Author Topic: Ah...Another GOOD Find? (Read 7800 times)

FrizzleFried · « **on:** February 13, 2007, 01:05:12 am »

I happened across a posting recently for a dedicated Joust. After some communications with the woman selling it, she tells me that it doesn't work, but she thinks it just needs to be "reset" or something...but they don't have the key to get in to the back...that her husband had a dream of building an arcade in the back room, but she wasn't having nothing of that...yadda yadda yadda...

Well, I ask her what she wants for it and she says..."I think he paid $125 for it...and I just want it gone, so you can have it for a bargain"...

...to which I responded with "I will give ya $50.00 and can pick it up tomorrow".

I am waiting to hear back from her. I am SURE I could get it for $75 max if she doesn't take the $50 offer.

This is sight unseen mind you...it could be a real big ole piece of crap, but it would have to be one smelly turd to not be worth $50.00.

Who knows...it may actually even WORK!!?!?

arcadefever · « **Reply #1 on:** February 13, 2007, 01:20:31 am »

i like that ...

well for $50 what can you loose

i hope it is in a great shape and just a blowing fuse

good luck

Kremmit · « **Reply #2 on:** February 13, 2007, 01:26:31 am »

Quote from: FrizzleFried on February 13, 2007, 01:05:12 am

...to which I responded with "I will give ya $50.00 and can pick it up tomorrow".

I am waiting to hear back from her. I am SURE I could get it for $75 max if she doesn't take the $50 offer.

Boy, you sure hope nobody else that saw that posting offered $75 with immediate pickup.

vrf · « **Reply #3 on:** February 13, 2007, 01:31:55 am »

Yeah, I would have waited until you had the cab in hand before bragging about the deal to a bunch of arcade enthusiasts, especially since the seller hasn't agreed to it yet.

Well, at least it isn't ebay. Then you really would have been in trouble.

spacies · « **Reply #4 on:** February 13, 2007, 02:15:26 am »

Good luck.

I hope she is a beauty.

FrizzleFried · « **Reply #5 on:** February 13, 2007, 02:18:15 am »

D0H!

...uh...but then again...it's in BUM F' EGYPT (IE: in the middle of nowhere to most except for me). The deal doesn't sound so good if you have to drive a thousand miles each direction to get it.

johnm160 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 13, 2007, 10:30:54 am »

Quote from: FrizzleFried on February 13, 2007, 02:18:15 am

D0H!

...uh...but then again...it's in BUM F' EGYPT (IE: in the middle of nowhere to most except for me). The deal doesn't sound so good if you have to drive a thousand miles each direction to get it.

Tell me about it.

I recently picked up a couple of cabs and an air hockey table, they were all kind of local, the truck rental and mileage still cost as much as two of my purchases.

FrizzleFried · « **Reply #7 on:** February 13, 2007, 01:25:01 pm »

NICE! Just talked to the lady...$50 it is and I pick up the cabinet tonight! I asked her the condition and she said "The cabinet itself looks to be in really good condition, the rest I can't tell you because we couldnt get it to work and we don't have the key to get in to the back."

Even if EVERYTHING sucks on it EXCEPT the cabinet, $50 is a steal!

I'll post photos tonight...

BTW: Anyone have any suggestions on how to remove the lock from the back? I was thinking of just hole-sawing the whole friggin lock mechanism out as it will be a home unit and a lock isn't necessary?!?

sfrascella · « **Reply #8 on:** February 13, 2007, 01:32:37 pm »

If it's just a cam lock drill it with a steel bit and you'll be inside in about 1 minute.

leapinlew · « **Reply #9 on:** February 13, 2007, 01:36:28 pm »

Quote from: sfrascella on February 13, 2007, 01:32:37 pm

If it's just a cam lock drill it with a steel bit and you'll be inside in about 1 minute.

No doubt. Don't go cutting on the cabinet. Just take a titanium bit and drill out the lock.

Also, if you want to get the monitor out - don't cut the cabinet in half.

FrizzleFried · « **Reply #10 on:** February 13, 2007, 01:51:37 pm »

Oh come now...i'd never MAIM the cabinet to get the lock out (or the monitor)....

I am hoping all is there cuz I'd LOVE to get this up and running and NOT MAME it...hell, if I could get it up and running I could sell it and use the profit to purchase a driving cabinet (that I really want)...or maybe the other guy in the area selling 4 Galaga cabinets would trade for one? Doubt it...

spacies · « **Reply #11 on:** February 13, 2007, 02:55:38 pm »

Hurry up and but it!

And post pics

Havok · « **Reply #12 on:** February 13, 2007, 03:36:42 pm »

Quote from: spacies on February 13, 2007, 02:55:38 pm

Hurry up and but it!

And post pics

You sick bastard!

spacies · « **Reply #13 on:** February 13, 2007, 03:52:51 pm »

Dam man hands.

I was gonna change it, but I won't. LOL.

Oh, and frizzled, the way your wife is feeling about your machines, don't let her catch you 'butting' your new Joust ok?

And FFS, don't post pics if you do 'but' it.

FrizzleFried · « **Reply #14 on:** February 13, 2007, 09:06:24 pm »

Oh...I am not much interested in BUTTING anything (well...almost)...

Waiting for the wife to come home from a job interview and then I am off to pick up the cabinet...

leapinlew · « **Reply #15 on:** February 13, 2007, 09:10:48 pm »

Quote from: FrizzleFried on February 13, 2007, 09:06:24 pm

Oh...I am not much interested in BUTTING anything (well...almost)...

Waiting for the wife to come home from a job interview and then I am off to pick up the cabinet...

8pm job interview?

Havok · « **Reply #16 on:** February 13, 2007, 11:45:00 pm »

Quote from: leapinlew on February 13, 2007, 09:10:48 pm

8pm job interview?

Yeah, here's the guy she's getting interviewed by...

FrizzleFried · « **Reply #17 on:** February 14, 2007, 01:42:34 am »

Quote from: Havok on February 13, 2007, 11:45:00 pm

Quote from: leapinlew on February 13, 2007, 09:10:48 pm
8pm job interview?

Yeah, here's the guy she's getting interviewed by...

Hahahahahaha....naw, it was 7PM when I posted that. Her interview was at 6PM at the UPS Store...hehe....

Anyway...I got the cabinet...not bad shape at all...I'd venture to guess it was ONE HELLUVA DEAL for $50.00 just by looking at it. I brought it home and plugged it in....

A flick of the switch and...

....hummmmm.....

Thats it. No picture...though you could hear the monitor fire up (crackle crackle)... no playing blind. No worries. I am pooped and doubt i'll be trying to break in to the sucker tonight...

Here are some photos:

Level42 · « **Reply #18 on:** February 14, 2007, 01:55:50 am »

Great find and a fantastic deal ! I agree, drill out the lock, I've done it before and it works BUT maybe you can try something else first....on my "new" Mario Bros, there was also no key and I already thought I'd have to drill it out....but the cover was pretty tight in the cab, so I put in a (fitting but not working) key in the lock and then used some force to pull it open and, yeahhhhh it opened without a problem

Could be the same on your cab, not sure how good the built quality was on the Williams cabs...I must say the Nintendo looks to be very well built.

spacies · « **Reply #19 on:** February 14, 2007, 02:35:20 am »

Oh dude, you got ripped!....NOT.

I am sooo fkn jealous.

NICE SCORE!

FrizzleFried · « **Reply #20 on:** February 14, 2007, 10:21:04 am »

Today is the day I get to go out and drill out the locks....and then inspect for loose connections. If it isn't a simple case of a loose connection, I have a feeling that I will have some work cut out for me as I am not entirely sure how to run down the problem (this is the first cabinet I have gotten that has (I hope) a PCB)...

CheffoJeffo · « **Reply #21 on:** February 14, 2007, 10:41:08 am »

Super score!

Check your voltages (if you don't have multi-meter, get one now and get a copy of the Joust manual while you are at it) and you may want to look into an adaptor to use a switching power supply instead of the linear supply that in there (hey, I love the old William supplies, but there are enough things to worry about with old Williams machines).

Joust Manual:

http://happycampers.to/arcade/manuals/

Power supply conversion kit can be found here:

http://www.arcadeshop.com/parts.htm#Power

The wiki has some links to good Williams-related repair info:

http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/wiki/Restoration

Cheers.

FrizzleFried · « **Reply #22 on:** February 14, 2007, 11:12:43 am »

I had about 15 minutes to kill before I clocked in (I work from home - w00t!) so I went out to see just how hard it would be to get in to the back of the unit. 5 minutes with a drill, 5 minutes with a flat head screw driver (after trying a number of keys as suggested) and with a little encouragement, the lock loosened up...a pair of vice-grips later and the door was off!

And OH was there a treasure of stuff to be had inside. It seems the bottom of the cabinet had NEVER BEEN OPENED...I'd had thought the top door hadn't been opened either until you look at the SCREEN (or is that the focus?) knob at the right hand side of the chassis and you can see something has touched that part of the monitor more recently than 1982.

Here is what I found:

FrizzleFried · « **Reply #23 on:** February 14, 2007, 11:15:44 am »

...and one last shot.

I didn't get a chance to even really look at the insides much. Very dusty for sure.

The old owner said when they got it all it would do is produce a DOT on the screen. Right now I get nothing.... I am guessing my first step is to examine the connections and the fuses....right? (forgive me, this is my first cab with an actual PCB inside!)

FrizzleFried · « **Reply #24 on:** February 14, 2007, 02:16:35 pm »

UPDATE: I took a look and fired up the cabinet with the back off. The powersupply board has 3 LEDS, labeled 1 2 and 3...2 and 3 come on but 1 doesn't. A visual inspection of the fuses show no apparent blow outs. The PCB is getting zero power. I have a switching power supply from a Robocop, how hard would it be to convert this cabinet to use that? Any suggestions as to where to look for the problem?

Bobbler · « **Reply #25 on:** February 14, 2007, 03:14:28 pm »

Wow!
What a bargain! Surely thats got to be worth the dough

CheffoJeffo · « **Reply #26 on:** February 14, 2007, 03:31:23 pm »

Quote from: FrizzleFried on February 14, 2007, 02:16:35 pm

I have a switching power supply from a Robocop, how hard would it be to convert this cabinet to use that?

Quote from: CheffoJeffo on February 14, 2007, 10:41:08 am

Power supply conversion kit can be found here:

http://www.arcadeshop.com/parts.htm#Power

You could make your own, but I wouldn't. The kit is nice, non-intrusive and keeps the wiring original.

Connecting this is literally a 5-second job -- connect the card to the switching PS, then plug the harness fom the linear power supply into the card. Done.

Cheers.

FrizzleFried · « **Reply #27 on:** February 14, 2007, 04:55:29 pm »

Anyone here a Williams Powersupply guru? What fuse is associated with LED 1? It seems that is the line to run the PCB, is that going to be 12vdc?

Any suggestions on how I may be able to fix this PS as opposed to buying a new one? $39 for a PS for a cabinet I paid $50 for sort of sucks...but oh well.

Crowquill · « **Reply #28 on:** February 14, 2007, 05:05:42 pm »

Quote from: FrizzleFried on February 14, 2007, 04:55:29 pm

Anyone here a Williams Powersupply guru? What fuse is associated with LED 1? It seems that is the line to run the PCB, is that going to be 12vdc?

Any suggestions on how I may be able to fix this PS as opposed to buying a new one? $39 for a PS for a cabinet I paid $50 for sort of sucks...but oh well.

You still might end up with a working Joust for $89! Besides, the switching power supply will be much more reliable and easier to replace in the future.

I'm jealous.

FrizzleFried · « **Reply #29 on:** February 14, 2007, 05:07:40 pm »

Quote from: Crowquill on February 14, 2007, 05:05:42 pm

Quote from: FrizzleFried on February 14, 2007, 04:55:29 pm
Anyone here a Williams Powersupply guru? What fuse is associated with LED 1? It seems that is the line to run the PCB, is that going to be 12vdc?

Any suggestions on how I may be able to fix this PS as opposed to buying a new one? $39 for a PS for a cabinet I paid $50 for sort of sucks...but oh well.

You still might end up with a working Joust for $89! Besides, the switching power supply will be much more reliable and easier to replace in the future.

I'm jealous.

I hate it when people are right....

leapinlew · « **Reply #30 on:** February 14, 2007, 05:08:03 pm »

Quote from: FrizzleFried on February 14, 2007, 04:55:29 pm

Any suggestions on how I may be able to fix this PS as opposed to buying a new one? $39 for a PS for a cabinet I paid $50 for sort of sucks...but oh well.

Thats silly talk. What if I said you could have a working Joust for $89. The fact of the matter is you got a steal - if it cost you another $150 to fix it your still in good shape.

CheffoJeffo · « **Reply #31 on:** February 14, 2007, 05:33:26 pm »

Quote from: FrizzleFried on February 14, 2007, 04:55:29 pm

Anyone here a Williams Powersupply guru? What fuse is associated with LED 1? It seems that is the line to run the PCB, is that going to be 12vdc?

Any suggestions on how I may be able to fix this PS as opposed to buying a new one? $39 for a PS for a cabinet I paid $50 for sort of sucks...but oh well.

Mike Ranger is the guru, but he doesn't hang out online much anymore and he got rid of all of his Williams stuff (I know because I ended up with it).

LED1 is +5V, I believe (I'm too lazy to go look at mine) .. it should say on the board.

Check your fuses with a multimeter or continuity tester -- visual inspection isn't good enough. Also LEDs do go bad, so you need to use the MM (although it does sound like you are missing +5V).

Also check/clean the fuse holders as they can corrode over time.

Remember that there are reasons why fuses blow, so you need to find the cause or it will continue to blow.

EDIT: Question -- does LED 1 light up with the game boards unplugged from the power supply ?

EDIT2: Check the connectors for possible scorching.

$39 for a reliable, stable power supply ain't a bad deal. And not worrying about blowing your Video, ROM or Sound boards is nice too.

Cheers.

Level42 · « **Reply #32 on:** February 14, 2007, 05:34:23 pm »

How true.....one little thing, you said you tried turning it on with the backdoor open......on a lot of games there's a "safety switch" that turns off the mains as soon as you open the backdoor.....check for that FIRST.....(I fell for it the first time I had a "real" cab as well.....)

A dot on the screen indicates to no deflection horizontal AND vertical on the monitor....

Level42 · « **Reply #33 on:** February 14, 2007, 05:36:04 pm »

bleeehhhhh, I didn't read good enough....you already have some LED's working....forget my posting above....but sometimes the most obvious things are overlooked

FrizzleFried · « **Reply #34 on:** February 14, 2007, 06:25:26 pm »

Quote from: Level42 on February 14, 2007, 05:34:23 pm

How true.....one little thing, you said you tried turning it on with the backdoor open......on a lot of games there's a "safety switch" that turns off the mains as soon as you open the backdoor.....check for that FIRST.....(I fell for it the first time I had a "real" cab as well.....)

A dot on the screen indicates to no deflection horizontal AND vertical on the monitor....

Yah, it has the switch, which I pulled (of course). They (the people who sold me the cabinet) said they got a DOT...i get nothing (but if I turn up the screen setting I get an all white screen as I am supposed to get). I am getting zero power to the PCB...and my marquee isn't lighting up (but that could be a blown bulb...i haven't had a chance to take much anything apart yet.

I found a working Joust powersupply for $15.99...i'd imagine you folks would still recommend the switching PS?

FrizzleFried · « **Reply #35 on:** February 14, 2007, 06:27:04 pm »

BAH! SCREW IT! I'm gunna gut it and convert it to a shooter/driving MAME cabinet!

J/K!

CheffoJeffo · « **Reply #36 on:** February 14, 2007, 06:41:09 pm »

Quote from: FrizzleFried on February 14, 2007, 06:27:04 pm

BAH! SCREW IT! I'm gunna gut it and convert it to a shooter/driving MAME cabinet!

All right then, how about $50 for the sticks, wiring harness, power supply and boards ?

RayB · « **Reply #37 on:** February 14, 2007, 07:17:26 pm »

I would attempt a fix with original hardware before converting it to a switcher.

FrizzleFried · « **Reply #38 on:** February 14, 2007, 07:22:44 pm »

For those not in the know...J/K means "Just Kidding". It would be a friggin' CRIME to mame this cabinet!

I just poked around a little and it seems the bottom 2 fuses are in line with the +5VDC...i replaced both fuses (the cabinet had a pack of 5 fuses on the floor too!) and no go. It seems the power supply is shot. Tomorrow (after Valentines Day) I will pull the board out and see if I can find any solder cracks, etc...just in case.

I pulled the bezel and opened the CP...I didn't realize just how simplistic those 2 way leaf joysticks are...

The marquee bulb looks blown (dark at both ends of the tube), but not sure. I will have bust out my multimeter and do some checking, but being that I am a multimeter newb, I am a little anxious.

I think a good vacuuming is in order... the bezel has some minor scratching toward the top but the marquee is damn near perfect. I also found a token in the coin box...w00t.

FrizzleFried · « **Reply #39 on:** February 14, 2007, 07:50:46 pm »

BTW: I seem to remember reading a website that had paint codes for proper paint colors for side art of certain Williams games. I distinctly remember Defender being one of them, but I'd LOVE to find the paint codes for this Joust. Does anyone have a link to that (or any other) site with such info?


Main	Restorations	Software	Audio/Jukebox/MP3	Everything Else	Buy/Sell/Trade
Project Announcements	Monitor/Video	GroovyMAME	Merit/JVL Touchscreen	Meet Up	Retail Vendors
Driving & Racing	Woodworking	Software Support Forums	Consoles	Project Arcade	Reviews
Automated Projects	Artwork	Frontend Support Forums	Pinball	Forum Discussion	Old Boards
Raspberry Pi & Dev Board	controls.dat	Linux	Miscellaneous Arcade	Wiki Discussion	Old Archives
Lightguns	Arcade1Up	Try the site in https mode		Site News


Unread posts \| New Replies \| Recent posts \| Rules \| Chatroom \| Wiki \| File Repository \| RSS \| Submit news