Is this Battlezone project worth $75 (or more)?

[pgifford]

Hi,

  I'm near enough to pick up this item.  Is $75 reasonable considering what would be required to get it operational?  What does a Battlezone monitor go for these days anyway?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6104059082

Thanks!

Paul

[IG-88]

um..........JUMP ON IT! Thats a fine looking cab!

[NoOne=NBA=]

If you are intending to RESTORE it, I'd say no.
The vector monitors are getting harder to come by, and are commanding HUGE prices.

Now, for the good news.
If you just want to get it back to a working state, then I'd say yes.
Paige will probably disagree, but he lives in Arcade Central, gets great auction deals all the time, and probably wouldn't pay more than $1.25 for it (hoping to find $1.50 inside, like the did the last time).

The cab has all the high ticket items on it (CP, periscope assembly, etc...)--except the monitor.
From what I can see the cab is in pretty decent shape, and the sideart is complete and decent as well.

What I would do is replace the monitor with a similar sized PC monitor (arcade raster monitors don't do vector very well), and MAME it back to life, as a dedicated cab.
You wouldn't need anything special computer-wise to run Battlezone with no artwork, so replacing the guts with a MAME system shouldn't be too expensive.

[Lilwolf]

mame it for 100 battlezone would be cool and cheap.

keep everything in case you can find a powersupply and monitor.... get it working... and change it all back to the original...

then take your computer and move it to another project.

As long as your careful... you can make it playable with a PC with allowing you to go back to the original at any point.

[RayB]

Go for it. It won't hurt to go shopping for a monitor even if they are rare....

:-D

[pgifford]

I won the auction for $74.99.  Now the fun begins...telling the wife, getting it home.  The 2nd one is easy...the first one, well, let's just say she's a little perplexed by the multiplying items in the garage.  Thanks for the tips, guys

[pgifford]

If you are intending to RESTORE it, I'd say no.
The vector monitors are getting harder to come by, and are commanding HUGE prices.

What would be a "huge" price?  If I come across something that would work what would be a reasonable price?

From this page http://www.gamearchive.com/Video_Games/Manufacturers/Atari/monitor.html I see a number of monitors listed.  Would any of them work or does it have to be a Wells-Gardner 6100?

Some day I'll tell the story of how I once bought and sold a Battlezone (with manual) so cheap it makes me cry to think about it today  

Thanks,

Paul

[RayB]

...let's just say she's a little perplexed by the multiplying items in the garage.  Thanks for the tips, guys

Oh? How about looking in her closet or make up drawer? If she's anything like my girlfriend's ever expanding shoe, purse and make-up collection, I'd say your hobby should be no more perplexing!

;-)

[pgifford]

Just a gentle bump...

What's a reasonable price for a vector monitor, either a Wells-Gardner 6100 or an Electrohome G-05?  There don't seem to be a lot of parts stores carrying them...

Thanks,

Paul

[paigeoliver]

Ok, here is what Paige would say.

Paige OWNS a Battlezone. Paige got it free, although Paige did trade a monitor (color, needed cappping) for the control panel.

Mine was/is freaking minty, had no boards, no monitor. It was NOT worth the restoration cost. I tried to replace the original monitor with a PC monitor, but you CAN'T get a 19" color tube in the place where the original monitor went (black and white vector tubes are insanely shallow, less than half the depth of a color raster tube.

Paige went ahead and installed a 15" color monitor, and then promptly got sick of the project. He listed it on ebay, buyer paid $125 for it, and ONLY WANTED the control panel, periscoper stuff, marquee, etc.

So, now I still have it, now it has a double decker control panel, which is completely INSIDE the machine, but is still in project mode.

I'll see if I can't dig up any photos.

Art Mallet can USUALLY supply ANY needed vector monitors, although he is really pricy. Otherwise you can try a wanted to buy post on the newsgroups.

You see the thing with the vector games is that a tested working monitor sells for 80 percent of the value of most games that use them.

[SirPeale]

Whatever happened to that guy who said he could likely repro the vector electronics if he had a sample?

[pgifford]

I'll see if I can't dig up any photos.

Art Mallet can USUALLY supply ANY needed vector monitors, although he is really pricy. Otherwise you can try a wanted to buy post on the newsgroups.

You see the thing with the vector games is that a tested working monitor sells for 80 percent of the value of most games that use them.

Thanks Paige.  Who is Art Mallet?  Someone here?


Paul

[paigeoliver]

Art Mallet, AKA "Art in New York" is an operator who has been around forever and always seems tohave EVERYTHING, despite the fact that he has been clearing out for years.

You can find him by going to google groups and searching for his name.