with a convex style. Cherry microswitches are the best. I'm a big fan of the 7-button layout. It will give you a small headache when you're assigning your buttons as most 6-button fighters will conflict with a NG setup, but you can make it work. You'll just have to customize game by game in your MAME settings.
It's always nice to have a trackball - it can act as the PC mouse. I rarely use it with games (I'm not a big fan of centipede) but it's worth having.
Lemme' know if you have any more q's.