Total Carnage! I love it!

[wp34]

First coat of (Q*Bert) primer on.  Painting is why God invented Formica.   

[Malenko]

rock solid! 

[wp34]

rock solid! 

Thanks man. 

[wp34]

So my painting adventure last weekend didn't go so well.  The primer looked pretty good but it was really humid when I painted the black and I had all kinds of issues.  I let it sit for a week and then last night sanded most of it off.



Went to Menards this afternoon and walked past the cabinet three times before I noticed it had magically been painted while I was gone.  Turns out my wife (who is a much better painter than me) put a coat on while I was out.  Talk about a nice surprise!



I order a box of goodies from Holland Computing on Tuesday and they arrived today.



This will allow me to replace the t-molding and buttons.  I also bought their 2-1 Jamma switcher along with the associated harness. 

I was able to pick-up a Smash TV PCB on KLOV and am anxious to try it out with the switcher.

[Slippyblade]

Wait...  Your wife HELPED with an arcade build.  She's a keeper dude.  Good job!

[yotsuya]

Wait...  Your wife HELPED with an arcade build.  She's a keeper dude.  Good job!

Ditto. Most of us get the stink eye when working on arcade stuff otherwise.

[wp34]

She is definitely a keeper.  I don't want you to get the impression I have carte blanche to install a row of Stern pinball machines but she does generally support my hobby.  We go to the local barcade at about once a month and she likes playing the games.

[wp34]

Two coats later and I'm real happy with the final product.  The only downside is the front looks so good it really makes the sides look bad.  Oh well.  I'm moving on anyway for now.



I installed a new volume pot but that didn't fix my sound problem.  Time to pull the sound card and inspect it as if I know what I am doing.   

[yotsuya]

Looking good!

What's the sound issue specifially?

[wp34]

Looking good!

What's the sound issue specifially?

Thanks Yots!

No sound at all. There is a little hum if I turn up the volume now (after installing the new POT) but other than that nothing.

[yotsuya]

Looking good!

What's the sound issue specifially?

Thanks Yots!

No sound at all. There is a little hum if I turn up the volume now (after installing the new POT) but other than that nothing.

It uses a separate sound PCB?

[wp34]

Yeah a separate sound PCB.  Smash TV is the same way. 

[yotsuya]

Yeah, my NBA Jam uses a separate sound PCB. Can you go in the test settings and see if it's being detected? I can do that with Jam.

[wp34]

Yeah, my NBA Jam uses a separate sound PCB. Can you go in the test settings and see if it's being detected? I can do that with Jam.

Interesting.  I don't recall that on the Test menu but will look tomorrow.

[yotsuya]

Yeah, my NBA Jam uses a separate sound PCB. Can you go in the test settings and see if it's being detected? I can do that with Jam.

Interesting.  I don't recall that on the Test menu but will look tomorrow.

Hit the test/diagnostic switch, go to Diagnostic Tests->Sound Board Test and see if the board is detected. Hope that helps.

[Malenko]

check the -5V too

[wp34]

Yeah, my NBA Jam uses a separate sound PCB. Can you go in the test settings and see if it's being detected? I can do that with Jam.

Interesting.  I don't recall that on the Test menu but will look tomorrow.

Hit the test/diagnostic switch, go to Diagnostic Tests->Sound Board Test and see if the board is detected. Hope that helps.

The sound board test goes through several iterations of (I think) trying to play specific game sounds but I never hear anything nor see an error.

Interestingly I unplugged the ribbon cable to the sound board and tried the test again.  No error.  That seems odd.

Also I tried another Jamma board in the cabinet and get sound.  So at least the wiring to the speaker and the speaker are fine.

[wp34]

check the -5V too

The manual shows 5v and two 12v to the sound board and all check out.  The -5v checks out coming from the power supply.

[wp34]

On a lark I tried my JROK Multi-Williams board in it.  Robotron plays perfectly.  With Joust you have to hit the left "fire" joystick to flap unfortunately.  I was hoping the "Bomb" button would work but that is mapped to Player 1 start.  I'm real tempted to make this a three-way Jamma rig to play Robotron, Smash TV and Total Carnage.

I tried my Smash TV board in it tonight as well.  The sound works but there is an odd issue with firing.  While all the buttons and joysticks check out in the diagnostics when playing the game I can't fire with either player. 

[wp34]

I swapped the ribbon cable from Smash TV into Total Carnage and my sound is back!  Really, really pumped about that.

[yotsuya]

Sweet! I think Bob Roberts sells replacement sound ribbon cables.

[wp34]

Sweet! I think Bob Roberts sells replacement sound ribbon cables.

Thanks.  I hadn't thought to check him believe it or not.   

[wp34]

Well one step forward and three back.  Since I thought I had the sound problem licked I decided to install the Jamma 2-1 switcher. 


When I turned it on some smoke came out of the Jamma switcher and I quickly turned it off.

Bypassing the switcher I plugged the Total Carnage board directly into the Jamma harness.  Now the sound is gone again.

Also it will play for a few minutes and then the video starts to go staticy and then goes away completely.   

[MK3FAN]

You bought the wrong switcher...

https://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?sku=DBLJAMMA

[wp34]

You bought the wrong switcher...

https://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?sku=DBLJAMMA

I'm starting to think that.  Going with the cheaper faster method may have been a mistake.

Do you own that one or are you being Internet-ornery?

[yotsuya]

MK3FAN recommended that one for me, too. I plan to buy it once I get the Open Ice board working 100%. I trust him.

[wp34]

When I was researching them I couldn't find any recent threads in Mike's switcher. I'll probably go that route now. I'm worried my Total Carnage is dead. Can't get anything out of it tonight. At least I didn't plug my Smash TV pcb into that cheap switcher.

[wp34]

Yeah I think my TC is dead Jim.  I plugged a 60-1 in and let it run for a while tonight with no issues (other than the sound on DK  ).  The TC will play for a few minutes before the video gets garbled and then it freezes. It won't even boot every time for that matter.

Just for posterity the model switcher I bought was GBS-8118.  There is no manual included or existing apparently. 

[yotsuya]

Yeah I think my TC is dead Jim.  I plugged a 60-1 in and let it run for a while tonight with no issues (other than the sound on DK  ).  The TC will play for a few minutes before the video gets garbled and then it freezes. It won't even boot every time for that matter.

Just for posterity the model switcher I bought was GBS-8118.  There is no manual included or existing apparently.

Damn. Are any chips getting super hot when it freezes?

[wp34]

You bought the wrong switcher...

https://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?sku=DBLJAMMA

If you own Mike's switcher I am interested in your opinion.  I'd like to pick one up at some point down the road.  I think this cabinet is going to play just Smash TV for the time being though.

[wp34]

Yeah I think my TC is dead Jim.  I plugged a 60-1 in and let it run for a while tonight with no issues (other than the sound on DK  ).  The TC will play for a few minutes before the video gets garbled and then it freezes. It won't even boot every time for that matter.

Just for posterity the model switcher I bought was GBS-8118.  There is no manual included or existing apparently.

Damn. Are any chips getting super hot when it freezes?

Dunno.  I didn't check for that.  I'll try that tomorrow night.

It is funny that I was so on top of the world yesterday when I had the sound working.  Things can sure change quickly in this hobby.

[wp34]

I bought the switcher and a few other items from Holland Computers.  They have been very responsive to my questions via email.  It turns out they have had issues with this switcher and Midway boards.  They are going to give me a refund for the switcher and the cables I bought with it.  I'm very impressed with their customer service.

[Malenko]

I bought the switcher and a few other items from Holland Computers.  They have been very responsive to my questions via email.  It turns out they have had issues with this switcher and Midway boards.  They are going to give me a refund for the switcher and the cables I bought with it.  I'm very impressed with their customer service.

They gonna replace the board it killed?

[wp34]

I bought the switcher and a few other items from Holland Computers.  They have been very responsive to my questions via email.  It turns out they have had issues with this switcher and Midway boards.  They are going to give me a refund for the switcher and the cables I bought with it.  I'm very impressed with their customer service.

They gonna replace the board it killed?

Nope.  All things considered I'm okay with that at this point.  I was rolling the dice buying that cheapo switcher.

[MK3FAN]

If you own Mike's switcher I am interested in your opinion.

Yup. I actually am using 2 of them right now and I have a spare in the spare parts closet. They work GREAT and the games can be switched via holding either the P1 or P2 Start button and then pressing the other. Or you can wire up a switch to manually switch the games. That's what I did in my TMNT/TIT 2-in-1. They are more expensive, but they are WELL worth the extra cash. It would not have crapped out on you like the cheaper one you bought.

[yotsuya]

If you own Mike's switcher I am interested in your opinion.

Yup. I actually am using 2 of them right now and I have a spare in the spare parts closet. They work GREAT and the games can be switched via holding either P1 or P2 Start buttons and then pressing the other. Or you can wire up a switch to manually switch the games. That's what I did in my TMNT/TIT 2-in-1. They are more expensive, but they are WELL worth the extra cash. It would not have crapped out on you like the cheaper one you bought.

Which do you prefer, the switch or p1/p2? I'm going to buy one on your recommendation. 

[wp34]

Thanks for the feedback.  I appreciate it.   

I'm going to order one at some point.  Live and learn.

I like the idea of being able to wire up a switch.  Both my games use P1&P2 together to exit some menus.  I have to think that would confuse the switcher.

If you own Mike's switcher I am interested in your opinion.

Yup. I actually am using 2 of them right now and I have a spare in the spare parts closet. They work GREAT and the games can be switched via holding either the P1 or P2 Start button and then pressing the other. Or you can wire up a switch to manually switch the games. That's what I did in my TMNT/TIT 2-in-1. They are more expensive, but they are WELL worth the extra cash. It would not have crapped out on you like the cheaper one you bought.

[wp34]

Tonight I worked on adjusting the horizontal size.   I didn't have a TV adjustment tool set and it came in the mail today.  Because there wasn't enough clearance underneath the monitor I ended up cutting the tool down to size so it would fit.  Glad those kits are cheap.

I'm not sure why they designed that chassis so that the horizontal size adjustment is so far underneath the tube.  After shocking myself two or three times    trying to adjust it with the monitor on I decided to turn the monitor off first.  It took several tries but I think I have it.

[MK3FAN]

Which do you prefer, the switch or p1/p2? I'm going to buy one on your recommendation. 

Cool! I prefer the actual wired switch because if I'm playing a fighting game and both players press the Start buttons at the same time (happens more than you'd think), the game switches and I have to switch it back.

[yotsuya]

Which do you prefer, the switch or p1/p2? I'm going to buy one on your recommendation. 

Cool! I prefer the actual wired switch because if I'm playing a fighting game and both players press the Start buttons at the same time (happens more than you'd think), the game switches and I have to switch it back.

Nice. Where do you put the switch? I was thinking of putting it behind the coin door. I didn't necessarily want it easily switched.