RoadBlasters monitor question

[allroy1975]

I just got this RoadBlasters (which I love) down into my baseement.  I bought it not working and I've been working on it a little.  When I turn it on now, I get sound and I can tell the controller & Pedal are working.  (I hit the coin switch, hit the pedal and then point the wheel in a direction then fire..then I can hear my car driving and shooting and generally losing cuz I can't see!) 

Obviously the game is getting power.  the only 2 things that don't fire up are 1. the monitor and 2. the Marquee.

I suppose they could both be bad, but that seems unlikely to me.  I don't know why...it just does. 

I cleaned up the power supply and took a picture to see if someone here could help me. 

My question is:
How can I tell if it's the monitor and marquee (light) that are bad, of if they're not getting power?  you don't get that monitor frequency when it turns on and there's no glow from the monitor at all.  It's not getting power.  I need to figure out if it's the monitor's problem or the Power Supply's. ..and furthermore how to fix it. 

Here's the pic:

Thanks, Allroy

[AlanS17]

The problem is not the power supply, but it could be the wiring. The marquee light and monitor both use the electricity straight from the wall (even though the lines to both are re-routed inside the cabinet and the monitor depends on a working isolation transformer).

If you're having trouble with the light, check the bulob first. They are very commonly burned out on old games.

As for the monitor, the power supply doesn't give it power, but sometimes it's still wired across the power supply. Also check your voltages across the isolation transformer.

That ought to keep you busy for now. When we have answers to those more common questions then we can start really troubleshooting.

However, I don't see how the problem could be your power supply. The problem could be AT your power supply, but not IN your supply. Make sense?

[allroy1975]

woo hoo!  I was hoping someone would see this who knows what they're talking about.  looks like someone did! 

The real problem is...when it comes to power I know....very little more than nothing.

I've got my digital multimeter.  I know how to test if a fuse is good.   

so here are my really sad questions...what are my isolation transformers and how do I test them. 

I'm really not an idiot (I think) but I've just never done this before.

Thanks a lot
Allroy
 

[allroy1975]

*coughIChangedTheTopiccough*

[Rocky]

If you've got a meter, test the AC lines going to the monitor and marquee.

1. set your meter to AC voltage for 120 volts
2. unplug the monitor power cord

[clanggedin]

My Road Blasters marquee light didn't power up either. I changed the bulb and that didn't fix anything I also tested the voltage and it was getting power. I ended up replacing the fixture in the cab. Sometimes the ballast goes bad on the old fixtures. You can purchase replacement ballast for them, but I just decided to spend a little extra and get a new fixture ($9).

[clanggedin]

If your monitor shows no glow, then check the power first, If it is getting power then I would then check the flyback for holes and install a cap kit. Also the ground might not be making a good connection. That can cause no glow too.

[allroy1975]

Okay, I'm home now and I've found the need to flaunt my ignorance again. 

How exactly would I set this to 120v AC?  It should obviously be turned to the right on the ACV side, but there are 2 200s- I assume there's a difference- and obviously no 120!

god i'm stupid.    ..but learning! 

*EDIT* If you can't see the pic clearly you can right click it and view it....the board shrunk it.
- oh and yeah, I'm so dumb I need to know where to plug the wires in......

[allroy1975]

If your monitor shows no glow, then check the power first, If it is getting power then I would then check the flyback for holes and install a cap kit. Also the ground might not be making a good connection. That can cause no glow too.

Yeah, I get no glow..no nothing.

[NoOne=NBA=]

Okay, I'm home now and I've found the need to flaunt my ignorance again. 

How exactly would I set this to 120v AC?  It should obviously be turned to the right on the ACV side, but there are 2 200s- I assume there's a difference- and obviously no 120!

There are NOT two 200's.

You need to use the TOP one for voltage.
The bottom one is for measuring resistance.

If you connect your multi-meter to a voltage source while it is set to measure Ohms, you WILL blow something.

If you're lucky, they may have an inline quick-blow fuse, and you may not fry the entire meter.
If you're not lucky, you'll be throwing it out.


In general, you want to measure stuff on the closest setting to what you are expecting to measure.
That said, if you don't KNOW what you should be measuring, start high.
You won't blow your meter measuring 120v on the 800v setting.
You WILL blow your meter measuring 440v on the 200v setting though.

[Rocky]

Okay, I'm home now and I've found the need to flaunt my ignorance again.

[allroy1975]

well the good news is I haven't been shocked.  But it does appear that there is power going to the plug that connects to the monitor.   When I got the RoadBlasters I also got a little cocktail cabinet.  I beleive it has a 19 inch monitor in it.  It lights up but doesn't have a board in it.  so there's no video.  I'm going to try to move it to the Roadblaster cabinet...so I will have to discharge that monitor.   

Thanks for the advise and I'll post how it goes.

Allroy

[Ken Layton]

All the Roadblaster games I have seen have all come from the factory with Wells-Gardner 19k7000 monitors. That of course does not mean that somebody couldn't have swapped monitors at one time or that the factory ran out of one model and subbed another model instead.

[paigeoliver]

Oh and also for the record, it is actually HIGHLY LIKELY for a machine both to have a dead monitor and a dead marquee light. From my experience about 75 percent of games have dead marquee lights, as most home users never replace the bulb once it burns out (and neither do some ops).

[SirPeale]

I'm going to try to move it to the Roadblaster cabinet...so I will have to discharge that monitor.   

Why, exactly?  Are you planning on doing any boardwork before you test it in the RB?

[clanggedin]

My Road Blasters has a Electrhome G07-CBO in it. It has severe burn in. It looks like it was an original monitor, or as Ken said they could have switched to the K7000 at a later time. I can check the number on mine to see if it an early one.

[allroy1975]

I'm going to try to move it to the Roadblaster cabinet...so I will have to discharge that monitor.   

Why, exactly?  Are you planning on doing any boardwork before you test it in the RB?

Well, no....but I'll be moving it around.  To be honest I'd feel a lot more comfortable knowing what parts of a monitor (potentially charged) are SAFE to touch, and wich parts are NOT SAFE.  ya know?

you seem to be implying that I don't need to discharge the monitor just to move it around. 

Really at this point I want to get the other monitor close enough to just plug it into the RoadBlasters to see if it works.  No point in mouting another non working monitor. 

Allroy

[paigeoliver]

I'm going to try to move it to the Roadblaster cabinet...so I will have to discharge that monitor.   

Why, exactly?  Are you planning on doing any boardwork before you test it in the RB?

Well, no....but I'll be moving it around.  To be honest I'd feel a lot more comfortable knowing what parts of a monitor (potentially charged) are SAFE to touch, and wich parts are NOT SAFE.  ya know?

you seem to be implying that I don't need to discharge the monitor just to move it around. 

Really at this point I want to get the other monitor close enough to just plug it into the RoadBlasters to see if it works.  No point in mouting another non working monitor. 

Allroy

I don't know how to put this lightly, but you are wrong.

It is more dangerous to both you and your monitor to randomly discharge your picture tube for no reason.

The monitor can ONLY get you if it both has a defective discharge circuit (causing the tube to retain a charge), AND you rip the anode cap off and stick your finger in the hole.

You DO NOT discharge monitors to move them, test them, install them, ship them, or anything else. You ONLY discharge a monitor if you have to take the anode cap off. NO OTHER REASON.

The actual act of discharging a monitor is about 1000 times more likely to get you shocked then moving it from 1 cabinet to another. It is also possible (albeit unlikely) to damage your monitor in a discharge.

If the monitor isn't plugged in (and has been off for a minute), then EVERYTHING is safe to touch (except for underneath the anode cap). Even the anode cap itself is safe to touch.

The whole monitor electricity thing can be thought of like a car. It has nasty flammable gasoline in the tank, but for that to get you then you would have to open a door, unscrew a cap and then jam your finger inside the hole.

[allroy1975]

Dude, you don't have to worry about telling me I'm wrong on a black and white issue. 

really?  so even the back of the tube is okay?  how do I know if it has a defective discharge unit?

and for the record the anode cap is the "suction cup" right?

allroy

[Ken Layton]

A suggestion would be to move over to the monitor forum and read the monitor and discharging FAQs.

[allroy1975]

looks like you were right.  I didn't discharge the monitor.  I hooked up the cocktail one in the Road Blasters and it works like a champ!  I just need to drill some new holes in the Monitor Chassis so the mounting screws fit right!

Looks like the monitor out of that cocktail is a ViewMaster13.  I don't know what that is, but it looks SWEET playing Road Blasters! 

Allroy

[Dartful Dodger]

I hooked up the cocktail one in the Road Blasters and it works like a champ!

Cocktail/Road Blaster

Were you the guy in Rockford that was going squeeze several cocktails, pinball machines and a Road Blaster into a trailer?

If so, did you take a picture of everything after it was loaded?

I wanted to see how you were going to get all that stuff to fit, but the guy I was with may have exploded if we were delayed any longer.

[allroy1975]

lol, yeah that was me.

We got it all in there, but like the guy you were with, I was just trying to get out of there.  No time for pictures.  I only had 7 machines (3 pins, 3 cocktails and that RoadBlasters cab).  While I was bidding I was figuring out in my head how everything would fit in that trailer.  It went in just like I imagined it would, but it wasn't fun making it happen.  I felt really bad cuz it took so long, but there wasn't much I could do at that point. 

I wore my BYOAC Hat, but no one said anything about it.  I figured there must have been SOMEONE else there, but...didn't wanna start asking everyone. 

So anyway..yeah, that was me.   

Allroy

[Dartful Dodger]

I didn't make the logo connection.  I was really tired Sunday so a joystick hat, at an arcade auction, blended in with the crowd.

I'm glad you got that Road Blaster working, it looked like a great cabinet.

[allroy1975]

Yeah, I'd still like to get that RoadBlasters monitor working so I can put the one with RoadBlaster Burn in, back in the Road Blasters cabinet, and use the nice new one for a MAME cocktail....

I bought a bunch of projects at that auction.  Any ideas what I could do with that 4 player Nintendo VS. RBI baseball cocktail?  it's the one with a red top and 2 monitors in it.  It only cost me $25...so....

Allroy

[clanggedin]

You could put a 4 player game in t the cab like TMNT and have it run on both monitors. I have seen others put Cyberball in their red tent cab.

My red tent had Vs. golf in it. I now have Super Mario Bros, and Dr. Mario in the cab, but have picked up TKO Boxing and Excitebike to swap out when we get tired of those games.