My $100 score of last weekend

[RandyT]

I didn't really have the room for it, but I couldn't pass this one up. 



The owner wanted it gone by last weekend and had a $200 price tag.  I inquired with a couple of questions but based on the photos he sent, didn't really want to pay that much for it.  He emailed me back a few days later and offered it to me for $125, but I needed to make a 3 hour round trip in my gas guzzler to get it.  He wanted it gone, so we settled on $100.

The cabinet was a Millipede.  I'd love to get that sideart and black paint off of there without destroying what I know is underneath, but they did a good job.  Looks like a roller coat of enamel.  I tried some regular gel paint stripper in a small spot on one side, but it started to attack the artwork underneath.  I may have to accept that this will remain a black cabinet.

The monitor is a Matsushita 19" that looked pretty bad when I got it.  No low level colors at all.  I put it on the Sencore rejuvenator and re-activated a couple of the guns and rejuvenated another.  The diagnostics said it looked pretty good after that, so then it was time to adjust it...

Bleah, what a nightmare.  The monitor definitely needs a cap kit (at anything but nominal contrast levels, it's smears and needs about 15 minutes to warm up for the screen to darken down and the retrace lines to disappear.  But after an hour of tweaking things (the perfectionist in me makes me ill suited for tweaking monitors) I did finally end up with a very nice, sharp and colorful image with only the tiniest hint of streaking.

Anyone know where to find a cap kit for a Matsushita 19?

The inside of the unit is very clean.  I don't think anyone went in there for anything other than to convert it.  A nice over/under coindoor with coinbox, all 3 keys and 2 WICO 8-ways (that the dummy operator assembled incorrectly and resulted in broken springs on both of them.)  For some reason the original Atari Regulator / Audio board is in there, but it's not used.  I'll need to add an amp because the sound doesn't appear to be amplified (volume knob does nothing...probably bypassed)

There's some work to be done, but for $100 who can complain, especially with a good, functioning game inside.  I just hope I don't run across any more deals.  Lisa was cool with this one, but I'm guessing the next might not be so easy.

RandyT

[miles2912]

Drooolll....   Twin Cobra is the reason I made a MAME cab.  Great find!

Don

[Kevin Mullins]

Anyone know where to find a cap kit for a Matsushita 19?

Bob Roberts carries them -
Matsushita - Atari
TM201G  color    $5.00
TM202G 19" color   $5.00
(of course the usual $6.00 shipping)
http://homearcade.org/BBBB/caps.html

Zanen has one as well -
701  For Matsushita TM202G 19" color monitor.
        Includes 17 parts. $6.95 ea.
(not sure on shipping except free with orders over $25.00)
You'd have to call them: Phone:  888-449-2636
http://randyfromm.com/amusements/yellowpages/zanen/


You're lucky to have a Matsushita tube that hasn't lost a color gun yet.
Especially after rejuvenating it.
They are notorious for one color or another completely dying.

Good score though.

[torez]

Nice find.  Just the other day there was Asteroids in nice physical condition not far from me.  Guy wanted $125.  Monitor did not work, but the game was starting up.  I would be first to get it, if I had the room.  First missed on Defender, now this.  Gotta move to a bigger place 

[BrentRadio]

Randy,

I have the Matsushita TM202G 19" color cap kit that I was going to use on my Pole Position monitor, but I just bought a new monitor instead. So I never used it.

It's brand new and still in the bag with the list sheet. You can have it for $7 and I will pay for the shipping.

paypal@brentradio.com

Thanks,

Brent

[More Cowbell]

Brent comes through with flying colors again. 

[shardian]

The cabinet was a Millipede.  I'd love to get that sideart and black paint off of there without destroying what I know is underneath, but they did a good job.  Looks like a roller coat of enamel.  I tried some regular gel paint stripper in a small spot on one side, but it started to attack the artwork underneath.  I may have to accept that this will remain a black cabinet.

Refer to my thread here:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=63827.msg637213#msg637213

3m safest stripper will work good on your Atari cab.

[RandyT]

Drooolll....   Twin Cobra is the reason I made a MAME cab.  Great find!

I didn't realize what a good title it was until I played it for little bit.  I used to play the C64 version way back when, but forgot about it.  It wasn't until I started seeing some of the tank patterns that it clicked again.  I was thinking about converting the cab to MAME, but I'm really leaning against it at the moment.  It does have a JAMMA connector inside, so maybe it will give me an excuse to make an interface that fits it .

You're lucky to have a Matsushita tube that hasn't lost a color gun yet.  Especially after rejuvenating it.  They are notorious for one color or another completely dying.

Thanks for the cap kit references.  I actually did a search for info here and saw the color gun issue referenced a few times and was thinking the same thing   The Sencore rejuvenator is a pretty high-tech piece of gear.  It allows for "reactivation", which is very low-impact, up to a really heavy rejuvenation.  Only one of the guns needed the lowest rejuvenation option, while the others needed only reactivation.  I have to say though, it shaped up very nicely once adjusted.  So much so that I can probably put installation of that cap kit off for while.

I have the Matsushita TM202G 19" color cap kit that I was going to use on my Pole Position monitor, but I just bought a new monitor instead. So I never used it.  It's brand new and still in the bag with the list sheet. You can have it for $7 and I will pay for the shipping.

You da man!  Money has been sent.  Thanks!

3m safest stripper will work good on your Atari cab.

I'll check it out, thanks for the tip!  Do you know if they stock it at one of the home stores?


RandyT

[shardian]

I'll check it out, thanks for the tip!  Do you know if they stock it at one of the home stores?
RandyT

Ace Hardware is the only local store I have ever seen it at, which is where I bought mine. No-go at Home Depot or Lowes.

[miles2912]

When you can crack a million high-score on one credit you are in the ballpark.  I could not break 500,000 on just my PC.  When I built the cab I finally beat 500,000.  Took a year to break the million mark however.  Game is too much fun.

Don

[vintagegamer]

Nice score for $100!   That's one of those deals where if you don't just suck it up and go get it, you'll be mad at yourself for the rest of the year.  None of these things are a real priority on any of our lists, but you'll be seriously pi$$d if you don't grasp the opp and then hear about someone else who leaped on it!  Good for you man.

VG

[Kremmit]

I didn't find the  3M Safest Stripper in any of the local stores, but one that had other 3M products was happy to special order it for me.  Got it for a Centipede cab, but never got around to stripping it, so I can't tell you how it worked. 

[RandyT]

I did some digging (no ACE hardware stores around here  ) and it looks like K-mart might carry it.  I saw a couple of references to it on the WWW and that was where the posters said they got it.

I'll check it out tonight and report how it works if I can find some.

RandyT

[shardian]

Hopefully you can get it. Amazon ships it, so it must be safe to ship. If you can't find any other way to get it, I can buy it for you and ship it to you.

[RandyT]

I appreciate the offer.  Struck out at K-Mart.  Wal-mart carries some citrus based stuff that I didn't feel too good about.  Lowes actually carried a couple of varieties of "safe" stripping agents that seemed to be very similar to the 3M stuff, but I didn't go for it yet.

I'll check out a couple of other places...maybe the local paint store will have it.  If not, I might give one of the other brands a test to see what happens.

Thanks for the help!

RandyT

[shardian]

I appreciate the offer.  Struck out at K-Mart.  Wal-mart carries some citrus based stuff that I didn't feel too good about.  Lowes actually carried a couple of varieties of "safe" stripping agents that seemed to be very similar to the 3M stuff, but I didn't go for it yet.

I'll check out a couple of other places...maybe the local paint store will have it.  If not, I might give one of the other brands a test to see what happens.

Thanks for the help!

RandyT

The other brands aren't the same.  The safest stripper stuff isn't like anything else I have used. If they are cheap enough, they may be worth a try, but don't expect much. I tried the Motsenbachers safe stuff and I might as well have been spraying 409 on the paint - and it still stunk somewhat.

[RandyT]

Good to know.  Saves me some bucks.  I'll hold out for the 3M variety....

Thanks,
Randy