The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Arcade Collecting => Restorations & repair => Topic started by: SirPeale on March 04, 2006, 10:51:19 am
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Really should have gotten some pictures of this before I started work on it.
Two years ago, when I took a tour of the boss' warehouse (before I started working for him) I noted a Mortal Kombat in a Xenophobe cabinet. Didn't think much of it at the time, as finding the parts to change it back would be difficult.
So when I started working for him last year I noted the cabinet again. Still...without the rest of the guts, especially the joysticks and CP, it was just a cabinet.
During a massive cleanup of the shop I was organizing the PCBs taken from conversions. One box in particular intrigued me...it said "Xenophobe: PCB, Instruction Book, Marquee, Joysticks and Wiring Harness".
Could it be? Open it up...WOW! Everything I'm going to need to de-convert the cabinet!
Marquee didn't light...blown balast. Take one from a junk cab out back.
Rip off the Mortal Kombat control panel.
Turns out someone made a new wooded CP underneath. I'll have to route out certain areas to get the Xenophobe CP back in place.
The original wiring harness was cut, then wired into the JAMMA for MK. Spliced it back together.
The monitor worked for about five minutes, then died. I have to pull it out and troubleshoot.
Between the cabinet body and monitor there is a pedestal. It has a metal plate with the instructions. Someone painted over it. I uncovered the art just recently (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=51001.0).
No pictures just yet, I thought I had one before it was converted, but I can't find it.
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Was Xenophobe considered a great game? I have a converted Xenophobe - converted to Combatribes no less.
I love the cabinet - mine is going to get a mame job
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Is the base/hinge for the control panel gone? Thats a big stamped metal piece Bally used on a bunch of cabs of the era. Rampage used it, and so did my Power Drive.
Here is mine before sanding/painting.
(http://home.comcast.net/~tok/mamecab/images/pdcab_panelbase1.jpg)
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Is the base/hinge for the control panel gone? Thats a big stamped metal piece Bally used on a bunch of cabs of the era. Rampage used it, and so did my Power Drive.
No, it's there.
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Ahhh. :) My favorite projects to follow!..... Another restore job. Look foward to seeing the progress. Good Luck!
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There are twelve carriage bolts holding on the monitor enclosure and the cabinet body. I've been removing them three at a time, wire wheeling them rust free, and painting them flat black.
Doing them three at a time, I've gotten the ones on the bottom, closest to the body. I went to do the ones near the monitor, and I'm going to have to disassemble that part. As luck would have it, the bolts that hold in the monitor come right down to these bolts, and they're in the way. Since I have to pull the monitor anyway I figure I'll do everything at once, and give it a good cleaning.
The speaker grill is off. I've been wire wheeling the old coating away, and wherever I do there is rust underneath. Considering taking it to someone that can sandblast it (wire wheeling it takes forever) then powder coating it. Problem is...there isn't anyone even remotely close by that does this. I dunno why. In a perfect world there would be someone withing 20 miles, or a few people. Closest is like 70 miles, so I think I'm stuck.
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The speaker grill is off. I've been wire wheeling the old coating away, and wherever I do there is rust underneath. Considering taking it to someone that can sandblast it (wire wheeling it takes forever) then powder coating it. Problem is...there isn't anyone even remotely close by that does this. I dunno why. In a perfect world there would be someone withing 20 miles, or a few people. Closest is like 70 miles, so I think I'm stuck.
any auto- electricians nearby? many of them have bead-blasters to clean up parts. im sure you could sweet-talk one into doing it for you (",)
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any auto- electricians nearby? many of them have bead-blasters to clean up parts. im sure you could sweet-talk one into doing it for you (",)
First place I called were auto techs. No go.
It's all good; it's coming right off. Right now I'm just trying to decide whether to go with semi-gloss or gloss.
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First pictures.
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Pulled the monitor today - what a mess! Cobwebs everywhere.
This allowed me to get to the bolts that hold the monitor enclosure onto the pedestal.
Of course, I have to allow the paint to cure overnight. Problem is the monitor enclosure is just sitting on the pedestal. I *pray* we don't have any unexplained vibrations, or anything, or I can kiss this project goodbye. It should be fine, as long as no one messes with it... (famous last words)
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Pulled the monitor today - what a mess! Cobwebs everywhere.
This allowed me to get to the bolts that hold the monitor enclosure onto the pedestal.
Of course, I have to allow the paint to cure overnight. Problem is the monitor enclosure is just sitting on the pedestal. I *pray* we don't have any unexplained vibrations, or anything, or I can kiss this project goodbye. It should be fine, as long as no one messes with it... (famous last words)
Awesome - thanks for the pic. Keep'em coming. I have this exact cab - so I'd like to see what I'm getting into! ;)
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Looks like that thing is still at work- Does the boss think you're nuts to put all this work into an old, worthless game?
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I have a spare wiring harness for my Xenophobe. LMK if you need it
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Are you going to get a new bezel?
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Are you going to get a new bezel?
Maybe not at first. The thing that drove me crazy at first was the instruction plate under the monitor, it was spraypainted over. I got that off just fine. Maybe I'll start searching for one, and if I can get it cheap enough...but it's not a priority. What is...
Examined the main boardset today. I had remembered seeing a couple gouged traces on initial examination. So today I dragged it out of it's storage box, and sure enough, I'm guessing one of the joysticks must have smacked it during one of it's several moves. At least six cut traces, a knocked off cap (not sure what kind it is, I think tant?) one of the RAM chips had a corner knocked off it (but it looks intact, despite that) and the connection pins were mostly bent, and the solder joints broken on most of them. I fixed the pins first thing, but I'm going to have to wait for Cool Guy to hit the shop for the traces, he's got some wire that'll make quick work of them.
Looks like that thing is still at work- Does the boss think you're nuts to put all this work into an old, worthless game?
I don't even think the boss knows it's there. He comes into the shop very rarely these days. I certainly haven't discussed it with him at all, other than the initial 'hey can I buy this off you' 'no, you can have it' talk. I don't work on it during work hours, so other than taking a little bit of shop floor space, it shouldn't be an issue.
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I don't even think the boss knows it's there. He comes into the shop very rarely these days. I certainly haven't discussed it with him at all, other than the initial 'hey can I buy this off you' 'no, you can have it' talk. I don't work on it during work hours, so other than taking a little bit of shop floor space, it shouldn't be an issue.
Let's just hope HE remembers that conversation when you get it working. ;D
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I don't even think the boss knows it's there. He comes into the shop very rarely these days. I certainly haven't discussed it with him at all, other than the initial 'hey can I buy this off you' 'no, you can have it' talk. I don't work on it during work hours, so other than taking a little bit of shop floor space, it shouldn't be an issue.
Let's just hope HE remembers that conversation when you get it working. ;D
Oh, I'm not worried about that. It's in with the "I don't give a crap about this stuff, get it out of here" games.
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The original control panel wood was replaced. Too much wood to properly place the CPO back on top of it (there are screw attachments on the bottom). So, I broke out the jigsaw, and just started cutting away.
Right now I can get it so it lays flat, but then I turned it over to see where the joysticks would hit. I still have some chunks to remove.
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Had a little slack time at work today. Decided to tackle the gouges taken out of the board and patch them up.
Got a couple of the easier ones by bridging the gap with solder. The others were too wide. Cool Guy is far better at this than I am (much more experience) and he had this wire that's about as thick as a cat whisker. He deftly put the traces right, and even soldered back together a tant cap that had been pulled apart.
While he did that, I attacked the video wiring harness that had been butchered, and did some last minute patching of the board harness. The video harness was in *really* bad shape. People, when you convert something, there's no need to cut wires right at the connector, lengthy wire is your friend!
Cool guy finished, and the video harness was done a few minutes later. Brought it over to the cabinet. Unplugged power from the main board, so we could warm up the monitor. That was if bad things happened (other than releasing magic blue smoke) we could see it and turn it off quickly.
After letting it warm, plugged the power into the main board and...hm...what's this? White garbled graphics. Ah, nutz. Futz with it a bit more. No change. Crap.
What to do, what to do. What's that, Cool Guy? DIP switches? I dunno, worth a look-see.
Open the manual...hm...hey, switch 10...'FREEZE' WTF does that do? Cool Guy, is that one on? It is? Dammit son, flip it, flip it!
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Oh, crap, it works! Sweet Abraham Lincoln's beard!
Smack the credit button a few times...yep, it's playing! Oh...hm...playing mute. Sounds Good board blinks six times...means that's good...but we have an MCR/2 amp, betcha it's bad. Time for more research.
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Running, no sound
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*WOOT* ;D
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<Insert applause smiley here>
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Yeah, but I still have no sound. >:( Wish there was an easy way to test the sound amp.
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yay! im in awe of all you guys that can resurrect these things. you make it sound so easy but i know even with my trade background i just wouldnt know where to start...
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i just found your xenophobe notes here. i have a xenophobe cabinet that has been converted to buster bros. it has new side art, i haven't taken the control panel off to look under the plexiglass that was added, maybe it has the original xenophobe overlay on it....it does have the original schematic book with it, if you don't have one i'd be happy to send it to you
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yay! im in awe of all you guys that can resurrect these things. you make it sound so easy but i know even with my trade background i just wouldnt know where to start...
Get a cab that needs resurrection and start by asking a question here. That's how I started.
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...it does have the original schematic book with it, if you don't have one i'd be happy to send it to you
I have everything I need, with the exception of triggers for the joysticks, and bolts to hold them together.
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...it does have the original schematic book with it, if you don't have one i'd be happy to send it to you
I have everything I need, with the exception of triggers for the joysticks, and bolts to hold them together.
I have a xenophobe thats been converted to a combatribes. I don't know if it has any boards or speakers or anything you need to make sound. But, if you want them let me know. You pay for shipping and you can have it.
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Thanks for the offer. Likely, since it's been converted, nothing original remains.
Look in the back for giggles, on the right hand wall. Any boards there?
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All the coin door wires had been cut, so I stitched them back together today. Plugged it in...whoa, that light is bright! Seems someone stuck a 555 bulb in the reject light socket, should be a 194. Replaced them, all is well. Accepts coins fine, tilt works fine.
Disassembled the door and gave it a new coat of paint. I'll reassemble it on Monday.
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Thanks for the offer. Likely, since it's been converted, nothing original remains.
Look in the back for giggles, on the right hand wall. Any boards there?
Sorry. :( I plan on totally disassembling this machine. If you need anything send me a pm.
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You're trashing it? Why?
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I had thought that I could possibly find out if I had audio by taking my powered computer speakers and running a couple wires from the output of the Sounds Good board to the 1/8" jack. I tried all kinds of combinations with no avail. I still can't get sound out of this beastie. Likely it's something I'm doing wrong, but I dunno what. Any suggestions?
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Cool Guy tracked down the problem earlier today: bum power supply.
It wasn't putting out 12V on the dedicated line to the Sounds Good board.
Quick swap with a Peter Chou and viola! My Xenophobe has sound.
Now to source out the triggers and joystick bolts. Anyone know if this
is the same beastie?
http://www.happcontrols.com/joysticks/50997000.htm
I know that Xenophobe is leaf switches, and this uses micros. If the
trigger is the same that would be fantastic. If I can use the screws
that hold it together, that would be even sweeter.
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Glad to hear you got your sound issue fixed. Even nicer it was something as simple as a replacement PS. I don't know about the handles, I always thought they were the same as Tron, Gorf, Satan's Hollow sticks, but I couldn't say.
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I am pretty certain the screws are the same, although I would just go get some non-security ones from the hardware store. I *think* the trigger is the same, too.
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I think you'll be fine if you get the ones with 2 thumb buttons.
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Cool Guy made a trigger out of Lexan. Works like a champ.
Was able to play a tiny bit on one joystick.
Thinking about disassembling the joystick to paint the shafts...they're rusty.
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Congratz on getting the cab working, I always loved the look of the cab, very unique. That's a keeper for sure.
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I'd forgotten that I bought another Dual Power Amp on eBay when I suspected mine was flakey. It arrived in the post today.
Guess I'll test it tomorrow. I actually don't hold much hope for it, as the pins on the amp chip were slightly bent, touching each other.
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Another "classic" back from the dead! Nice job.
I only used quotes on classic because I'm not a big Xenophobe fan. :-\
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Banned.
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I pulled the original PS to see why there wasn't any 12V on the dedicated audio line.
Was pretty easy to figure out; someone intentionally removed a critical component so it wouldn't work.
Guessing so it wouldn't die under load.
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Banned???
Hey now! I'm impressed with the work, just not the game so much. But hey, to each his own, right? Right?
Heh heh... ;D
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This cab has been sitting in my mom's garage since....well, when was the last post? :(
I visited her today and wanted to plug it in to let the kids play.
First...the thing is /filthy/. And all the work I did cleaning the rust off has been undone from sitting in humidity. :(
It's mysteriously developed a board issue of some kind. Couldn't tell what, as the monitor wouldn't fire up! I opened the panel to check it out, and the flyback is arcing to frame. :banghead: It was working fine when I parked it.
Good news is I have several replacement flybacks.
Bad news is there's still some kind of board fault.
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See...thats what you get when you just let the sucker sit for so long. Should've had it in the kitchen or bedroom or something, playing the hell out of it. ;D
You could've even had the High Score by now. 8)
http://tinyurl.com/n5kk99
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I'd love to! I've already got seven cabs in my two bedroom place, it wasn't going to happen. :(
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...seven cabs in my two bedroom place
:notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
That is so cool. I have half a cab in my 3 bedroom place and that takes up too much space!
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To be fair, only two are actually in the house, in my boy's room. Another is on the landing outside the apt, and four are out in the back shed area.
If we didn't live on a second floor I might consider swapping the cabs out every once in a while to change things up, but I had problems enough moving a Galaxian cab and an empty Dynamo upstairs. Doing that with a full cab? Not happening.
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Nice! Sooooo jealous, Peale! I love that game. Saw one at the last Dallas Super Auction that was converted to a Combatribes. :-[ Can you use a MCR-2 amp from Tron or Satan's hollow with Xenophobe or Rampage?