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Arcade Collecting => Miscellaneous Arcade Talk => Topic started by: aPr0mpt on June 19, 2009, 03:29:19 pm

Title: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: aPr0mpt on June 19, 2009, 03:29:19 pm
Hi everyone,

I have gotten these weird screens on my ms pac. it was flashing all sorts of garbage (see picture) then said something very quickly about bad rom 1. However, its working now and the colors are all wrong and distorted. Now matter how much i fiddle with the picture knobs, i cant get the real color back. Does anyone know what I should do? Is it the bad rom? Should i just keep playing with the wrong colors? what do you guys think?

Ms. pacman is like a dark grey or blueish color and when the ghosts are being chased they are red. There is also an unhealthy haze everywhere.

Thanks.
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: CheffoJeffo on June 19, 2009, 03:57:19 pm
Has it been working properly in your possession ? Anything change recently ?

You may want to check the PacMan Troubleshooting By Picture (http://www.arcadegameover.com/pactrouble.html) page.

Monitor looks like it could use a good capping as well.
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: SirPeale on June 19, 2009, 04:25:58 pm
Fiddling with the picture knobs won't bring your colors back to normal - you've got a board issue.

First, reseat all your socketed chips, see if that helps.
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: Kevin Mullins on June 19, 2009, 04:35:15 pm
Yeah, the first image with the "garbage" is most likely a chip that needs re-seating.
(i.e. ROM)

The monitor itself should probably have a cap kit done if it hasn't been done recently if ever at all.

The horizontal sync looks a tad off maybe causing the droop on the one side.
(could also be a cap)

The SCREEN voltage on the flyback may be a hair high causing the washout/haze and the lines.

Can't quite tell if the convergence is off from those pics.

Can't see much BLUE anywhere either.

And most importantly...... what make / model monitor is it ?
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: aPr0mpt on June 20, 2009, 02:17:18 am
Wow thanks for the help guys. I will definitely reseat the chips and will look up the monitor model when i get a chance.
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: aPr0mpt on June 21, 2009, 12:55:44 am
Ok, my model make and number on the monitor is an electrome M015-00092-0000. Which i believe makes this original.
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman UPDATE
Post by: aPr0mpt on June 23, 2009, 01:22:10 am
After reseating the socketed chips there was a great deal of improvement! Colors are much better however some colors are still not correct. I didnt take the chips completely out, just a bit, would love to hear any suggestions.

I appreciate all of your suggestions.

Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: Level42 on June 24, 2009, 04:33:48 pm
That monitor really needs a cap-kit. It also looks like the green bias is up too high.
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: RobinHolland on June 25, 2009, 02:53:41 pm
There is no blue , only green and red
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: Kevin Mullins on June 25, 2009, 05:08:49 pm
Ok, my model make and number on the monitor is an electrome M015-00092-0000.

So maybe a Electrohome G07 then ?

That monitor does seriously need a tech to go over it.
At least the basic chassis overhaul.
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: aPr0mpt on June 27, 2009, 03:18:46 am
So does everyone think its the monitor then? Is it worth getting a guy over from 30 miles away charging $75 an hour to take a look?
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: Level42 on June 27, 2009, 05:22:03 am
I'd do a cap-kit myself first. It's really not that difficult to do.

But the missing blue could be anything from a loose pin to a dead blue gun...

If he's going to charge two hours (which I expect would be minimally required) it's the same price as a brand new monitor.

If you don't feel you have the capability to fix the monitor I'd sell it to someone who can and buy a brand new monitor.
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: aPr0mpt on June 27, 2009, 03:21:02 pm


Thanks Level 42,

Selling it would never be an option though.  :D I just wanted to know whats wrong with it so that i could either get the board fixed or try to get a new monitor.
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: Kevin Mullins on June 27, 2009, 04:57:10 pm
So does everyone think its the monitor then?

I would definitely have the monitor looked at first.
You can't properly troubleshoot a game with monitor symptoms like that without knowing it's NOT the monitor.

Is it worth getting a guy over from 30 miles away charging $75 an hour to take a look?

I personally can't stand techs that charge such prices.
30 miles is an every day one way drive for me, so I don't think twice about that part.
$75 an hour ...... rediculous.
 :soapbox:

Hell, ship the chassis to me and I'll do it and make it so your total cost is HALF of that including shipping.
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: aPr0mpt on June 30, 2009, 02:15:23 am
So listen to this, after talking to the tech. his solution is for him to take the monitor and board, take the monitor to new england coin op to get it tested and if needed repaired... and if its the board (it gets better) he says he can ship it out to get it repaired or i could chose to trade it in on this "website he knows". hahah lmao. what does he actually do???? well, whatever he does he wants $100 for the first hour but admits he wouldnt fix the board or the monitor... does he only deal with power supplies?? this is hilarious.
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: SirPeale on June 30, 2009, 05:32:36 am
You didn't mention you were in New England before.   Whereabouts?  I'm in Brattleboro.
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: aPr0mpt on June 30, 2009, 12:36:52 pm
oh yeah, I'm in Waltham, MA. right off of 95. Know any members by me that could help out?
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: SirPeale on June 30, 2009, 01:41:36 pm
If you want you can ship the chassis to me and I'll rebuild it for you.  PM me.
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: RobinHolland on June 30, 2009, 03:10:02 pm
Clean your edge connector on your galaxian pcb and your connectors on your monitor if this not work
Switch the red and bleu wire on your edge connector and you now if it is the board or the monitor
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: Level42 on June 30, 2009, 06:20:06 pm
You didn't mention you were in New England before.   Whereabouts?  I'm in Brattleboro.
Holy smokes Peale, you're practically neighbors with my uncle & aunt who live in Drury !

Next time I visit them we should meet ! ! ! Your place is near Greenfield, we drove through there a lot of times ! :)
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: SirPeale on June 30, 2009, 06:51:32 pm
Sure thing!  Where's Drury?  Never heard of it.

I'm about 1/2 an hour from Greenfield.
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: Level42 on July 01, 2009, 04:50:58 pm
Sure thing!  Where's Drury?  Never heard of it.

I'm about 1/2 an hour from Greenfield.
Near North-Adams.  It's less than an hour:

We actually drove past your town on the 91 when we were heading for Funspot  ! :D

We may visit again next year ! :D

Sorry to de-rail this thread, back on topic.



Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: aPr0mpt on July 01, 2009, 09:11:32 pm
Clean your edge connector on your galaxian pcb and your connectors on your monitor if this not work
Switch the red and bleu wire on your edge connector and you now if it is the board or the monitor



Do you know what the best thing is to use to clean the edge connector?
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: aPr0mpt on July 09, 2009, 07:18:52 pm
tried the pencil eraser and it made it look clean but no improvement.

Pencil eraser or lightly hit it with sand paper.

Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: SirPeale on July 09, 2009, 07:23:04 pm
No, it wouldn't.  I'm still pretty sure you have a PCB issue.  Color PROM maybe.
Title: Re: Ms. Pacman video trouble (please read)
Post by: channelmaniac on July 21, 2009, 02:29:41 pm
Well...

Why not swap the green and blue color wires on the inputs of the monitor? If you get blue and no green then the board is bad... if you still have green and no blue then you have a monitor issue.