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Multi-Williams / Mame Project
quanlee:
I decided it's time to start my multi-williams project. I bought this non-working Joust arcade game last summer and it's been sitting in my garage since. My plan is to remove all of the existing electronics, monitor, and controls and replace it with a computer (mame) and new controls, new marquee, and control panel overlay, all similar to other Multi-Williams games I have seen. I hope to also have other horizontal type games work on it, like Asteroids, and Double Dragon.
Here's what I'm shooting for...
The game appears to be intact, but when plugged in, does nothing. The monitor is very burned in, and the control panel is very rough with rips and cigarette burns. In fact when I openned op the control panel, there was a small pile of cigarette ashes that had accumulated through the joystick hole, I assume. The outside of the cabinet is in pretty good shape. My plan is to carefully take out the boards, monitor and controls, and find someone who might be interested in using them for their own project. Please contact me if you are interested in a trade.
Demolition begins... I carefully removed the boards, monitor, and most of the associated wiring. Unfortunately when I removed the monitor I noticed the paint is flaking off the bezel. It's not that noticible from the front, but with the monitor out you can definitely see it. I'll probably have to replace that.
I ordered my buttons and joysticks from Paradise Arcade at www.paradisearcadeshop.com (Plug!), I like the translucent buttons they have,
http://www.paradisearcadeshop.com/98-translucent-microswitch-pushbuttons.html
and the joy sticks (JLF) have a base that is slimmer than others, which I think will help to get that reverse button as close as I can to the left joystick. I'm using a combination of red, yellow and white translucent buttons. I'm going to use a 19" (non-widescreen) LCD monitor. I used one for my last multi-game I did, and it turned out great. It makes the entire game lighter, and the LCD is very flexible with location and placement due to the size and weight.
Here's the monitor I bought on Ebay for $50.00, still waiting for it to be delivered. It's an HP F1905 19" LCD.
I'm designing my own control panel overlay based on the other multi-williams machines I have seen. I want to modify mine slightly, I think the reverse button for defender needs to be closer to the left joystick. I'm also planning on having at least 2 buttons on the left side for other games that need each player to have two buttons. I'm planning on sending my design to a company that prints custom control panel overlays. I removed the lady with the broom / mop in the left lower corner and replaced it with a nice stencil image from Joust. Here is what I have so far.
I superimposed a Stargate control panel overlay over it to get the joystick / reversebutton placement right. I used a rectangle (not shown) the exact size of the JLF joystick base to ensure there would be enough clearance between the left joystick and the reverse button. Bingo...
My next step is to figure out a way to fill the holes in the control panel, and drill new ones. I also have to fill about 1/8" on the top of the control panel were I removed a steal plate that covered the entire panel. That steal plate had holes for the joystick, flap, and player buttons. I wasn't going to try to drill / fill that, so I removed it. I'm thinking I'm going to use some kind of wood filler, and a thin layer of oak or poplar over the top, glued. Then I'll sand the entire top smooth. I'm hoping it will end up being a very solid, single peice of wood that I can drill my holes in for sticks and buttons.
ANYONE HAVE ANY INPUT... FIRE AWAY.
quanlee:
oh.... and just in case this subject comes up. I was very worried about destroying a perfectly good arcade machine. I actually own a Williams Stargate that is all original, and has not been modified like this. My Stargate has had it's issues, and is currently not working due to a RAM error, but I'm not going to toss in the towel on that one, it's worth it to keep it original, and not hack it up.
I found this Joust machine, didn't pay a dime for it, and it had no hopes of ever working again.... so I thought I would make something worth while out of it. Otherwise the owner was just going to pitch it. They also had a tempest machine I could have gotten for free, but I just didn't have room for it, and there was no way I was going to restore that one.
I'm not big on fixing boards and electronics, but I can do just about anything with a computer, so MAME is the way I'm going with this.
opt2not:
--- Quote from: quanlee on February 03, 2011, 10:49:34 am ---oh.... and just in case this subject comes up. I was very worried about destroying a perfectly good arcade machine.
--- End quote ---
Oh yeah, the subjects coming up alright. Wow, you gotta be kidding me! ??? I apologize if this comes off a bit hostile...this isn't the first time I've complained about mamed up classics.
I've said it before, I know I know, in the end it's your machine and you can do whatever you want to it...BUT: It just breaks my heart to not see this restored back to original. Especially since the cabinet looks to be in really decent condition, and it's complete! Williams electronics aren't that difficult to troubleshoot and repair. They all seem to have the same problems.
I mean come on...it's a fricken' original JOUST! :banghead:
--- Quote from: quanlee on February 03, 2011, 10:49:34 am ---I found this Joust machine, didn't pay a dime for it, and it had no hopes of ever working again....
--- End quote ---
--- Quote from: quanlee on February 03, 2011, 10:49:34 am ---The game appears to be intact, but when plugged in, does nothing.
--- End quote ---
No lights at all on the PCB? Any noise, even high-pitched whining?
You might just have a shotty PS. Have you tried new fuses? Checked the connections? Perhaps a cap kit? Did you do any reading up on it at all?
--- Quote from: quanlee on February 03, 2011, 10:49:34 am ---The monitor is very burned in
--- End quote ---
Ok, so this one's a bit harder to fix, but you could replace the monitor with an 8-liner...or find another monitor used with less burn-in.
--- Quote from: quanlee on February 03, 2011, 10:49:34 am ---and the control panel is very rough with rips and cigarette burns. In fact when I openned op the control panel, there was a small pile of cigarette ashes that had accumulated through the joystick hole, I assume.
--- End quote ---
CP's are easy to replace/renew. A little bondo/wood filler, new CPO...clean up the joysticks and buttons...it would probably be a day's worth of work. You already stripped it, so most of the hard work is done already!
I don't know man, I'm just sad to see a legacy game like Joust be mamed up when you could bring this baby back to it's former glory. I also question keeping a Stargate intact over a Joust...but maybe you like that game better, so who am I to question. Just breaks my heart is all.
If anything, restore it back and put a Jrok board in it...or Multi-williams the Stargate instead! I guess there's no way of convincing you...again, in the end, it's your machine. I'll just watch and :cry:
quanlee:
--- Quote from: opt2not on February 03, 2011, 04:13:56 pm ---
--- Quote from: quanlee on February 03, 2011, 10:49:34 am ---oh.... and just in case this subject comes up. I was very worried about destroying a perfectly good arcade machine.
--- End quote ---
Oh yeah, the subjects coming up alright. Wow, you gotta be kidding me! ??? I apologize if this comes off a bit hostile...this isn't the first time I've complained about mamed up classics.
I've said it before, I know I know, in the end it's your machine and you can do whatever you want to it...BUT: It just breaks my heart to not see this restored back to original. Especially since the cabinet looks to be in really decent condition, and it's complete! Williams electronics aren't that difficult to troubleshoot and repair. They all seem to have the same problems.
I mean come on...it's a fricken' original JOUST! :banghead:
--- Quote from: quanlee on February 03, 2011, 10:49:34 am ---I found this Joust machine, didn't pay a dime for it, and it had no hopes of ever working again....
--- End quote ---
--- Quote from: quanlee on February 03, 2011, 10:49:34 am ---The game appears to be intact, but when plugged in, does nothing.
--- End quote ---
No lights at all on the PCB? Any noise, even high-pitched whining?
You might just have a shotty PS. Have you tried new fuses? Checked the connections? Perhaps a cap kit? Did you do any reading up on it at all?
--- Quote from: quanlee on February 03, 2011, 10:49:34 am ---The monitor is very burned in
--- End quote ---
Ok, so this one's a bit harder to fix, but you could replace the monitor with an 8-liner...or find another monitor used with less burn-in.
--- Quote from: quanlee on February 03, 2011, 10:49:34 am ---and the control panel is very rough with rips and cigarette burns. In fact when I openned op the control panel, there was a small pile of cigarette ashes that had accumulated through the joystick hole, I assume.
--- End quote ---
CP's are easy to replace/renew. A little bondo/wood filler, new CPO...clean up the joysticks and buttons...it would probably be a day's worth of work. You already stripped it, so most of the hard work is done already!
I don't know man, I'm just sad to see a legacy game like Joust be mamed up when you could bring this baby back to it's former glory. I also question keeping a Stargate intact over a Joust...but maybe you like that game better, so who am I to question. Just breaks my heart is all.
If anything, restore it back and put a Jrok board in it...or Multi-williams the Stargate instead! I guess there's no way of convincing you...again, in the end, it's your machine. I'll just watch and :cry:
--- End quote ---
Yeah... I knew this was going to come up, not my first rodeo. :)
Let me address each concern, one at a time. First, when it was plugged in, it made a humming noise, no lights on the PCB. That's really irrelevant anyway, I had no interest in owning a dedicated Joust game. But.... if the cabinet / control panel was in better shape, I would have done something else with it, keeping it in original state. The person who owned it had no use for it and was about to send it off to a land fill, along with the Tempest they had.
I have a Stargate that has a RAM error that I've had fixed twice already, so Williams machines being simple.... well ok.
I'm planning on fixing the CP, just not dedicated to Joust. We will be able to play joust though, in fact I'm considering leaving most of the cabinet with the Joust deco... marquee, side art and so on.
As far as a Joust vs. Stargate, I grew up playing Stargate, and understand the value of keeping an original dedicated machine, that's why I own one.
I was very careful removing the PCB's, wiring, monitor and so on, in case someone who has a Joust machine they need to restore, or fix needs these parts. It would have been easy for me to simply pitch them, they really have no value to me.... it's not like they are bringing $$$$ on e-bay.
I wanted to create a Multi-Williams machine... makes perfect sense to start out with a Williams machine to begin with. I could have silently done this in my basement and not posted anything here (maybe I should have) but I thought it would be useful to others to see what I'm doing (or maybe not), and I'd like to find a good home for the Joust boards and other parts I have... YOU INTERESTED??
Oh... I also own a very nice Asteroids that is non-functional at this point. You wouldn't believe how pristine this thing is, I'll have to post some pictures. I've had that machine for 3 years, plan on fixing it at some point, and have NEVER considered maming it, that was another classic game, one of the first actually that I played as a kid. So.... Joust vs. Asteroids, I guess Asteroids won, Joust is getting re-purposed.
Donkbaca:
The way I see it, he save a joust cabinet from the landfill and as such he has salvaged parts that will allow others who love joust to restore their machines. Its nice to see old cabs restored, but its better it live on as a williams multi than as landfill.
Just do the old joust cab righ ;) no franken panel, maybe a classics only cab would be sweet.