Asteroids restoration...hit a snag

[tkat]

So i just got this asteroids upright from a guy off eBay.
the unit needs a new control panel, paint job and some loving on the side art but its not terrible.

biggest problem I have is the picture doesn't stay on for more than an hour.
I noticed at first it was just a bunch of what looked like dots that moved around (at least it looked that way) from left to right, about a pixel or two high...so imagine a thin line moving back and forth in the center of the screen.

but then when I was checking out the wire harness on the board with the brightness and contrast controls for the monitor I noticed a small spark and the picture came on bright as day...lasted this way for 3 hours.

then all of a sudden it went and now I cannot get it on again for more than 5 min.

what was the spark? I took off the board and every thing "looked" OK but I am not an electrician nor a vendor so this part of restoration is new to me.

I really want to get this machine up and running as its one of my favs.

if anyone can offer advice or help, I'm listening.

[SirPeale]

Sounds like a broken or very loose connection.  I bet if you check where you saw the spark you'll see just that. 

[tkat]

UPDATE - and before anyone says anything...I know what i did was terrible but I had to try everything.

I punched the games side this morning and the screen came on ...then it zoomed in so everything was blowing up in size and faded away.

seems everytime I tap or hit the side or the machine where that board is...the game comes on for a second

SUCH A TEASE...

is it a solder connection or a wire that is loose...if its a wire I can do this today...if its soldering ...I am in trouble as I stink on ice with soldering.

please anyone else if you can help, I really want to fix this but am terrified I may make it worse just prodding around.

I can pull the board out and take pictures if anyone thinks that will help

[WunderCade]

A vid of what is happening or some pics or something visual would probably help you get better troubleshooting advice.

But double check every wire connection in the cab first of all.

[SirPeale]

I was pretty specific about what you need to do.  But if you need it spelled out for you...USE YOUR EYES TO SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING OBVIOUSLY BROKEN. 

Seriously, how do WE tell if it's a broken wire or cracked solder joint?  You've got the machine.  Get a flashlight, open your eyes and start looking for anything that doesn't look right.

And if you're having difficulties soldering, get a circuit board that doesn't work and practice on it until you're proficient enough to fix whatever is wrong on your Asteroids.

[Level42]

Also check all the pins of the connectors if they are still firm in the connectors (pull them a little !)

Last time when I went to visit my Star Wars cp to do some testing, the green color was gone on my monitor. I panciked a bit, but soon calmed down and thought about the golden rule I've learned over all the years I've been servicing electronics:

95% of the problems have a very simple cause.

Like a bad connection. So I checked out the wiring and sure enough, the pin for the green color had come out of the connector. Reconnected and bingo.

So, ALWAYS start looking for the simple things.

[tkat]

I started stripping the paint off the control panel today so when I get it back on I will take photos of the game in action.
I tried doing it this morning to give visuals but it was fading out faster than I can get the damn camera to shoot.

SO far i've:
Striped the marque brackets and primed them...look nice. I added a first coat of textured paint to them because they had a hammered look to the paint and a little bit of texture.

The control panel had a sticker on it over the original paint so I am doing that now. Will post pictures in the next week and use pics to show my progress moving forward.

Thanks for the help so far.

Peale I looked at the back of the board where I saw the spark. nothing. it looks fine. Now I am thinking its the actual plug for the harness in the board.

[ChadTower]

A couple of common things to go "loose" like that and cause an intermittent connection are the adjustment pots and the neckboard pins... make sure those are all secure and tight, reflow solder on the pots if you can.

Though, it should be said, if you don't know how to discharge your vector monitor you shouldn't be back in there in the first place.  Do you know how to do that safely?

[tkat]

I have not discharged or even attempted that yet. I am still reading up on how to do it right.

I took some pics, not the best but this is what I have.
the board is the one I think has the short. the game is the condition I got it in.

I took the control panel off, took all day to get the sticker off the panel (the pieces that were left). The paint is coming off nicely with a steel brush and sponge..very smooth.

I will have pics when its completely stripped and then show photos of when I paint it.
I ordered the overlay for the control panel and new buttons for the control panel. Next I plan on doing the coin mech door and the parts themselves, lots of dust and bit of rust.

I cleaned all the screws attached to the control panel as well and stripped them of paint.


http://www.roguerecordsonline.com/myspace/game.jpg


http://www.roguerecordsonline.com/myspace/board1.jpg

[Level42]

Read your first post again. When you have a single line left to right you lost the vertical (up-down) deflection.
Do you remember on what area of the board you saw the spark ? I'd start by checking the connectors. Are the solderings OK ? Push and wiggle a bit on all the connectors and look at the solder side if you see anything moving. Even if you don't see anything moving, there still could be a loose soldering though...

Also check the connectors themselves.

And since no-one said so yet:

Welcome here and welcome to the hobby, you chose a fabulous machine to start with. It looks to be in pretty nice condition, congrats !

[ChadTower]

If the spark would have been big enough to see I'd start straight on the HV circuit... which is exactly where he should not go yet.

[tkat]

Should be updating with some pics soon
I am waiting for the control panel overlay and the new buttons so show up.

got the game to work, its a short in the board...probably a cold solder. I had my buddy look at it and he is bringing his solder gun and volt meter tomorrow, so soon I should have pics of the unit WORKING!!!

[ChadTower]

A short and a cold joint are two very different things.

[tafische]

Also, make sure you dont have a grounding problem.  I have seen where a bad, disconnected, or corroded ground  system causes issues.  I had one similar to yours where it would come back on if someone banged the cabinet.

[tkat]

TA DAAAAA the monitor is now fixed


TA DAAAA after stripping the control panel, paint and rust...I repainted it and added the new overlay and BOOM!!! I have a new control panel. All the buttons are replaced and new and were a ---smurfette--- to replace....


now I have to fillin the scrapes and scratches on the side and add the new T mold...and I think I am done.

[SirPeale]

Thanks for letting us know it's fixed, but what did you do to fix it?

[ChadTower]

Why were CP buttons a ---smurfette--- to replace? 

[tkat]

cold solder apparently, my buddy fixed it in about 5 minutes...now I can play all day long.

the cp buttons were a pain because the washers that they have to tighten them kept threading wrong.
My fire button sticks once in a blue moon and I have not figured out why yet. its a new button like the others. The fire button was actually the worst to put on. it took almost 30 min to get it to line up right.

today I just finished filling in the chips, cracks and other assorted blemishes on the left side of the cabinet. Looks like I will have to paint over the original art afterall as there were scrapes in it I didn't notice when I bought it.

The bondo is all sanded down now and I have to paint it later this week. then I am going to add the new Tmolding

its coming along pretty well. off topic....I got a kangaroo two weeks ago and honestly all I had to do was clean it...its almost mint.

SWEET.

[shred5]

What paint and what color did you use on the cp?

Dave