non-working Congo Bongo

[Dougmeister]

Friend of mine who runs a summer camp got a donated "Congo Bongo" that is not working but was supposed to be.  Probably just a loose wire somewhere.

I know just enough to be dangerous.  Can anyone give me a few ideas to look for right off the bat, or even to have them look at?

Thanks.

[SirPeale]

Depends on the level of 'not working.'  Does absolutely nothing?  Check fuses first.  Turns on, garbled graphics?  Board problems.  Plays blind?  Monitor issues.

[Thenasty]

the best and easy fix is
"Is it plug in" 

[Dougmeister]

Yes, it is "plug in"

Here's what they did:

1) Inside the door in the front there's a button
2) Push the button, fluorescent light comes on (marquee, I assume)
3) screen "comes on", but no picture
4) no sound

I can ask them more pointed questions if you think they'll help. 

Again, it was supposedly working before he transported to the camp, and I trust the guy he got it from.

[SirPeale]

The button they pushed is an interlock switch (if I had to guess).  And it either needs to be pushed in (when the cabinet is shut) or pulled out (when it's being worked on)

Look for loose connections.

[SirPeale]

An interlock switch is a safety switch.  When you open the door to the cabinet (usually the back or coin door, although it might not be on the coin door) it cuts power to the entire cabinet.

However, when you're doing work on the cabinet, this can be a real PITA, so they're designed to turn on when you pull them out.

[Hoagie_one]

downloadable owners manual if it willhelp

http://www.klov.com/C/Congo_Bongo.html

[Dougmeister]

Never thought of that.  Excellent suggestion - thanks, Hoagie_one!

[Dougmeister]

Thanks again, Peale.

So he should have the interlock switch pushed in (door closed, etc.)?  There should be a power switch elsewhere on the cabinet, right?

[SirPeale]

If he's looking for what could be wrong, he wants it pulled out.

But if he doesn't know what he's doing, he should be careful!

[Dougmeister]

He doesn't know what he's doing.  Neither do I 

But for it to operate normally, one would:

1) make sure that the switch was pressed in.
2) Look for a power switch elsewhere on the cabinet.

Right?

[SirPeale]

Make sure the switch is pulled OUT (if the door is off, otherwise when the door is on it'll be pushed in) and the power switch on.

But from what you descibed above (lights but no game) it may be a loose connection.

[Dougmeister]

His latest e-mail:

>The switch that i was telling you about will push in, but 
>if you pull it out, it will stay out and on.  The only problem is that when
>it turns on, most of the time you don't get sound or picture, and if you do
>get sound and picture, it blinks in and out and turns off.  It seems all to
>random to me, no pattern at all.

Sounds more and more like a loose connection somewhere, eh?