A Bundle Of Questions

[ArcadeNoob]

Alright, I just bought a Bubble Bobble in a converted Zaxxon cab.  The seller said that he thought the power supply was not working, and that the monitor's only problem was that a "fuse is blown".


My questions are:  Is there a power switch on a zaxxon cab?  I can't seem to find one, and wanted to be sure the power supply really was busted.  And, if it is, can I replace the 115V power supply in it currently with a 110V?


Also, what in the world does a "blown fuse" refer to ?  I know next to nothing about monitors, and was curious to exactly what that meant.  It is a WG 19K4903 chasis with a RCA 19VLTP22 tube.  I will post up pictures of the actual monitor ASAP, so maybe you can diagnose the puzzling situation there. Thanks.

[ArcadeNoob]

Here are some pictures:

[versapak]

A blown fuse means exactly that.


Look at the main board for the monitor and you should see some fuses.


[EDIT]

I just want to add, that before you go poking around the monitor, you should be sure that you properly discharge it first.

[MYX]

First!!! Becareful of anything with wires. Monitors carry high voltage and you don't wanna get zapped. You probably knew that, but it never hurts to mention.

Ok...
1. Does anything happen when you plug it in?

Do you know what kind of monitor it is? If you can figure that out you can go HERE to get schematics.

2. On the power supply is there an LED on it? When you plug it in does the LED light up?

3. Is the main power going to the big transformer before going to the new switching power supply (the black PS you showed in your picture? (It used to have a big board for a power supply in it. Probably died.)

4. Do you see any fuses anywhere in visible site?


EDIT: I think that the monitor is a Wells Gardner WG4900. Not positive though. 

[CheffoJeffo]

A blown fuse means exactly that.

No, no, no, no, no. 

When spoken by a seller, a "blown fuse" (aka "probably just a puse") is an "as-yet-undiagnosed monitor problem that is most likely not a fuse since I would have taken 15 seconds and replaced the fuse instead of selling the whole damned machine with a farked monitor, but I'll say it's a fuse because that sounds easy to fix.".

Kinda like selling a car that won't start and saying "it's the battery".

Having said that, sometimes a blown fuse is actually just a blown fuse.

Just not that often.

Now, DO check the fuses on the monitor boards. Preferably with a multimeter (if you don't have one, buy one ... you bought the cab, you need the tools) as visual inspection can be misleading. Then, using said multimeter, check the voltage (if any) coming off of the power supply.

NOTE: If you do not know how to check these things, do not despair as it is easily done and a quick search will reveal the techniques (or just ask and someone will explain).

Cheers.

[SirPeale]

When a fuse blows, it's because it's being stressed past the point where it can carry current safely.  The whole point of a fuse is a safety point where we can destroy a .29 piece of equipment, rather than a $300 one.

In cabinets, if a fuse blows, you can get really lucky in that perhaps it was just a fluke that the fuse blew: there was a surge that made it blow, or perhaps the power supply went, taking the fuse with it before more damage could happen.

On a monitor, OTOH, when a fuse blows it usually means that components on the chassis have blown.  Check the bridge and the HOT.  You may have to unsolder the bridge to test.  I forget on a K4900 if it's an actual bridge or four diodes.  If it's four diodes you can just unsolder one end to properly test.

[ArcadeNoob]

Alright, the advice so far is great.  But, on the power supply:  When I plug it in, it does nothing.  I thought that MIGHT be because the on/off switch is off....hence why i was asking whether or not you all knew of a location of one on a zaxxon cab.  If it was off, the power supply would not show up with any activity when tested, correct?

[arcadepcnut]

A blown fuse means exactly that.

No, no, no, no, no. 

When spoken by a seller, a "blown fuse" (aka "probably just a puse") is an "as-yet-undiagnosed monitor problem that is most likely not a fuse since I would have taken 15 seconds and replaced the fuse instead of selling the whole damned machine with a farked monitor, but I'll say it's a fuse because that sounds easy to fix.".

This guy is EXACTLY right. If a seller is known to sell electronics or arcade monitors in this case and it is something broken as simple as a fuse he would have replaced it and got alot more for the machine. But when selling a seller would say its a fuse so the buyer things oh...I can replace that easy.

[CheffoJeffo]

This guy is EXACTLY right. If a seller is known to sell electronics or arcade monitors in this case and it is something broken as simple as a fuse he would have replaced it and got alot more for the machine. But when selling a seller would say its a fuse so the buyer things oh...I can replace that easy.

BUT, having said what I said ...

I picked up my Asteroids at auction for much less than it should have gone for because it actually WAS a fuse ... the op who owned it had 3A fuses where there should have been 7A (and had a crappy power cord). In the preview, I played her, then the fuses popped. Got her home, replaced the fuses and presto magico ... Asteroids.

Can't trust nobody ... except my multimeter ...

Cheers.

[Quarters]

Is there a power switch on a zaxxon cab?

Is there a switch on top of the cab?

[cdbrown]

Can you follow the wires inside the cab, must be something between where the mains power enters and the power supply?

[ArcadeNoob]

Is there a power switch on a zaxxon cab?

Is there a switch on top of the cab?

Not that I saw. 


In other news, I will try to buy a multimeter in the next few days.

[MYX]

For what you will be doing with cabs, you probably do not need a real fancy one. Save some bux here. You want something that will read AC and DV voltage. You want something that beeps for continuity checks. Probably also what it to measure resistance.

If you really get into this, then invest the $$ in a higher power meter. You can pick up a basic meter for under $20.

Radio Shack has a cool little meter that has leads inside that un coil. It will eventually fail because of the coiling and uncoiling of the leads but, I always carried one in my back pack and it lasted me several years.