Rampart Upright - Working - Questions

[crpngdth2001]

I have a couple of questions regarding a working Rampart game I might buy for my MAME project. The unit is fully functional and in decent shape, mainly the usual cosmetic defects you would expect. I was thinking of using it mainly for the cabinet, monitor, coin door, etc. I can get this thing for $100, so it seems like a no brainer if I can use the parts.

Here are the specs on the monitor (which works fine):

Screen orientation : Horizontal
Video resolution : 336 x 240 pixels
Screen refresh : 60.00 Hz
Palette colors : 512

Would this be a good MAME monitor for playing most MAME Classics (Mainly PacMan, MsPacMan, Dig Dug, Space Invaders, Galaga, Galaxian, etc.)?

Are the parts I wouldn't use of any value to resell?

Thanks in advance...

[Jeff AMN]

That would be a pretty good (and easy) cab to MAME. As for salvaging the parts, well, you probably won't get much. I gave away most of the insides to my Blitz cab last year when I started stripping things out of it.

[BobA]

I noticed that all the games you mentioned are vertical.   If those are the ones you will be playing then make sure you can change the orientation of your monitor to vertical.  Some cabs are easier than others depending on the mounting method.

[ahofle]

One thing to keep in mind is that every classic game you listed is a vertical game and Rampart is horizontal.  The only one of those games that looks good on a horizontal arcade monitor is Space Invaders IMO.  Just something to consider -- I'm not sure how easy it would be to rotate the monitor.  You may be better off MAMEing a vertical cabinet if you are planning on using the monitor and mainly playing those games.

EDIT: BobA types too fast. 

[Crowquill]

I have a Primal Rage cab that I'm using as a JAMMA setup. It's cabinet is almost identical to Rampart's with the exception of the control panel. I'm actually planning on making a new control panel for it to make it like the Rampart/Pit Fighter cabs. After doing this it'll become my main MAME machine.

It's a nice cabinet with a pull-out control panel that houses all the electronics. I think it'd work well for mame. It also came with a 25" monitor if I remember right. With this it matters less whether you're playing horizontal or vertical games. Even scaled to fit on the center of the 25", the vertical games will have an image size pretty comparable to the 19" monitors that they were on originally.

As far as I know, Rampart was only available as a dedicated cab, but I could be wrong. If it's a kit it could be in any cab. Here's what the dedicated cab looked like:

EDIT: found a few more pics on my hard drive of these cabs. Also forgot to mention: if this is the trackball version of Rampart then you're DEFINITELY coming out ahead.

[ahofle]

It's a nice cabinet with a pull-out control panel that houses all the electronics. I think it'd work well for mame. It also came with a 25" monitor if I remember right. With this it matters less whether you're playing horizontal or vertical games. Even scaled to fit on the center of the 25", the vertical games will have an image size pretty comparable to the 19" monitors that they were on originally.

It's not the image size that is the problem.  Most of those games he listed run at 288 lines which doesn't really work on a horizontal arcade monitor.  The top and bottom of the screen are way cut off.  The other option is to run it at 640x480 interlaced and stretch the image in MAME, but that doesn't really look very good on an arcade monitor.  I have a 25" arcade monitor and that is my dilema right now.  Vertical games at 256 lines and less look great, but 288 and above I am not happy with.  If you really want an arcade quality picture for those particular games, I think a vertical monitor is the way to go (or maybe a multisync monitor). 

[crpngdth2001]

So it seems like this might not be the ideal choice then for me based on the monitor orientation. FWIW, it is the version with the trackball. I don't know if I want to attempt or mess with re-orienting the monitor. Maybe I should just part with the monitor and use a 27" TV i have on hand.

Other than that, is this generally a good cabinet to start from then? I will be rebuilding the control panel as well, same shape, etc, but different layout.

Thanks for the replies.

[crpngdth2001]

Another idea, I can also get a Time Soldiers upright with these monitor specs:

Time Soldiers:
Screen orientation: Vertical
Video resolution: 224 x 256 pixels
Screen refresh: 60.00 Hz
Palette colors: 2048

$25 more than the Rampart, about the same condition (a little worse), but good bright monitor, coin door (no mechs), etc.

[ahofle]

Another idea...get them both and have a vertical MAME machine and a horizontal MAME machine.     

[shorthair]

Ya.  If they're from the same place, work a combo deal.  For the time being, you could even use one computer to run 'em both.

[torez]

Eh, Rampart ... one of my favorite arcade games.  Used to be very good at it when I was in college.  Hate to see it being converted 

[Rocky]

Rampart cabinets are pretty rare.  If it's original and the side art / control panel are in good shape, then it is worth more selling it to collectors and using a generic cabinet for your MAME project.

Where are you located?  I've got a working Rampart board 

[dek]

Buy the Rampart, sell it on Ebay. There is a nice market for a 3 player trackball version right now, they rarely come up.

[crpngdth2001]

I'm in Columbus, Ohio. Still waiting to hear back from the seller. He emailed me yesterday with some updated info, telling me he thinks a fuse is blown, and it just stopped working from when I saw it last.

[Miketek]

Hi everyone, my first post. 

I was given a 2 player Rampart machine a few days ago. A friend picked it up on a salvage haul a few years ago but due to no video it ended up in his garage for 2 years.

I got it under the agreement that if I make it work  that we share it. ( and I may MAME it as well )

Didnt take long to track down the PCB pinouts and rewire the video.

Now its fully playable, but slightly blurry even after adjusting the focus.

Coinbox works too.

I havent yet identified the monitor using all the common methods and pictures but I think its an older Atari model Wells Gardner.

Anyhoo there's some crackling noise coming from the area of the flyback, but this being my very first ever console project, I do not know if this is normal or not.. or has anything to do with the blurriness. the Monitors PCB is filthy with garage dust and grime so when I get some time I will get out the air compressor and blast it as clean as I can with air. (see the filth in action, pic #4 )

Im going to run the Self Test today ( for some reason I didnt see the dipswitch yesterday on the PCB, but in the fresh light of day I have spotted it right away.. )

 Im pretty happy with this pick up, and all the rumors that this boring looking game is very addictive are true, I was up till 2am building my castles.. normally Im up till 2am playing Battlefield 2142 on my PC haha!

Eventually Id like to throw a 1ghz AMD box I have lying around into it and get a proper VGA out card and hook up the joysticks for a MAME setup, but Im hoping to also have use of the Rampart PCB or maybe pick up some other PCB's for two joystick horizontal VGA games.. so much to learn as Im a complete newb at this, but I find all my fave MAME games are kinda boring when played on a PC..

[RayB]

Crackling on power-up is normal, but if it continues after the monitor has warmed up, .. well, that's not good. Could be something loose and AC power is "arcing". Not safe to operate in that condition.

[Kaytrim]

Head over to the monitor forum with all the identifying info you can find on the monitor.  You should get the best help over there.

TTFN
Kaytrim

[horseboy]

Do you have any pics of the side of that thing?

[Miketek]

Thanks for the advice.. Ill 'monitor' the monitor crackling sound,, again it seems to be coming directly from the flyback area, which is also right where the 'big red cable of death' as I call it goes into the PCB. Its not really loud but like a 'static' type sound.

I have been reading through the monitor section and veiwing all the PCB pics on various websites as well as writing down every model number I can find on the machine but so far to no avail. I downloaded a whole bunch of WG user manuals as well but nothing seems to match except one WG 19K4915 Atari TM-281 which has a very similar looking pCB but not exact.

I find # WG 942469 on my chassis.

My account here was just authorized this morning so Ive not had a chance yet to go over to the monitor forum and get a little more interactive with some of my findings. Thats next!  

[Miketek]

Do you have any pics of the side of that thing?

no but if you really wanted I could take some.

Its just a woodgrain with the Rampart Knight sticker on it, like on the marquee but large.

[horseboy]

Do you have any pics of the side of that thing?

no but if you really wanted I could take some.

Its just a woodgrain with the Rampart Knight sticker on it, like on the marquee but large.

If it isn't a hassle. I was just wondering because that is an odd coin door, and I was wondering what the cab might have been originally.

[Miketek]

no problemo.. you can see one side was on the sunny side as its quite faded!


Sticker to the right of the faded Rampart logo has # DC-009U

[Miketek]

Ill also add that the flyback area noise is now more of a hum or a buzz with some static behind it.. Hard to explain. My speaker is also humming a bit (like bad ground) and its a very similar noise to that.

it is also slightly less blurry today, but then it sat for at least 2 years and who knows how long before that but considering it was a throw away it may have been years.

Self Test came up fine in general although I didnt run the ROM or RAM tests, but I see there's not much in there to improve any blurry picture.

And I did get to crank the difficulty up a bit!