Building A Retro Cart

[@Pask___]

You know what Bob, it always makes me smile when one day you're talking about rather technical stuff. The next you've dialed it right back to make everything accessible. Its a skill many don't have. Shows the passion and skill at script writing. You should be proud mate.

[@RetroRGB]

Thanks so much! There's always a struggle to keep the channel balanced!!

[@Pask___]

@@RetroRGB I think you hit the sweet spot very often. I know that me and my girlfriend can sit down and watch your video (she has no interest in gaming or any prior knowledge) and both enjoy and learn from them. So using her as the arbiter for new hobbiest , I would say you're doing well.

[@tapetraining]

More videos like this! Everyone shows their set-up but very few actually show you how to set it up step by step.

[@RogeriusRex]

Reminds me of school with the giant early 80s era VCR! Edit: as the video concluded I realized that this video was informative AND fun!

[@alextirrellRI]

I never thought of doing it as a cart, but I've used those wire racks for CRT stands since my college dorm days. They work great! I was so proud of my setup back then, having a CRT, a small music keyboard and extra overall storage in one of those big racks. (This being circa 2006-2009) When I finally took the plunge back into retro (circa 2017-18) I got new ones for my last shared apartment building my setup and finding an inexpensive 14" PVM! I did continue to use them when I got my own place but I ultimately wanted a bigger setup and went with shelves, a Kallax, and a period CRT stand for a 27" consumer Sony. (Alongside a 58" 4K TV)

[@msg1940]

I am spanish and I found your speaking very understendeable and recomforting, you speak very clear and listening to you is a pleasure. thanks a lot for the great content you have on your channel and the passion you put on it. i always found it interesting! thanks a lot!!

[@RetroRGB]

Thanks so much! I'm very grateful that people from all over the world watch these videos and try my best to make it easy to understand. I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)

[@rickershomesteadahobbyfarm3291]

This is awesome! I have a buddy who has one of those huge box tvs with a flat screen. I’m trying to talk my wife into letting me get it and setting it up on the empty wall in our living room. I could buy or even build a set of custom shelves to sit on either side so I can display my entire retro collection. Right now I’ve got everything in the back room and packed up. My wife likes empty spaces so most of my stuff is crammed in the back room and it’s more of a hassle to play anything then it’s worth so I don’t really play much anymore.

[@clarkegibson464]

All I can think of here is being in a classroom, sat cross legged and a TV being wheeled in by a puzzled looking teacher. Teachers have a hard time with AV equipment when it's stood still (I know because I live with one) but put it on wheels and it's like watching those apes on 2001 trying to work out the monolith. There is just something about those wheels that scrambles their brains, they could never get it working! Seriously though, great idea!

[@DeadxReckon]

Love this video. I've been using a media cart for my crt & old consoles since they weren't old. I used to keep it at the foot of my bed and throw a blanket over myself and the TV to make it like a little theater. I have vivid memories of playing FFTactics this way.

[@nimrodlevy]

whats a COOL idea! Already argued with my wife about a crt setup, what a cool idea! as the video rolling I design a cart in my head, as an arcade fighter games love, I think about custom arcade controller and mister with the roms tacked in a nas somewhere else over the network and i'd be able to play anywhere (instead of building another arcade machine) and i can through some retro controllers when I want to play some retro-consoles. man you opened a pandora box inside my head. MANY MANY thanks for this video!

[@koztech]

Built one of these a while back. The wire rack I got didn't have castors but it was only $20. Not a problem for me since the room it's in is carpeted. I just used furniture sliders/pads to move it around. Strapped on a surge protector with wide-spaced outlets to the back, got a mechanical AV selector switch box, and did the best with cable management. Use velcro since it will make it easier to add/remove cabling as needed. As for trying to find inexpensive/free CRT's, if your community has a Facebook page, follow that. People post free stuff all the time, typically the day before or the day of trash day. They'll put it on the curb and whoever gets there first wins.

[@greeendevil]

Great video. I think I have the same wire cart and have two suggestions. First is using durable foam lining typically for "shop/workbench drawers" It's grippy, black and prevents any scratches. Second is using the underside of shelves and Velcro zip ties to route wires. They are hidden by the lining and can help run wires very neatly.

[@scoutkirby1764]

I love this idea of a TV cart for my CRT TV! I'm possibly gonna be moving into a place with my cousin in the next few months, we both grew up in the Gamecube era and I love most retro consoles so this is a good way to roll out whatever nostalgic experience for us when we move in together!

[@ReedHansen84]

I fully appreciate this. I have one metal cart I've been using for my VGA trinitron (for dreamcast, and potential future expansion), and I've been using an old computer desk on wheels as a cart for my PVM, and my 60's era Black and White TV (not for gaming, but still kind of cool). If you convert an old desk like I did, I recommend getting stronger caster wheels, or add one like I did. I may go for an NSF cart in the future like you did.

[@mllarson]

At one point I had my giant HD CRT Sanyo on a melamine board with a wire rack bolted onto it (with all the caster "bolts" passing through the board and into the shelf posts), a couple of shelves with a VCR and other things above that, and then my LCD TV on the top shelf. Worked pretty well in a small space. Wire racks are the best shelves you can buy and can be found nearly everywhere (barring supply chain issues).

[@beegchunguz7425]

This is an underrated video. I just got a 20" and am trying to stage it the way I like. Awesome well done video!

[@RetroRGB]

Thank you!

[@jonathonrau]

Loving the castle reference 👌 classic

[@extremawesomazing]

This video is fantastic for inspiration revamping and refreshing my setup. It speaks to exactly what I love about retro gaming--setting up everything for ease of access and convenience with games from my past.

[@JostlingJoe]

I recently put together a retro gaming cart. The one wall of my room has two folding door closets and I needed to be able to open the doors. 36x18 wire shelf. Added casters and plastic shelf liners. Snes, genesis, n64, mister, ps2, component switcher, surge protector and 27in AFX CRT. I can move it to open closet doors now or position it infront of couch. It's perfect!

[@Fellipe2k5]

When I started working from home I decided to set up my office with all my video games assembled. I made a project and went to the woodworking shop to assemble the rack. It turned out really good. I calculated the height of my field of view. Nowadays I can play all my video games. Now, to complete, all I need is the gcomp that I've been waiting for almost a year for delivery. 😅

[@dinnerfor1540]

I came across your video and found it interesting because what you show about using a cart for mobility is the same thing I did for my projector since I live in an apartment and can’t really have a dedicated home theater. I made a video titled “Home Theater Cart” that includes the projector, a set of speakers with subwoofer, a digital converter box for local tv channels, and a Google Chromecast w/ google tv for streamers. When I don’t want to use it, I just wheel it out of the way. Easy peasy.

[@RetroRGB]

LOVE that idea!!! I have a friend that did the same thing with a CRT projector. She even marked the floor with tiny bits of painters tape, so it's always in the same spot she calibrated it in.

[@bobabrowncoat]

Excellent video! I've been using a rolling wire rack for years for this exact reason. It's great being able to wheel my CRT out of the way when I need the room.

[@ID-BITS]

Here in Brazil we adapt a car to organize mechanic workshop tools. It looks very similar to the ones you showed in the video.

[@Melindaknows]

This is freaking genius. I was going to search for a small tv stand for my crt tv and nes, but I'm glad this video found me😅. I love the idea it's mobile 🕹️❤️

[@BoboBreez]

I actually have my 24 inch sony trinitron (component capable) crt on a media cart! This will be cool to see someone else who does it the same way I do!

[@MachoNachoProductions]

Awesome video Bob! Super informative

[@groovesalad89]

CRTs are awesome. And even more on wheels. Thanks for video Bob.

[@Septer_Sever]

Loved the RetroRGB/Dude Wipes plug 😂 The retro carts were pretty awesome, too!

[@KentaZX]

This video reminds me how I got my Sony 14L5 PVM for free from the broadcasting engineers back in Niagara college 6 years ago. At first it was being used as a spare tv for the club I was helping out but as soon I found out about RGB cables, i brought it back home and made it part of my setup

[@xuano666]

Great video. Recently I've been using my old VGA monitor with retro (through the RT5X Pro) and modern consoles and it literally blew me away. These retro carts are a cool idea to build a second setup around the VGA monitor!

[@bramf4644]

I am personally using 9U, 19 inch wall mount network cabinets but fitted with wheels. They are very sturdy, and look great in black and have very nice glass doors. Also it’s is perfect to house extron video equipment and my consoles.

[@Blue_0724]

If I ever find a bigger space, this is definitely something I will look into.

[@chriscroft4066]

That HR unit is so pretty.

[@joonamo]

Your CRT wall is so cool! I would be interested in a video where you go through all the monitors you have there and tell what each one is good for or why they're interesting 😊 When you're filming in front of it, could you have some of them on? Maybe have them playing a cool game attract screen! I guess having all of them on at once would use so much power, so that's out of the question 😅

[@RetroRGB]

I'll be doing a video on it soon!

[@sinchobe_]

While this isn't something I need, I think this is one of your best videos. Nice work!

[@8SPAZZ]

I love this idea, wish I was the 1,000th like, but it’s coming!

[@enthusiasticgamer88]

Starting to regret getting a 32" Trinitron for my CRT setup. It's way too big so I may just get rid of it and change to a 24" or smaller then create one of these cart setups, this is a genius idea! Thanks Bob, you are the man.

[@KnockOut101inc]

Yeah my dad broke my the housing around my 32" Trinitron when I was moving out, I got. 27" Trinitron and it's still bulky but more manageable than the 32". I also got a 14" Trinitron PVM

[@jordanrichards9276]

Yep.. I have a 36" Trinitron and I'm guessing thats just too big and heavy for a cart

[@strictlynineties]

​@jordanrichards9276 Get a 20 inch bro. I've had a couple of 36's and 240 pounds is not manageable. This 60 pounder though is much more convenient. Even a 24", although more harder to come by, is doable with moving around.

[@warchild9381]

Awesome video and very informative! I had a Ikea Bror rolling cart but the wheels couldn't hold the weight of the CRT, so the metal pins on the bottom bent inwards. Trashed that and went with a metal rack permanent fixed setup. It's important to make sure whichever cart you get is sturdy enough to roll while it has 50-100+ lbs of weight on it, and that it won't break the shelf it's on and end up crushing your priceless consoles underneath. Finding shielded speakers that can sit next to the monitor is key as well, so that they have a place to sit and doesn't take up too much space. I wish there were more channels that focused on furniture and game setup solutions. Seeing more ideas to find ways to fix problems that frequently come up when building a game setup would be awesome.

[@TallesWilliam]

I just made one of mdf wood for my sony last holiday and it is perfect to able to move freely and to clear too

[@mgshock]

Sweet! Time for the class to watch a movie while the teacher takes a smoke break!

[@dabullnice]

"when I had to pretend i'm just a boring adult with no life left in me" LMAO!!

[@bitwize]

Oh, like the ones we had in school, when the teacher was too tired or hung over to actually teach, so they wheeled in a cart with a TV and VCR and had us watch audiovisual edutainment for an hour.

[@ShinryuZensen]

Already done it nine months ago. Still rocking fantastically!

[@damian9303]

I always thought those racks felt pretty mundane when they were pulled out so we could watch Bill Nye in science class, but thinking about one now with the retro consoles I grew up on is truly so epic

[@RetroPlus]

Fantastic, you explained this so well. It makes it very easy to follow along.

[@Demokirby]

Holy shit, this video came at the perfect time since I have been contemplating setting up a retrocart.

[@itamarazulai6767]

Excellent video. I've built a wooden rack with wheels a few years ago, for my 2730qm PVM.

[@MVLGAMING]

Seems like a great idea! My CRT's are pushed up against the wall, so its always a pain to get behind them when I need to switch things up!

[@ShadowArtist]

thankfully I found a free 20~22" Toshiba Colorstream CRT tv that has S-Video and Component inputs and a great 3-line Digital Comb Filter, so I use an S-Video AV cables hooked to an S-Video switcher box, I have my Wondermega Model 1, Superfamicom, and Hitachi Hi-Saturn all hooked up and the picture quality looks **amazingly good** it's very clean and sharp picture quality and almost as good as RBG.. For years I didn't know my old games could look that sharp, because I only ever saw of the awful dithered blurry-ness of composite or rf on my old tv

[@mikepirrone9931]

I really appreciate you sharing this.

[@akxmedia0]

Few things to note ; 1) Not all wire shelving is the same. Don't go cheap with a set you see at Target or Walmart. While it may technically work, it would be wise to go with industrial grade (Global Industrial is a good place to start) 2) Another use for having a rolling gaming setup is for LAN gaming. You don't NEED a rolling cart for that obviously, but you can set up monitors facing away from other players.

[@eugeneko26]

Hello, thanks for great video! Especially on advice at 03:05 regarding CRT TV. Sony PVMs and BMS are very expensive.

[@kahl452]

yuuup found mine free 27" wega. Great video!

[@KnockOut101inc]

Bro your new intro is amazing! new to me atleast i hadn't seen it. Got me hyped!!!!

[@mrmostlyharmless]

Such a good video and I was literally doing this today, pulling out my hair. But I really like your speaker recommendation and also those rolling carts look great. Neat. I have new solutions now! Thanks!

[@RetroRGB]

Thanks!

[@chronomagus]

Love it dude! Thanks for sharing

[@GuyManley]

That's actually super clever.

[@The2xWhiskey]

Great video! I really enjoyed this one!

[@mansenclockworx8215]

My nerd heaven channel 👌🏼

[@ElricSowrd]

It's been a longtime. I remember you covering about using Stereo Speakers on a CRT.

[@RWL2012]

Neat and clever idea, but I managed to find space in a tiny room for a 16-console setup with CRT monitor and magnetically-shielded sound system.

[@marcianoacuerda]

Holy Geez you’re strong. After moving just one crt I need to rest for a while. And the older I get the more I have to rest.

[@RetroRGB]

Hahahaha, yeah, I've gotten a lot stronger after moving these around all the time :)

[@ike-2357]

Thanks for the video, saving this video for later on :)

[@josephlbradford]

Really good idea!

[@chadwolf3840]

Thanks Bob.

[@lplumptree]

I've been using a Kallax 2x2 with wheels on the bottom and it's good. Fully loaded its a little hard to move on carpet, and can only really hold 4-6 consoles without inserts and stacking, but hey, its small, looks fine, and can move out of the way easily.

[@commentresurrection1841]

Came up with this idea recently as I have lost m last 2 bedrooms to little girls. No man cave but I will soon have a travelling man cart!

[@Wilberon_McBane]

Oh man, this was such an enjoyable, easy going, practical video. Thoroughly enjoyed it and definitely now going to build a CRT "Retro Trolly" I know other comments have said it but to be able to pull off some of the deep dive techy stuff, mid dive techy stuff and then this easy going and light watching master piece is genius and keeps the channel so broad and relevant to so many people. It always makes me laugh when you mention anyone in the past or whatever calling you a gatekeeper or other bull5h1t.......you are literally the opposite - A Giant Multi-Signposter-AtoZ Map-Dude! Keep up the awesome work. This one was fantastic. Stay safe dude 👊😎

[@RetroRGB]

Thanks very much for the kind words!

[@NovaSmoke]

Great Idea

[@LD50II]

Awesome video! I'm looking at setting up several carts for Halo LANs, including a 2 xbox stream station for 2v2s

[@omarlyttle]

If you want a different aesthetic, you can also look for "printer carts." I find they can blend in a little better with certain décor.

[@NewGabeOrder]

8:13 If I were you, I'd use an A/B selector for the TV's VHF/UHF port, then plug in the consoles' RF adapters to the A/B selector and make sure both dipswitches are set to Channel 3. That way I can change console "inputs" on the fly.

[@Noobsaibot21]

I do like that you are happy enough to recommend consumer televisions. While PVM and BVM grade monitors are really nice, they are uncommon and expensive. To be honest, I'd rather have a nice Sony Super Trinitron wide for a few bucks (if not free) rather than spend hundreds on a pro monitor. Particularly here in Europe where almost all consumer sets had RGB Scart as standard - if you see a reasonably-priced pro monitor in the wild, have at it but don't instantly dismiss that nice consumer TV in the charity shop.

[@RetroRGB]

Just be careful - Most of the widescreen Sony CRT's are laggy. I'll have a video on this soon.

[@codys4668]

Good video Bob

[@PopeTheRevXXVIII]

I can hear family Yelling at me now to get my monitor out of the Laundry room

[@illk1978]

Great vid man

[@NewGabeOrder]

8:21 Coming from a fighting game player's perspective, most fighting games released in the PS one and PS2 era lack the option to save VS mode replays. As a result, I rely on VCRs and recordable video tapes to save my fighting game matches without fear of dropping frames using a laptop and capture card. With these recorded matches, I can convert them to a digital video format (assuming I have a capture card that can take a VCR) and I can upload them online or make "KZbin Poops" for added comedy factor.

[@RE-bw7of]

You're the man!

[@onetwo6039]

Now that you put that BVM on the wire rack, those BVMs actually look bigger than I thought.

[@micksterminator3]

I feel like having the wire rack poles exposed like that is a final destination moment waiting to happen especially around kids 😅

[@RetroRGB]

If you mean having them stick up higher than the monitor, that's actually a good thing: Using the poles to move it is much easier then bending over and pushing the side of the cart. Especially if you have a big monitor and a low top shelf.

[@robinmasters150]

Awesome video, but can't wait for your room tour 😉

[@RetroRGB]

That's coming! :) ...and thank you!

[@robinmasters150]

@@RetroRGB and would also be great if We could also contribute by sharing ours 😃

[@CakeBreaker]

Thank you for making this guide! I’m currently setting up my own cart with a 36” crt on it. Could you share details of the wood you used at 5:47 ? Type, thickness, cutting corners for the poles? Fantastic guide, Thank you!!

[@Cookiedon15]

I have my gaming setup like this with a VGA monitor (using OSSC and a HDMI to VGA converter). I have a Wii on it but I am thinking of moving the Wii to a flat screen since it was designed for widescreen

[@mistamontiel00]

I've a trio of Luxor Wilson carts and an extra one, got to be ready for the next haul in the wild and boobtubing outdoors is very humbling (got roaches buzzing keep burning up citronella oil not no mosquito exclusive deterrent in the slightest)

[@jasonsumner3386]

There are many things i miss from the eighties and nineties - Sony CRTs are top of the list when it comes to tech.

[@Farpun]

I'm just amazed that you used a quote from The Castle 😮

[@RetroRGB]

One of my friends grew up in Canberra. He played my that and a bunch of other Aussie movies...but that one was my favorite. So many hilarious moments!

[@Farpun]

@@RetroRGB that's so good. It's such aussie humour I always thought it'd be interesting showing someone that's from a different culture. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really like aussie cinema, check out The Tracker or Ned Kelly with Heath Ledger. Both great movies.

[@MylarBalloonLover]

I have a original AV Cart from the 70s or 80s that came from a school.

[@turbinegraphics16]

I have used those splitters for video before, I didn't know they could cause damage.

[@BkZ1AnD0nLy]

I put a dolly (the one with just the square board and four wheels) under a sony tv stand.

[@bananieldiamonds1921]

I have a 32 inch Sony flat crt in my living room. and a 10 inch crt next to my computer. the big one is my main one but i use both daily. the big one is used for n64, ps2 and gamecube. the small one is used for snes mostly. i use S video and to me its good enough.

[@broznar1019]

Thoughts on a proper shelf for my Sony KV-35XBR48 (26" deep)

[@josephnguyen4349]

What thickness & type of wood did you use for the wire racks?

[@K98430]

I just bought a black wire rack and put big caster wheels on it for carpet like two weeks ago for my 32” JVC D series 🤣. Can’t wait to check out what you’ve got to say on the matter. It’s nice being able to roll it right in front of the couch and then tuck it away when it’s time for movies on the 65” TV.

[@RetroRGB]

LOL, what you said is basically EXACTLY what I say in the video :)

[@johnp7899]

I have an unshielded guitar amp/speaker that starts to distort the CRT once it's within ~3/4 ft. Would placing the amp in the same cart as the CRT be too risky even if the amp will be 2 ft below the CRT?

[@adventuretaco7140]

Dude… found my next project

[@strykerking]

Great video, going to recommend this to a friend who's just getting started. By the way, that single monitor cart at the end looked perfectly sized for that 20" trinitron.. I'd really like to buy one like it, appreciate if you can share the link if you still have it.

[@RetroRGB]

The links are all in the description. And yeah, they're the PERFECT size for 20" BVM and PVM monitors.

[@linuxlover_8436]

I did something similar w/a steel rack like these that are about 15" squared and I made taller by ordering additional shelves and posts for it. I use it for desktop pc's and parts to fix or repair them for others occasionally. I was wondering if anyone knows of an option like this that one could use as a pseudo arcade cab. Ideally, I'd use the top shelf for a CRT and somewhere in the middle it would be nice to have a pull out shelf to place a heavy arcade stick. The shelf would have to be able to bear the force of the weight of the stick (I guess typically most sticks are not more than 20 lbs) along w/the constant force of using the arcade stick. I've looked and couldn't find anything like this yet online. I thought I might be able to buy my same shelf again since it is compact and can be made as tall as I want, but the only slide out shelf I could find was meant for keyboards and can not bear much weight (and was outrageously expensive). I'd prefer it to be a steel shelf on wheels to put away when not being used. I read some people use a laptop cart but that seemed far from ideal and would arguably hold much less weight than these steel shelves. I also don't think they were able to use arcade sticks w/them since most seemed to only offer a keyboard shelf as the second one which is nowhere near as heavy as an arcade stick can be.

[@gbaker9000]

what do i need to look up to find that rack mounted Sony PVM interface?

[@drknstodstny4141]

That rack is stacked!

[@Obie787]

Where can get that panels you put on the shelves? Thanks

[@tigheklory]

Let also add if you have small children you probably shouldn't do this as if they climb on it the CRT could fall on them and cause death or serious injury. This has happed in the past so many times.