Arcade Collecting > Restorations & repair
Star Wars restoration - AVG board problem
ChadTower:
Actually, I wasn't, but all I was trying to do was suggest a way to get the single part he's talking about. Of course he can just go out and get a different yoke. Dude needs to chill, though. Geez.
RayB:
Power cord had a broken ground prong, so I replaced it with a new one. Checked fuses (only visually), checked connections, and cleaned the board edge traces. Powered up.
Red light on monitor (which is a WG 6103 by the way, not an Amplifone). Red light in the board cage. Doesn't coin up or make any sounds, other than a low hiss from the speakers.
Luckily I know someone with a working upright, and should be able to test the boards in his, and vice versa (to see if my monitor works with his good board set).
RayB:
AR-II had a resistor ripped off it (hanging by one end), so I soldered that back in. Tested it in my Missile Command and it's good. Running at 5.01v, same as my other good AR-II.
Put it back in SW, still nothing. Still a hiss noise from the speakers.
Pulled out the board set and cleaned every set of edge traces, even the ones for the little board that ties all the boards together. Put it back in, tested without the RF shield board. Series of a beeps blared. Sounded like an alarm! I flipped the test switch to the other position, and I eventually heard: "THE FORCE WILL BE WITH YOU!"
That's as far as I can get, though I think the diagnostic mode might be working, as I eventually also hear "Red 5 Standing By".
That's as far as I can get. Here's a summary (any tips would help greatly):
- Monitor not showing anything (red LED on monitor board is lit, and seems to flash every 2 seconds)
- With test switch in down position, on power up I get 16 beeps, a pause, then 16 again and it seems to repeat like this.
- All board "single" LEDs are lit. The main board "group of 3" LEDs light on power up, then turn off after about 2 or 3 seconds.
- Voltages: +5 is at 5.03v, +12 is at 11.5v. Should I raise this?
- Coining up makes no sound. It does not even trigger my coin counter.
- Pressing the button next to the service switch doesn't make a sound or anything.
Level42:
--- Quote from: RayB on October 11, 2008, 11:35:18 pm ---- Monitor not showing anything (red LED on monitor board is lit, and seems to flash every 2 seconds)
--- End quote ---
Sounds like it's trying to power up but fails. The 6100 is one piece of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- IMHO compared to the Amplifone, but you can get it running with a lot of patience. Get a LV2000 or LV6100 (from Mark Spaeth). Every 6100 should have one. Further, the "usual" cap-kit and check ALL solderings. Yes ALL of them. Start with the deflection PCB. The connectors are the most likely to have bad solderings. Check them with a DVM or a magnifying glass. I suggest re-soldering all the connector points.
Same on the HV and neckboard, check/redo at least all connector solderings. The one I worked on had a particularly badly soldered neckboard. At one spot there even wasn't any solder at all, with the resistors' leg sticking through the hole ! I will have to resolder that entire board.
--- Quote from: RayB on October 11, 2008, 11:35:18 pm ---- With test switch in down position, on power up I get 16 beeps, a pause, then 16 again and it seems to repeat like this.
--- End quote ---
If all beeps are of a low tone than congratulations, it just passed the memory tests.
--- Quote from: RayB on October 11, 2008, 11:35:18 pm ---All board "single" LEDs are lit. The main board "group of 3" LEDs light on power up, then turn off after about 2 or 3 seconds.
--- End quote ---
Again, congratulations, that's perfectly normal behaviour for a working board-set.
--- Quote from: RayB on October 11, 2008, 11:35:18 pm ---- Voltages: +5 is at 5.03v, +12 is at 11.5v. Should I raise this?
--- End quote ---
NO ! The 5V is perfect and you can't separately regulate the 12V. It'll be fine.
--- Quote from: RayB on October 11, 2008, 11:35:18 pm ---- Coining up makes no sound. It does not even trigger my coin counter.
--- End quote ---
It's in free-play.
If free-play is off, you get "The force will be with you" at the first credit and "Always" at the second credit.
When it's in free play, it will say "The force will be with you" when it's powered up fully and you can start a game by pressing one of the fire buttons. You hear "Red 5 standing by" when you've entered the difficulty selection screen. Press a fire button at that time and you should hear the game sounds !
--- Quote from: RayB on October 11, 2008, 11:35:18 pm ---- Pressing the button next to the service switch doesn't make a sound or anything.
--- End quote ---
That's normal. In game running mode it doesn't do anything at all. In test-mode it will cycle through the various test-screens but of course you don't see that.
So, I think you're board-set is working and your WG is not. Not a bad start.
RayB:
I checked the manual and 16 HIGH tones are good. (Correct your post please. ;) )
Here's what's bothersome about the sounds... The "Red 5 standing by" isn't immediate when pushing a fire button. It's as if there's a delay. And then I don't get any game sounds, though I suppose it's possible I just couldn't blindly hit one of the difficulty Death Stars to start a game. (Would be especially true if the yoke weren't working right, yes?)
Otherwise, my suspicion is this... speech is working but not the synthesized sounds...?
Thanks for the tips. I'll bring the board set to another Star Wars owner to diagnose, and rebuild the monitor ASAP!
PS: I was glad to find all boards are original and matching original serial #. This machine hasn't been touched. I guess I should replace Big Blue (there's a buzz from the speakers). How necessary is it to replace the bridge rectifier too?
PS2: I heard the 6103 is much better and reliable than the original 6100.
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