Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Arcade Collecting => Restorations & repair => Topic started by: morphis on January 18, 2013, 11:15:22 am

Title: Spy Hunter Help for a novice?
Post by: morphis on January 18, 2013, 11:15:22 am

I have a stand up Spy Hunter arcade game that someone gave me about 12 years ago. It has never worked while I have had it and I finally have room for it. I am fairly new to trying to work on these things though and my skills with a volt meter are as good as what Google can tell me to do so please forgive any questions that are too basic.

I had a guy come out to my house from Craigs list who claimed to be an arcade restoration expert. He was able to install a cap kit in one of my monitors for me (in my Raiden cabinet) but was unable to make in progress with Spy Hunter. Power isn’t coming out of the brick in the bottom of the cabinet at all. (The one with the two giant blue capacitors on it.) So, I purchased one of the switching boards and power supply that I have found advertised at a couple of different sites.

First question is, does this completely replace the need for the brick in the bottom? I thought that it would be when I tried to hook it up I found that there were quite a few ‘extra’ wires and plugs left over. Or maybe I just didn’t know what to plug where.

Second, I tried to plug in the two main cables that came off of the card that has the giant heatsink and plug in the power supply but it didn’t appear to do anything. I had several wires left over and there is a red led on the power board that didn’t appear to come on. I am assuming if it was powered up that would light up?

Has anyone done this conversion before? Any help for a novice would be very much appreciated. Maybe someone has some post install photos I could look at to help me with the wiring?
Title: Re: Spy Hunter Help for a novice?
Post by: morphis on January 18, 2013, 02:07:13 pm
to be more specific I am trying to sort out what to do with this.

Tracing the wires it runs up to the on/off switch at the top of the cabinet and to the speakers.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/92411872@N08/8392113815/#in/photostream/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/92411872@N08/8392113815/#in/photostream/)

I don't see a way to plug it into this guy...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/92411872@N08/8392113815/#in/photostream/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/92411872@N08/8392113815/#in/photostream/)

Title: Re: Spy Hunter Help for a novice?
Post by: cw on January 21, 2013, 09:03:31 pm
ok first off the power conversion that you got does not replace the brick it replaces the mrc power board.  These are suppose to have a reset circuit on them need for booting and that made putting a switcher in the a little harder.   

The large moxel connector I believe goes into the power brick and the other set of wires look to be the wiring to the monitor.  They plug into the main pcb stack on one of the middle boards.  I can get a pic in the next day or two of the location.

I will look around for a guild to convert one of these mrc games over to a switching power supply.
Title: Re: Spy Hunter Help for a novice?
Post by: morphis on January 22, 2013, 12:23:57 am
Thanks very much for your help on this. I believe you are spot on with your assessment. I don’t currently have the original power brick and originally didn’t think I needed it with the replacement power supply which has left me with the extra wiring.  I should have my original power brick back pretty soon but the guy who was looking at it for me was unable to fix it. When I looked at it with a volt meter the two big caps checked out but there is still something not working with it as a whole. I have been trying to find a replacement but it is proving a little challenging. The power supply board still has the original battery on it and I think it might be damaged from acid leaking… So, it might not have been a mistake to purchase the replacement.
Title: Re: Spy Hunter Help for a novice?
Post by: cw on January 22, 2013, 08:41:41 am
cut that bastard off now... you are right its still doing damage.  Take a little vinegar and wipe down around that area.