Identify this WG Monitor *UPDATED!*

[stellarola]

What is the model Wells Gardner makes that the monitor is CGA/EGA (Does standard and medium resolutions). Also its a 25'' inch. Anyone know???

[Ken Layton]

If you are talking about old (discontinued or obsolete) then you might be thinking of the horrid U-5000 which was plagued with many problems.

If you are talking about currently made models, then I suggest calling Wells-Gardner direct and speaking to their sales reps.

[stellarola]

If you are talking about old (discontinued or obsolete) then you might be thinking of the horrid U-5000 which was plagued with many problems.

If you are talking about currently made models, then I suggest calling Wells-Gardner direct and speaking to their sales reps.

I have to wait for this dealer to open up on Monday, but until then...What were the problems that plagued the U-5000?

[Grauwulf]

if you can post a picture of the monitor chassis, it will help us greatly in ID'ing your monitor.

[stellarola]

I havent bought it yet. I just talked to some guy on the phone that sells them in Indiana. He said they were CGA/EGA and that its a Wells Gardner replacment unit, new in box for $229. Also its a 25'' inch. So I thought the price was pretty sweet.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6141918416&ssPageName=ADME:B:DS:US:28

[Grauwulf]

Well if it's NIB he should be able to tell you waht the model number is. If it's a U-5000 I'd stay away from it. Is there a reason you're looking for mid-res capability?

[stellarola]

No reason I'm looking for mid res at all. I just thought 229 was a good price for a new 25'' inch monitor. Whats wrong with the U5000?...just in case it is that model.

[Ken Layton]

Well to start on the U-5000 problems (all of which Wells-Gardner sells repair kits for):

power supply failure

vertical output failure

sudden shutdown

[hiperco]

I wonder what the story is with this seller.  (I've been contemplating buying one of their replacement tubes).  Having a private feedback is a little unusual ...

Please post to this thread if you find out anything else about the monitor, it sure would be easier than a tube swap for me

[stellarola]

Hey I called the distributer again today. He gave me more info on the 25 inch cga/ega monitors. He said they are Wells Gardner "replacements". This means they are made by ALS Marketing, the distributer. He said they are new in box for $229. Also they dont require isolation transformers, they just use the 2 prong AC plug.   I'm making a trip to Indiana this coming Monday to pick one up. I cant wait!

[stellarola]

Also, the sales rep guy, Frank, super nice guy too. 

[hiperco]

 

Let us know how you like it!

(Actually, just let me know first, so I can get one before the rest of 'em )

[stellarola]

Will do.

[hiperco]

Well??

The suspense is killing me 

[stellarola]

Hey I just got back today from the trip to Indiana for the monitor. It was a hell of a trip...the there was a flood on the side of town I was and it sucked man...houses, cars, mobile homes all devoured by it. Aside from that and no teeth (lots of people in the part of Indiana I travelled in didnt have any teeth)...it was a decent trip. Frank the guy who sold me the monitor actually makes tubes and monitors for some big name companys. He said he made monitors for Midway and made tubes for Wells Gardner so I expected great quality. . Everything was new in box. The monitor was fresh. The unit came with:

-25 inch monitor w/chassis and frame (all put together of course)
-Power cable (Ac)
-Sweet ass molex connecters (high quality!!)
-No instructions (sad to say)

The quality of the picture is superb, havent had any problems. Also it comes with a 90day warrenty, so thats a plus.

Everything is good ya'll. I'll post some pics, but until then...a pic of the flood!! 

[stellarola]

Here are some pics of the monitor stuff. The picture of the chassis you will see styrofoam on the tube and other parts...its just from packing, everything is new!

[Grauwulf]

It might be my imagination, but that looks like a Jenn Shinn chassis. Can someone verify that?

[M3talhead]

Great looking monitor.

Can you perform a few screen tests with Nokia's monitor utility? The upper right corner looks a bit off with the "Join the Action" text hidden behind the unviewable portion of the glass. It looks like it matches a portion of the screen at the bottom right, leading me to believe that its not rotated correctly. Does this chassis support screen rotation?

[hiperco]

Looks like a pretty decent monitor, esp for the price.  Some questions:

- What are you driving it with?  (Arcade VGA?)

- Does it autoswitch between 15 and 25 KHz, or are there separate plugs? 

- Did the seller indicate whether the price is a "special introductory" deal?   

- Do they have a bunch available?  (I don't see many listed on ebay at the moment...)

[Ken Layton]

No, it does not appear to be a Jen Shinn chassis. Might be a Pentranic or a Neotec though.

[M3talhead]

Looks like a pretty decent monitor, esp for the price.  Some questions:

- What are you driving it with?  (Arcade VGA?)

- Does it autoswitch between 15 and 25 KHz, or are there separate plugs? 

- Did the seller indicate whether the price is a "special introductory" deal?   

- Do they have a bunch available?  (I don't see many listed on ebay at the moment...)

My bet is that this (these) guys do the same thing 8liners.com does, which is buy good tubes and install chassis that run @15khz. Similar prices and chassis.

[stellarola]

Great looking monitor.

Can you perform a few screen tests with Nokia's monitor utility? The upper right corner looks a bit off with the "Join the Action" text hidden behind the unviewable portion of the glass. It looks like it matches a portion of the screen at the bottom right, leading me to believe that its not rotated correctly. Does this chassis support screen rotation?

The reason why its hidden is because I scretched out the picture.  . I'll run some tests on it later.

[stellarola]

Frank, the guy who sold this to me said he makes them. He then sells the monitors to Midway and he said he makes tubes for Wells.

[Ken Layton]

I wonder if he would provide schematics and/or service manuals for this monitor chassis? Some day they will need to be repaired or need a capkit so manuals would be nice.

If he is making picture tubes for Wells-Gardner then that's great! Wells had so many problems with the Zenith 25" A63ADG series failing prematurely.

[stellarola]

There is the model #, etc.

Open the picture or save it for a larger photo.

[menace]

pentranic makes a model 1425--i have one right here--if you could get a good top down shot of the chassis i could confirm or deny whether they were the same thing.

on closer inspection it is a pentranic chassis.  Not sure what that means though since I have yet to see any cap kits, schematics, etc for the pentranic.

[hiperco]

Frank, the guy who sold this to me said he makes them. He then sells the monitors to Midway and he said he makes tubes for Wells.

I'd be really surprised if they actually make the tubes (not that it matters much, the monitor looks pretty sweet  ).  Unless they make them off-shore?   (Did you see any signs of a factory where they could make them?)

I wonder if they will sell them without going through ebay?

[quarterback]

Frank, the guy who sold this to me said he makes them. He then sells the monitors to Midway and he said he makes tubes for Wells.

I'd be really surprised if they actually make the tubes (not that it matters much, the monitor looks pretty sweet

[quarterback]

More info from this thread on KLOV forums.  The thread started in 08/2003

Link

Also, another small bit of info here

[quarterback]

Okay, so he definitely used to work for Pentranic USA and now he and his brother? have a couple other webpages, including (but not limited to) the following:

http://www.budget-tubes.com/
http://www.vdomes.com/  (which apparently rents VisionDome 5 digital media theaters in the northeast United States)
http://www.alsmarketing.net/
http://www.alsmarketing.us/

but NOT www.alsmarketing.com

There are schematics on one of those pages.

[Ken Layton]

The alsmarketing.net has the schematics and appear to be Pentranic/Makvision models.

[stellarola]

Guys...I just ran the nokia video test. Dudes...the convergence level is terrible. I shouldnt have to mess with the pots on the back, but I did but it still didnt change. Dammit!!!
Good thing I have a 90 day warranty. I will def. be returning this monitor, and getting one of thier replacements.

[hiperco]

Egads, not so good is it 

Don't you typically have to fuss with the yoke & convergence rings to fix convergence problems?  (I don't think any of the pots will help this problem...)

[stellarola]

I have no idea dude...im new at this whole thing. But if the monitor is new..should I have to fuss with it at all?

[Ken Layton]

The pots on the neckboard don't position the colors. That's done with the tabs on the convergence rings. Maybe you bumped the rings during it's trip home?

[stellarola]

Ken, how do these monitors make it on large shipments on trucks? Everything was new in box. Was surrounded by styrofoam, etc. I dunno.

[Ken Layton]

It's always possible for a monitor to get get really knocked about in shipping (especially 25" and larger monitors) to cause convergence problems. If you get another one be sure to show them the pictures of what yours looked like once it was connected. Let us all know if they make good on a replacement monitor.

[stellarola]

Thanks Ken, yea I emailed the seller a picture. A high high quality picture at a resolution of 2048x1536...just to make sure.

[Ken Layton]

I once went thru THREE 25" EGA monitors in a row from Sharp Image Electronics that were damaged right out of the box due to poor packing on their end. It was a mess: circuit boards smashed (some snapped in half!), tube busted, flyback shattered. They were charging us for each monitor even though it was their fault. We never ever purchased anything from them again.

[stellarola]

I'm honestly a little afraid to send it back, only because of one thing....shipping charges. Honestly the packing inside the box was fairly lite. He had a thick clothe at the bottom of the box for the tube to rest on. Then just hard styrofoam around it. No packing peanuts or bubble wrap.

[M3talhead]

This is looking worse for me day-by-day. I'm in Belgium and need a new monitor, but over here they're almost double what you'd pay in the States. I had considered buying a chassis from 8liners, but with no tutorial or instructions, I'm lost on replacing one of these things.

[menace]

its really not as daunting as you might think--all the connections are the same as on a typical arcade chassis (or else it wouldn't work right) so you document what plug goes where with pics and labels, then when you get the new one hook it up according to the instructions on the site and any unknowns you could ask here.  if you can install a cap kit you can install an 8-liners.

the real issue is getting the right info to them so that the chassis is tailored to your tube.  if you send him bad info , your chassis won't work correctly.

[Rocky]

stellarola,

You should give the convergence rings a shot.

[stellarola]

I dont even know where the convergence rings are, please show me.

[Rocky]

Magnetic Convergence Rings:

- Start at the neck board on the back of the monitor

- Follow the tube neck inward

- Before you get to the yoke (the copper windings), you should see some things that look like oversized washers with tabs on them around the narrow part of the monitor neck.

- Those are the convergence rings.

They can be spun / turned and will adust the picture in a major way.

[stellarola]

I'm not gonna mess with it. 

[hiperco]

Please keep us posted on what the seller says.

[stellarola]

Will do, bud. 

[hiperco]

Well?        

[menace]

Stellarola: when you hooked it up did you use just the vertical sync line or horizontal or both tied together?

[quarterback]

Will do, bud.

[stellarola]

Alright, now, after a month of no contact from the seller. I emailed paypal to investigate into my claim of being sold this crap monitor. Looks like the vote went my way  . The seller has to refund my total plus shipping costs. I was kind of afraid of shipping it back due to the cost. Everything should be fine now. It's kinda sad....My cabinet is basically done....all I need is a friggin monitor!!! Guess I'll save up again to see if I can find a reliable seller.

-Ben

[hiperco]

Amazing that the seller did not contact you.  Its too bad, he probably could have gotten some decent business from the posters here if he had made it right by you...

[Ken Layton]

Yeh, it's too bad this seller has not made good on this deal nor even bothered to respond to emails. I still see him selling on ebay though. My buddy Steve was going to order several 19 and 25 inch tubes from him. I hate to tell him that this seller has turned out to be a crook.

[stellarola]

I know, I really wished everything worked out. I mean the prices were great, the guy was nice. WAS. This is the email I got back from paypal....


"We are in the process of investigating the following claim:

------------------------------
Complaint Details
------------------------------

Transaction Date: Jan. 6, 2005
Transaction Amount: -$219.00 USD
Case Number: -------------
Seller's Name: kenneth -------
Seller's Email: -----------


We have determined that you are due a refund on this PayPal transaction,
including shipping and handling, once the item, in its original condition,
is returned to the seller. Please note that we may be unable to make a full
recovery of your payment from the seller, as we are limited by the terms of
our buyer protection policies.

[Ken Layton]

That seller's feedback rating is now down to 92% (and still private too). I wish we could see what the feedback actually says. There are several negatives in just the past month.

[stellarola]

Here is a small update. I shipped the monitor back the the seller about 2 weeks ago. The box was well packed. There was nothing cosmetically wrong with the monitor. I was expecting Paypal to say "here is the $219+ the seller owes you". NO, thats not what happened.. . As I was pulling up to my house I saw a box in the garage. It was the package I SENT!!! Dude this package was trashed. Then I opened the box in anticipation. The monitor was in pieces!!! I dont know much about this stuff or the name of the pieces but..the chassic was completely disconnected from the frame, the frame was bent, the bulb on the back on the tube was broken off with the toggle switches (rgb gains, etc). I DONT THINK UPS DID THIS. DUDE THE PACKAGE WAS LIKE 70 POUNDS. I wrote THIS SIDE UP, everywhere on the package. UPS even put fragile tape all over the box. That package was packed solid. When it was sent back to me, there was packing material missing in the box. Dudes...I am so pissed right now I could scream. I want to go to IN and break this guys kneecaps. I think he broke the monitor. Looks like someone took a sledge hammer to the thing. I called UPS store. The chick who answered was kinda laughing when I told her I thought the seller broke the monitor and not them. She said UPS will investigate it. We'll see how everything goes...this thing keeps draggin on....and on....


-Ben

[stellarola]

Here are some pics....My camera is out of battery life so I couldnt take a picture of the chassis disconnected from the frame.

[stellarola]

The funny thing is...the only problem with the monitor was a convergence issue. This has turned from an issue into a monster. I have terrible luck with arcades...I'm considering stopping. 

[quarterback]

I'm confused.  This guy busted up the monitor, then repacked it and paid the cost to ship it back to you?   Why wouldn't he just keep the monitor?  Why repack it and pay to ship it back?

[Ken Layton]

How did the monitor end up back at your place? Was it mis-addressed?

[menace]

Can you tell that it had been opened?  I would more likley suspect UPS than the seller but you would definitely know more than I would...

And if worse comes to worse I'll buy just the chassis from you--be good to have spares for this other pentranic i have

[stellarola]

How did the monitor end up back at your place? Was it mis-addressed?

No it was returned because it was "damaged". It was not working properly when I sent it out, not broken. Now the whole thing is busted to hell. I have yet to look to see if the tube was damaged as well. I JUST WANT MY MONEY BACK!! 

[Ken Layton]

You may have to do some investigating to find out where in transit this damaged occured. If it got damaged by UPS on their conveyor belts, had something stacked on top of it, or worse---fell off the truck/driver ran over, etc. then file a claim.

This is sure turning out to be a nightmare for you.

Reminds me of the time we had like 5 25" medium res monitors in a row arrive smashed from Sharp Image about ten years ago. It was due to bad packing on Sharp Image's end. From that day forward we ceased doing business with Sharp Image and bought strictly Imperial monitors.

[MonitorGuru]

As someone who has sold over 3000 items on eBay for 8 years and bought over 200 items in the last 4 years, here's my info regarding scamming sellers, bad packers, insurance claims, eBay and PayPal:


File a chargeback NOW (before your 60/90 day limit ends) with your credit card holder.

You've already went through PayPal and they found in your favor but couldn't recover funds. Therefore your rights include filing a chargeback with the credit card company.

If the seller and/or UPS makes good on insurance, then you can always have the chargeback reversed.

Do this NOW before you lose your chance.

Also file an eBay insurance claim. That coupled with the PayPal decision in your favor AND the fact he is racking up negs AND has hidden feedback, pretty much mean they will probably boot him.

However, be aware, eBay insurance DOES NOT COVER SHIPPING COSTS.

[stellarola]

I filed a complaint with UPS, said they would investigate it within 2 weeks. But the package doesnt look like it did when I packed it. Packaging is missing inside, the box is wrecked. I dont know what to do. I dont exactly know the process of which I should complain with my bank. I need Judge Judy or something, that would make it a lot easier.