Omega Race mini Restoration - *SOLD*

[RayB]

Omega Race cabaret project (complete, but filthy).


The Good:
 - All parts accounted for except the back door
 - Molded control panel and marquees are in very good shape
 - I have a sick Asteroids cocktail from which to harvest G05 monitor parts, if necessary
 - Billtronix replacement spinner board available, if needed

The Bad:
 - Untested
 - Dirty as hell
 - Water damage to top and edges
 - Acid damage on main board
 - Wiring is dirty as hell (but intact)
 - Bezel artwork flaking like mad
 - All four start buttons seem to be pushed in and stuck there.

[Level42]

 

[Spyridon]

Yeah...you know the rules! 

[CheffoJeffo]

The OR mini does exist ... I saw it ... really, I did !

I'll leave it to RayB to document, but this was a cab that I had wanted for a project until I found out that he had acquired it ... so I bought his Dominos.

I am somewhat envious, but really should focus my affection on my new lady Dominos ...

[RayB]

I sold the Dominos specifically to pay for this, so thanks again Jeff!


Pics and status list added above.

[Spyridon]

I haven't played this game since it was new.  How does the "credit per player" 4 button start work?  Can you put in two quarters and start a 1 player game with twice as many ships?

You've go a bit of work to get it going, but this should be an interesting project to follow.

[cw]

I haven't played this game since it was new.  How does the "credit per player" 4 button start work?  Can you put in two quarters and start a 1 player game with twice as many ships?

yes...

[RayB]

Some pics of the bad & ugly. Crumbling wood and my connector woes posted about in this thread here: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=91586.0

If you own an Omega Race and can provide a photo of your connectors hooked up, I'd appreciate it, though I also just bought the manual with schematics, which will help greatly.

[ChadTower]

Try taking a look at those edge contacts.  You may be able to orient the connectors by seeing which edge contacts don't connect to any traces.

EDIT:  second thought... what is on those pins?  If it's only logic or signal you may be able to just try it both ways and see which works.  If it's power, forgetaboutit.

[RayB]

Try taking a look at those edge contacts.  You may be able to orient the connectors by seeing which edge contacts don't connect to any traces.

EDIT:  second thought... what is on those pins?  If it's only logic or signal you may be able to just try it both ways and see which works.  If it's power, forgetaboutit.

Did that already and neither orientation makes "sense" in relation to the traces.

Once I figure it all out, I'm going to be replacing the main connector with a "jamma" style one. This original one has green all over the contacts.

[Paladin]

I replied in the other thread, but here's a picture of my upright:

[RayB]

Thank you very much. Hopefully your wire colors will match up to mine. Any chance of a close up on that L shaped connector?

[Paladin]

Try this one on for size.

[RayB]

Perfect match Paladin. Thanks so much.

Next Steps:
========

1. Dare I try powering up? I've looked at everything and all is hooked up, nothing cut up, no damage, just very dirty (I vaccuumed and wiped but its the kind of dirty where moisture made dust stick to everything). Fuses are there and intact. Should I do it, even though the main board is acid damaged?

2. My start buttons are all stuck in the down position. How am I supposed to remove these? I got one off, but it involved twisting up the wires that are connected to it. That can't possibly be right... Atari cone buttons you remove by loosening up and then unscrewing the cone. I can't seem to do this with these (they are quite low-profile).

3. Bezel art: I'll be posting photos of the bezel soon. It's flaking badly. I'm debating doing a scan and printing up a new bezel, or scraping off the flakes, touching up by hand and then sealing...

4. There are little blobs of brown paint on the control panel and other areas. Just scratching at them isn't removing them. How best to remove without damaging the control panel art? I'm tempted to try Goof Off.

[ChadTower]

Perfect match Paladin. Thanks so much.

Next Steps:
========

1. Dare I try powering up? I've looked at everything and all is hooked up, nothing cut up, no damage, just very dirty (I vaccuumed and wiped but its the kind of dirty where moisture made dust stick to everything). Fuses are there and intact. Should I do it, even though the main board is acid damaged?

If you're nervous, unplug the boards from the power supply and power up with just the other stuff.  That will get you voltages from the main transformer, the iso transformer, and monitor HV, without any risk to the boards. 

(that is, unless it's got some of the power supply right on the main boards, which some of the old old stuff does)

For the buttons, you may need to just cut the wires and then solder them back on.  It's worth doing so you can eliminate button problems when evaluating the game functionality.  Eliminate as many of those little variables as possible now to make things easier later.  I usually clean/rebuild the whole CP before I even go near the boardset. 

[Paladin]

You're right about the start buttons.  Bad design, where they soldered the wires to the buttons after they were installed in the panel.  I just carefully twisted them being as carefull as I could.  The best way would be to unsolder them and find some quick connectors to put on the ends of the wire.  I was too lazy to go that route.

[RayB]

Some more photos showing the control panel. (I love "angle" shots of control panels with depth of field blur, so even though she's still dirty, here ya go ;-) )

[RayB]

Bezel and the flaking.
I think I'm going to scrape off what's already flaking and bubbled up and then hand-fix it all. Luckily it's pretty simple art and only 3 colors.

[ChadTower]

I have to do the same thing to my Berzerk bezel... it's not quite as flaked but the last glass I said that about ended up having more paint blown off by the spray can. 

[RayB]

Update:
I sold it.  I'm moving soon and don't want to haul too many projects with me. It had to go! (Along with Asteroids cocktail project)

[Spyridon]

Boo!