While this deck is not perfect, it does alot very well. First, the good: this is a quality made product and miles better than the MDF decks that come with Arcade1up cabinets. The trackball mounting system is excellent, and the graphics are sharp and durable. The holes were precisely cut and everything lined up well.
Now, a couple of things worth mentioning. First, it's not easy to shoehorn in 2 joysticks, 3 buttons each, and a trackball onto an Arcade1up deck. DIYRetroArcade put some thought into this, but given the space constraints on the control deck and the fact that the trackball takes up so much room, you do get a rather cramped control layout. To get everything to fit, the player 1 joystick is located on the very left most edge of the deck....be careful when screwing in your joystick, because there's no room for error (else, the bottom of the joystick will interfere with the side of the cabinet, and you won't be able to get your deck on. The placement of the joystick means it's not exactly comfortable to use as the edge of your hand will hang over the edge of the control deck. And I wear a size 9 glove, so I'm not exactly ham-fisted. The buttons are another minor issue. For me, the bottom part of my palm rests on the edge of the control deck when using the buttons, and I found this to be uncomfortable. Had the buttons been located about 3/4" higher on the deck, this would not have been an issue. It was worse when I just used the buttons in games like Asteroids. So, to overcome this I drilled some extra holes (see picture) to allow me to play Asteroids, Gravitar, etc. more comfortably. My solution isn't exactly elegant, but it works.
Overall, I'm happy and the deck is worth the money. It's good as is, but with a few tweaks this could be an amazing control deck. I think making the panel an inch wider on each side, and about and 1" longer would help. Yes, there'd be more overhang than with the factory panels, but that would provide a little more real estate for your hands to rest on. Failing that, there is room at the top of the deck, so moving up the buttons a bit would be an improvement too.
