Author Topic: Asteroids Restoration -- Hardware 100% / Starting Cab work... (Read 29160 times)

Kaytrim · « **Reply #40 on:** August 15, 2007, 03:10:55 pm »

Maybe you are dealing with a botched up conversion in progress. The seller couldn't make the phoenix board work so just sold it off to recoup some cash. You might want to do one of two things. Get a real Astorids boardset (if you can find one) or swap the monitor and other high voltage stuff and see about getting that pheonix board working.

TTFN

BobA · « **Reply #41 on:** August 15, 2007, 08:39:25 pm »

Either go for an asteroids board for your monitor or get the phoenix board going on a regular arcade monitor. Even a small add on board is not going to convert a raster game to vector, the requirements are totally different.

mcfreak · « **Reply #42 on:** August 15, 2007, 09:04:03 pm »

Quote from: BobA on August 15, 2007, 08:39:25 pm

Either go for an asteroids board for your monitor or get the phoenix board going on a regular arcade monitor. Even a small add on board is not going to convert a raster game to vector, the requirements are totally different.

Done, have a working one on the way, however, that takes some of the fun out of this. At least I will get to test my monitor...

CheffoJeffo · « **Reply #43 on:** August 16, 2007, 07:25:17 am »

Quote from: mcfreak on August 15, 2007, 09:04:03 pm

Done, have a working one on the way, however, that takes some of the fun out of this. At least I will get to test my monitor...

Careful what you wish for ...

mcfreak · « **Reply #44 on:** August 20, 2007, 08:41:41 pm »

So I started sanding the sides down where it was cut... (damn that was painful watching the side art paint disappear in that section). Once I bondo that up and sand again I am going to need new sideart. I know I can get the sideart overlay for 135 at arcadeshop but my question is:

Do they have a Stencil set for the Asteroids sides that you can paint the 4/5 colors back on?

BTW, new PCB should be here tomorrow...

mcfreak · « **Reply #45 on:** August 21, 2007, 07:08:28 pm »

Got the new PCB in, the 5+ test point on the Voltage Regulator board is only putting out 1.90 vdc and doesn't change if you adjust the little "adjuster" uhh, thing... I think one of the caps is bad on that board. It's probably time for some stuff from Bob Roberts...

arcadefever · « **Reply #46 on:** August 21, 2007, 08:08:49 pm »

we have some progress here ...
the capkit on the audio board should help, order also the big blue

prOk · « **Reply #47 on:** August 22, 2007, 07:33:12 pm »

I'd bet money that the phoenix pcb was just slapped in there with a faked 'adapter' just to make the game 'look' complete for auction purposes.. just a typical auction scam tactic

For the sideart, Arcadeshop sells a screen printed version that looks really nice and given how much printing it yourself on an inkjet would cost it's a good option considering it will cost about the same and you get screen print quality.

/b

mcfreak · « **Reply #48 on:** August 29, 2007, 07:43:22 pm »

IT LIVES!!!!!! I ordered a cap kit for the AR board, Big Blue, and the G05. Just finished capping the A/R board and it PLAYS BLIND!!!

I also get a small glow on the monitor tube so things are looking up.

Next is to cap the Monitor!

arcadefever · « **Reply #49 on:** August 29, 2007, 07:54:24 pm »

Quote from: mcfreak on August 29, 2007, 07:43:22 pm

IT LIVES!!!!!! I ordered a cap kit for the AR board, Big Blue, and the G05. Just finished capping the A/R board and it PLAYS BLIND!!! I also get a small glow on the monitor tube so things are looking up.

Next is to cap the Monitor!

keep going

mcfreak · « **Reply #50 on:** August 30, 2007, 12:08:04 pm »

Okay, G05 Monitor Cap kit installed as well as the new Big Blue(Black) on the PS. Plays well blind still but no video, and now I get glowing red hot R100 and R101.. AHHH
See picture...

I know, I know, Read the Vector Monitor FAQ... I'm going, I'm going...

Thoughts?

mcfreak · « **Reply #51 on:** August 30, 2007, 01:57:19 pm »

Okay. I fixed that issue. I was an idiot and didn't put the insulation back on the chassis transistors.

Put those back on and I am in better shape now.
It looks like the Y amplifier isn't working... Here is what the FAQ say's:

Horizontal line (due to "Y" amplifier defection).
· Bad "Y" amplifier output transistors.
· Blown "Y" amplifier fuse.
· Open fusible resistor in the "Y" amplifier.
· Yoke pins not making good contact (very common).
· Bad yoke.

mcfreak · « **Reply #52 on:** August 30, 2007, 04:16:55 pm »

And we are fully playable... After a few adjustments and some cleaning of the connections this is the result.

arcadefever · « **Reply #53 on:** August 30, 2007, 06:24:51 pm »

YHEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

congratulation

now you can play one of the best Arcade game ever

mcfreak · « **Reply #54 on:** August 30, 2007, 06:30:17 pm »

THANKS!!! Yeah, I am pretty ecstatic.. Now to get her head patched back up and new artwork. I love me some Asteroids.

mcfreak · « **Reply #55 on:** September 01, 2007, 06:18:13 pm »

Curiosity got the best of me now that I have all the components working I had to go back and plug in that Phoenix PCB just to be sure. Yup, still blows that one fuse so I am done with it.

Hooked everything back up the the Asteroids PCB and all is well. Now to move on to the woodworking and the cabinet restore...

Level42 · « **Reply #56 on:** September 02, 2007, 05:04:45 pm »

Yeah, I love it when a classic is brought back to life ! Well done, I know EXACTLY how you felt when that picture came up for the first time ! (And also how you felt when you discovered your mistake with the insulation on the transistors, you're VERY lucky that didn't do more damage !! Thos resistors look frightening !!! How did you still dare to take a picture, I would have shut it down immediately instead

Are these pictures of the playing game a bit out of focus ? Else try to adjust the focus control on (or near) the HV transformer......

Again congratulations, I'll follow this thread

mcfreak · « **Reply #57 on:** September 02, 2007, 07:39:37 pm »

Yeah, I knew I didn't have a clue if they were supposed to be like that or not... Felt like a big goof!

The focus on the HV does nothing if I turn it either way so I still have something not right on the HV unit... However, I am still just super excited it plays. Just a few more games and then I will troubleshoot that issue. I read your thread and saw you got a few games in before you finished your electronics work.

Level42 · « **Reply #58 on:** September 03, 2007, 12:56:23 am »

Very true !!! it shows how good these games are, it's so hard to stop playing !!

mcfreak · « **Reply #59 on:** September 03, 2007, 11:01:07 am »

So there are two pots on the HV board for the Vector monitor. One is adjustable through a small hole in the cover and looks to be a large pot. That one seems to do nothing.

The second is a small metal pot on the board which looks to me like it "zooms" in and out the picture. That isn't focus is it?

mcfreak · « **Reply #60 on:** March 04, 2008, 07:32:29 pm »

Finally got some time to continue this project. I got everything back in the cabinet and I had a couple of lines in test mode that were "Chain link fence looking". I re-seated each chip and cleaned their legs with an eraser. Now when I power it up I just get two dots about an inch apart from each other in the center of the screen and they just cycle back and forth. The reset button does nothing and the diag switch doesn't change anything. I've taken each chip back out and reseated again with no result.

Has anyone seen two cycling dots on an Asteroids?

Level42 · « **Reply #61 on:** March 09, 2008, 04:14:42 pm »

I wish I had an Asteroids but you could try ask at the KLOV forum or the Vector list (http://www.vectorlist.org/)

Also try to search for Asteroids trouble shooting manuals and documents about the monitor...

RetroACTIVE · « **Reply #62 on:** March 11, 2008, 09:48:02 am »

Quote from: mcfreak on March 04, 2008, 07:32:29 pm

Finally got some time to continue this project. I got everything back in the cabinet and I had a couple of lines in test mode that were "Chain link fence looking". I re-seated each chip and cleaned their legs with an eraser. Now when I power it up I just get two dots about an inch apart from each other in the center of the screen and they just cycle back and forth. The reset button does nothing and the diag switch doesn't change anything. I've taken each chip back out and reseated again with no result.

Has anyone seen two cycling dots on an Asteroids?

Interesting... my asteroids has a couple of small dot problems... there is 1 very faint dot to the left of center and another up near the P1 score... they are not there during self test but are during game play.. also they don't appear immediately... it seems to take a little 'warm up' time before they start showing up... I've not tried to correct the problem with cleaning or re-seating though.

ChadTower · « **Reply #63 on:** March 11, 2008, 10:01:18 am »

Awesome to see the progress on this. You'd probably get more readers if it were in the Projects forum.

You definitely got what we call an Auction Grab Bag.... someone threw a bunch of stuff into a beater cab to make it look complete. I don't know that I agree with it being a scam, though, since you do have the opportunity to look at the thing for as long as you want during the viewing period.

Cutting the top off the cab off is definitely for moving purposes. Short doorway, vehicle that doesn't quite fit it, etc.

mcfreak · « **Reply #64 on:** May 20, 2008, 12:10:02 pm »

Quote from: ChadTower on March 11, 2008, 10:01:18 am

Awesome to see the progress on this. You'd probably get more readers if it were in the Projects forum.

You definitely got what we call an Auction Grab Bag.... someone threw a bunch of stuff into a beater cab to make it look complete. I don't know that I agree with it being a scam, though, since you do have the opportunity to look at the thing for as long as you want during the viewing period.

Cutting the top off the cab off is definitely for moving purposes. Short doorway, vehicle that doesn't quite fit it, etc.

It was originally there but was moved because of the technical discussion (or that was the excuse I got)...

All electronics are fully functional again so back to the cabinet restoration.

Level42 · « **Reply #65 on:** May 21, 2008, 01:03:15 am »

So you solved the dot problem ? We want to know how you solved it

mcfreak · « **Reply #66 on:** May 21, 2008, 06:59:25 am »

Quote from: Level42 on May 21, 2008, 01:03:15 am

So you solved the dot problem ? We want to know how you solved it

AHHH DAMMIT!!! I was hoping no one would ask. With the amount of dumb mistakes I have made on this machine I am surprised I haven't destroyed it. So remember I said I had all the electronics out of the cabinet and then I installed them all again. Well I made an assumption about certain connections and how they connected. The wiring harness I have has a separator 3 pins in. When re-installing it I looked at the finger board and assumed that the because there was a notch 3 pins in.... Well you know the rest.

I PUT THE F-ING WIRING HARNESS ON BACKWARDS!!!!!

At one point in my chip pulling I must have connected it the correct way and then then still had a small issue... That is where my two week sabbatical started. I went back to the manual/diagram and noticed my mistake almost immediately. Good news is I know exact what an asteroids does with the harness on backwards and that it won't destory the whole thing, nor blow any fuses.

Long story short, mark everything and don't be a jackass like me.

quanlee · « **Reply #67 on:** May 21, 2008, 08:29:50 am »

Hmmm... what did it do when you had the harness on backwards? I'm having problems with an Asteroids, ram issues from what I can tell. The board reads +5vdc ok though.

mcfreak · « **Reply #68 on:** May 21, 2008, 08:43:19 am »

Quote from: quanlee on May 21, 2008, 08:29:50 am

Hmmm... what did it do when you had the harness on backwards? I'm having problems with an Asteroids, ram issues from what I can tell. The board reads +5vdc ok though.

It would cycle two dots * * <-- think of those blinking back and forth (similar to a spot killer dot) but would blink... And if you pressed player 1 they would stop. I don't think that is your issue.

mcfreak · « **Reply #69 on:** May 25, 2008, 08:11:11 am »

Few shots of my progress. I am working on color matching the artwork I have so that I can print it on the vinyl paper I purchased. It's interesting that the original printed more "red" which I actually think looks really good as it matches the CPO. Anyway, a few shots...

AnthonyB · « **Reply #70 on:** August 07, 2008, 02:15:50 am »

sweet, awesome find and great resto!


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