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Centipede barebones

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bfauska:
No need to worry about resistance from the restoration crowd now.  Looks like that side-art is in pretty decent shape, even if you can't make it look new, you can probably make it look like it was never converted.

kayoteq:
Well, almost. I got 90% of that woodgrain off; player 2's been drilled out for a bigger button, there's extra button holes drilled in.. but yeah, cover the holes, one oem repro control panel overlay later.. (the art's there, but well, it's got extra holes in it.. )

So really, I could 'cheat', re-do the illustrator art to reflect the 'new' holes, install that.

That all depends on if the (original) power supply is working/salvagable. If it is, then yeah, it's going oem retro.

If not, mame with vertical games only,.. I'll get/build a Midway/Nintendo style for the rest :P

kayoteq:
Some updates.. got the tv reconfigured into the original CRT, for proper anchoring and electrical inspection before installation.. complete with UHF/VHF tuning knobs mounted on the back.

Passive upgrades, with a bit of quirkiness. I would have a temporary marquee but kinko's didn't want
to print it for fear of copyright violation.  Huh?


shoulda taken pictures during the frankenstein process but I was concentrating on avoiding the coiled snake wire. test-fit the old centipede crt in the tv.. good way to disguise my trash later.

Only 4-5 small screw holes in the metal crt chassis planned, to anchor the board isolation holders for the tv pcb and keep it all nice and safe and adjustable..
 it's a 1983 TV, so it's just about a match except for the extra tuner bits..

Narrowscreen television format. ask for it at your local DVD store..

This is all the 'no-budget' passive improvement portion. Get it together, tweak it, and eventually strip it
down to the proper stuff only. Especially since the tv tuner will be about useless in a couple of years..

Unless there are objections, this is going Jamma so I can have something reliable to do my wiring to,
since the original harness is here and there and occasionaly nowhere. and if I do it right I can eventually  put something more proper in the correct place.

Still haven't tested the original power supply. I've been avoiding the mains for a bit.

More update: Board fabricated, pcb for tv mounted, placed in cabinet for 'hot' testing and adjustment.
Cheapo Pac-man clone game run for signal test (sideways, ironically)

In 'researching' this, I've noticed that tube TVs are becoming rarer and rarer; I've only found one major retailer still selling a 'round tube' 19'' tv, real basic, mono but with a video in. $119.

I don't think I'll have as much 'freedom' as this '83 model to move the parts around, but something to consider in the long term.. just get the thing and set it aside. Oh wait, that costs money.

In this case, it was just an old television I wasn't using.  Excellent fodder for the initial experiment, bonus if it survives the operation.

I hooked the audio to the cabinet- the speaker's stil there and working :)

Disclaimer- there are dangerous voltages and stuff and decent precautions were taken in the monitor 'conversion'.

- me and me friend are kinda like the mythbusters guys..
lots of focused technical madness and care taken to survive.

No wires were cut. Only two small holes drilled in one lip of the metal frame of the CRT chassis mount.

Purists can rest easy knowing at least that much..

"You rebuilt a Centipede game.. with a xbox and  a Hitachi television?"

Just wait. .there's still the Apple Macintosh ADB 2 1/4'' trackball to integrate.. Happ can wait.

kayoteq:
Progress report; still leaving original stuff alone, making my own version of restoration elements. I'm notoriously cheap, and want to make it a working model and then tweak out the details as I go. Priorities.

An original trakball is on it's way this week, sure to be needing a full rebuild, but original. The Apple trackball will go away.

The CP has been sanded down and a paint job to keep it from rusting. Hated to lose those last bits of original art there, but it was a lost cause anyway.

Slowly and surely, this thing will be making proper noises and gameplay someday. Some assembly required.

Level42:
Good work.

Just MHO:
Go for a full restore. Get a Millipede PCB that has (or add) the Multipede kit, so you can play both Millipede and Centipede. Emulation is nice, but it's never the real thing.
And how many vertical raster trackball games are there ?

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