Where'd you get your knowledge?

[jam92102]

I am wanting to get into the hobby of collecting and restoring arcade machienes.  I was curious where you all got your knowledge of arcades as far as repairing and maintaining them.  Was it trial and error, a good website you'd recommend, a good book?  I saw that there's an arcade school you can go to but I can't afford something that expensive or time consuming.  How do you all suggest I get into the hobby?  Thanks for all your help!

[pointdablame]

Sites like this are one of the best ways to learn. I've learned more here than I ever had in other ways.  However, just playing lots of arcade games helps, as does reading and user manuals or schematics you can find on arcade machines.  Also, getting a good base of knowledge on basic woodworking and circuits will help greatly.  An arcade machine really isn't all too complicated once you understand what's in the box.  Simple circuit and electrical knowledge, and a good lesson on how to troubleshoot will go very far in repairing these things.

I'm still pretty new to all this, and admittedly, I don't know half of what most people here know, but I've found these steps made me much more knowledgeable.  Good luck.

[Ken Layton]

I have an extensive background in electronics, motion picture projector & theater sound system repair, and vending machine repair. Worked as senior repair tech for a local game operator starting in 1976. Repaired well over a 1,000 monitors, hundreds of power supplies, and done at least 300 game conversions over the years.

[allroy1975]

I have an extensive background in electronics, motion picture projector & theater sound system repair, and vending machine repair. Worked as senior repair tech for a local game operator starting in 1976. Repaired well over a 1,000 monitors, hundreds of power supplies, and done at least 300 game conversions over the years.

Yeah, I can see how that might help out a little bit.....  

But it's really not that complicated I don't think.  There are GREAT websites out there for restoring most popular games.  Well, at least the one's I've worked on.  I've repaired stuff on my Baby Pac Man, Ms. Pac Man, Mr & Mrs Pac Man, Black Knight 2000, and of course built my first Arcade Cabinet.  I haven't ever installed an electrical outlet, I've never replaced a light switch (I have howerver changed a bulb) I hardly know how to change the oil in my lawn mower!  But there are some fantastic web pages out there that go step by step on how to fix these things.  People have spent a LONG time creating GREAT documentation.  

http://marvin3m.com/fix.htm  Is a perfect example of where to learn.

Actually, I'm probably not qualified to answer this question, because I don't have any knoledge.  I have someone else's knowledge.  is it mine now?  well now I'm just being stupid so I'll wrap up this post.  

I got stuff, broke it, then figured out how to fix it by using the troubleshooting steps that people WAY smarter than me wrote.

Allroy

[mahuti]

Tutankham.com has some good tips on painting.

[Alpha17X]

I've learned most of what I know from lurking on these forums for over a year.

[HaRuMaN]

Same here.  I've found that a lot of times, when I have a question, most often the topic has already been covered here.  All you have to do is use the search function to find it.  

[hulkster]

I am wanting to get into the hobby of collecting and restoring arcade machienes.  I was curious where you all got your knowledge of arcades as far as repairing and maintaining them.  Was it trial and error, a good website you'd recommend, a good book?  I saw that there's an arcade school you can go to but I can't afford something that expensive or time consuming.  How do you all suggest I get into the hobby?  Thanks for all your help!

well aside from a good knowledge of computers (computer science and networks and stuff) i knew ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about wiring, or arcades or anything like that.  i had never even used a circular saw before...but i just lurked on this site, and read all the newbie stuff on the main page and then just kept on asking questions over and over again even though the old farts like howard got pissed (you'll find that a lot here...newbies get pissed on....but howard pisses on everybody so no loss)

[jam92102]

Thanks for the suggestions everybody!  I knew this site had a ton of info but I've never really searched for much but mame.  I'll have to dig in a little more  Thanks again!

[steve_pss]

Hulkster, that was way off the mark. I still consider myself a noob and I can say from my experience that this is by the most helpful technical hobbyist site you will ever clink into. Period. Howards a code monkey, you can't count him in the mix as countless hours of starting at notepad can cause social grace to atrophy at an alarming rate.

The people that run and frequent this board are top-notch. I've never had a question that wasn't answered.

[DrewKaree]

Start at the last page of threads, and work your way through them all.  You'll find old solutions someone may have forgotten.  You'll also see as you get through the newer threads the progression of solutions and perhaps glean something on "how-to" in that way.  

The search function is a great tool, but you must use it properly.  Read the "how-to" on the search.  If you don't find an answer to your first idea, think about the words you put into the search, and try to think of another way to phrase it.  You'll see TONS of threads that start with "I did a search, but couldn't find this" and then two or three replies later, someone will post a link to another thread that contains the exact information.  

There are archived posts.  Download them and go through them.  You may also be able to convert them to take with you (i.e. PDA format or whatnot) to peruse in your spare time at lunch or on the crapper (makes EXCELLENT crapper reading, some of it more suitable for what you're sitting on, but...

Google is another search you may wish to give a go, but again, like the search function above, you only get results based on the info you ask for..... The GIGO effect, if you will (Garbage In, Garbage Out).  

Trial and error are one of the BEST tools if you're not a "Reader".  Actually, if you're not a "reader", trial and error will be your ONLY tool, so the lastest, bestest, greatest, mostest terrific tool you have at your disposal is READ.  Read the manual, read the web page, read the directions on the item, read the signs next to the item, read the descriptions of the item, read the....read the....read the....read the.....WHATEVER.  Remember, RIF.  Reading Is Fundamental.  

Remember, if anyone (even Howard) pisses on your ideas or rags on you for asking something, you'll never learn anything unless you try, ask, or do....and opinions are like @$$holes, everyone's got one.  

Read and Search.  Steps to success.

[Buddabing]

I am wanting to get into the hobby of collecting and restoring arcade machienes.  I was curious where you all got your knowledge of arcades as far as repairing and maintaining them.  Was it trial and error, a good website you'd recommend, a good book?  I saw that there's an arcade school you can go to but I can't afford something that expensive or time consuming.  How do you all suggest I get into the hobby?  Thanks for all your help!

Check out KLOV. They have an active forum with a lot of very knowledgable people.

http://www.klov.com